Still here

A while since the last one.

Thanks for checking in if you've been missing me.  But then, why are you online now?  It's summer - go live it like it wants you to.

I've been down at the cottage in Betties Bay for the last week or so, hence the silence.  I spent the early part of the week tying up the loose ends of work, and getting the house in order.  I've cleared all the rubbish out of the garage, put in a board rack, made a sort of lounge, dedicated a corner to all sorts of water toys, and left a space for shaping yokes.  It's going to be epic.  And there's a table tennis table amongst all this for when it gets too flat or two windy.

And there's been quite a bit of that and it looks like quite a bit to come as well.  it's cool.  there's plenty good times to be had.  i've procured an alaia, and am relooking at my old bodyboards.  what happened to stand-up bodyboarding? and how different is it to the fins free revolution going on at the moment?  more to come on that front.

And then I came back to the real world today to sort out a few things.  I was checking magic seaweed and found this. Dane Reynolds is walking away from the contest scene.  it's a very honest, straight letter to you - yes, he's addressed it to everyone.  I don't think i've ever criticised him in anything he's done.  Such is my man-crush on the guy.  But, he's level enough to recognise his flaws and put them down.  I'm pleased that he's finding this path, even if he admits he doesn't know where it will lead.

What I'm most pleased about is he's part of the spread of surfing.  I think for too long we've been focussed on the contest and results.  Surfing became a sport, and the industry developed to support it.  I see it, or at least part of it, returning to its artistic routes and Dane is one of the guys at the forefront of this development.  I think now that he's free to focus all his energy and his mind to free surfing and riding 'fucked up boards' there will be a lot of interesting things to come in the future.  I also reckon he's the type of guy to inspire people to follow his path.  In the future there will be kids who will want to 'be like Dane', and not like Mick or Jordy or Parko.  I'm one for sure.  But, then as a near-thirty kook, I'm probably not going to be turning heads with progressive whack any time soon.

Remember, the raddest site on the web is still www.marinelayerproductions.com.

See you in 2012.  It's going to be my best year surfing ever.  How about you?

That question that you get all the time.

It happened to me again this weekend.  That question.  That one that's just so awkward.  That one that puts you on the spot.  You can say yes or no to it.  But, in truth, you don't know what either means.  And what you think the answer is not what the inquirer wants to hear, much less what you want tell them.

The question is:  Are you a good surfer?  See; even just talking about it is awkward.  What do they want from it?  And is it even important?

So, I answered with my stock answer and then we moved swiftly along.  Then it struck me:  Do we all have a stock answer for this question?  And if not, how do we field it?  Here are a few answers from those souls unlucky enough to be in my address book.  Some you may have heard of, others are just mates, others are mates of mates:

 Dave Richards, 25, surfing for: 16 years, Occupation: Rip Curl Rep
"I try hey....” Surfing, like anything is a matter of someones opinion

More than just trying going on.  Photo: fox

 Paul Berry, 27, surfing for: 12 years, Occupation: exploration driller, traveller, author
"Well, I'm no Kelly Slater but I guess I go alright. It's something that I love to do more than anything and as such I definitely dedicate a lot of my time towards getting good at surfing. At the end of the day though it doesn't matter how good you are, it's all about how much fun you're having."

I've found this response works pretty well with the ladies as it's a little bit cocky but contains the right amount of humbleness at the same time.  Athough, even if the girl is smoking hot, as long as my mates are within earshot then there can be no such talk up.

My usual line to anyone that isn't a girl that I want to sleep with is this... "Me? Nah, I'm pretty average at it to be honest. I definitely won't be getting an invite to any comps that's for sure, and if you were to take it up you'd probably be better than me within a few months easy. It's just something that I love to do and I have so much fun doing it that I don't really worry about whether I'm good at it or not.”

Honest Paul, doing for the senoritas in Puerto

Allan Van Gysen, 29, Years surfing: take a few off 29, Occupation: Surf Photographer
"I'm a competent surfer, I can get barreled"

Um...yes.

