I remember being a grom and eagerly awaiting my monthly delivery of surf magazines. Sure, I enjoyed the surf photography and I occasionally would even take a crack at the articles, despite my adolescent ambivalence towards reading. But what I truly looked forward to was the second page advertisement – that’s where a nearly nude lady made me want to buy as much Reef products as my piggy bank could afford. They say sex sells, and I’ll be damned they’re wrong.
And while the second-page advertisements are less prevalent in surf journalism today, Reef continues its annual calendar – a 12-photo spread made more for ogling than marking down your uncle’s birthday. Today, Reef drops its 2016 edition and they’ve done so with an accompanying video. Shooting took place in the lush and tropical Costa Allegre, Mexico and the project was helmed by U.K. photog, Kate Bellm.
“[Bellm] took an edgy perspective but retained the mystery of Miss Reef. The final result was twelve months worth of youth culture-driven pop art of Miss Reef in cerulean lagoons and lush tropical woodlands of the Pacific Mexican coast, all with Miss Reef falling into Bellm’s brand of mischief and adventure,” explained Reef.
The Miss Reef Girl is one of the surf industry’s most notorious and ingenious campaigns ever. It’s controversial – some see it as objectifying women’s bodies and others see it as praising them. Myself and my inner grom are in the latter camp. The campaign is a way to admire the beauty of a woman’s body while retaining that sense of mystery and allure, which I find nostalgic of my giddy, 12-year-old self.
Head over to Miss Reef and grab your copy now.
