OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE #3
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ISSUE 3 EDITORIAL: Editor: Russell Quinn Art Director: The Common Good Senior Photographers: Russell Quinn, Murray Mackenzie, Mark Howlett. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Ben Jackson, Matt Blakers, Mitch Lightfoot, Russell Quinn, Raihei Tapeta, Josh Tabone, Ben Lee, Sam Ross, Jye McDonald, Dahn Colman, Alex Gibson, Mitch Pearson, Mark Howlett, Lincoln Melbourbe, Murray Mackenzie, Luka Manson, Steve Wall, Matt Brockie, Kerry Down, Justin Baker, Alex Fico, Jack Sheard, Mick Edwards, Kian Bourke-Steer, Marc Ashdown, Mark Thompson, Mikey McArthur, Sam Venn, Ryan Isherwood, Chris Stephenson, Ben Hall, Grant Maloney, Robin Taylor, Russell Ord, Toby Manson, Tom Young, Cameron Mackie. SENIOR WRITERS: Russell Quinn, Adam Quinn, Jack Dobinson, Michael Chapple. ENQUIRIES: russ@cloakanddaggermag.com SUBMISSIONS: photos@cloakanddaggermag.com ADVERTISING: advertise@cloakanddaggermag.com Cloak & Dagger Magazine is selfpublished four times a year in Sydney, Australia. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in this publication. All rights are reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Enjoy this magazine for what it is, and respect the photographers that help make it happen.
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Just Quit… Change is in the air. A new movement is taking place. A new generation of quitters has emerged – well, at least amongst my circle of friends. Since starting up this magazine, three of my close friends have quit their jobs in order to pursue a life that favours leisure over labour, freedom over entrapment. I have made no secret of my total disdain for the 9-5 grind, and my perpetual habit of quitting jobs. In my short time here on earth, I have dabbled in numerous vocations, ranging from dish-pig to press photographer, to kayak salesman and valet parker. This erratic lifestyle is not representative of my inability to work, but is the result of my utter refusal to be tied down by full-time employment.
of bodyboarding and the amazing lifestyle and experiences that come with it. Growing up as a frothing grom, you will go to ridiculous lengths to score waves. This often involves avoiding employment at all costs and surviving on a staple diet of tuna and bread. This can only be described as the ‘shoestring lifestyle’. It’s a simple life, but one full of freedom and excitement. We all know it – these were the happiest days of our lives.
For as long as I can remember, I have been told – by family, friends, teachers, peers and idols – of the importance of securing a well-paid full-time job – a ‘career’. For years I never questioned this ideology, and went about completing my HSC, graduating from university and taking all of the necessary steps to kick-start my career as a journalist. And then something happened. I got my ‘dream job’ working as a journalist at my local newspaper, and six months later, I hated it.
And herein lies the challenge. Be honest with yourself. Decide what it is you are truly passionate about, and run with it. Now is the time. You’re young, energetic, free of financial pressures and have the freedom to pursue anything you choose, whether it’s riding waves, photography, music, or travel. A wise man by the name of Morgan Brown once told me “We are here for a good time, not a long time”. It took me a few years to truly appreciate what the big man was trying to get across. But damn, I’m glad I eventually figured it out.
The truth is, I have never held a full-time job, and hopefully never will. This attitude is likely the result
So here I am today, at the tender age of 25, still somehow managing to avoid the perils of full-time employment. Sure, I may not have the cash to splash on fancy gadgets, the latest iPhone or hipster fashion trends, but I am doing what I love.
Russell Quinn - Editor
The fruits of unemployment – a frosty cylinder grinds along New Zealand’s East Coast. Photo: Russell Quinn.
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13 - 14. ON THE COVER 17 - 32. FEATURE FRAME 37 - 44. ROLL THE DICE 45. NEK WORD 46. THE DISGRUNTLED LAB 47 - 51. BLOKE & SWAGGER 53 - 64. PAUSE 65 - 92. LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD 93 - 104. IVAN PULIC PROFILE 105 - 124. A STAGNATE AWAKENING 125 - 126. TALK THE TALK 131 - 146. MOTHERLOAD 147 - 156. JOSH TABONE PORTFOLIO 157 - 158. NEOLOGISMS 159 - 160. UNDER THE CLOAK
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ON THE COVER Photo by Raihei Tapeta Portrait By Domenic Mosqueira Hitoti Henry (rider): This day I was paddling early in the morning with Alvino Tupuai. It was glassy, really west and shallow. It was a bodyboard day, with only one surfer out there. When we arrived in the channel, Jake Stone had just lost his board on a big airdrop and he was so pissed off. I caught a few sketchy ones, and managed not to get caught in the close out. The swell was slowly turning more south, then this wave came through. It just looked too perfect not to catch. It was perfect all day long. I think it was the best swell I ever surfed so far.
Raihei Tapeta (photographer): If there was a day that should not be missed at Teahupoo it was this one! After two historic big swells that hit Tahiti in May and June, Teahupoo again gave us very good conditions. Local bodyboarders Henry Tahurai, Alvino Tupuai and Hitoti Henry were exceptional - they do not hesitate to push the limits when the conditions are on! This wave of Hitoti is one of my favorite images to date. It’s both powerful and beautiful.
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FRAME ONE
George Humphreys, Western Australia. Photo: Dahn Colman. “This day in the West was the first sunny offshore day we’d seen in about a month. The swell was solid, but slow, and not many were linking up well. I’d considered packing up my gear several times, but knew something big was gonna go down. Hanging around definitely paid off.” – Dahn Colman.
FRAME TWO
Chris James, South Australia. Photo: Ben Lee. “I’ve spent a fair amount of time floating around these areas in the past years but I’ve never had the chance to shoot anyone surfing this wave. I shot this photo as I was jumping out of the car on arrival. It was great watching the guys have a solid crack at this place before the circus rocked up the next day.” – Ben Lee.
FRAME THREE
James Moore, NSW. Photo: Alex Gibson. “This day was pretty gnarly because it was my first decent session after breaking my leg out there four months prior. I remember watching a few hectic close-outs and then this one came through as a wedge and I remember having to paddle super hard. As I was taking off the reef just drained out on me. I tried to hold my line and drive through it. Luckily it all worked out for the best and we nailed this shot.” – James Moore.
FRAME FOUR
Eric Roy, Queensland. Photo: Jye McDonald. “Right before this day, there’d been a huge swell smashing the coast for a week and I wasn’t sure what the banks would be like afterwards. It’s a bit of a mission to get to and it can be so bad, but when it’s on, it’s one of my favourite waves. The forecast was too good to refuse trying. We got up really early, drove down and rocked up to groomed lines and blatant ramps. We drove home this day with a few shots, including this one here that we were stoked with!” – Eric Roy.
FRAME FIVE
Luke O’Connor, NSW. Photo: Mitch Pearson. “This particular afternoon was filled with highs and lows. As the afternoon drew older the chance of getting salty was becoming increasingly unlikely. Murmurs were coming thick and fast about ski’s circling the headland and turning this spot into a circus. As the swell straightened the surfing crew became deterred by the never-ending bend in the wave. Seeing the dwindling numbers, I hustled up Andrew Hoff to suit up and press record. If only it was that easy. In the frantic rush to get out there “Hoffles” didn’t quite get the Auto Focus in working order. I left that day with a couple of crisp Mitch Pearson land shots and a whole bunch of funky out of focus “Hoffles” footage.” – Luke O’Connor.
FRAME SIX
Charlie Holt, NSW. Photo: Josh Tabone. “North wall is one of my favourite waves and this particular day had a sucky take off with a good wedge in the corner and some nice second wedges down the beach. This wave was a good double up with the wedge pushing me along the wave into the ramp. I made Tabone plug out from the matrix of the banking world for this day – they seem to hire anyone there these days haha.” – Charlie Holt.
FRAME SEVEN
Chris James, Tasmania. Photo: Sam Ross. “It was a bit of a last minute decision to head into Stern this day. We got there around 8:30am to see about 20+ people in the line up. This particular wave probably didn’t end out the way Chris was hoping for. Probably a second later he bailed his board and ended up skipping down the wave on his face. In saying that, he hadn’t prepared himself for it, as I remember he was still on his way back out to the line up and then he just turned around and went.” – Sam Ross.
FRAME EIGHT
Matt McArthur, NSW. Photo: Russell Quinn. “This place is one of my favorite waves around the area because when its on, it gives you one of the most perfect left-hand barrels you can get in the 4-6ft range. Unlike its bigger, heavier brother just north, this setup is a lot friendlier and allows you to position yourself inside the barrel and maneuver around nicely. I also love coming to this beach on flat days. Its an amazing little section of the coast to come and chill and relax with a little picnic on a day off and wet a line.” – Matt McArthur.
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Seven riders and photographers choose one (or all) of the following four subjects: - YOU BLEW IT - LESSON LEARNT - BEATDOWN - TROUBLE IN PARADISE -
MICHAEL CHAPPLE // LESSON LEARNT
my life. Long term, this was the better option for me but to be diplomatic, maybe not for you. Highway surfing. Get to know your coastline and pick the best option that will be worth surfing the next day. Surf the first spot you check. Don’t go to the next place to find it is shit and end up back at the first spot. Wasting time. Get wet first, then try elsewhere. Don’t drag the chain. I’m a fairly assertive person and if I want to go for a wave, the last thing I want to do is be around another four opinions about what to do or where to go. Pick and hang with mates who usually have the same ideas. I guess you learn things to become a better person or become better at doing whatever it is you do. I have learnt quite a bit as a bodyboarder over the years and I’m going to tell you a few of my lessons learnt, some long and some short. You can choose to take this advice or you can skip it and just look at the pictures. “Chase it” but be realistic. For starters, lets not sugar coat things. I set some goals in bodyboarding and life and unfortunately the two of them weren’t a symbiotic relationship. A goal in bodyboarding was to qualify and compete on the World Tour, but a goal in life was to own a nice house at the beach where my kids will have the same opportunities I had. I made the Tour, met and competed with idols, saw the world and had a sick time doing it, but I always came home with little money in the account. While competing, I then chose to complete a teaching degree where now I have my house at the beach and I’ll be surfing during school holidays for the rest of
Travel. Visit places Australia -wide and world-wide. There are some amazing places in this world and people to go with it. Travel experiences are the memories you will remember forever. Tight-arsism. This is a made up word and I class it as a disease. DON’T be a tight arse. No matter how sneaky you think you are about being a scrooge it is always visible. Multiple surf crafts. If you enjoy being in the ocean, don’t just bodyboard, because it’s not always suited for it. Pick up a surfboard, mal, softboard and use the craft which you will have the most fun on. The best side of this is gaining the skills on a stick to spray the eyes out of that wanker who always called you a dick dragger.