  Allard Pierson Jurriaans, 29, Years surfing: 14, Occupation: Backpackers manager

"I am the kook man."

Kook silouette

  Iain Evans, 30, Years surfing: undisclosed, Occupation: Surf magazine editor

“Yes, I'm a reasonably good surfer, as in I have surfed some of the better waves in Southern Africa on a cooking day;  JBay, Ponta, Outer Kom, Sunset, 365, Crayfish Factory, Thermos, Skeleton Bay, New Pier, Scottburgh Pipe... not to say I can surf them well, but I don't think a surfer who isn't "good" will want any part of these waves on their day.”

 

Bart Willems, 30, Years surfing: I’m guessing around 20, Occupation: Doctor

“Its about how much I enjoy it... and luckily that is not related to how well I surf”

Frix Theron

“You start out wanting to surf better, then you want to surf more, then you want to surf more better, and when you arrive at more better you realise you just want to surf with your friends (more better...)”

Bart, Frix and friends.  Photo: Liezel Bosch

 Mieke Willems

“I can surf and I love it, it makes me bubble from the inside out.  One of the greatest things about surfing, is that no matter what level you are on, you can get stoked.  For some people it will mean being in the longest barrel they have ever been and making it out, for others it will be merely managing to stand up - resulting in similar elation.”

Stylin'

  Jazz Kuschke, 30, Years surfing: 20.  Occupation: Freelance Photojournalist

“Yeh, I consider myself a decent surfer. Not flashy, but experienced, confident and capable. I'm a super competitive person and that's always translated to my surfing. BUT…if someone had to ask me that, ask me straight out if I think I'm a good surfer, I'd never say yes. Cos faark, there are people out there (kids!) absolutely blowing up and embarrassing me everyday. So compared to them I'm not that good.”

Photo: salt free photography

       Ross Lindsay, 45, Occupation: Surf product agent/ film industry businessman
 “I have competed successfully in the past but for the last 22 years I have preferred to go free surfing for maximum fun without the constraints of having to perform to the contest system.” 

Ross, still casting spray

Karl Haupt
“no...  i mean i can make it from the peak to the shoulder... but i am not a good surfer. I just enjoy the hell out of it!”

Greg bertish,  41 yrs old, Surf Travel operator, 25 yrs surfing.
“I can surf and am pretty competent in and love big waves!”

Competence: Backdooring Sunset

Andrew Black, 30, Copywriter, 15 (with gaps - forced and otherwise - but this here's a lifer)“There are the golden moments, but on the whole it ain't that pretty!”

David Clegg, tax consulant, 64 something, year surfing: 48.

“I’m competent, I can look quite good on good waves but when the surf is mediocre, you can see who’s really good, and I’m not!’”

Alex Daniels, rug-muncher, 29, years surfing: not enough to learn the etiquette

‘That guy’ answer of the day: “I am good when your mom feeds me biscuits.....”

There's definitely someone out of frame straightening up behind him.  And it's probably the guy who gave him a ride to the beach too. Photo: Espey

And my own answer:

"Well, I really enjoy it...so, yes...I guess..."

Shaping up

Right now, about 4 feet above my head and little off my left shoulder is an 8'3" gun gathering dust and a 9'6" longboard that's maybe a little less dusty, but I actually can't remember the last time I used it.  I may have surfed in august on a calm day at a time when all other boards were dinged and needing a fix.

But, above that are two blanks - waiting for that coarse caress to yield the shape within them.  One belongs to a mate of mine.  Well, he used to be a mate before he stood me up yesterday morning for a sea swim - because he'd been boozing the night before.  Then he set about ignoring my calls - which was probably wise, but rumour has it he was back on the sauce by midday yesterday, and who knows what state he's in now.  So, maybe the former mate's blank is also in the past tense and I have two blanks to work with now.  (and if that doesn't get a reaction...)

