Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tribute



He would have been a sponsor's nightmare in today's sanitised, homogenised, downsized, outsources, globalised, stylised surf industry. He created urban myths and won a heap of surf contests when competitors rode boards they shaped themselves. Without legropes (or what you call "leashes").
He was MP - competitive, talented and tormented.
And now he's gone.
RIP Michael Petersen (1953-2012)

No doubt the tales will flow over the coming days as we are all reminded of our mortality. I particularly like this one from Michael Holmes, co-owner of Noosa Longboards.


"An elderly lady coming up to the counter when we had the Brisbane Noosa longboards store.  She said would you like to have all your Morning Of The Earth posters etc signed?  We said, sure, by who?  She said Michael Petersen.  We said, what you know him?  She said , yes , he is my son.  We said great, when could he come in and she said no problem, he is here now.  Over in the corner there he was and his mum asked him to come over and sign away, he signed everything.  
Apparently Dick was furious as Michael still had a commercial arrangement and he just did it all for nothing, great memory.. All that's stuff has gone now, I have no idea where ..but on his way out he stopped and looked at a MOTE tee shirt and he just stopped grabbed the pen and signed it perfectly thru the MOTE logo on the front, put the pen down and just walked out.... Somehow I hung on to the tee, signed and framed and hanging somewhere safe. ... as MP would say, his favourite saying... " I could say..but I won't"      Rest in Peace  MP.
Michael"

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Monday, March 26, 2012

Textish Tuesday (My idea of fun)

Texter Anon
"My idea of fun 
is killing everyone"

Texter Brine 
"Well the Election 
was a massacre.
What you talkin' about?
...Are you OK?"
Turned out my friend was referring to a discussion about the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop two or three days earlier and the Stooges tune "My idea of fun"as found in their first album in 30 years, The Weirdness. Iggy would go. I know it. Scientists should clone his DNA to discover the Indestructible Gene. I'm sure Keith Richards and Ozzy Osbourne have it too. Suggested reading:

File:Bangs Psychotic.jpg
"Now is the season
for war without reason"
from The Stooges "My Idea of Fun" 2007

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Monochrome (Blue) Monday

Our part of the Island had The Big Election on the weekend, resulting in triumph for one political party, an blatant outburst of media bias and absolute annihilation of the rest of the contenders.
I'm reminded of Blue Monday by UK band New Order, released in 1983 and then remixed and re-releases in 1988 and 1995. Some verses below.
"How does it feel
To treat me like you do
When you've laid laid your hands upon me
And told me who you are

I thought I was mistaken
I thought I heard your words
Tell me how do I feel
Tell me now how do I feel"
"Now I stand here waiting

I thought I told you to leave me
While I walked down to the beach
Tell me how does it feel
When your heart grows cold"
More video versions here.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

18 Candles x Jux

one of my fave mags
18 years old this month
Well done

Feature article by founder
Robt of the godfather
of Kustom Kulture - 
"Big Daddy" Ed Roth
All images c/- Juztapoz Mag

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Short or long?

No matter whether you'e
riding short boards 
or longborads.
Here's to a brilliant weekend!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

720

When I was a kid, executing a 360 on the homemade skateboard was a big deal. There was a steep and potted path to that performance peak, involving bloodied elbows and sprained wrists. After much persistence (or stupidity, maybe), I conquered the backhand 360 and even the 720.
Last night, I executed my first surfing 720 at the end of a long short board ride. Even though it was only a dream, it still brought back fond memories of polyurethane on concrete.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Solstice

Summer is officially over today. The mornings have a little pre-dawn bite about them and the midday light in our sub-tropical paradise is gradually getting softer. Easter holidays are almost here. Time to hunt down the cool water wax.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Tuesday Tech (Mark III)

My creative tools run the spectrum of sophistication and cost from $100 plastic Holgas to 35mm Nikonos and medium format film cameras to high end Canons.  I have no issue with using anything to get the shot and "look" that I'm after - even the ubiquitous mobile phone and some free apps.
But sometimes, only a high end chunk of glass on a fancy box is going to turn light into gold. Somehing like the Canon 5D Mark III, which has only just been released. No I haven't got my paws on one yet, but came across a review and the image below at DPReview.

