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.

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.

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."

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.

"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.

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!

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+"

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)!

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.

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