It’s now February so we’re starting on the first SurfGirl of the year. It’s been a long winter but just we’re starting to think about warmer days and summer now that January’s over – wahoo!

So this is what we’re thinking, we had such a good response to last years DIY issue that this year we’re going to feature some of your work every issue. If you paint, photograph, make stuff – whatever it is you do we’d like to see it. Each issue we’ll run a couple of pages of your work and put it on the website and in the app too. Get involved, get your camera, pens, scissors out and surprise us with your creativity!

Below is a list of the things that we are featuring in each issue and the deadline date to get your work in by.

Issue 36 – Homemade crafts – anything beachy that looks cool and funky that you’ve made using fabric, paper, shells or whatever. Deadline 1st March.

Issue 37 – Surf art – inspired by the ocean. It can be art on surfboards too as well as canvas or paper. Deadline 1st April.

Issue 38 – Photos – that showcase at your local break. Deadline 25th April.

Issue 40 – Winter – send your pics and photos in of snow on the slopes or at the beach. Deadline 25th September.

How to send your work in.

This is the tricky bit! So email me and let me know what you’re sending louise@orcasurf.co.uk and then send your images by wetransfer only – sorry but this is the only way to send stuff to my computer! Also jpegs are the way to go. Say which issue your work is for and include your email address on the wetransfer notes bit. The images need to be hi res and 1MB otherwise they are too small for print. Make sure the photos are well lit and close up.

Good luck ladies and get creating!

Thanks to Gemma Louise Fryer for her piece of inspiration!

The latest issue of SurfGirl is available to buy on iTunes featuring Lea Brassy surfing in Iceland, the Rip Curl girls team in Indo, plus lots of top tips for snowboarding and surfing.

There’s an extended DIY issue so if your work wasn’t in the print version you’re probably in this one. Plus lots of snow and surf vids to keep you stoked during these long, dark winter nights. Hit the link and download it to your iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android, PC, Mac – most things digital.

Click here to download from the iTunes App Store

SurfGirl 35 Winter Issue

This issue it’s all about snow and surf. We look at why winter sports are good for you, and some tips on how to stay motivated and surf through the winter months, keeping the summer fash vibe in winter, plus how to keep you from hypothermia when you’re surfing and the best winter wetsuit accessories. It’s all about keeping warm now the weather’s getting chilly! With this in mind if you want to escape we suggest some great warm water boltholes from tropical paradises to short haul trips.

Plus there’s snowboarding tips from Britain’s top snowboarders – Aimee, Jenny and Jessica, plus some advice on how to work the season on a budget, exercises to strengthen your muscles for snowboarding and the latest gear to ensure you’re stylin’ on the slopes this winter.

We head to the Maldives with the Rip Curl girls team, and French surfer Lea Brassy goes on an adventurous surf trip to Iceland with some beautiful images, looking like something from the Frozen Planet!

And with the festive season approaching we’ve some fab Christmas present ideas. Looking forward to next year we’ve some achievable earth friendly resolutions and a cool SurfGirl calendar to cut out or download on 31st December.

And one of the best things about this mag is the DIY mag. 16 pages in the magazine of your contributions from art, to making tips and travel stories – good work!

The mag is out this week, or you can subscribe here, we’ve some fab subscriber deals this month!

On our visits to brands one question keeps coming up, “Do girls really want a surf mag, or do they just want fashion mags?” We say no way we think you deserve your own surf mag obviously, but what do you think? Is it the latest fashion trends, new shoes and make up that rocks your world or do you want to read about surf girls ripping?

Get involved, vote on our poll to the right of this page, and give us your views below good or bad…just be honest we really want to know what you think. We’ll pick a random entry to win a SurfGirl subscription.

We will be giving you a chance to contribute to a 32 page magazine within SurfGirl, with things that you would like to see in print. The DIY magazine will be your magazine, so whether you would like to submit an article, photos or illustration about things that interest you – send it to us.