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JASE FINLAY // YOU BLEW IT three months, at least two boards, three steamers (3/2, 4/3, and 6/5 each), two pairs of flippers, and all the required camera gear. Basically we were due for a bit of space from each other. This is where the blunder begins. We were posted up in some caravans for a week or so, leaving this as a base whilst we went chasing waves daily. We all unpack some of our gear for a more comfortable car ride, and the 6/5’s that had been lugged around needed to get out of the car too (six 6/5mm steamers take up a lot more room than you think). Mattick and I take the suits into the caravan and I notice some storage space under the seats. TOGETHER (I employ a huge amount of importance on this word as you will soon see why) we pack the suits in the space and carry on for the rest of the week scoring beautiful waves, and scouring incredible countryside.
It all starts during an extremely fruitful mission throughout Europe a couple of years ago, filming for Zion’s hit movie “The Viking”. We had been away for two months already, ticking off England and Ireland with two more locations to go. Scotland is where we currently were, and the temperature had steadily decreased over the days, and destinations of the trip. The temperatures had dropped so low that a quick surf in our brand new 4/3mm steamer was becoming a test of commitment. Every ounce of motivation was needed to slip into the icy, wet, steamers and dip into the freezing waters. Our slither of warmth on the horizon was our 6/5mm steamers that we had lugged around the entire trip without using. We held onto them knowing that they would help us feel 10x warmer if we stuck Scotland out in our 4/3’s, and hit our next destination with fresh, thick, dry suits. The crew at the time consisted of Mattick, Koots, Griz, Katesy, Thom, and myself in a van we had bought in England. With Mickey Smith and his girl, as well as Allan Wilson temporarily joining our crew to document the Scotland stop after our good times in Ireland all together. We had already spent two months together in close quarters. The hours/tension spent in the car were heightened by the amount of gear we all had, and that needed to fit in the car too. Each person needed: clothes for
We then get to Iceland. The coldest country I have ever been to. Average outside temp at the time was 0 to -10, with water temps around the 7degree’s celcius mark. It didn’t take long before we realized what we had done. We had lugged around six 6/5 steamers for two months without using them, for nothing. This was the time we needed them more than anything. We were devastated. I was devastated. I felt terrible as I was 1 of 6 victims of this mistake. Surfing over there was the coldest experience any of us have ever experienced, to the point where it could have been dangerous. Maximum surf time was 30-40mins with most of the fellas opting to stay clothed on the shore as it was too intense a lot of the time. Katesy and I would literally come in and tear up in front of the car heater, hoping that another 20mins in front of it would bring back feeling in our fingers. I had blundered big time, but I wasnt the only one to blame. Somehow along the way I was solely blamed, and to this day will overhear Mattick and the other boys telling people that I was the sole one who forgot them. To the extent that Thom even wrote in a mag something like “Jase had one of his Bipolar wig outs and left the suits in Scotland”. Bastards, haha. But yes, i blew it! Chat Conversation End.
HEYDON BUNTING // LESSON LEARNT Apparently when I was a real little tucker, my parents spent a lot of time at the beach and they said they never had to worry about me around the surf because I was so shit scared of it. I would stay well away. My mum would try to entice me into the sea and I would just cling to her like a Koala bear. My mum took me to swimming lessons when I was about 4 and I nearly drowned. My mum had to jump in, in her clothes and pull me out. So the fear grew in me of the water. Another time when I was really little, I was up the Hawkesbury River with my Dad and Grandfather on their boats and I fell between the two boats moored together right on dark. My grandfather and father jumped in to rescue me and I was under a very long time. My dad says he doesn’t know how he found me because I just sunk to the bottom. Fast-forward to today and a day rarely goes by that I don’t get in the salty sea. For me now it is my special place. It is my daily routine and my meditation. I truly get withdrawals if I don’t get in the sea regularly. It took a very long time for me to get comfortable in the ocean and this is one major lesson I have learnt about water, the ocean and the surf. You have to crawl before you can walk, and don’t run before you can walk. You must have a hell of a lot of respect for the sea. You panic or freak out in a nuts situation, you put yourself in so much more of a nuts situation. It’s all about knowing your limits, staying cool, calm and at peace within yourself. Going with the flow is key. The ocean is so powerful. When in surf that is boarderline out of your league, you must know how to overcome your thoughts and emotions. You have to learn almost how to enjoy the nuts situation and find that happy place in your head you can go to at any moment when deep underwater getting rag dolled, facing a giant closeout set, or very deep in a big pit that you know could just flog you from a minor mistake or misjudgment. Believe me, you have so much time to progress and learn as a wave rider, so take it really slow, take your time, ask the older more experienced crew questions and advice. Don’t rush it, you have your whole life ahead of you to ride waves in the sea. I see guys every day well into there 60’s and 70’s out in the surf catching waves. Do it right, from the start, get the basics down, get the foundations right, get the simple things sorted right from the very start. If you are serious about bodyboarding, riding waves and truly love da boogie and everything will fall into place. It’s a lot easier to do it properly
from the beginning than going back and having to relearn major things, changing years of incorrect muscle memory and bad habits is a very challenging part of wave riding if you want to progress as a bodyboarder. Maybe a big reason I am now living here in Cronulla and having Shark Island as my local is that I find this wave the most challenging, heaviest, scariest and most intimidating wave I have ever surfed anywhere in the world. I have had some of the heaviest beat downs at this wave and probably hit the bottom harder here than anywhere else. Pound for pound, Shark Island is in my opinion the heaviest wave in the world. This time in my life, I want to devote a large chunk of my time to riding and learning all about this wave. Most of my favourite boogie riders of all time have come from Cronulla. I believe spending a lot of time out at The Island improves your surfing so much. For some reason it creates/produces amazing bodyboarders. Out at the Island you have to commit, focus, be in the moment, draw good solid lines and read the wave. Don’t take yourself to seriously, Yes you can be serious about the love of the boogie and improving as a wave rider, but sometimes the more serious you are the less fun it becomes. Love it with all your heart, but don’t lose that youthful stoke and joy due to putting so much pressure on yourself to improve as a bodyboarder/waverider. Keep your mind open, ride everything, ride all sizes and shapes of bodyboards. Having Fun is always way more important than anything else, you will learn way more when you’re having fun. 40
BEN PLAYER // ALL
BEATDOWN: It was at a bombie down the coast. I got out to a spot and didn’t know how big it was and then got five 15-20ft waves on the head. I was sure I was going to die but I just ended up snapping my board and having to paddle the kilometre by myself in the early morning darkness. That felt like the closest I have ever been to drowning or dying.
YOU BLEW IT: The worst thing I have blown is probably not buying land up in Canguu, Bali, around 15 years ago when there was nothing there. I was looking to buy land just behind the beach and it was cheap, but I thought Bali was too volatile after the bombings so decided not to. Now the land is worth around 100 x more and I could have been living on one of the best waves in the world. LESSON LEARNT: I learnt many years ago to bodyboard purely for enjoyment. In my mid 20’s I used to get pretty serious with it, and as a result I wasn’t enjoying it that much. Then Quiksilver and Morey left me with nothing, which made me experience bodyboarding not because of the money or the fame, but just for the thrill of riding a wave.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE: I’ve been pretty lucky with this and managed to elude travel trouble. I guess the worst trip I have had was for an NMD trip back in 2008 in Bali. I caught Dengue fever and was very close to dying in a hospital over there. My body started falling apart with a platelet cell count of 40 (usually it’s 120) and the fevers were out of this world. It took me about six months to a year to recover enough to surf to the standard I was at before it happened, and I think it took me around 4-5 years to fully recover. As a result I can’t afford to catch dengue again, which is the reason I always have to cover head to toe in clothes when I go to tropical places.
