July 1975 - On The Road

A hibiscus-coloured treatment lends an exotic feel to a cover that permeates pure escapism. Everyone loves a road trip and this issue covers plenty of miles, as far-flung contributors ‘make Tracks’ in Morocco, Mexico, Hawaii, California, South America, Portugal and even India. It’s the mid 70s and it seems there is still so much to explore. In one of the magazine’s most evocative lines Geoff Watson writes, “There is a land as far from this country as a man’s dream can carry him.” Meanwhile, Phil Jarratt has emerged as Tracks’ number one scribe. In Hawaii for the summer, he parties hard in Honolulu, attends a polo match and gets bailed up by cops right before surfing Ala Moana bowl. In the interview with ‘rubberman’, Larry Bertlemann, Larry claims he tries to do everything on a wave, “roller-coasters and cutbacks and I’m trying to get down this 360 thing.” In California Jarratt travels up the west coast, riffs on the US surf scene, and drops in on skate visionary Tom Sims; together they ride skateboards down the winding hills of Montecito. What a trip!