SurfGirl is about women’s surfing and beach lifestyle so it helps if your contribution fits within that theme. And anyone can get creative from young to old in any part of the world, so if you  live in the city miles from the beach that’s not a problem, just let us know what it’s like being a surfer in an urban jungle!

If you need some inspiration, here’s some themes to get you thinking.

A Day in my Life – six photos which illustrates a day in your life.

My Beach – beach pics, which show us why your beach is cool.

My Style – showcase your street/beach fashion style.

Jobs a Good Un – you work so you can surf, what job do you do, what are the hours/pay like?

In the Kitchen – great recipes for  hungry surfers.

Jackanory -  every surfer has a story, who do you know who has a tale to tell? Or let us know about a funny/inspiring/scary tale of your own!

We’ll select the contributions which we feel best fit the DIY mag, it could be for example we match up someone’s article with another person’s illustration. So send your stuff in, the more creative the better!

You have until 26th September to get it to us by email to diy@surfgirlmag.com or by post to this address; Louise Searle, SurfGirl Magazine, Berry Road Studios, Berry Road, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1AT, UK. PLEASE MAKE SURE ANY PHOTOS OR ILLUSTRATIONS YOU EMAIL ARE OVER 1MB IN SIZE. JPEGS OR TIFFS ONLY. Wetransfer is a good way of sending your photos, better than Skydrive so try not to use that please. Email the jpegs separately if possible.

Please let us your name, age and where you live. We will return original artwork if you include with your entry with a big enough envelope with enough postage to pay for it’s return.

Hi Emilie, how cool does it feel being an up and coming photographer ?

Being able to do something you’ve wanted to do since you were little is the best feeling. I love how with photography there is no limitations or boundaries, I’m always learning new things and its great working with different clients  as it really makes you explore your own style and technique. Its great being to show people how I see the world through my camera.

Have you met some awesome people on your travels?

I’ve met so many awesome people, I’ve been lucky enough to shoot some pretty great rock bands and do UK tours with some of my favourite musicians from America, It was cool to work with bands I’d admired for such along time and then have them turn into friends, I also love doing fashion shoots as I use models from all over the UK, The girls I used for the surf girl editorial we’d all never met before the shoot and now we are all organising a camping/surfing weekend next month as we all got on so well.

The photos you take are really diverse in terms of the retro black and white shots of girls carrying longboards and bright colourful shots. What inspires you to take the photos?

I think I’m mainly inspired by fashion and my friends, I’ve always pushed myself as a stylist and its how all my work forms, I come up with a look and then base the whole shoot around it, and with my friends and people I love how each person has their own style and image and I love using it and creating my own view of  it in my work.

You were a finalist in the Professional Photographer of the Year awards 2010. How awesome was that?

It was awesome to see myself next to  professional/agency photographers when I was still at uni and learning, I was put it the best editorial category, I entered the work I shot for my first ever commissioned and published editorial  for a magazine in LA. so I was so proud to see it take me to a finalist in the competition from over 3,000 entries

What kind of surfboard do you ride?

I normally use my boyfriends Roger Coper Minimal.

What’s your fave place to surf?

I always go to Porthcawl, it’s my local break.

What sort of equipment do you use when doing your photography?

I shoot with a Canon 550D and normally stick with my 50mm 1..8 lens.

What would you say has been the best and funniest shoot so far and why?

I shot a lookbook for the clothing Brand Love at Topshop, I got to choose my own models and creative team and they gave us a cottage for the night for us all to stay in. We were all so excited  and rather than all staying in our separate bedrooms we all put the mattresses in one room and had a massive sleepover. The next day one of the designers from Love took us to a field they wanted us to shoot, we ended up getting chased out by a few angry, wild horses. It was a great day, shooting look books are always so much fun as the designers always have clear ideas of what they want so it great trying to turn there ideas into images

What is the most exciting place you’ve been to so far whilst doing your photography?