EWAN DONNACHIE // TROUBLE IN PARADISE Many years ago, just after finishing High School and just before realising I’m rubbish at competitions, I was in pursuit of the World Tour. I’d placed 5th in the Pipeline Pro earlier that year, then had a failed stint in Chile, and was now in Portugal for the Sintra Pro. I was 17, relatively fresh to solo, international travel and putting my ‘street-smarts’ to the test in foreign countries. I flew into Lisbon and, rather than making the mission to the coast on public transport, jet-lagged as hell, I decided to bunk down in the cheapest accommodation I could find until the following day. I haled a cab, bundled my oversized boardbag into the undersized vehicle and crudely requested, “Hotel… barato muito… obrigado” (“Hotel… very cheap… thank you”). Now, I’m not sure if Mr Taxi Man was insulted by my appalling attempt at Portuguese, or wanted to have a laugh at my expense (perhaps both), but he began turning down backstreets and laneways of an increasingly seedy nature, before literally stopping next to some cracked-out skeleton of a woman, shooting up in the middle of the footpath, and pointed across the road to the door of a Hostel. I bailed inside as quickly as possible and was actually surprised how neat and clean the foyer was, compared to the scummy Ghetto scene just outside. The floor and front desk were marble, with huge vases of flowers everywhere, roman-inspired statues and columns, and a winding staircase that led upwards from behind the desk. There were several guys hanging around, chatting, and despite the evident language gap, the bloke at reception was very helpful. He handed me my key and a business card. Both were pink. Not the colour I would have chosen, were it my Hostel to run, but hey, the guy likes pink – no big deal. I continued to my room and opened the door… pink. Everything pink. Walls, cupboard, blankets – pink. Weird, but I was too tired to care. I collapsed on the bed and passed out instantly. Hours later, I woke up, needing to use the bathroom. It was the middle of the night and the toilets were communal, so I scampered down the hallway in the dark, did my thing and returned as quickly as possible. Fiddling around with the lock, I finally opened my door, then suddenly heard something behind me. Turning around, there were two men leaning awkwardly on either side of the open doorway to
the room directly across from me. Like four metres away. Leaning there, in the dark, silent, staring straight at me, smiling… wearing literally nothing but a tiny, pink bath mat around their waist. I fucking freaked out, jumped into my room, slammed the door shut and frantically bolted every lock available, before dragging my entire bed across the room and jamming it against the door. As if in a movie, flashbacks started flying into my head from all directions – the tidy foyer, the statues of bronzed, ripped men, the flowers, the welldressed receptionist with a slight lisp who smiled at me a lot, the bunch of GUYS that stopped chatting and stared when I walked in solo, the fucking pink EVERYWHERE! The jigsaw puzzle had finally come together – I was in a gay hostel! I sat against the wall and stared at the door all night until the first rays of light began trickling through my window. I dragged my bed out the way, collected up my bags, took a long, deep breath, then ripped open the door and flew down the stairs and out the Hostel. So much for ‘street-smarts’ eh!
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RUSSELL ORD // BEATDOWN // LESSON LEARNT
99% of the time when I photograph from the ski at various slabs we have on the West Coast, I like to drive and shoot, this way I can put myself in the exact position to take different angles throughout the session and the videographer can just put up with whatever presents itself. Having a ski for the last 10 years has been well worth the investment. It took some time to convince the wife this, but after paddling out to a 20’ft plus outside reef on an 8’4 board with a back pack containing a camera +300mm waterhousing setup, copping a two wave hold down, just about drowning and 30 minutes of discharging salt water from every orifice on the beach, I knew then a ski was the only alternative. I am always pretty bloody vigilant when in the surf and shooting at the slabs. There’s tons of heavy water, crazy pieces of reef and miles away from the nearest town or assistance. So when I un-expectantly copped a wide breaking 15 footer while looking
through the view finder (opposite direction) in the so-called channel I had two options. The first was to turn around quickly, head towards the rocks, around a gentle little point and beach the ski. This would have resulted in a few missed waves, no damage to body, ski or equipment in no particular order and a packed lunch with a nice glass of wine on terra firma. I like to call this my hindsight option or f@#K I wish I made this choice option. Option 2, the one I voted for in haste went more along the lines of this. Hammer the ski full throttle directly towards the wave and make it over the top before it breaks, there’s time, I know it. Once you commit to option 2 there is no turning around or changing your mind, it was looking good for a brief second but as I went up the wave the 10 foot thick lip pitched and basically hit me square in the chest, Mike Tyson style minus the upper cut. Now with a waterhousing balancing in my lap, I lose grip from both hands, the full throttled ski is now fifteen foot in the air without a competent driver and lands perfectly on the other side of the wave (no more rogue waves is a bonus right now). I on the other hand, land awkwardly, smashing my hip on the back corner of the ski with my right leg still caught in the gunnel, SNAP! Crawling back up into position, lanyard still attached, engine running, I have already noticed that I dislocated my knee. I am not a doctor’s lunchbox but when the knee cap is situated around the back of the leg its indisputably not a good sign. The day is over. It took four good solid strikes to the knee cap to settle it in position. Heading back to the boat ramp, which is a 30 minute choppy ski ride, the extreme pain sets in. Then it goes just as quickly as shock settles in. By the time we get there, I totally forget what had happened and tried to walk falling flat on my face. Over the years of being a rugby league player I knew that I suffered a decent injury. My body is riddled with plates and screws from that period of my life. OK three long hours drive (passenger) with 12 cans of pain relief under the belt, we arrive at Margaret River hospital. I give my wife the heads up to meet me there to arrange an x-ray. The after hours on-call doctor does not believe the injury deserved his full attention. He even argues the point, underneath my well hidden happy semi-drunken demeanour, brought on by the Jimmy White Rabbits, we finally convince him that I was actually in pain. Conclusion: a broken leg in two places and three months on the sideline. A few postage stamps in the magazines from the session, option one was certainly the pick, the ocean commands the utmost respect.
JEFF HUBBARD // TROUBLE IN PARADISE
My first trip to Puerto Escondido was in 1996 and the wave Punta Colorada (PC) was already one of the main reasons I was so excited for the trip. As I had seen footage of Spencer Skipper, Kyle Maligro and Chad Barba ripping the wedgey beach break to shreds in many video parts. I arrived to PC by taxi, a short drive from Zigatela just as we do now over 18 years later. This spot has remained almost unchanged for many decades. Nothing built on the hillside overlooking the beginning of a 50-kilometre stretch of pristine untouched white beach coastline, complete with a natural estuary with crocodiles and 1000s of native animals. Chad Barba and Scotty Carter first pioneered this elusive spot over two decades ago when they spotted the peaky waves peeling and wedging and breaking in perfect formation from the airplane. PC is a bodyboard-only venue where the locals do not welcome pokey tip riders of any nationality. Thus making it a really enjoyable experience to escape the crowds and dangerous kook surfers whilst bodyboarding in Mexico. PC works on different size swells and conditions than the main beach break of Zigatela, which makes it even more inviting for traveling bodyboarders. The amount of bodyboarders that travel to Mexico is quite large as is the number of Mexican bodyboarders that reside in this expansive wave-rich country. PC allows all these riders to enjoy the
natural resource Puerto Escondido is known for – waves. The amount of tourism dollars and money spent as a direct and indirect correlation to PC is staggering and is vital to the economy of Puerto Escondido. The fact that the government of Puerto Escondido is allowing a marina to be built on top of this amazing wave and naturally beautiful location is beyond words. I recently caught my last waves there and am beyond shattered to may never be able to surf there again. Construction on the marina is set to begin this week. Anything we as bodyboarders can do to help save this spot we should.
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NEK WORD With Sam Strachan. Photo by Russell Quinn.
My full name is… Sam Connor Strachan But I also respond to… Grom, or unfortunately the guys at work call me Fungus. My actual age is… 19 But most people think I am… 20 something? I currently reside… With my parents in Cronulla. But I’d prefer to live in… San Diego. Bodyboarding is… a lifestyle choice. Money is… A way to divide the world. I become emotional when… Someone takes the last Tim Tam.
I’ve always wanted to… Make a movie. Love is… A speedbump. Drugs are… Everywhere. Just the fun ones are illegal. Fashion is… a personal choice. I don’t really care what anyone wears. Except for lads, they don’t count as people. The only purpose alcohol serves is… Confidence to do the things you are too scared to do sober. My dream job is… A sound technician. I have never told my parents… About changing mums phone number on my school profile to mine for the back end of year 10
so it didn’t text her when I jigged school. I secretly love… Deep fried steak fat. There is nothing I hate more than… Free surfing at IBA events. I become panicked when… I am with strangers. The last time I checked I was… Broke I will always regret… My home job tattoos. One thing people don’t know about me is… I used to play the trumpet.
THE DISGRUNTLED LAB The dreaded conversation Words by Jack Dobinson
A female asks you a simple, polite, inquisitive question, oblivious to the can of worms she has potentially just opened. Maybe she is a cute coworker, maybe she’s a ridiculous rig from your Uni or Tafe class. Her unintentional ignorance of the passion you hold for your chosen craft is already making you feel uncomfortable, and you haven’t even got started! Her question went a little something like this… “You look like you are a surfer…are you a surfer? Do you surf?” Harmless small talk really… or is it? We have all had this conversation with a chick, some more than others. Maybe it’s more common in your twenties and thirties. Sometimes it sends chills up your spine, other times you get that hollow, empty feeling in the pit of your stomach. In fact, you might straight up bail and cut your loses rather than battling through it. You just know there is not going to be a good outcome here – no one is going to be a winner, but you figure you’re just going come right out and say it – at least that was your intension… “I am a…..ah…..a….b….ah….a surfer?”. “Yeah I surf, yeah I surf”. You falter and lose your figs. You take the easy option out. What was the point anyway? I’m sure you know what I’m talking about now. You have let down your fellow brotherhood. I’ve done it, we all have. I still do it. Don’t say you haven’t. But what should we really do? What should we have done those handful of other times? Half the reason bodyboarding can have such a hold over you is the very nature of the general public’s
view on it - their ignorance is our bliss. But that is also the sticking point that keeps the sport where it is today. We almost make where we think we need to be, then we are hit with news such as ‘The World Tour is possibly over for the year’. We get to the cusp of semi-mainstream, but we just keep getting pegged back. Maybe it’s because this is our right of passage. Or maybe it is just never meant to be. Aside from the big picture, next time any female asks you, you tell them this; “I bodyboard”. Then, if you want to really push the limits, call it straight out “boogie boarding”. Maybe don’t even explain yourself. Just leave it there, those two simple words, but say it with utter conviction and say it unapologetically. I once did this to a smoking hot ‘Gurfer’ at one of my favourite local nightspots, but I didn’t just leave it there. I thought, I’m going to get her on side and open her eyes! My friends saw me minutes later screaming in her face yelling countless expletives, obviously I didn’t just leave it there, and her narrowminded opinions didn’t react well with the amount of liquor I had charging through my veins. Anyhow don’t let this deter you, as I’m sure the memory of our conversation is as fond for her as it is for me. Yes you are a surfer, yes you surf, but if you’re completely honest you ‘BODYBOARD’… and it’s fucking incredible, embrace it at all costs! Note: The above advice is guaranteed to make you blow it with most chicks.
