Sunny Fassler

Our Souls of the Sea

Reflections on Earth Day 2023

Sadly, the day dedicated to our planet and all her inhabitants is now better known as the day when marketing corner offices turn into temples of activism and their tenants into eco-warriors, campaigning for the environment by promoting pseudo-sustainable gear wrapped in cute non-plastic bags that feature “I ❤️ the planet.”

For 24 glorious hours, these corporate titans transform into self-appointed eco-saviors, dishing out discounts like solar-powered confetti at a Super Bowl parade.

Selsurfboards

CHEAT CODE

If you could only ride one surfboard for the rest of your life, the Cheat Code has to be it!

As the name suggests, the Cheat Code is an all-around shortboard that covers a wide range of conditions and styles. Don’t let the short and stubby package fool you; the Cheat Code surfs like a bigger board and can hold its own in more powerful and hollow surf, while providing enough lift to fly over flat and weak sections when the waves are small and rippable.

Our Souls of the Sea

The Capitalist World of Sustainability in Surfing

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲, 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼-𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁?

What do plastic wrapped tees and boardshorts made from recycled plastic bottles have in common? They are one and the same brand.

For context. Today I walked my daughter to her swimming class. She is 5 months old, and probably doesn’t care about the rest of the story, but anyway. We always walk the same route, and it happens to pass one of the main surf shops in town.

Our Souls of the Sea

Quitting Neoprene

Going cold turkey on neoprene isn’t quite as easy as it might seem, however the way Yulex LLC pushes the industry to do better is nothing short of impressive.

Our entire wetsuit collection at Our Souls of the Sea – 5/4s to 3/2s to tops – is Yulex based, thanks to Finisterre and Patagonia. It’s been a fascinating journey transitioning away from conventional wetsuits, but it came with its own challenges.

Our Souls of the Sea

The (D)evolution of Wetsuits

If I’d ask a group of 100 strangers, not many would rate a wetsuit as the most essential item that can make or break a session. My guess is that answers would probably sway between good waves and the right equipment, but neither of those two items can ruin a surf session quite like a wetsuit that’s just not right.

Luex Surf & Snow Travel

The LUEX Guide Taghazout & Tamraght

The Taghazout & Tamraght area is one magical place, especially for us surfers. An easy 60-min- ute commute from the next big city Agadir, the 5.5 miles (9km) stretch of gold between Taghazout and Tamraght seems like a world away from all the worries & responsibilities you have back home.

Tracks Magazine

SPEEDY TOLEDO IS A WORTHY CHAMPION

Today started like any other. I called my dad early to share my excitement about the possible start of the Cream Tour World Cup – a day I not only had (digitally) circled in my calendar all year but also had pestered my dad in our last half a dozen phone calls about.

He didn’t care. But he also enjoys Sudokus and CDs, so he’ll be forgiven.

Luex Surf & Snow Travel

Premium Maldives Surf Experience

Surfing is hard. We’ve all experienced the feeling of being stuck, or worse, going backwards in our surfing. Unfortunately, getting better at surfing often occur as a linear progression. We often feel it gets worse before we get better and then we plateau… sometimes for decades! But what if we tell you that there's a way to fast-track your surfing and make guaranteed progress in just seven days?

Luex Surf & Snow Travel

Six December escapes you want to visit to score perfect uncrowded waves

But forget about the overpriced Christmas tree or the (sometimes) awkward mandatory brunch with the in-laws for a second and picture yourself trading barrels instead of presents somewhere far away from the house in the suburbs or the micro-surf conditions at your local break.

December folks, December. It's the month where the usual suspects like Bali or the Maldives remain awfully quiet, but locations that are less frequented by surf-traveling nomads are making all the noise instead.

Tracks Magazine (Print)

BRETT CONNELLAN: ATTACKING LIFE

HE DOESN’T WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS THE GUY WHO PUNCHED DEATH IN THE THROAT. THAT’S THE OTHER BLONDE GUY WITH A FLAWLESS HAIRLINE (AND THREE WORLD TITLES). NOT BRETT.

Tracks Magazine

THE OTHER SIDE OF PRO SURFING

When you think of pro surfing, someone like Tyler Wright or Kelly comes to mind. A straight A student of the game who possesses – besides obvious talent – the grit, dedication and professionalism to make it through the regional ranks onto the Qualifying Series, en route to the Dream Tour.

Surfd

Is the Srface Heat 4/3 the best wetsuit you've never heard of?