Well, having a blank amongst your quiver is a pretty cool feeling.  Not that I have any reference, but I can imagine it's probably a bit like having a child - you constantly wonder what they will be when they grow up.  And, unless you're Catholic or from another prolific culture, you're probably quite the  rookie at parenthood.  And so am I when it comes to shaping.  But the bonus for me is, if I cock this one up, I can just leave it in a corner and ignore it with a clear conscience.

Still, there's so much pride at stake and I have high hopes for my creation.  I've been scouring the web for design tips and it's been awesome to say the least.  Long before I've even removed a speck of foam, the shaping experience has been so rewarding.  I've learned a tremendous amount about design principles and I can't wait to apply them.  Daydreaming of perfect sessions has been replaced by daydreaming of various shape aspects...and perfect sessions on my perfectly performing board.

One of the things I came across - on The Inertia, I think - was saying how garage shapers tend to be out there on the fringe of design evolution.  They're not the guys pushing the next trend in design - we'll leave that Kelly and Dane...maybe Dane from a year or two ago, actually.  He's pretty much out there on the fringe right now.  But, they are the guys doing the crazy shit.  They're the guys who you check walking down the beach and you say - sjoh, I'd dig to give that board a go.

I'm hopefully heading that way as well.  I was surfing a spot back in winter and was wondering what board would suit it best.  It holds size - best at about 6 - 8 foot.  It's got a crazy, steep, sucking, boiling take-off.  If you've managed that then it mellows out to a few very fat, occasionally walling sections.  So, what the hell would allow the drop, but then still be fun on the soft face? 

Hopefully, my genius and inspiration will produce the goods,  But, we'll see what comes out.  The sort of board that's always being called to the principal's office and being told to stay behind after class.  The kind that hides its report card and the referee as to drag off by its collar.  The one that's always got stains on its clothes, and skin off its knees.  Or the golden child that does the dishes and gets gold stars on its forehead.

I'm not sure where that metaphor's going, so i'm just leaving it there.

What's it like...

I'm not a very accomplished surfer.  I've had some good waves on occasion.  I've done some pretty hectic stuff too, but these are the exceptions, rather than the norm.  If, like in other competitive sports, you're only as good as your last performance, well, then I'm not very good at all.

But I have been barrelled.  I've even made it out occasionally.  But, I'm not at the point where it's happening consistently, or where tube rides are more my own making, rather than fortiutous alignment of circumstances - conditions, me being there, and getting everything spot on right.

So, it's weird then that most of my best rides, and all of my tubes, I can barely remember.  They exist in my mind like a dream.  So real one moment, and then a smudge of a memory a moment later.  There's the elation, but once that's gone, it's only a few flickering images that you're left with.  And an insatiable hunger for more.

It's hard to explain why.  Perhaps, you're just so focussed in the moment, that all other brain functions shut down.  Your brain's recording switches off as all that's important is the now.  Maybe it's the adrenalin that cuts off the memory.  I don't know.

Some of Clark Little's magic.  It's even better when its your own...I think.

That fact of the matter its so much more than a visual experience.  I do know that much.  Clark Little has made a career out of recording these images.  It's great.  They're very pretty and it's about as close as most people will ever get to the real thing.  But it doesn't begin to explain what's going on in there.

Reading an article in an old mag the other day and they were saying how the best written words and post surf banter doesn't measure up to a good video section.  And they're right, mostly I guess.  Shadow puppets to flesh and blood.  But, like the Allegory of the Cave, there's always another level up that we can't imagine till we experience it.

Monday Beatdown (and get back up) with Mark and Richie

Mark Mathews, welcome back to Monday Beatdown

Crash and burn.  Splash and learn.
A wipeout in surfing is usually forgivable.  It may involve a bit of ragdolling.  Perhaps a long held breath, but by and large, it's just a transient, unpleasant few moments.

Sometimes however, things take a turn for the worse.  And you're facing serious injury.  It's these occasions when our carefree existence suddenly comes into sharp focus.  And its on these occasions when character, more than physical mettle, is the defining feature that gets you through.