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RYAN SEWELL Portrait by Ben Jackson
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Photo: Ben Jackson
DEFINE: A bloke has gotta love beer, food, babes, party time, family, friends, health, bodyboarding, travel, good times and happy days. AUTOMOBILE: Lola the ‘86 Toyota Corolla. I picked her up for $700 with 11 months rego. She’s been so good to me, getting me up and down the coast in style. Such a babe magnet too. PASTIMES: Ping pong! Every place I’ve stayed at while doing a surf trip overseas has had a table. It’s so good for settling disputes and providing hours of entertainment.
CHICKS: My ideal babe would be a girl that enjoys making her guy breakfast, then films him all day while he whacks bowls and gets pitted, then makes him dinner at the end of the day... Haha. BLOKE HABITS: Hunt down ladies, drink piss, fart, burp, grow mustaches and see who can go the longest without shaving. Driving around like madmen looking for a pit or a ramp. Uh, just being blokes is pretty blokey too I guess.
FOOTY: Soccer takes the most skill I believe and it excites me more than the others. I don’t follow it, but I always choose the classics when playing FIFA on the PS because they have the most stars. 48
Photo by Mitch Lightfoot.
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Photo: Matt Blakers
DEFINE: I hear all this talk about “swagger”, but I still don’t know what swagger actually is. Sorry for the let down everyone. BODYBOARDING: Progressively working on technique while just enjoying it. THREADS: These really epic ones created by some top blokes that all the girls love and all the guys want, called Enough Threads. DANCE MOVES: Uhh, xtc... Nek minute.
TUNES: I could give you a whole list of artists that I enjoy to listen to but I will just say most of it is stuff that isn’t commercially fed to society through radio and other means just to make money. Stuff that is made purely for the love of music, rhythm and beats. SPONSORS: Right now, the fellas at Board Lounge, Science Bodyboards and Enough Threads are helping me out. Thanks for believing in me guys. And thank you Cloak & Dagger Magazine. I just rode halfway around Rarotonga (Cook Islands) in the rain on a scooter to bring you these words.
PAUSE
ROBIN TAYLOR SOUTH AFRICA
MARK THOMPSON NEW SOUTH WALES
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RUSSELL QUINN NEW SOUTH WALES
RUSSELL ORD WESTERN AUSTRALIA
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BEN HALL SOUTH AUSTRALIA
TOBY MANSON NEW SOUTH WALES
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RUSSELL QUINN NEW SOUTH WALES
GRANT MALONEY NEW SOUTH WALES
RUSSELL QUINN NEW SOUTH WALES
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RUSSELL QUINN NEW SOUTH WALES
Snow-capped mountains, sea lions, frozen lakes and arctic air – it doesn’t sound like you’re typical surfy safari, but what is these days? Three mates recently ventured across the ditch in search of icy funnels, secluded beaches and empty line-ups. Despite their complete lack of knowledge of their chosen destination, they managed to achieve just that. Story by Adam Quinn Photography by Russell Quinn & Murray Mackenzie Additional photography by Ryan Isherwood & Chris Stephenson
Tuesday 30th April: 9am flight from Sydney to Christchurch. Full of excitement upon our arrival to the land of Middle Earth, I reminisced on my previous visit: the fresh air, hospitable locals and snow capped mountains. Not to mention eight days spent cooped up in a van full of snotty nose, tuna eating bodyboarders. The latter not so much of an incentive, but more of a deterrent at best. Expectations of sight seeing, sinking Speights (local ale) and scoring some crests thrilled me like a Dunedin boy trying on his first Kathmandu “Puffa Jacket�. Much like a big hit from Kiwi halfback Piri Weepu, none of us expected the epic adventure, which was about to take place. A sense of fresh air hits you as soon as you bust free from customs at Christchurch airport. Locals must have been in hysterics at the sight of three Aussie bodyboarders throwing on layer after layer as soon as we stepped through the airport doors, quite reminiscent of the Jamaican bobsled team as they arrived to ice cold Calgary at the 1988 Olympics. We jumped into our trusty JUCY camper van and let the grand adventure begin.
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Wednesday 1st May: Dunedin Summer Slide Waking up in the JUCY to a hot, sunny Dunedin morning ensured some positive vibes. We decided to observe our surroundings and had a look at the local beachie – St Claires. BOOM, as if being hit by an mighty All Blacks scrum, we were greeted by 4ft lines pushing up the coast and light offshore winds. All three of us were beaming to say the least. Not having a clue where to go, we hit up a local surfie unzipping his so-called “summer suit” (4’3’). He just so happened to be the most genuine Kiwi dude ever – giving us pinpoints on our map to various surf locales in the area with wind and swell directions. Such an act would be considered a heinous, unforgiveable crime on the South Coast of NSW. We decided to venture to a nearby beach, which would be copping the brunt of the swell. As we rock up our jaws are misplaced on the sandy beach yet again. The place looks to be a super fun 3ft beach with relatively good banks and no one in sight but some English TV producers filming a kid’s show, possibly some sort of NZ Teletubbies. Being the naïve, careless tourist I am, I suited up straight away before the fellas could let out a “yeoooooww”. Twenty minutes later and I’m still trying to get out the back – it’s a whole lot bigger in the ocean (6ft+) and very rippy. Ill have you know I’m a really good swimmer and the nickname ‘Dolphin’ is quite well deserved, but I did seem to struggle in these icy NZ conditions. The water was around 11 degrees, very deep and full of unidentified sea life. Before hyperthermia could set in we jumped out and headed back to town for a look around and some amazing kiwi tucker.
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Photo: Murray Mackenzie
Thursday 2nd May – Dunedin Frat Parties. A typical Dunedin day awoke us from our slumber: raindrops slammed our beloved JUCY and dampened our moods just a tad as again we headed to St Claires to begin our day. Cooking breakfast on the beach, we realised the swell was bigger again, but surrounded by rainsqualls, so we decided against chasing it too much. A quick check of the local café scene saw us all relax with a brew and begin to enjoy our destination after a busy two days of travelling. Just before dark, we noticed St Claires started to
represent less of a mal riding haven and more of an all-time beachie, so we all pulled on our wet 4’3’s and hit it up. Coming in on dark we were all buzzing from the session and ready to go for a big night out in Dunedin with some top Kiwi blokes we had met earlier. Our trusty night owl tour guide Hamish took us to wild Frat Parties, night clubs in Churches and underground raves not dissimilar to a Kings Cross den. The night was finished off by a standard Maccas chicken nugget feed – 80 strong!
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Friday 3rd May – Swell Chasing in the Catlins. Waking up feeling exceptionally manished, with inflamed heads and beady eyes from the night prior, I jumped behind the wheel and punched us on down to the Catlins region (deep south of the NZ South Island). The drive was long and tedious, filled with thin, windy, gravel roads for miles. It seemed punishing on the JUCY and my fellow travellers, as we checked wave after wave and ended up just getting frustrated. Muddy roads, angry farmers, long walks and grunting beasts dampened our spirits and a quick squabble between brothers ensued. I had been told of a cliff beach close by in the Catlins, which was known as a good wave and a cool camping area. Being Murray’s birthday the next day, I thought it would be cool for him to wake up to in the morning scenery wise. Again what seemed like a short trip on the map, ended in a two hour drive along gravel, cliff roads in the middle of nowhere, and it was getting dark quickly. Somehow we managed to find the place in the pitch darkness despite no signs. That night we were amped on what looked like a spectacular surrounding for the coming morning. We were all rugged up in beanies, two jumpers, shirts, gloves and trackies as we dove under the blankets that night, possibly a little too close together for three straight men. All in the name of warmth I assure you.
Saturday 4th May – Muzza’s Birthday, May the 4th Be With You! Waking up from the light pouring into the van after a tough night sleeping in the cold was bliss. It looked like we were in for a nice, sunny day. I wished Muzz happy birthday as we opened the van door to a scene that typically encapsulates New Zealand. A small bay surrounded by scenic cliffs, blue water, waves and a big Sea Lion sitting on the beach.
We all suited up again in wet, icy wetsuits and hit the water. The waves were only 2-3ft but we all were enjoying surfing alone in these epic cold water wedges. Twenty minutes later we noticed an enormous splash about 2 metres away. The Sea Lion had decided to join us in the line up and it didn’t seem like your usual happy, Kiwi greeting. We all freaked out at the sheer size of the thing and its big teeth glistening in the sunlight. Muzz and I jumped on the next wave in and left Russ out the back to survive alone. I slipped off the back of my wave just in time to witness the Sea Lion pop up between Russ and
I in the water. Rattled - Russ jumped on the next set wave and ran straight over the mighty beast ensuring we were all in hysterics by the time we reached the shore. Next stop – Queenstown! As we drove off through the dense bushland we heard gunshots and wondered what the hell was going on. As we got closer to the sound we saw a few Kiwi cowboys duck shooting. They saw our van and fired off a few greeting shots into the air. Not seeing anything like this before, we
pulled the van over to stop and talk to the guys. They were dead set legends who were out in the middle of nowhere sinking piss and shooting ducks – full on Kiwi blokes. Whilst in the middle of a good yarn with the blokes I mentioned to one it was Muzza’s birthday. “Righto son” he said as he slapped a dead duck on Muzzas lap, all of us burst out laughing as Murray quickly declined the deteriorating present laying before him. The guys slandered us saying “toughen up ya Australian cu@ts” and then bid us farewell and goodluck on our upcoming night out in Queenstown.
Two hours later we arrived from what is a surreal drive into Queenstown. We clocked into our caravan park and quickly started sinking bourbons. Coming from Australia, drinking out seems really cheap in New Zealand. We hit up a place called “The Whiskey Room” for pre drinks and slammed some pool balls to awesome
Reggae beats. Finally it was time to shine on the dance floor as we wondered on into “World Bar” and pushed well into the early morning. Russ claiming one of the best nights out of his life and Muzza one of the best birthdays he had ever had, at that point I had to agree… it was a brilliant day.
