October-1981-interior

80’s Collection

The 80s were loud, colourful and unapologetically over the top. Power-pop, wild fashion, prime ministers skulling yard glasses, everything was dialled up, and surfing evolved right along with it. The culture kept its counter-culture roots, but its neon-soaked progression mirrored the decade’s chaos and creativity.
Tracks kept its black-and-white broadsheet guts but showcased full-colour cover stars, capturing an era when the surf industry went fluoro-mad and ads exploded across the pages. Purists grumbled about commercialisation, yet the decade had an undeniable sense of fun. Pro surfing rocketed into a new realm with gladiator-level rivalries—MR vs Cheyne, Curren vs Carroll, Occy vs Curren, Kong vs everyone. To the rest of us, these guys looked like they had the world’s best job.
Meanwhile, everyday surfers navigated crowded lineups, environmental battles at their home breaks and dreams of saving enough coin for a mission to G-Land.

Notable 80's Covers

  • Tracks magazine covers from the 1980s are celebrated as "timeless pieces of pop art" that captured the era's flamboyant style, iconic rivalries, and the shift toward commercialization in surfing culture. While specific, iconic individual covers are numerous, they often featured top surfers in action, reflecting the gladiatorial duels of the decade.

    Famous Moments: The infamous "Spitting the Winkle" photo from 1989 (Issue #398) became a cult classic, featuring the founders and a pig.

  • Tom Carroll The March 1980 issue featured a young Tom Carroll on the cover, photographed by Peter Simons.

    Louie Ferreira The September 1980 cover showcased Hawaiian surfer Louie Ferreira at Byron Bay, a photograph taken by Terry Willcocks.

    Mark Richards (MR) A legendary photo by Dan Merkel of MR tilting into a bottom turn at Off the Wall, Hawaii, has been described as "possibly the best surfing photo" of him ever taken. The image ran as a poster in another magazine but was eventually used on a more recent Tracks cover to give it its due.

  • Mark Occhilupo (Occy)
    Occy was a central figure of the 80s surfing scene, known for his powerful backside surfing. A photo of him at Whale Beach in 1987, taken by a 17-year-old photographic prodigy Dean Wilmot, helped launch the photographer's career and became a notable cover.

    Cheyne Horan, Tom Curren, Gary Elkerton, and others The decade was defined by rivalries (MR vs. Cheyne, Curren vs. Carroll, Occy vs. Curren), and images of these surfers in peak condition frequently graced the magazine's cover.