Usually, when I’m due for new gear, I turn to the internet. Once on the internet, I’m a sucker for reviews in video form. Why? Because you can see how products perform, and the chances of running into fake reviews written by someone in a dusty temple of cubicles for the exchange of a few pennies is small-ish. At least, that’s what I want to believe.

Surfd

The Maldives Re-imagined: Sustainability is the New Priority for Luxury Travel

As I’m waiting for my ride to get escorted to the first class seaplane lounge, my mind is running wild.

The elephant in the room for surfers worldwide, the topic discussed in hushed tones at best, but generally brushed aside, is that traveling for surf isn’t the most sustainable of leisure activities.

Throw an elevated traveling experience somewhere deep in the Indian Ocean into the mix, and you are basically vacationing at an energy level equivalent to a small power plant.

Tracks Magazine

How J-Bay Put The Dream Back in Tour

Do you know what the best thing is about the mid-season cull? More (relevant) surfing in way less time. Non-Elimination Rounds are no more, and every Heat has some sort of big-picture implications somewhere, for someone. The new format also means less but more work for everyone involved as we rifled through the J-Bay Cup in 4 days – lay day included.


It’s like watching ‘American Psycho’ but skip the intro pleasantries right to the part where Christian Bale butchers Jared Leto with an Axe. Bea

Tracks Magazine

Jeffrey's Bay is Back, Baby!

J-Bay is special for a number of reasons. For starters, J-Bay is the real deal. This isn’t a Central American compromise or a WSL sales pitch on the next best right-hand point-break. After a 3-year hiatus, the prestigious cobblestone-coated right-hander is back on the Cream Tour, and the timing couldn’t have been any better.

After a few (too many) lackluster events with mediocre waves, the Dream Tour seemed more like a running joke than a league of the World’s best surfers.

Tracks Magazine

Steph makes history and Colapinto defeats the Brazilian Storm

I suck at math, but I’m pretty sure there was a 75% possibility that a member of the Brazilian Storm would win some freshly mined Bitcoins and a shiny trophy courtesy of Nayib Bukele, the Head of State of the surf nation sandwiched between Guatemala and Honduras. Spoiler alert; it didn’t happen.

What a week it’s been. Choco slob supplanted lay days, only to be replaced by a mini window of pretty fun surf. Of course, the J Bay comparisons turned out to be a hoax, but what gives.

Tracks Magazine

Here's what you've missed from the Bitcoin Cup on Day 2

Waking up to Jessi Miley-Dyer and Shannon Hughes using words like “huge”, “pretty fun”, or “full day” is always a good sign, even if it’s in the middle of the god damn night. But, early wake-ups call for everyone’s favourite legal drug – coffee, yes, coffee!, while a (kinda) firing righthand point-break definitely helps to get over the chronic daily working slump.

A full day of competition usually means heartbreaks, upsets, buzzer moments, creative claims, and on good days, all at the same time

Tracks Magazine

Here's What You've missed from the Bitcoin Cup on Day 1

El Salvador, 5 years ago, had a shitload of crime. Today, El Salvador has a shitload of crime, a millennial president fighting a shitload of crime occasionally in a baseball cap, the Nakamoto coin as a legal tender and a shiny new CT venue.

Apparently, it’s the Latin American version of another wave featuring on the Cream Tour – Jeffrey’s Bay. But then again, Julian Wilson once was touted as the Aussie version of Kelly Slater. Carmen Electra the younger version of Pamela Anderson.

Tracks Magazine

Why win easy when you can make it friggin' hard?!

After a challenging week with lay days, Rona scares, unfavourable winds and mediocre waves, G-Land cleaned herself up nicely for Finals Day. But it’s been a trip. Literally.

For the cream of the crop of the Dream Tour, the jungle experience hasn’t been easy. A pumping swell gradually tapered off right before the start of the waiting period, which left surfers scrambling for scores in the water and scrambling for anything to do to keep a sharp mind on land.

Tracks Magazine

SLOW DANCING IN THE JUNGLE FOR A BIG DAY OF COMPETITION

It’s the year 1972. Travelling to Indonesia resembles more the format of the famous TV show The Amazing Race rather than a quick Jetstar strike mission – extra leg room included. Trips are scarce. The archipelago is unexplored and wild—Bali’s free of Potato Heads, Skygardens and Bintang singlets.

Anyone attempting to travel to Indonesia from anywhere in the world needs a lot of time, patience, and an undeniable thirst for surprises.