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Sunday 5th May – Manishment, Fire and Rugby. Morning hangovers greeted us not too kindly as we were welcomed by what we all knew would be a bit of a lay day. After a delayed breakfast consisting of chicken burgers and coke (perfect scran), we trekked into the hills in hopes of taking photos of the snow-capped mountains. Reaching the top of Coronet Peak amongst the cleanest air you can get, our hangovers seemed to disperse, however no snow to be seen! Dejected, we drove the JUCY back down into Queenstown for a delightful Ferg Burger... only the best slab of cow you could ever indulge in. Freezing conditions in the van saw us take shelter in a nearby bar, heated by an extreme fireplace, Speights on tap and Super Rugby on the TV. We were in heaven again.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS STEPHENSON: 1. What’s it like being a bodyboarder in NZ? Being a committed bodyboarder in the deep south of New Zealand is a tough ask. It is very much a minority sport over here you could nearly count the number of serious riders on two hands. The cold weather will put the hardest of men to the test, the wildlife can get very confrontational, archaic surf jock culture is still prevalent (slowly changing) and the best spots are spread far and wide up and down the coast. 2. What’s the furthest you’ve ventured for waves? If you want the best waves the country can offer you have to be prepared to put a lot of km’s on your odometer. Travelling up to 3 hours for just an hour of surf time is common practice. Being able to understand the charts and forecasts is a must. It takes years to understand the conditions for many of the more ‘secret’ spots.
3. What’s the coldest temps you’ve endured for waves? Mid-winter temps keep the water around 6 degrees celcius and are often combined with 30 knot offshores. I personally wear a 5/4 hooded steamer and still freeze my tits off. Be ready for brutal ice cream headaches and being unable to walk on your frozen stumps, let alone unzip your wetty after most winter surfs. 4. Any run-ins with sea life? The wildlife can be incredible and can also be downright terrifying. The seals can get territorial, and the bigger, badder Sea Lions can be straight up belligerent. When they want you out of the surf you generally get out. Forget the sharks, you’re keeping an eye out for the Sea Lions and the occasional leopard seal and orcas.
PHOTOS BY RYAN ISHERWOOD 1. What’s it like being a bodyboarder in NZ? It’s surprisingly great. You acquire a mental toughness over time to deal with the cooler months, and winter tends to separate the men from the boys. The scene is horrendously small here so everyone knows everyone, which creates a few funny rivalries and allows guys to form tight knit bonds with small crews all over the country. 2. What’s the furthest you’ve ventured for waves? In the South Island it takes under 3 hours to cross the alps from coast to coast. I live very central on the South Island in Christchurch. This opens up travel on the north and south tangent. The furthest I have ventured would have to be 16 hours drive for waves, but I promise you some of the walks to the spots here are far more grueling. 3. What’s the coldest temps you’ve endured for waves? Without a doubt it would have to be the winter of 08. Temps around the middle of the island on the east coast dropped to between 4-6 degrees. Combine a morning air temp as cold as -6, with frosted sand and snow capped mountains in the distance, made for one hell of battle to put the wetty on. 4. Any run-ins with sea life? I am lucky enough to have dodged the men in grey suits so far (touch wood). They are definitely out there but you would be lucky to see one. Sea lions on the other hand. Fuck those things are intense. More territorial than Ben Mackinnon having an interrupted power nap. My worst encounter was down south in 07 surfing with a few other mates at a secluded beach when out of nowhere an angry as fuck sea lion popped up with his teeth showing howling at me. He was about 1m away and he begun lunging at me. I thrashed my arms and legs at it but quickly realized who the
superior was. I was back on the beach within the minute and remained there until the roles reversed. It wasn’t until he was on the beach I could size him up. Easily twice my size and with teeth that would rival a sabre tooth tiger. It’s safe to say these guys are the gatekeepers. 5. Any cool tales? Every trip away is wild and crazy. There always seems to be a drama of sorts but if I had to pick my wildest it would be from a few years back. Deep south. Myself and a few mates have traveled down for a swell and prior to leaving we were warned about a possible hectic snow front approaching from the lower South West. We thought we may beat it as we were going to be coming back on the Sunday and the front was forecast to hit late that night. Turns out we were in for a surprise. While doing a spot check the wind swung and the looming clouds were thickening. I would say within 20 minutes the beach and surrounding rolling hills were white. It was decided this was a special chance to suit up and enjoy the winter wonderland. Surfing while the snow pelted down was incredible until it came time to get changed again! That was one of the hardest things I have had to endure! I had no hood, booties or gloves so as I was trying to exit my wetty I soon realized the state my head, feet and hands were in. Releasing the knot in my fin savers was a mission to say the least. But finally after plenty of yelling and cursing I was back in the car and my mates and I were headed home. By this stage we had left our run so late we almost got stuck down there in snow as deep as the truck tyres. This added a few unwanted hours to the drive but we made it out unscathed. If that’s not the definition of a wild adventure then I don’t know what is.
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Monday 6th May – Arrowtown and A Late Arvo Shred. Our next destination was Arrowtown – a scenic stopover for aspiring Instagramers and photographers. While the fellas went off for a wonder, I checked the charts and found out there was a decent little swell back in Dunedin at a popular beachie we all had wanted to check out. Immediately, I told the fellas and soon enough we were out of Art Town and back on the highway. Muzz drove like a madman as the afternoon winded on. Using our own meteorology knowledge and ideas on wind and swell directions (sketchy at the very least) we had no idea what to expect. Again, luckily – we had stumbled onto an all-time session at the place. We were greeted with 4ft, pumping waves and another scenic backdrop. We snuck in a few icy caverns before sprinting back for a shower to thaw out. Another brilliant day satisfying everyone’s wants and needs, from art to surfing.
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Tuesday 7th May – Shingle Dreaming – An Epic Finale. After seeing the swell from the night before we were all amped for an early start. I had received word that a classic NZ river mouth was going to be worth a check. After a few hours driving, we arrive at the turn off to be greeted by yet another closed gate. Negging out, we all just expect this to be the end. Russ notices the gate is unlocked and we drive through to the designated parking area. In front of us stands a big shingle mountain so we can’t quite see the ocean yet. Excited and not knowing what to expect, Russ bolts out of the van and up the mound. I wait for a reaction and he throws his hands in the air. Muzz and I follow him up the mound and just like an old school surf flick we are greeted by 3-4ft perfect left handers, draining down a shingle rivermouth with not a soul in sight. Frothing, we all sprint to the car, grab our gear and hit the water. It was insane surfing on stones like that and to listen to the sounds they make as the shingles constantly move beneath you. In all my years of surfing I’d never experienced anything like it or waves quite so perfect and not a soul in sight. It was truly an epic way to end the trip. Thinking back at my time and the adventure whilst sitting at the airport I decide it’s one of the best trips I’ve done. Just goes to show chasing waves isn’t always the key. Sometimes you can luck into an all-time session at a wave you previously know nothing about... that is the beauty of surfing, and the serendipity of this trip.
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Photos & Interview by Russell Quinn.
Ivan Pulic (pronounced E-Vahn Pu-Lick) is a name you have probably started to hear being thrown around more and more in bodyboarding circles. Hailing from the fruitful bodyboarding breeding ground of Wollongong, he has quietly gone about his business in the ocean, improving session upon session, and had a heck of fun along the way. We did our best to dig up some more intimate details and stories from the quiet Croatian.
How long have you been riding the boogs?
I bought my first board when I was in Year 10 at High School from a local surf shop. Big Dave Fox was working and pointed me in the right direction, as I had no clue what to choose. Since then I haven’t looked back and it’s been around 7-8 years of good times.
Where have you traveled to for waves?
Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, Cook Islands, Bali, Sumatra and Samoa.
You’re one of the most respected young riders on the South Coast. How is it that you haven’t secured a solid sponsor over the years? I guess the way the industry is there’s only room for a few riders amongst all the big brands that can truly call themselves professional bodyboarders. Currently I have support from Hot Buttered, Zion Wetsuits, I Am None Clothing, Soyroll Leashes and The Stoke Factory. They provide me with all the best gear, which is a huge help and much appreciated.
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You haven’t had a great deal of media coverage in your bodyboarding career. What do you put that down to?
I guess I’ve always kept it about the good times and tried to balance that with work. I’m not one to talk myself up or be a loud mouth in or out of the water. The last few years I’ve started to get a few quality video clips together that have been pretty well received on the Internet. Hopefully that will do that talking for me and give me a bit more of a profile.
What is the biggest skunking you’ve ever had?
I traveled a total of 24 hours to a little island off Sumatra to stay at a pricey resort with the promise of consistent swell and a variety of dream set-ups, only to find out it was run by stand-ups and had only one quality wave out the front of the resort. We did a little exploring and found a few waves but the swell didn’t get over 3ft.
Can you explain the nickname tookeen@hotmail.com?
It was back in the days of MSN chat and crazy Hotmail addresses. I was a young frother and just trying to get into it and that was pretty much the first thing that came to mind, so I ran with it. I had to change it not long ago because you can’t go getting emails sent to an address like that when you are approaching your mid-twenties.
Who is the best bodyboarder on the South Coast? Jason Finlay. I could watch his smooth style and huge boosts all day long.
Who is the most underrated bodyboarder on the South Coast?
I’d say a close mate of mine, Robbie Sheehy. He works in the WA mines, but no matter how long
he has gone without surfing he can just still jump straight back in the water and mix it up with the best of them.
Bodyboarding wasn’t always your chosen sport. When you were young you had the chance to play soccer in Europe. What was all that about?
I started playing soccer when I was six years old and with my Croatian heritage I was pretty handy. I got offered a contract to play in Europe when I was 16. My whole family was going to pack up and move. It was around the time when I just started bodyboarding. When it came time to make the final call I realised I wanted to spend my weekends in the surf so I knocked back the offer.