I was fortunate to watch the Fighting Fear premiere in Cape Town last night.  Big thanks to Paul Canning and the Oniell crew for setting that up and being such epic hosts.  The stars of the show are Mark Mathews and Richie Vaculik - two hellmen from Maroubra, Sydney, who have both had a few trials in life, and have managed to come out the other side wearing a few scars - both actual and mental.  They're savvy enough to have learnt the lessons of these ordeals, and have shared them brilliantly through the directing talent of their mate, Marcario De Souza.

Mark, as a big wave surfer, and Richie, who charges as well, but is a MMA champ mostly, have been knocked down on occasion, but have always been able to pick themselves up afterwards.  What comes across in the film is the importance of help, advice and support given by friends and family in tough times.  But, ultimately, that salvation has to come from within.

At one point, Mark has suffered a neck injury, and although he's escaped paralysis, his mind is beaten and he feels intimidated by the waves that were his career.  It's a dead-end for him unless he can bury these ghosts.  He's given a book on meditation by his mom and discovers the following lesson in overcoming these negative thoughts of pain and injury.  It comes in three questions:

1. Are these thoughts true?
2. How do these thoughts make you feel?
3. Who would you be without these thoughts?

In asking yourself these questions when fear is holding you back, you can overcome it and go forward.  I learned a valuable lesson last night and look foward to applying it in the future.  Thank you Mark, Richie, and Marcario, not only for a very good night out, but also for something that I can take away and use.  That was the real highlight for me.  Seeing Shipsterns in near real size was pretty epic too.  If you get the chance to see Fighting Fear (wavescape film fest this week, sometime...) I suggest you take it.

So, if the trailer excites you in a puny window on your tiny screen, imagine whats like when two storeys high.

Gratuitous gallery of girls duckdiving from below

It's Friday Folks.   And the beers do beckon.  So, because I'm feeling lazy, and generous, here's a gallery featuring girls duck diving.  Enjoy.

 

Clear water, bikinis, athletic figures, flowing hair, water-proof cameras - they just all come together.

As a side point - google images for any surf theme see what comes up.  99% males come up.  Now search duckdive.  Yep, Google seems to dig it too.  Why are girls at their best beneath the waves?  Who cares, it's just awesome.

And if you think i'm pervy, wait till you see the GGoGDFA.  That's the Gratuitous gallery of girls duckdiving from above.

And I know i'm being lazy and not crediting the photos - but if you just do the googling you'll find them all there.  And guys - love your work.

Normal coverage and professionalism to resume Monday.

Not long ago, at a beach not too far, far away*

*If you recognise the reference in the title - congratulations!  You're also a nerd.

Well, flying in the face of yesterday's post, it then rained hard, I put on shoes, and later even a hoodie.  Then a status update mentioned a few good waves here.  And a few there.  Then, just to rub a bit of salt into those non-surfing related wounds in scratching, zigzag offers up this pic.

To everyone bemoaning lack of waves:  [derisive] hahahahaha

They claim it was yesterday.  Could well have been.  They could well be lying, too.  They do that from time to time, just to throw you off.  I know where it is.  If you're Cape based, you probably do too.  Still, I'm not naming it.

But there's a lesson here:  If you're optimistic, and dialled, you will score more than your whinging mate who only surfs selectively.  Stoke fuels itself.  It's a virtuous circle.

So, I'm counting things to be stoked about now:

1. New GoPro2 has arrived (SD memory card not included)
2. Invitation to a yacht to watch the Volvo Inshore racing on Saturday
3. Wavescape board auction tonight.  Always fun

I'll combine 1 with 2 and put the results up here.

4.  That forecast I was whinging about.  Ja, they changed that.  Wind is taking a long weekend.  Which would be fine, except I was kind of hoping it would huss for the boat race on Sat... nope, just checked again...back to its typical windiness.

4.  I'm going sailing on Saturday and the wind is set to howl.  Yes, please!
5.  Was eyeing out dad's old windsurfers the other day.  Why not?

