In a moment of respite from the seasonal over-indulgence I found myself absorbed in the
December/January issue of The Surfer's Path. The magazine, edited by Alex Dick-Read and, in the U.S, Drew Kampion, has to be one of the premier surfing titles in the world. The blend of thoughtful, well-written articles, environmental conscience and first-class photography is never less than inspirational. Read, or ADR, as he is known, has an appealing editorial voice, and it was easy to sympathise with his frustration at being kept out of some recent killer swells thanks to a broken rib. There is a wonderful spread of cold-water shots from Scotland and Ireland by Al Mackinnon, a great piece on Columbia by Stephane Robin, and an excellent account of a surf trip to Ghana by one of this blog's contributors, Sam Bleakley. The whole kaboodle got me thinking. Where is surfing going, and what can we look forward to in 2007? I reckoned that Sam - twice a European Longboard Champion and now a pro surfer and writer - might have some ideas, and given that we're near-neighbours gave him a call. Here's what emerged from our conversation.