After finishing school you slogged it out pretty hard doing your mechanic apprenticeship. What was that like? What made you eventually quit the business?
I got offered the job straight after finishing Year 10. Anything was better than being at school. It was a struggle, Monday to Friday 8am5pm – I wanted to quit everyday but somehow I managed to stick it out. I got out as soon as my 4-year trade was complete. I needed a change, and I couldn’t handle waking up and having to slog it out in that shed for a day longer.
Any stories from that shed?
I use to go out every Wednesday night in Wollongong with my mates, knowing well and good that I was going to be tasting it at work the next day. But it never stopped me, and these were big nights, drinking hard till the lights came on at this questionable club called ‘Castro’s’. Plenty of days were spent spewing at work, but I never pulled a sicky, not one. I’d just cop the hangovers on the chin. Looking
back now I don’t know how I pulled it off.
Any others?
I once glued coins to the ground outside the work-shed so the boss would try and pick them up. The guy was as tight as they come and he would grab a chisel to get them off. So once I drilled a hole in the ground so a $2 coin would fit and glued it into place. By the time he got it out the coin wasn’t usable.
Tell us about your current job? I heard you get to drive some pretty nice cars?
Yeah I got a pretty sweet casual job on the wharf at Port Kembla Harbor driving all the new cars that get sold in NSW off the ships. The hardest thing about the job is trying to figure out how to start some of the luxury cars. Some of the blokes I work with even wear running shoe to work, as it’s a race to get to the most expensive car.
Despite being a mechanic, you’ve been pretty unlucky when it comes to cars. Can you tell us how you once rolled your car?
It was few months after quitting the mechanic business and I was really short on coin – perfect timing for the car insurance to be due. I didn’t have enough to renew it fully, so I had to just settle for third party insurance. A couple of weeks later I started working for my dad as a painter. In the morning I was driving to his house in the pouring rain, I was coming to a dodgy corner which had grooves from the trucks using the road. As I was exiting the corner my tires slid into the grooves and I completely lost it, did a 360 spin (legs uncrossed), just missing a pole, rolled end over end into a ditch and ended up being trapped upside down. I couldn’t open my door and my seatbelt was stuck but I managed
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to crawl through to the back and get out. Somehow I came out without a single scratch on me. My dad picked me up from the crash and we went to work for the day.
You’ve had a couple of close calls with the LAW. Can you explain why your mum nearly called the police when you were surfing once? Back in the early years my mum would drop me off at the beach after school and pick me up before sunset. This one arvo, the waves were really good and pretty much the first time I had got barreled. As you can imagine I was having the time of my life and had forgotten all about meeting mum. I finally went in right on dark and when I got to the car mum was so upset and crying. She been walking up and down the beach for the past 15-20mins and couldn’t see me and thought I had been swept out to sea. She was frantically asking people exiting the water if they had seen me and was about to call the police, then she spotted me just before it went pitch black walking to the car. I felt pretty bad.
What about ladies? I heard you once crashed your car waving at a chick? Haha! It was my first
mission down the coast after I had got my P-Plates. I was on the way home and struggling behind the wheel. I didn’t realise how hard it was to drive home after a full day of surfing. As I got back into Wollongong I saw this hot chick I knew from school. I started beeping and waving to her, paying no attention to the traffic lights that turned red in front of me. I went straight up the back of some bloke and hit
him hard enough to push his car into the one in front of him. Doesn’t get much more embarrassing or costly than that.
Back to surfing. You’ve been at it for a while and you only seem to be getting more and more keen. What do you really want to achieve in bodyboarding?
I’m keener now than when I was a grom. With more flexible work hours and a really good crew of guys to surf with from the Wollongong area who are pretty much the benchmark in bodyboarding. I just want to keep getting better, hit the biggest ramps I can and see where that takes me, hopefully to a more professional level if the opportunity comes along.
And finally, did your dad really snap your bodyboard over the tray of his Ute one day after a surf? I was surfing after school and my dad
had taken me and said I had “Exactly one hour”. I rushed down and was groveling away trying to make the most of my time. I could see the car from the beach so I kept my head down and pretended I couldn’t see him. A fair bit of time had passed and I hear my name being shouted out and see my dad furiously pointing at me. I have never moved so quick out of the water and back to the car. He grabbed my board and snapped it in half over the back of his Ute. He was really tough and strict on me when I was younger. Looking back at it now it’s a classic story with no hard feelings. I’m glad he was hard on me back in the day, it taught me a lot. I have so much respect for him and we are still best mates. 104
A STAGNATE AWAKENING. Photography by Russell Quinn & Murray Mackenzie Additonal photography by Steve Wall & Luka Manson.
Rory Horton Photo: Russell Quinn
In July this year, a secret superbank was formed at an undisclosed location on Australia’s East Coast. It was the result of a rare natural phenomenon that only occurs every few years, following intense rainfall and the opening of a river mouth to the sea. It can sometimes seem impossible for all the elements to align, but when they do, the result is truly mind-warping. Photographers Russell Quinn, Murray Mackenzie, Steve Wall and Luka Manson set out to document the extraordinary event as it unfolded over five epic days.
Photo: Steve Wall
Name: Matt Young. Distance travelled: 5 minutes Days on location: Every day.
Previous experience of the wave: Plenty. Expectations: High. How did it compare to other rivermouths you have surfed? I haven’t really surfed another like it yet, but I’ve looked into a few others that have a similar setup. I love a good beachie. Best wave: I have wanted to surf a standing wave since seeing it in the Endless Summer when I was six. 20 years on and I finally got to do it. The best one I got I rode for over 2 minutes, it was incredible. It’s quiet; no sound of breaking water, just the faint hiss of silk running beneath your board. It was incredible. Best tale: About 4 weeks after it opened I had 2 rangers come to my parent’s place claiming they had video footage of my 4wd at the location the night it opened. They said it was being investigated and eventually someone was going to be held responsible and fined for its opening. It’s National Park, so the maximum fine is $100,000.
Photo: Murray Mackenzie
Photo: Russell Quinn
Name: Ben Player. Distance travelled: I left home at 3am and the trip took 2:37
minutes. I surfed for two days and drove home but was caught in traffic so the return trip too me 3:22 minutes. Days on location: 3 hours the first day and two hours the second day. In total I had 5 surfs out there. Previous experience of the wave: None. Expectations: Pretty high as I had heard all about the past swell out there. How did it compare to other rivermouths you have surfed? I haven’t surfed any so I didn’t have anything to compare it to. Best wave: Probably a nice clean reverse air on a left, it felt pretty cool. The bombie out the back would sometimes split the swell up and I saw these lefts from shore with these clean reverse air bowls. The first one that came through I caught and it stood up with this magic little bowl. Best tale: The highlight of the few days I was there was cruising over at Matty Young’s place and sharing a few beers and a BBQ with some guys there. After a good day of waves I love sitting around with the elated crew. That to me is always the highlight.
Ben Player finds a funnel while Ewan Donnachie takes to the skies.
Name: Ewan Donnachie
Distance travelled: 3 hours Days on location: 2 days Previous experience of the wave: I’d surfed it once previously, when the conditions and waves were just as perfect, but only 2 feet. Expectations: I’d heard the bank was there, and based on my previous experience, knew how amazing it could get. At the same time, the swell wasn’t a guarantee, and when you’re dealing with shifting sand, banks can completely change literally overnight. So I had hopes, but didn’t feel it was 100% going to be on. How did it compare to other rivermouths
you have surfed? Honestly, it’s probably the only rivermouth I’ve EVER surfed, so I don’t have much to compare it to. Best wave: The best wave I got shaped up hard on the outside section of the bank, where most of the boogers were surfing, away from the standup pack. I had to scramble hard to get in position, but once I made the drop, the whole thing just bent in perfectly and I didn’t have to move a muscle; just sat there, drawing the one line, going the one speed, holding my position the whole way. As the wave started to slow up, I looked at the corner of the barreling lip and thought,
“I’ve gotta flip this!”, though I was super nervous about doing so, as I’d torn the Medial Ligament in my left knee just a couple weeks beforehand and wasn’t even supposed to be surfing. But I went for it anyway, glanced the lip super cleanly, landed smoothly and flat as you’d like, and drifted around without any pain or issue whatsoever. That was a very memorable wave! Best tale: Probably the most eventful thing to happen was just observing the ridiculous attitudes of the local standup surfers. Some were cool, and I’ve got all respect for them, but 90% of the young guys were being arrogant
tools the entire two days. I understand they probably live there and I don’t, but nothing gives you the right to behave like that. They’re obviously talented young blokes, but their approach friggen stinks! They’ll travel and be on the receiving end of it one day, but whether they learn from it and change themselves is yet to be seen.
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Name: James Kates. Distance travelled: Around 3 hours. Days on location: 1
Previous experience of the wave: Always sniffing when the conditions are right but I’ll never forget the day of days a few years ago. Expectations: I had just got back from Tahiti and I’d heard there had been torrential rain all week and that there was a swell when I landed so I had a hunch things were going to come together. Sure enough there was talk about the banks bursting so expectations were high. How did it compare to other rivermouths you have surfed? I can only really compare it to the mouths I’ve surfed in NZ, but most of those have consistent flow from the mountains, whereas this wave has a very short window every few years. Best wave: There were a lot of nice tubes to be had but the one that stands out for me wasn’t all that long of a tube. It was just a nice clean, wide set that I managed to snavel on the paddle back out. I tucked in under the lip then raced for the shoulder for a reverse hand cutty. Best tale: That morning the crowd was so gnarly that we opted for a nearby left-hand slab. There were some really good ones amongst the closeouts but few and far between. Lily Pollard and Emma Roby were out there waiting patiently for waves amongst the pack of pipe hungry blokes. Lily was charging as always and getting fairly smoked. I remember Emma started paddling for this silly one. She had this crazy look in her eye like and lunged off the step head first into the reef. Everyone didn’t know how to feel. It was utter madness!
