William Finnegan is a staff writer at The New Yorker. In 1978 he travelled through Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji, where he and his travel partner, Bryan Di Salvatore, were among the first to surf Tavarua. In this excerpt from 'Barbarian Days', Finnegan's surfing memoir, he and Di Salvatore have just landed in Australia, a nation of "smart-mouthed diggers with no respect for authority." Best of all, Kirra is just beginning to break....Read the full feature  37

Damea Dorsey
Wave of the Day: A view to a thrill - Mentawai Islands
Rowan Walker
Wave of the Day: Tom Dosland aboard the Kandui Express
Peter Jovic
Wave of the Day: Jay Hoskins peaceful in the west

Mid-season Macaronis - photos

A trip to the north Indonesian island chain still brings a heightened sense of anticipation, because mystique aside, the Mentawais consistently delivers unlike any other region on Earth.

Mid-season Macaronis - photos

A trip to the north Indonesian island chain still brings a heightened sense of anticipation, because mystique aside, the Mentawais consistently delivers unlike any other region on Earth.

Tim Bonython's Swell Chasers
Wave of the Day: Tyler Hollmer-Cross under the Shippies hammer