I’d have to say Antigua, I shot a series of images of my twin brother out there using 35mm black and white film and an old eos5 film camera. It’s some of my favourite work.

Last but not least. What advice would you give someone wanting to be in your position?

I think the best advice would be to just get yourself out there! I spend my time constantly emailing magazine’s, contacting designers, models etc you name it i’m emailing them. The internet is a great platform for photographers/creatives. It allows you to promote your work to an unlimited audience. Also by documenting everything you do is great as it give people a chance to learn from you and see how you work. It’s great to see how my youtube channel with videos from my shoots has over half a million hits and my fashion blog at 40,000 with a few thousand followers. I would also advise people to blog! It gives you  a chance to look back and see how far you’ve come and what you’ve learnt. I always get people emailing me asking if they can come help out on a shoot or saying how I’ve inspired them to want to be a photographer and its the best feeling in the world.

SurfGirl’s latest fashion shoot was shot by Emilie in Coney. Not Coney Island, N.Y but Coney Beach Theme Park, Porthcawl! We loved it, check it out in the latest issue.

Sunglasses don’t just protect your eyes, they can also transform your face.

Nothing gives a more stylish appearance than a cool pair of shades. Think Jackie O in her oversized sunnies, Farah Fawcett in her aviators, or Audrey Heburn in her cat’s eyes.

They can make you seem cool, sophisticated or mysterious in once easy swoop. Plus they protect your eyes from harmful rays and the glare of the sun, and cover a multitude of sins when you’re feeling a bit worse for wear. If you’ve not yet found your perfect pair, then be inspired by our selection.

Ben ‘Skingdog’ Skinner came to form in front of a huge crowd at Lusty Glaze Beach in Newquay for the Sundowner Session and Carve Flying Fish Longboard and Retro competition presented by Franklin and Marshall. The event pitted Europe’s top longboarders against each other on high performance longboards and for an event with a twist there was also a retro ’80′s style surf division. The contest took place against a back drop of rock from Sandfire Siren, local band Ape playing their last ever gig, to kick ass headliners Reef.

British longboarders rank highly in the world, Skinner former World number two is at the forefront of British longboard movement that now provides two of the 16 of the world professional tour, three of the top ten European pros and a number two in the European junior rankings. The final saw two Newquay boys battling it out, Ben Skinner and English champion Adam Griffiths. In the event, Griffiths pushed his Newquay counterpart all the way in a very close final but it wasn’t enough to catch an on fire Skindog who took first place.

In the retro event Skindog came up against tough competition in the form of Mike Young, a talented artist and board shaper on a borrowed board borrowed from Steve England after he’d had broken the fins out of his own. But Ben once again took the honours with his high performance manoeuvres to claim victory.

The SurfGirl women’s longboard event Candice O’Donnell styled past St Agnes’s Nicola Bunt to take first place, while Europe’s number two ranked junior Zak Lawton powered to victory to take the juniors.

Lusty Glaze provided a fantastic venue for both the contest and the 2,000 sell-out crowd. At the presentation Ben said, “This is the best contest I’ve attended. It gives us an arena in which we can show the public what we can do. I’d like to thank everyone at the event for their support.” Contest organiser Steve England said, “It was great to see the crowd get behind the surfers, the bands were amazing, the sponsors Franklin and Marshall were fantastic and it was a great event all around!”

Reef went on to play a storming set which went down well with the crowd. Good times!

Results
Open
1. Ben Skinner
2. Adam Griffiths
3. Ben Haworth
4. Nico Keruzec

Flying Fish Retro classic
1. Ben Skinner
2. Mike Young
3. Ben Haworth
4. Rob Small

Women
1. Candice ODonnell
2. Nicola Bunt
3. Victoria Johnson
4. Natalie Fox

Junior Longboard
1. Zak Lawton
2. Lewis Stritch
3. Alex Maddocks
4. Aaron Bright
5. Ashley Wright

Photos: Savvie Photography http://www.savviephotography.co.uk