The Surfer's Journal

What The Surfer's Journal does

The Surfer's Journal is an independent, reader-supported surf periodical founded in 1992 and headquartered in San Clemente, California, currently in its 35th volume of bimonthly publication. The core product is a 132-page print magazine published six times yearly, supplemented by a searchable digital archive of all past issues, the Soundings podcast hosted by Jamie Brisick, and member-exclusive films. The publication's technology stack is a standard content and commerce configuration: WordPress CMS, WooCommerce for the TSJ Company Store, Libsyn for podcast hosting, and Mailchimp for email, with no proprietary AI/ML systems disclosed.

The business operates a multi-stream revenue model. Subscriptions anchor the model across three tiers: monthly ($9/month), annual ($88/year), and Premium ($179/year), with Premium adding 25% merchandise discounts, exclusive content, member film screenings, and sponsor offers. E-commerce revenue is generated through The Print Shop (gallery-quality surf photography prints priced $198-$4,600), branded apparel and gear (including YETI, Leatherman, and Vissla co-branded products), curated surf books, and back issues ranging from $25 to $600 individually or $6,200 as a complete collection. Sponsorship revenue is provided by a portfolio of outdoor and surf lifestyle brands anchored at the core tier by Patagonia, YETI, and Vans, with additional relationships with Howler Brothers, Finisterre, Costa, Free Fly, Rainbow Sandals, and VAER Watches.

The publication serves a global but concentrated audience of dedicated surfers and surf culture enthusiasts, with shipping and member reach spanning the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Customer concentration is moderate: long-tail individual subscribers provide revenue diversification, while sponsorship revenue depends on a small set of core brand partners. The company has no disclosed funding, no parent organization, and no identified controlling entity, operating as a private, founder-held publication with 11-50 employees.

Name

The Surfer's Journal

Legal name

The Surfer's Journal

Website

https://surfersjournal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Surfer's Journal is an independent, reader-supported bimonthly surf publication founded in 1992, serving dedicated surfers and surf culture enthusiasts with a 132-page print magazine, searchable digital archive, the Soundings podcast, and branded merchandise and photography print e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surf Magazine and Media Publication

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Niche Channel Distribution (Religious, Comic Shops, Specialty Retail) (MPAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Surf journalism magazine
• Bimonthly print publication
• Reader-supported media
• Surf culture content
• Lifestyle brand merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

San Clemente

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Subscription/Membership: Reader-supported bimonthly print magazine with digital archive access. Tiers include Monthly ($9/month), Annual ($88/year), and Premium Membership ($179/year) offering additional benefits including 25% store discounts, email-delivered content, and website recognition.
2. E-commerce/Merchandise: TSJ Company Store sells branded apparel, gear, photography prints, books, and back issues. Includes YETI collaborations, Leatherman tools, Vissla dry packs, and gallery-quality surf photography prints ranging from $198 to $4,600.
3. Sponsorships: Sponsorships from outdoor lifestyle brands (Patagonia, Rainbow, YETI, Vans, Howler Brothers, Finisterre, Costa, Free Fly) who support the publication in exchange for brand association and marketing placement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Surfer's Journal publishes a bimonthly 132-page print magazine featuring long-form surf journalism, interviews, essays, photography portfolios, and reviews, delivered to subscribers worldwide. The publication supplements print with a digital ecosystem including the Soundings podcast, member-exclusive films, and a searchable online archive of every article ever published, alongside a direct e-commerce store (TSJ Company Store) selling branded apparel, gear, photography prints, books, and back issues to members and individual buyers.

