Review of Le Boogie

 Le Boogie Review - Issue 1

When you know a project from Phil Gallagher is coming – what do you expect? Something exceptional. 29 photographers (that’s right, 29, it’s not just Phil’s lens work in here) bring together a range of imagery that is both exceptional and elevating in every aspect.

As soon as you touch the landscape format cover on quality stock with a mildly textured matt finish, you know there is going to be majic inside. The vibe is already oozing out. 

What is outstanding at first glance is what it doesn’t have. No barcode, no date, no prices, no issue number, no notes as to what is inside. Just “Le Boogie” in a sweet dual font script colour matched to the inverted slick on a background of ocean, spray and sky. That is it. Very Zen , very simple, very…… pure.

Moving inward. Let’s get the advertising sorted - Inside front cover and half of first page is Novy in a keg with a throwing lip backed by a remote cliff. Neatly columned next to this is the man himself with industry stalwart Joel Taylor’s Unite logo. If there were page numbers to occlude any viewing of the sick pics, next would be page 2, but there ain’t, so this is just ‘next page’. Mitch Rawlins tweaked hard over BP in revo mode. BoogerKing logo in between. Page number ‘next one’ DLUX, Phil’s own. I received this for my birthday last year and it is one of my most treasured gifts ever received. Surrounded by some quoting madness it gives an insight to Phil’s random mind and quirky sense of the ridiculous.

That is it – nada, no more, nothing ads-wise til you get to the inside back cover. Sweet mercy, in this world of commercialisation, sell, sell, sell it is just picture after picture. Le Boogie lacks that sense of commercialisation that haunts us in modern day booger print. Again, simplicity

The Beginning:

An introduction. Phil Gallagher is not too cool for school, he is a talented bloke, damn talented, but real. Maybe it’s a booger thing: you, the sponge, the wave, so underground, so off the radar of ‘normal’ humans. Whatever it is, the biggest response you will get from spongers is when something/someone has the real. This one word defines Gallagher to me and when the intro is headed by “Welcome, Thankyou, Enjoy”, that’s about as real as it gets. Openness, humility and passion.

The Middle:

The pictures: Bodyboarding in every aspect, angle and direction – more, more and more. Frothing. It’s what we want, a plethora of spongers on waves and in the air above them. Lifestyle shots, crew shots. Empties – there are a few, not too many. Sweet heaving fat-lipped bitches, usually in cross section so you can gaze into their deep pits, thrown straight from hell grinding across the page – or are they from heaven? Depends where your mindsurfing takes you.

The articles: Dave Winchester – Intense profile shot with a simple, insightful interview with none of the bullshit. No ‘bignoting’, no stupid stunts, just the man on his stuff. “Clarity” is a double page insight into Phil’s technical camera mind. Technically call it a mini tutorial maybe. Personally I’d simply term it a passing on of some visual knowledge from one of the world’s best boog photogs. “Snap” Skip Spencer tells a lot in a little. A smattering of photos and 20 single sentence captions – pick your fave. “Analog” Todd Quigley gives the history of the picture on the QCD wall of Tom Morey holding what he calls “the first booger”. Breathtaking. “Unzipped” Ryan Mattick opens up on his transition from the belly to the lens. The pain at moments is transparent.

The End:

“The Brethren of the Lens” the names and source points of the 29 photographers who brought you this stunning, pristine work bringing the depiction of the art, power and prowess of the sponge to the next level. Credits and Contacts – faintly there as your eyes draw more across the main 1 ½ page spread of Pence tweaked up high. You almost don’t notice that the shot is by Luke Shadbolt, the Art Director for this premiere issue. Inside back cover, support from Manta with Brendon Backshall performing a tweaked scissor kick invert. Again clean with a sick riding shot. Back cover, it’s an ad for Nomad, but who can tell really with a few well placed logos and some tech words in small print scattered around the focal point of Thursto in a stinging right hander you’d give your right ‘nad to be in.

This, my friends, isn’t just a magazine; Le Boogie a fine spectacular in ink and paper elevating boog to somewhere else.

Doc