LIQUIFY APRIL 2016

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SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND’S OWN APRIL 2016

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PAGES 0 5 2 R E V O ICS OF SURF P ! & MORE

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W SR WI N FO R G C // QU IK PRO BLO WS / / WI N ST ON ’S WEE K OF W ICK ED N ESS FAL LS FE ST IVA L FRE AK FO T OS 2 / / B UR L EIG H SIN G LE F IN SLID ER S L ONG BOARD OPE N SCO RES // NO OS A 24HR SO JO UR N / / MO RE . ..

April 2016

004 - Editor’s Intro 008 - World Surfing Reserve Dedication

020 - Kobe Blannin Shooter 022 - Winston Calling Cyclone Feature

058 - Falls Fest Freak Fotos Two

120 - Quik Pro Blows 2016

170 - Noosa 24-Hour Sojourn 192 - Longboard Titles Licks Up Perfect Surf

240 - 50 Years & A Single Fin Riot

Cover - Eric Geiselman at Duranbah // Photo by Matt Bond

Editor & Senior Photographer // Luke Sorensen Managing Editor // Rachel Syers Contributors // Barry Stalwart, Mark Wilba Wilson, Dan Mahony, Ewan Rutledge, Shiori

Hashimoto, Geoff Finn, Kobe Blannin Contributions, advertising and enquiries welcome editor@liquifymag.com

LiQUiFY Magazine is published 6 times per year // © Copyright 2016 Coral Sea Media Pty Ltd // LiQUiFY is a registered trademark // Whilst all attempts are made to ensure accuracy and suitability; content, opinions and submissions from contributors and/or advertisers are not necessarily that of Coral Sea Media Pty Ltd or its staff, and as such are not endorsed or supported by Coral Sea Media Pty Ltd or its employees // All content in this magazine is copyright*, please respect and use the appropriate ‘share’ buttons to distribute content // No liability accepted for misuse, reprinting, distribution, sharing or publishing of content contained within // LiQUiFY reserves the right to alter or change content at any time without notification // www.liquifymag.com *Some content is reproduced under the Creative Commons licensing guidelines, and accordingly rights remain with owners of those works

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EDITOR’S INTRO Just what is the world coming to? I mean what kind of point - when, where and how - will surfing reach its critical mass and implode on itself? Will it be ocean pollution that tips the scales or will it be overcrowding that is the straw that breaks this camel’s back?

More and more our surf amenity and opportunity is being governed, controlled and sometimes taken away by governments and corporations - filled with either ill-informed idealism or greed (or sometimes a bit of both). For certain in cities like the Gold Coast, surfing lifestyle and surf communities are fast approaching a cliff or some kind of shifting point where everything turns and heads in a different direction. We are running out of good surf, it’s like some sort of drug or food and everyone needs it, but the supply is finite.

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Nowhere on earth is this wave famine and surfspot supply gap more prominent than the Gold Coast - and at a time when every square inch of quality surf should be protected and preserved without hesitation and for the future, we are still seeing factions of our city’s leadership blind to that future, more intent on squabbling, lying and diminishing the problem to veritably shit on the surfing future of the city and sell off our beaches like some sort of cash cow they want to milk into oblivion.

The time for greed and profit at the expense of beach and surf needs to come to an end if we are to remain the famous surfing city we are responsibly sustained for our children’s future, and everyone else’s. Fight for your beaches and surf breaks - nobody else will do it for you.

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Kirra Point showing just why she’s one of the world’s best point breaks - and now the jewel in the Gold Coast’s World Surfing Reserve crown.

From Snapper to the volcanic boulders of Burleigh, our best breaks have risen above peculiar polarised politicians and hysterical opposition to finally earn international recognition // Photo Luke Sorensen

The monument to our best breaks is unveiled A LiQUiFY Politik Report

THE JOURNEY

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t was meant to be an easy call, a no-brainer and something that our famous surf city could embrace as a whole, but the push to see our world-class surf breaks recognised and honoured with the status of a World Surfing Reserve (WSR) would become a political nightmare doused in personal views and political fear-mongering, culminating in bizarre attempts to derail what should have, for all intents and purposes, been nothing but one logical celebration and feather in our cap.