Product overview

The Surfer's Journal is a bimonthly surf publication founded in 1992, offering a multi-platform content and commerce experience. The core offering is a 132-page print magazine delivered six times yearly, supplemented by digital content including the Soundings podcast, member-exclusive films, and a searchable archive of all published articles. The company operates The TSJ Company Store as its e-commerce arm, offering branded merchandise across apparel, gear, books, prints, and back issues. Membership tiers (monthly, annual, and premium) provide subscriber access to physical magazine delivery, online content, unlimited archive access, member discounts of up to 25% on merchandise, exclusive film screenings, and podcast content. The publication is reader-supported rather than advertising-dependent, positioning itself as vivid, authoritative, and independent surf journalism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soundings with Jamie Brisick: TSJ's podcast series offering in-depth conversations with compelling people in surfing.
• The TSJ Company Store
• The High Line

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PatagoniacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of The Surfer's Journal, representing shared values of environmental consciousness and outdoor lifestyle. Patagonia's sponsorship aligns with TSJ's independent, reader-supported model and purist approach to surf culture journalism.
• YETIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerYETI sponsors TSJ and collaborates on branded products including tumblers, lowballs, rambler bottles, and lunch bags sold through the TSJ Company Store at premium price points ($30-$95).
• VanscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Surfer's Journal, representing the surf/skate connection and action sports heritage. Vans shares TSJ's commitment to surf culture authenticity.
• Rainbow SandalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Surfer's Journal, representing premium surf lifestyle products.
• Howler BrothersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Surfer's Journal, representing surf-inspired outdoor apparel.
• FinisterreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK-based premium surf brand sponsor representing sustainable surfwear.
• Costa SunglassesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Surfer's Journal, representing premium sunglasses for water sports.
• Free Fly ApparelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Surfer's Journal, representing sustainable performance apparel.
• LeathermanminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed partnership producing TSJ-branded Skeletool multi-tools sold through the TSJ Company Store for $86 (member: $68.80).
• VisslaminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed partnership producing TSJ-branded 7 Seas 20L dry packs sold through the TSJ Company Store for $45 (member: $36).
• VAER WatchesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFilm sponsor for 'White Cap: A Story About a Boat' documentary by George Trimm, screening exclusively for TSJ members.
• Museum of Ventura CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to screen archival footage of 1940s Malibu surfing by John E.O. Larronde, sourced from the museum's collection. TSJ members received exclusive access to this historical surf footage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Magicseaweed: Surf forecasting and editorial platform (now part of Surfline) covering global surf reports and features. Broad incumbent in surf media, though more forecast-driven than TSJ's editorial/long-form depth.
• Surfline: Dominant surf forecasting and surf media platform, now owned by Surfline/Wavetransactions. Offers premium subscriptions, cams, and editorial content that overlaps with TSJ's surf-culture audience at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Tracks Magazine: Long-running Australian surf magazine (founded 1972) covering surf culture, travel, and interviews. Direct peer for surf periodical content, especially relevant given shared Australia surf culture and editorial heritage.
• The Inertia: Digital-first surf and outdoor adventure publication covering surfing, environmental, and lifestyle content. Competes directly with TSJ for the premium surf reader's attention via a more web-native, free-with-advertising model versus TSJ's subscriber model.
• Carve Magazine: European (Spanish/Basque-rooted) surf magazine covering cold-water and European surf culture. Peer in surf periodical publishing with shared emphasis on long-form editorial and photography.
• Stab Magazine: Australia-based modern surf publication focused on high-quality long-form surf journalism, photography, and film. Targets the same premium surf enthusiast audience as TSJ with a more digital-forward delivery model.
• Surfer Magazine: Was the most prominent American surf periodical for decades until print ceased in 2020. Now revived as a digital publication under Surfer/GrindMedia/EMA. Most direct historical peer to The Surfer's Journal in surf magazine category, now competing via digital channels.

Others

• Patagonia (Media/Books division): Patagonia publishes books and editorial content through Patagonia Books on environmental and surf culture topics, directly adjacent to TSJ's surf-culture editorial mission. As a TSJ sponsor, also a strategic partner.
• Vans (Action Sports Media): Vans operates House of Vans events and action-sports content platforms connecting surf/skate culture. Adjacent through sponsorship of TSJ and shared surf-culture audience, but not a direct publishing competitor.

Regional players

• Wavelength Surf Magazine: UK-based surf publication covering European surf culture with emphasis on cold-water surfing. Comparable surf periodical but focused on UK/European geography rather than TSJ's primary US surf base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SurfersJournal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOX-tq6sLmTEb4XnG0oqKZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/surfersjournal
• Instagraminstagram.com/surfersjournal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Surfer's Journal