Name: James Page. Distance travelled: Roughly around 950km, racking up just
under 10 hours in the car. Days on location: 4 days on the epic coastline. Previous experience of the wave: First time I’ve ever surfed it. Expectations: There was a fair bit of hype about for this one swell and I knew what the wave could produce so I was amping on the way up. Best wave: It would have been about two hours into the first session. I had gotten a few smaller ones but I hadn’t had a bomb due to all the local boys being out. As the first shift change went down it had just hit low and the swell started pulsing. I thought it’d pay off to wait out on the peak for a decent one and so happened a bomb rolled in. I started paddling and at the same time so did Damien Martin. I had priority but not being a local I wasn’t sure whether I was going to get faded or not. Luckily Damien is a ledge and didn’t end up fading me. The wave was amazing. Just the view of the wave bending around the bank and there’s not a better feeling than trimming through a six second tub and being blown out. Best Tale: On the way up we pulled over for a quick kip. It was roughly around 2am and we had no idea where we were. Colchie rolled out his swag and somehow I got stuck with the front seat. Anyhow we tried getting some snooze but just as we were slowly fading off some hoon decided to do burnouts and a few mainys just next to us for about an hour. At this stage I hadn’t had any sleep and it didn’t help being -3 degrees. We ended up bailing just as the sun started to rise, halfway down the mountain we were greeted with a pretty epic sunrise and some interesting fog. 118
Name: Damien Martin. Distance travelled: From my front door to standing
on the beach it took 1 hour and two coffees. Days on location: 3 days. Previous experience of the wave: I surfed it about two years ago when it opened up but the day after it was big, it was only 3ft the day I surfed it. Expectations: After seeing Mattick’s footage from the last time it’s safe to say I was pretty damn excited for heaving 100m long drainpipes. How did it compare to other rivermouths you have surfed? There is not another wave in the world like it. Best wave: One of the better waves I got was on the first day when there was only a handful of guys out. It was was super rippy and the bank wasn’t anywhere near perfect yet but there was a few 4-6 t black holes! The main pack of guys were kinda getting sucked out to sea and I had just caught a wave so I was slowly getting pulled out too and it popped up. Because it was so rippy I had to paddle super hard. I’ve never seen a beachie draw out so hard. Hope this is not going too far by saying I would compare it to Chopes the way it sucked out... big call I know but anyway it drew out. I got to the bottom and it heaved. It was a full on black hole and all I could see was Big Dav throwing a massive clam! Best tale: There were a few surfers there that have a real bad attitude towards bodyboarders, which can ruin your surf. I pulled up one young surfer for dropping in on bodyboarders and it almost turned into a full on bodyboarders Vs sticks brawl. Pretty hectic but there is only so many times you can get burnt or see guys get burnt by the same guys.
Lachie Cramsie Photo: Luka Manson
Photo: Murray Mackenzie
Name: Miguel Macías. Distance travelled: 150 kms Days on location: I surfed
two times. The first one was when the rivermouth was open for first time and the second one was one week later. Previous experience of the wave: None. Expectations of the wave: This is one of the most amazing waves in the world. It’s amazing how you can see the bank just in front of the rivermouth. The colour of the water is crazy and the contrast of the water from the river with the salt water from the ocean is crazy too. How did it compare to other rivermouths you have surfed? This was my first rivermouth experience, but I can say that it has a resemblance to Rabbits in WA. Best wave: The best wave that I can remember was the first day that I surfed there, because that day the current was so heavy and pushed me out of the bank. So in one moment I was trying to paddle to go in and one perfect wave came to me. I got one of the best barrels in my life and finished with a nice backflip. Best tale: I only have good memories of this wave. Everyone from Australia told me I am a lucky boy because that wave is difficult to score. The locals are nice boys and always respect your time. It’s a sick wave and hopefully I have the opportunity to surf it again in the future. 122
Name: Michael Novy. Distance travelled: 4 hours Days on location: 2 days
How did it compare to other rivermouths you have surfed? I have surfed amazing rivermouth’s twice that stick out in my memory. One on the Sunny Coast, and the other was on a trip to America. This session though would’ve been up there with my favourites. Best wave: My most memorable wave this session would’ve been one I got late in the afternoon. I took off late on one, bottom turning I saw Damien Miller on the shoulder looking down at me. As I straighten up I threw a little smart-arse wave before having to regain my composure. After that I had to weave in and out of the pit all the way until I popped out just before the closeout on the beach. Best tale: The crowd was pretty substantial with lots of local and blow in surfers plus the normal South Coast bodyboard crew. There were a few heated moments with bodyboarders and local surfers but thankfully no blood was spilled.
Jordan Putland
As one of the South Coast’s biggest personalities, Morgan Brown is well known for his many quirky phrases. We asked him to translate some of his favourites for those hoping to climb the ranks at Blackrock.
1.YEAH, NA, YEAH, NA, YEAH. This indicates uncertainty.
6.DO THE MATH Think about it and analyse the situation.
2. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE FUNNIEST THING IS? It’s funny how some things are similar.
7.BACK TO MCCAFE. We lost today - time for McCafe... that smooth delightfulness of coffee.
3.BUDDA BING, BUDDA BOOM. That was f-ing huge - BOOM!
8.F#@KEN-A. Thats sick! Right on brother. F-ing-A!
4.WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE? You sound depressed - what are you doing with your life?
9.DRIVE AROUND KIDS. Guys that get NO WAVES and drive to an array of surf spots only to realise they should have jumped in at the first location.
5.HEY WASSUP UP I’M MORGAN BROWN. Introducing the incredible Morgan Brown.
10.YOU BLEW IT. You went to the wrong spot, you should of came to this wave first and listened to me. 126
Tribute: Jacob Cockle Words & Photo by Tom Young Pictured is the late legend, Jacob Cockle. Born and raised in Cornwall, England, Jacob’s life revolved around our rugged coastlines, enabling him to explore his passions of photography and bodyboarding to great extents. He was constantly pushing himself creatively and his hard work and dedication resulted in numerous international awards. Earlier this year, whilst pursuing his latest project of filming whirlpools, Jacob lost his life. Before Jacob’s death, the project had already received millions of hits of YouTube – a true testament to his persistence of seeing a project to the end. This was one of Jacob’s last sessions in the salt at home in Cornwall. His presence around these parts will be sorely missed, but the legend lives on.
RIP Jacob Cockle 2/3/1985 - 28/5/2013
STOKE LORE The Tale of Peter Pan Words by DECLAN MCMULLEN Photos by MARK THOMPSON
I love hearing tales of Stoke Lore. The type of story that is regaled to you by old sea dogs down at the local tavern. Shit that is retold time and time again, becoming slightly less believable, like a drunken, grown up version of Chinese Whispers. The likes of which include the time our mate’s dad rode his kayak from an outer bomby, into the beachy, up a creek and hopped out at his front door just in time for his wife to call out to him for dinner. The details of the story are dubious at best, but it still makes a delectable yarn.
work, fanging it down the sand on his remaining stilt and paddling out his local reef break. To anyone, this hellman was simply known as Peter Pan.
With these kinds of narratives you usually get wind of the protagonist long before you have the pleasure of meeting them. The portrait of their character is vividly painted in your brain and you feel like you know them from their wild exploits.
Stork perched his slinky rig in the wave face as Pete took off on a bomb, sliding down the face and going ass-over-teat as the wave exploded and sped far too quickly down the reef. Peter popped up panting and exclaimed with a bit of mock relief that he was “alive”. Stork, being the happy-go-lucky (and at times blissfully naïve) person he is, inquired to the state of his health with “still got two arms and two legs?” This was pretty much in the same league as asking Stephen Hawkins if a cat had his tongue.
This was the case for me on trip to the Cook Islands about a year ago. As I was getting involved in $2 tins at the local Fishermans’ Club, I was treated with the story of a local ledge, who after losing his leg in a horror accident, loved nothing more than knocking off
Unfortunately for Aussie photographer Mark Thompson, he hadn’t been getting involved in the tins and wives tales on the night in question. As a result, the story of this young fellow had yet to reach his ears when he was perched in the lineup the next day, with his trusty fisheye in hand.
Not sure how to take it, Peter laughed it off a little awkwardly and paddled back out. It wasn’t until Stork saw him on the beach that he realised what he had said and how it must of sounded and instantly apologized to Pete. Having dealt with far worse shit in the past, Pete shrugged it off and was happy to share with Stork his story of working at a local resort and trying to get involved in as much tunnel time as possible. In the original story of Peter Pan, the orphaned kids used rad, positive thoughts as a type of jet fuel to help them fly to the magical Never Land. This is surely
where Pete picked up his name. After his accident he was forced to spend months in a foreign hospital bed, miles from his friends and family. Other patients in the ward were negging heavily and were throwing around claims of death being better than their current state. Peter on the other hand used his positive thoughts and dreams of his own tropical neverland to pull him through. The stoke kept him going and now he spends his down time flying through tropical pits. Sounds like the life to me.
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Matt Brockie / Tyler Smith.
Kerry Down / Charlie Holt.
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Russell Quinn / Josh Kaihe.
Kian Bourke / Shaun Pyne.
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Mark Howlett / Korrey Smith.
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Mark Thompson / Chris James.
Sam Venn / Shaun Pyne.
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Jack Sheard / Jase Finlay.
Mickey Edwards / Dave Winchester.
Lincoln Melbourne / Heydon Bunting.
Marc Ashdown / Elliot Williams.
Alex Fico / George Humphreys.
Marc Ashdown / Elliot Williams.
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PORTFOLIO
JOSHUATABONE
C H A R L I E H O LT
This is from the first time we had ever surfed this particular beach, and still to this day, have only returned a couple of times. It’s a super peaky beach break similar to Straddy, minus the 100 billion people that invade the place. On this particular day, there was heaps of water moving, making it next to impossible to shoot water, so I tried to get as close to the action as possible. I was waist deep on the shoreline watching the boys getting pitted up and down the beach.