The nomination campaign was spearheaded by an impassioned Andrew McKinnon, himself flanked by an enormous groundswell of public support, local surfing luminaries and some of the most iconic Gold Coast personalities.

It was a simple and straight forward deal meet the criteria, promote the nomination and get the local and state government to give it

WSR Chairman Andrew McKinnon

endorsement ... but as it had proven time and time again, the last part would crash into a few solid speedbumps along the way, speedbumps who would be trying their absolute best to be an immovable thorn in the arse towards the bid and prevent the WSR from coming into fruition.

Despite some at-times-hysterical criticism and opposition, the overwhelming public

consensus and community support steamrolled any negativity to eventually secure the vital local council endorsement required to be eligible for the title.

Prior to being elected to government, the Labor Party of Queensland, under now Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, had long been supporting the push as well as the broader Gold Coast surfing community. This commitment would only strengthen upon taking government - their support was consistent and unwavering.

One of those initially opposing the WSR push was the city’s own mayor, Tom Tate.

His historically documented disdain towards the surfing community failed to stray from expectation and from the onset of the conversation he emerged as one of the WSR’s biggest critics. Tate questioned everything from the legitimacy of the organsiation to the fanciful idea that the title of a WSR would lock up the

beaches away from everyone but the surfers - this was despite there being absolutely no supportive evidence to suggest such hysteria.

Tate went so far as to produce a crude and entirely irrelevant Google Maps image of a post office building in Davenport California, home to the WSR governing body’s PO Box, in what could only be described as a bizarre attempt to discredit the Save The Waves organisation and the WSR bid - it had little effect.

In the end our council had no more options to defer with all councillors voting yes to endorse the bid, the exception being the ‘against’ of Division 3 councillor Cameron Caldwell - the rest, as they say, is history.

Andy McKinnon and his huge team of community volunteers had the nomination in hand and upon lodgement it was understood that the Gold Coast was the early front-

Andrew McKinnon talks story to the masses, midway on his mission to secure the World Surfing Reserve status for the Gold Coast

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runner for WSR recognition, with only one surf destination around the world receiving the prestigious title per year.

A nervous wait ensued but in the end the Gold Coast was crowned as the 8th-ever World Surfing Reserve, a symbolic title that, whilst not rooted in any legislation, provides a significant anecdotal and symbolic protective sheath for the surf breaks included, giving the Gold Coast community as well as our visiting surfing friends a real sense of ownership, conservation status and recognition for our incredible worldclass surfing assets.

THE CEREMONY

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he dedication took place atop the Queensland side of the Point Danger lookout on March 8th this year in front of the public gallery as well as multiple delegations from state and local governments, the WSR governing body Save The Waves, the Peruvian WSR delegates, surfing identities and media.

It was a monumental occasion for all with none other than our own Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholemew presiding, and the Premier Of Queensland, Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk delivering a heartwarming speech of recognition and support towards the Gold Coast’s vast surfing identity and community, our history and our future.

The Premier took the stage to rousing applause, her popularity amongst the surfing community was evident. Palaszczuk wasted no time in aknowledging the hard work behind the nomination and WSR title as well as her government’s commitment to ensuring that surfing industry and community are well looked after on the Gold Coast under her leadership.

“I really do want to pay tribute to Andrew, and to Rabbit,” she told the packed assembly.

“You came to me in opposition, we talked about it, I loved the idea. We were on board from day one and this is a real credit to you and your committee,” she said.

The Premier called on the crowd to give thanks adding, “Without your drive and enthusiasm, none of us would be here today, so can we give them a big round of applause.”