Shot ZZ and AVG, for the pic.  there is one of those funny circle c things in the corner, but I chatted to him about this sort of plagiarism, and he was pretty cool with it.

Wanting Winter

It's overcast outside now.  I'm wearing jeans, but i'm not bothering with shoes.  Some rain was predicted - just a bit of drizzle, but it might not happen.  And then from tomorrow, as far as the forecast shows, summer stretches out like barren plain.  The season of waiting.  Everyday like the day before.  No swell.  Strong South Easter in the morning.  Gale force in the afternoon.

I find myself wanting winter.  I have said before that surfing makes me love every season, and this is still true.  But, it's possible to love one more than another.  Yesterday I rose with the sun and suited up before walking the familiar path through the dunes.  The morning sand on the beach was still cool.  I could see tiny sharks through the clear water as they hunted crabs on the bank.  It was small, and lacking in power.  I surfed for 2 hours. It was fun.  I walked home, had a cold shower outside. I made a cup of coffee and still had a full working day.  You can't do that in winter.

 

But, I'm already yearning for short intense days.  Gun-metal skies and soupy seas.  When you wander the coast looking for waves.  Tyres splashing down muddy roads.  Putting on cold suits in the pre-dwan, and then taking it off after dusk.  Alone on the beach.  Fresh rain running off your hood, washing the salt from your face. 

Power, more than you can handle.  Being held down in the dark, and rising again to taste the chilled air, tainted with the rotten kelp ripped from the reef.  Clutching OB's in your craven hands and putting the sweetness to your crusted blue lips. 

.

These pics come courteousy of Drew Innes, whose making a film on surfing in New England: The Winter Albatross.  I think it will be quite worthwhile.  And give us Captonians another reason to shut-up and take it.

Pipe - plain and simple

It's an interesting time to watch the progress of surfing - from tow-ins, to throwing yourself out of a plane to tow-in, from tropical reef passes, to polar slabs, from waiting a month to hear about a contest to watching live in your bedroom. Yep, things have come on a hell of a lot since I was a grom.

One thing stays constant in this, though.  Behold: the one, the only, the never to be surpassed in terms of the ulitmate proving grounds - Pipeline.

Sion Milosky, doing what he did best

Maybe one thing has changed - the name.  Does anyone still call it 'The Banzai Pipeline' anymore?  Or are we just so familiar with it we can drop the formality?  So, it's got its full name, but you can call it Steve or Jerry or Daz or whatever.  It doesn't mind.  Or does it?  I got into the habit of referring to Jerry Collins as Mr Collins just in case he was within earshot and thought I was being disrespectful.   Remember:  This is still the world's most deadly wave.

And it must be the most beautiful and deadly as well - a coral version of a supermodel assassin.  I googled 'pipeline' to see what came up.  3rd on the list, if you're curious - with the Banzai moniker attached.  click on images, and about a full on 1/3 of all images are of this belter.  The remainder are mostly of tubes of oil gushing through what would otherwise be pristine desert or tundra whatever fills the space between oil reserves and humanity. 

I remember hearing Lance Slabbert talk years ago about Hawaii and the light there - particularly on the North Shore.  And that combined with the brutality of it is what makes the most photographed wave in world.  You will get savager (more savage?) barrels elsewhere, but you will struggle to do it so photogenically.  And that is why Pipeline will always be the ultimate proving ground.

And I chose Pipe as today's theme because everyone's getting quite excited for the Pipemastes later this week.  There's quite the forecast.  I'll be settling in for a webcast and few beers for this one. 

Shot to Surfers Village for the pic.  Sion, we miss you man.  Hope you're charging hard on the other side.

Limited sympathy

Sharing is caring at Waimea, it seems.  But not for that guy.  I don't really feel that sorry for him, even though he's suffering the duel indignity of being dropped in on and about to face a savage beat-down.  You have to ask what he's doing there anyway.  Everyone else seems to have managed the drop in good time.  What was he doing getting stuck up on the face like that?  He also look fairly composed for his situation.  I reckon maybe he bailed a little sooner than he should have - really not putting in enough effort there.

