Yubakar Raj Rajkarnikar was a guitar-strumming 22-year-old when he felt this urge to create something lasting. He got together a group of like-minded friends and started WAVE, Nepal's first English youth magazine. The first issue hit the stands in August 1994, and all 4,000 copies sold out instantly. Yubakar & Co knew they had hit something big.

Ten years later, WAVE is still going strong and has something of a cult following among the young-at-heart. Yubakar himself is now 32, has a two-year-old daughter, Khusi, and has moved on to other ventures. But he still regards WAVE as his baby. "WAVE needs fresh, young people and ideas, which I was getting too old for," recalls Yubakar. "Of course, I needed to grow and do different things as well."

WAVE's instant reputation first as a status symbol for youth, and then a reputable infotainment source, has guided the magazine through its various incarnations and publishers. (It is now published by Himalmedia.) There have been song books, posters, countless glossy pictures cut out and posted in teenage bedrooms. Articles over the years range from the Pujari sweepers to Kathmandu's gang wars to Nepal's evolving music scene to Che chic. Football in Norway and Maoists in Rolpa have been covered, all seen through young eyes for young eyes.

After a brief stint as station manager at Radio Sagarmatha Yubakar is now editor at the Metro fortnightly paper. He is also COO at Advertising Avenues and chairman at Vibes, an event management and social campaign group.

As WAVE celebrates its 10th anniversary this week, Yubakar is spending a lot of time looking back and feeling nostalgic. He may even consider making a comeback as a columnist, but most of all, is considering how his efforts managed to shape Nepal's current youth culture.

www.wavemag.com