The awaiting dignitaries and media were treated to a traditional indigenous dance display and a series of special guests from around the world and close to home. World Surf Reserve representitive, Save The Waves’ Nik Strong-Cvetich, was proud of the Gold Coast’s commitment to securing the title.

“It’s hard to single out any part of Queensland’s 7000km of magnificent coastline for mention, but this is truly a special area that’s revered right around the surfing world” - QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

He opened by saying, “It is truly an honour to be here with you guys today at the world’s newest World Surfing Reserve.”

Perhaps the most subtle yet revealing joy seen throughout the ceremony was in the childNik Strong-Cvetich

like grin and cheeky inner-grommet radiance gleaming out of 1978 world champion Wayne Bartholomew. Here was Wayne, hosting the event that would deliver the ultimate title to his childhood surf breaks - the world-wide recognition for his backyard and the place which holds his fondest memories. He was unable to hide his absolute elation.

Celebration and accomplishment were themes for the day despite the dreary weather and the ceremony wrapped up with the Peruvian delegation, led by 1965 ISA Big Wave World Surfing Champion Felipe Pomar, bestowing traditional miniature reed surfboards to the Premier and Mayor to honour the surf reserve dedication ceremony. The ancient reed surf craft arebelieved by many to be the oldest form of surfing in the history of mankind, with the local Huanchaco people in Peru believed to have been surfing through shorebreaks as early as 5,000 years ago. Huanchaco in Peru is also on the list of World Surfing Reserves.

1978 world surfing champion Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew like a kid in a 1970s Kirra barrel all over again

The ancient Burleigh Heads barrel, the last stop north on the Gold Coast’s World Surfing Reserve map. Inset: one of the early graphics representing the campaign.

Sadly due to little more than petty political pressure and what was likely one man’s quest for developing parts of our coastline with cruise terminals, the South Stradbroke Island and Spit breaks had to be dropped from the initial nomination otherwise it was believed the council would not endorse it // Photo Luke Sorensen

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THE CONTROVERSY

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he WSR title has come amid a sea of conflicting views, wedge politics and posturing from a select few. Perhaps the strongest opposition for once didn’t come from city hall but rather from the state member for Burleigh, Michal Hart.

Mr Hart embarked on a campaign of his own, warning that the WSR was only going to lock up the beaches and deliver exclusion rather than inclusion. His strong views came on the back of the support he had earlier tendered for the proposed megadevelopment and cruise terminal for the beaches of Northern Kirra.

Hart has arguably been a constant threat to the values of the general surfing community, demonstrating strong support for multiple cruise terminal proposals and developments that would potentially threaten surf breaks such as Kirra and South Stradbroke Island.

At the time of Bob Ell’s highly contentious proposal for an international shipping port and hotel development on the Bilinga and North Kirra foreshore, Michael Hart endorsed the idea telling News Limited, “This is the only serious plan I have seen; it has a business case ...

The cruise ship terminal fits in well at the southern end of the Gold Coast; (because it) has been ignored, any major piece of infrastructure at the southern end of the Gold Coast would be advantageous to the residents and business.”

The proposal was shouted down ealry in 2014 with a significant public rally of nearly 3500 people, organised by the Save Our Southern Beaches Alliance and the Save Kirra community.

Subsequently, both the state LNP government of the day and the Labor party ruled out the concept - something, it could be argued, they could have been more vocal about before the mass community anger and uproar. It goes without saying, Gold Coasters are well-known 14

to love their surf breaks and love their beaches undeveloped and unobstructed as they are, and are happy to let the politicians know this from time to time.

Michael Hart’s apparent ire and disdain for Andy McKinnon’s World Surfing Resereve push came to a head one morning on public radio when the two clashed over the nomination.

A fired up McKinnon took Hart to task on his remarks and the exchange exposed both men’s steadfast passion for their individual views. If anything, from a surfer’s perspective, it exposed the LNP state member’s propensity

“this is just another level of bureaucracy that will stop things in the future, and I just think this is a bad decision for the coast.”