So welcome to the Monday beat-down club. You look like you've earned it, pal.

Thanks to Marco Garcia for the pic via these guys

Bruce, the Pink Pony, and that session at Cloudbreak

Bruce and his noble steed in the maw of the beast

You knew it was coming.  It just had to.  To fill in the gaps, in July this year, right about the time I was deciding whether it was worth driving to JBay to watch the Billabong pro (it wasn't), the perfect swell was bearing down on Fiji.  Slater was making a similar decision and went the same way as me.  He opted not to be in Jeffery's, much to the chagrin of the ASP who got all high and mighty and ordained themselves to give him a tiny slap on the wrist for being naughty.  Slater didn't care, he's proven that he didn't need the points and that everyone has short memories.  Pretty much everyone who criticised his decision was then quik (see what i did there) to extoll him when lifted his 11th title.  Not this elephant.

And while we talking of large beasts, Bruce, without tour commitments was only to happy to claim wave-of-the-day honours at this session.  And isn't that much better?  The approval from your mates, hi-fives and ching-chings post session versus some judges in a tower throwing numbers at you?  I reckon so.  Especially with when it's a session like the above.

Thanks ESPN for the image, taken by the legendary Tom Servais.  Do yourself a favour and hit the 'swell of the year' gallery.  It's Friday, and you've earned it.

Finding Humour

Occasionally, I'll stagger to my lap-top, pre-coffee and be quite surprised and a bit bemused by the forecast on Windguru.  I'll be looking at a very strange forecast for Cape Town.  The wind is weirdly consistent, and the temperature with it.  There's no angry purple brusies of a gale followed by calm powder blues a few hours later with the.  The arrows don't swing violently like a compass bedevilled by a magnet.  Swells come and go with long periods, usually from the NW, before vanishing to windswell.  My intial reaction is that the models must have it wrong.  Some flaw in the data processing is leading to this.  Of course, we never think that the problem lies with us.  A few seconds later, I might notice that the page is still on its Maui default, and I'm reading the forecast for the North Shore.  Ah, mystery solved - again, fool.

I don't know if any other adherents to the 'Guru have a similar experience.  But, one that it does lead to is being pretty aware of what's going on there in surfing's answer to the Colloseum.  I remember a few years back, Cape Town was blessed with an unbelievable summer run.  And in seeing both forecasts, it was often CT summer > NS winter.  This year, neither areas can claim a boon of waves.  CT has had a fairly quiet winter by our own high standards, followed by summer doldrums.  The North Shore has been blighted, too, and there's much grumbling from the rock.

Still, with the world's elite packing into a small stretch of coast, there is some action going down.  Guys have been practising their aerial punts - not usually part of the Hawaiian repertoire, but better than nothing.  And I only hope that with everyone in it together, a sense of humour is prevailing.  We all know the grumpiest beast on earth is the wave starved surfer.  So how do you think Jordy managed this situation?

Jordy Smith, and friend

Of everything that this photo says, from what WTF factor, to the indignity of a older man lying down, to the way his gunning for it, pretending like he's charging, but actually seeming quite a fool.  There's a lot that's unsaid too.  What was the build up?  Was Jordy being a bit greedy and did he deserve it?  Is the booger a chop who reckons his age earns him priority?  Does he know what Jordy is capable of and where he can put his fins, should he choose?

And afterwards?  Some stern words or just a scowl?  Laughing it off - because, let's face it, it is quite ridiculous.  A scared booger heading for the beach?  Jordy heading to the beach, because if that sort of thing is going down, is it really worth it?

My best part is Jordy's elbow: retracted in a sort of don't-touch-that-thing manner lest it rub off on you.  Close second is the rest of body language:  Seriously, bru?

Shot to Zigzag for the image, photo credit Kolesky/Nikon/Lexar