Riptide #174

[miiichael]

We are however with all this free content on the web, blogs, forums, youtube etc the Mags really need to step up there game to keep customers imo.

Why should i go buy a mag with poorly written stories when i can read a well written blog? Why should i buy a mag with poor images when you have guys like Crevy and Steve Wall (well used to) uploading the good regularly, not to mention swellnet and fluidzone galleries. Same goes with DVD's, there is so much good stuff all over the internet for free (legally) that unless your bringing your 'A' game to the market, you probably will fail.

100% true.

[captain_awesome]

We are however with all this free content on the web, blogs, forums, youtube etc the Mags really need to step up there game to keep customers imo.

Why should i go buy a mag with poorly written stories when i can read a well written blog? Why should i buy a mag with poor images when you have guys like Crevy and Steve Wall (well used to) uploading the good regularly, not to mention swellnet and fluidzone galleries. Same goes with DVD's, there is so much good stuff all over the internet for free (legally) that unless your bringing your 'A' game to the market, you probably will fail.

totally agree

[hayds84]

agree

[riptideslave]

We are however with all this free content on the web, blogs, forums, youtube etc the Mags really need to step up there game to keep customers imo.

Why should i go buy a mag with poorly written stories when i can read a well written blog? Why should i buy a mag with poor images when you have guys like Crevy and Steve Wall (well used to) uploading the good regularly, not to mention swellnet and fluidzone galleries. Same goes with DVD's, there is so much good stuff all over the internet for free (legally) that unless your bringing your 'A' game to the market, you probably will fail.

I agree too!

The current changes in the forms that bodyboarding media is available to you mean that a printed magazine must become an item that you must have. It has to trump the other forms of media that you have available to warrant you spending your money on it. This is going to mean that all the bodyboarding media outlets have to step up their game so that you get the best product that they can possibly make - a great thing for you, the consumer.

I've appreciated all the input and thought that's been going in to this thread. It's become considerably bigger than just a critique on issue #174.

I'd like to develop it further if possible...the questions I've had for you lately are regarding tone of writing and the other magazines you read and the how much reader input should be in the mag?

A member of the Riptide Forum is typically well-read (there is a thread on books after all) and an intelligent person so what style of writing would you like to see in the mag? Or what articles have been published in bodyboarding magazines over the last year have you enjoyed the most?

What other mags (bodyboarding or other) do you like and why?

How many pages of the magazine should be devoted to content produced from the reader?

[captain_awesome]

How many pages of the magazine should be devoted to content produced from the reader?

some reader photos would be really good, so then the underground riders and photogs can get some images run.

[Conjob v1.1]

I dont really care about the pages but enough content to last more than one sitting is nice. I dont think a magazine should be a thing where you can pick it up and read through it in an hours sitting. I feel a tad ripped off when that happens. But obviously depending on the target demographic you may not want to put a whole lot of long articles. Profiles or just in depth interviews are good but why only one per issue? Why not have two or three guys in there with their own sections? Why cant there be three or four pages of solid questions and answers telling us about who the rider is. It seems you could send out a question sheet to any rider and get the same answers from all of them

As for mags well i guess the obvious one to look at is monster children and transworld.

Articles ive enjoyed reading Toby Players stories in movement recently. Its a very refreshing change from the usual 'i want to surf my best, buy my product' style interview. Also Jose's interview a little while back in rippy was awesome.

Also possibly my favourite interview / profile was in monster children a couple of issues back with Dane Reynolds. Im pretty oblivious to the whole pro surfing world and at the stage only knew he was a pro and surfed on the tour so that interview to me was amazing, the stuff he talks about, the answers he gives, i could totally relate to it and have actually read through it a few times. I guess it helps when someone is as cool as him, but im sure there are still cool bodyboarders out there with interesting things to say.

Also i disagree on the reader photo's front. Readers can put there photos on here, keep the mag for the good shit.

[captain_awesome]

i liked the Ryan Hardy article in the latest movement, short but still a really good read, most read article in any magazine i have, also the section on the wedge in the latest bodyboarder.
As for the reader photos it could be a 1 page thing, but only with the quality shots that have been done properly

[Conjob v1.1]

Well isnt bang and shooting gallery reader shots then? Im sure the photographers of those read the mag.

Also maybe for shooting gallery have the photos on one page and run landscape so the fold doesn't ruin a good photo.

[captain_awesome]

what i'm trying to say is do something where there is a few good reader photos, but not quite good enough for bang and shooting gallery and then put them intosome sort of 1 page collage type thing next to the reader letters, instead of an add

[savage flame]

also the section on the wedge in the latest bodyboarder.

Yes! That was an amazing read. I was about to post that actually, you beat me to it.

[josh_boogs]

More articles like The Euro Trash one would be sick. Underground riders would be epic.

Overall though just more info rather than pics imo. I mean like say 2 - 3 pics on a page with about 1/4-1/2 of the page words. I'm hard to please sorry haha

[Boogs]

some reader photos would be really good, so then the underground riders and photogs can get some images run.

I'm pretty sure Rippy has run reader photos before, I think they were in the section where the letters used to be... I don't mind seeing reader shots, but as Con said you've got the Forum/Net for that.

I'd like to see more interviews, with more "life" questions. When I read Riptide, sometimes I have to skip stuff so I've got things to look at the next day...
Transworld Skateboarding, Thrasher, Monster Children, Movement are all really well written, and there always seem to be articles to come back to days after you buy it.

[miiichael]

How many pages of the magazine should be devoted to content produced from the reader?

some reader photos would be really good, so then the underground riders and photogs can get some images run.

All Shots Are From Readers. If your shots are good, and there what rippy is after, then you will get a run no matter who you are.
There used to be a little comp that rippy ran, where readers would send there shots in and the best would win a prize (think it was a elcheapo gopro film camera), and it got its own little section next to the letters.

[captain_awesome]

thats exactly what i want

[miiichael]

what the comp?