Monochrome Monday (My Dream)

The dream theme continues. Here's part of my dream lifestyle:
 "Turning light into gold by trapping it in little boxes using modern and arcane cellulouid and digital technologies. Being pushed along by briney waves."
"Listening to good music. Playing music. Evoking memories of the brine via linocuts. Peddling my deadly Electra treadly on green, carless bikeways. Laughing despite it all. Connecting. Maintaining the stoke."

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Electric Pig Dreaming

"To sleep: perchance to dream: 
ay, there's the rub; 
For in that sleep of death 
what dreams may come
 When we have shuffled 
off this mortal coil,"
extract from Hamlet by William Shakespeare

First decent sleep in a week and I wake from a strange surf-work mangle of a dream where one of the bosses insists playing "Confusion will be my Epitaph" by British prog rockers King Crimson (Robert Fripp edition) during a work meeting and then joins us for a road trip to the surf.

Well I will be doing the road trip to the Noosa Festival tomorrow but taking no work with me. Back in a week or a few days depending on the swell and my ability to snare a few more dreams.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

"Is that me?"

As the dude with the camera, I often get asked, when it comes to the show and tell stage of surf imagery, "Is that me?" or "Did you get that tube of mine?" or "God, I look like kook!"
After decades of surfing I had one colour snap of me cutting back at Noosa on a MP inspired pintail flyer back in the 70's. When it's good, nobody wants to shoot.
Now, thanks to my mate Rimmo, I have a couple of happy snaps from  a small session at Cokes (or in my case Kooks). Oh the temptation to make the wave more heroic and my good self more buff using Photoshop. But no, I don't have enough time! So here they are, sensible equatorial sun gear and all. The board is a four channel Simon Jones "Mr Freedom", which is brilliant.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

This Vicarious Life

"vicarious [vɪˈkɛərɪəs vaɪ-]
adj
1. obtained or undergone at second hand 
through sympathetic participation 
in another's experiences"


I thought last night I would write something today about the way our surfing industry (and media-fed society at large) tend to sell us vicarious pleasure - living life through the rantings, wanderings, fashions, tatoos and looks of our idols, heroes, villains(?) and all manner of celebrity in between.

Subliminally, subtly and even overtly the messages come back to us mere mortals.
"Wear the outfit today as seen 
on last night's red carpet special."
"Ride the same board as Kelly/Mick/Taj."
"Get the hipster look NOW. 
Click for immediate online delivery."

But then I had another night of insomnia, where my mind seemed set on instructing me that my life is anything but the WCT dream tour, the anchor tatoo, the kombi tour, the red carpet treatment, the hipster look. But will be scouring the Net for sleeping tips!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Textish tuesday (airwaves)

TEXT 1
"X is glassy and 
waist to shoulder high.
I'm working up here
....spewin"

Reply Text
"Trying to tame 
my backyard jungle 
with the Victa.
Spewin+"

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Monochrome Monday (Maldivians)

A couple of shots from last weekend's catchup slide night (well, using a data projector) with my shipmates from the 2011 Maldives boat trip.


BIG Thanks to our hosts Jackie, Phil, Matt and Tim.


And not forgetting she with the Boadicea-like leadership qualities critical to any campaign involving the organisation of diverse and disorganised "talent" - Lynette Lori-Ling. BIG thanks for getting us all there (and back)!



Friday, March 2, 2012

Delicious Fishes


"Please remember it is a non competitive and non commercial gathering of board riders and builders of these sweet craft.
It's about shapers who craft these boards and those of us who enjoy the ride. Each year we see many new ideas on the the original theme and that's what is great about the evolution of the fish.If you are not a shaper bring your fish and enjoy the stoke and celebrate the fish with everyone else who enjoys the ride."
Words and images from Alley Fish Fry site.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Freewheelin

Whether you're rolling through
the autumnal shadows 
of Byron Shire
or the paddy fields of Bali
I hope that your
craft of choice
kicks off 
a great weekend