JAKE CHELMAN
I have only seen Breakwall break properly once this year and this is one from that swell. Proper chocolate walls, standing tall and barreling into the river colliding with rogue logs and branches. Here you see dark horse Jake Chelman wrangling a nice one.
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SAM BENNETT
At first I hated this shot... I was over my mate Jesi in the foreground waving his hand up but then I grew to appreciate it. This shot is just another example of Breakwall at its finest - drop ins and fun wedges flying straight at you. Sam has surfed Breakwall well over 10 years now and he makes this evident every time he paddles out.
M AT T L A C K E Y
Lackey in his element.
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OLI BREARLEY
This wave is probably my favourite to shoot. I’ve only been out there a handful of times and I just want more and more every time. I think fisheye depicts the best angle out there but it’s a pretty fickle wave. You only have a small window when it’s on and there’s so much water moving around. It’s tricky but you always come up with something.
CHASE O’LEARY
Apparently this was one the day of days at this particular Northern NSW wedge. We had scored crazy waves the morning before and were slowly making our way up the coast, following the leftover swell. I instantly fell in love with this place – clear water and a pier, which gave me this aerial view.
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SAM BENNETT
A view of the pier I’m standing on where I captured Chaseo bottom turning. I started out down the beach (away from the circus) wanting to nail something with that huge Industrial looking landscape. If you look closely there’s a huge birds nest right at the top - probably an eagles. I got this and then I bailed onto the pier. That is an important lesson I have learnt over the years, don’t just sit at the one spot shooting for hours and hours nailing the same shots over and over, you have to mix it up.
MITCH RAWLINS
One from a recent trip I did up the coast. In my eyes, Mitch Rawlins is on another level... perhaps another planet! He paddled out this particular arvo... his first 3 waves - big barrel to invert, full rotation air reverse into the flats, and then a solid 10-second barrel to backflip out. I was blown away and so was everyone else in the car park. I was just trying something different on the wall because there was a circus down the beach. That wettie is pretty psycho too!
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TRENDS Words by Michael Chapple Photo by Russ Quinn
This topic in the bodyboarding world has more writing fuel than was spilt in the Exxon Valdez oil disaster. Cloak & Dagger has asked me to explain this toxic and spreading filth that I have seen over the years.
Fringes A fading trend that can be parted left or right. Unfortunately for me, a dreaded frontal cowlick and premature balding has stopped me from having the “fringe”. Next-level fringes include straightening them, and constantly looking down so it can be flicked back around. Watching some kids, this can go on for hours. Crews Car pooling to your hatchback’s limit. No, don’t tell me you’re saving the earth and reducing your carbon footprint. It’s more like, if five of us throw in our last few coins for fuel we can get to Blackrock and back. Pre a n d Po s t S u r f B ra g s Who needs live surf cams when you have Facebook or Instagram? Nextlevel bragging is seeing a photo where someone has clearly sat there for 30 minutes to capture the set of the day, usually accompanied by text along the lines of “puummppiinngg.” St a g e d Po rt ra i t s Smile and say cheese seems to have been forgotten. Some examples of photographers, or shall I say “artists”, pushing the boundaries of creativity is having their subject standing in front of a blank wall usually looking down at their feet, standing in a field, or even dangerously standing in the middle of an endless highway.
Fa s h i o n I’m not really into fashion but I’m guessing it is a form of “peacocking.” This term is used within the dating stratosphere, where males wear flashy and next-level trendy shit to gain the attention of the opposite sex. Being a Meteorologist Gone are the days of watching the synoptic charts on the nightly news and checking the waves the morning before you travel. Now at your fingertips you can accurately check 7-day surf and wind forecasts by reading a graph or text. Next-level amateur meteorology is now arguing ideal wind speed, swell period and direction degrees for optimal conditions. Po s i t i v e Q u o t e s Visiting emotional well-being sites and relating quotes to your current life situation. Cool use of the copy and paste feature, but I often get halfway through them and decide to just get on with my life.
Photo by Cameron Mackie
UNDER THE CLOAK Model: Oceana Strachan Interview by Russell Quinn
Oceana, that’s a cool name. What’s the story behind that? Well, My parents didn’t know if I was going to be a boy or a girl, and if I were a boy they were going to call me Ocean. But I am a girl so they added an extra ‘A’ to the end of it. Before we continue, I have to ask you about your Dad. Word on the street is that he was a pro skater back in the day. Is that true? That must have been an interesting childhood for you? He doesn’t like people labeling him as “pro” because he is a bit modest about it. But he was definitely better than the average Joe. I don’t think it has made a huge different to my childhood. Maybe I can claim that my parents are 10 times cooler than anyone else’s haha. Nah but I have met a few cool people. I mean Tony Alva has been to my house. Come on guys! Ok sorry, back to you. Where are you from? I am from Fairy Meadow, in Wollongong NSW. I hear you recently did a modeling stint in Tokyo. How did you find the experience? Tokyo was an amazing experience, although I didn’t get too much work because I was too tanned. I am still so grateful for the amazing experience, I probably would not have seen Japan if my old agency didn’t set me up with it and I didn’t travel for modeling. How long have you been modeling for? I did my very first shoot for a friend’s small boutique range back in 2009, and ever since then I have been offered small jobs until I eventually decided to go for an agency in 2011. Who are some of the photographers you have worked with? Kayleigh June, Cam Mackie and Amika Photography. These guys have been with me since the very beginning and I have had some amazing times with them.
A lot of blokes wouldn’t have the courage to even approach a stunning lady such as yourself. Any advice? Hahaha As if! Well I am the type of person that is pretty easy going and I love talking to new people... except if I get a bad vibe that is when I probably wouldn’t hold a conversation for too long. But I don’t think people should be scared to talk to someone. Just be yourself. The worst thing about a guy is getting to know them and all along they have been pretending to be someone they’re not. What do you look for in a bloke? Someone that smells good and has good hygiene! Confident but not over confident. Beachy, attractive and likes to hang out with me… someone that won’t dog me! Is fashion important for a bloke? Or can I just give up now and drape myself in velvet? Velvet is nice... but yes fashion is a must. I don’t even care if it’s not current fashion as long as you know how to dress yourself and you look clean. If a bloke takes you out for dinner on a first date and doesn’t offer to pay, is it over then and there? I wouldn’t realllllly care. I don’t expect people to pay for me… but if you’re trying to impress me it could be nice. What do you hope to achieve from modeling? Is it a possible career choice or just a hobby for now? I am not going to be disappointed if it is not my full-time career, but it is something I do enjoy doing and to get paid for something you enjoy is a win win situation. Lastly, you share the same surname with a rather striking young male bodyboarder from Sydney – Sam Strachan. Is there any relation? Hahaha no. I have actually spoken to Sam because I was curious at first… I think he was a bit creeped out though.
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State Of Play
NSW: Dave Winchester.
QLD: Curt Prior.
WA: George Humphries.
Hometown: Mullumbimbi. Local: Brunswick Heads or Tallows. Crew: Nick Perry, Winston, Rawlins, Lackey, Clarkey and Gibbo. Eatery: Milk and Honey (Pizza). Watering hole: Middle Pub, “Rock n Roll” or my back deck. State Titles are: cool to see the up and coming groms! The King: Ben Player, but he is getting on!
Hometown: Nobby Beach, Gold Coast . Local: Mattress Reef. Crew: Joe Clarke, Ash Bryant, Hashy, Eric Roy, Eric Medcalfe, Jacob Hein. Eatery: Jam Roc – a really good Jamaican chicken place Watering hole: I can never go wrong with a Sunday sesh at the Beer Garden. State Titles are: fun, but I haven’t done them in four years now. The King:Mitch Rawlins without a doubt.
Hometown: Mandurah. Local: Mandurah Wedge. Crew: I have heaps of mates I surf with, but usually Davis Blackwell and Lewy Finnegan. Eatery: I would have to say this Chinese place called Eastern Kitchen. They do really good sushi and the dude who owns it is a legend. I always get free prawn crackers. Watering hole: The Brighton. Me and all my mates go there for a beer on the weekends. There’s never hell old people there, which makes it sick. State Titles are: When it’s at wedge every year it always seems to pump. The King: Ryan Hardy.
SA: Marshall Watson.
VIC: Dom Colch.
TAS: Charles Ward.
Hometown: Port Elliot. Local: Knights Beach. Crew: Jack Thomas, Dylan Beach, Troy Graves and every other man and his dog that surfs in SA. Eatery: Middleton Tav Thursday night snitty. Watering hole: The Royal Family State Titles are: awesome! It gets you to nationals and it’s great to see people having fun. The King: Karl Morgon.
Hometown: Fitzroy, Melbourne, the heart of hipsterville. Local: St Kilda Pier. Crew: Matt Van and Chris Pepping (The Llama). Eatery: Proud Mary’s for café barrels or The Napier for a tasty Parma. Watering hole: The Grace Darling in Collingwood. Never a dull night there. State Titles are: run by the nicest bunch of lads in Vic, and the vibes are epic. The boys set up hot tubs on the beach last year through a local sponsor. Can’t wait to go this year! The King: Oh that would have to be JAMES PAGE of course.
Hometown: I rent a house in Mowbray, Launceston. Local: Rebounds is my local wave haunt when I’m with my family in Hobart. Crew: Harley Ward, Cam Green, Mat Tildesley, Jezza Faulds, Mat Kennedy, Kyle Cooper and Henry Dodge. Eatery: The best place to eat in Launceston is Hoong Fat’s takeaway Chinese. Watering hole: MOBIUS when I’m in Hobart, but Alchemy or The Northern when I’m in Launceston. State Titles are: Pretty important. They make for a good social experience and give the competitive people that bodyboard a chance to test their skill level and determine who is the best. The King: Mat Tildesley is the King of Tasmania.