- Burleigh MP Michael Hart

for favouring a long-term view of development before surf breaks.

Asked by Gold FM’s Richard Fowler if he was sold on the World Surfing Reserve initiative by McKinnon, Hart responded almost instantaneously with, “No, I‘m not.”

Hart added, “My point of view is, this will be an excuse for a lot of people to say ‘look, you can’t do that because this is a World Surf Reserve’ and it won’t matter what it is that is attempted to be done, this is another level of bureaucracy that will stop progress.”

The Queensland Premier’s call for acknowledgement and thanks to those behind the WSR nomination campaign, particularly Andrew McKinnon, drew unanimous loud cheering and applause from the entire gathering, with the exception of the member for Burleigh, Michael Hart, who despite being a front-row VIP, appeared to defiantly cross his hands // Photo Luke Sorensen

Andrew McKinnon addresses the hungry media pack, flanked by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, the member for Springwood Mick de Brenni and the Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection and Minister for National Parks Dr Steven Miles. The WSR unveiling ceremony drew attention and congratulatory praise from across the globe // Photo Luke Sorensen

“it’s recognition of what we’ve got here - the world’s best point breaks from Burleigh through to Snapper” - Gold Coast WSR Chairman Andrew McKinnon

McKinnon was quick to hold the Member for Burleigh to account, delivering a stinging retort.

“Well that’s just absolute rubbish, because unfortunately the member for Burleigh, Michael Hart, has not done his homework.

He’s not read the list of conditions that were approved by the City Of Gold Coast (and) the councillors, what it’s all about.

“It won’t exclude anyone, it won’t be another layer of bureaucracy, so all that stuff that you keep going on about Michael, you’re out of date mate, you’re really behind the times.

“You actually bucketed me and sent letters out to everyone, rubbishing the hell out of this campaign so you’ve managed to engineer a negative campaign from the word go on this, so I’m not letting you off the hook on this Michael. Everyone is entitled to say what they believe in, but what you are saying is so inaccurate, it’s so false, it’s (the

WSR) not going to exclude anyone, it’s not going to be another layer of bureaucracy, it’s recognition of what we’ve got here the world’s best point breaks from Burleigh through to Snapper - why would you deny us on that?”

Michael’s campaign to criticise the WSR campaign did, however, fall on deaf ears it seems. In the end the community backed it, the vast majority of councillors backed it and most importantly, the Labor government and relevent ministers had backed it and supported it from the beginning to end citing the critical importance of surf culture, surf lifestyle and surf industry to not only the Gold Coast, but to the whole of Queensland as well.

THE NORTH END

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he historic day marked the end of one journey and perhaps the beginning of another, as the ceremony was also not without a certain sense of emptiness given the glaring absence of South Stradbroke from the WSR

inclusions. In a nutshell, the mayor and select councillors were reportedly ready to oppose the bid vigourously if the famous beach break and surrounding areas were not removed from the nomination.

It is widely known that the Gold Coast mayor, Tom Tate, has demonstrated a significant amount of disdain publicly towards the Gold Coast surfing community and has been aggressively eying off a series of private commercial development proposals on Crown public land in the area of the Gold Coast Seaway and The Spit for some time. Including these surf breaks in the WSR title could have perceivably strengthened some of the protections in that area, at least in the realm of public opinion, if it went ahead. The threat of losing council endorsement (required for a successful WSR bid) was too much to risk against the opportunity for the remaining surf breaks from Burleigh south to be declared, so the north was reluctantly dropped from the bid - although McKinnon has always maintained that it was always meant to be included.

From Narrowneck north to The Other Side hosts a series of world-class beachbreaks that are a vital component of the Gold Coast surf amenity as a whole. TOS is regarded as one of the best beach breaks in the entire world and has been, until recently, under a long-term cloud of serious threat from consecutive cruise ship and mega-resort development proposals initiated by the mayor. Thankfully, at each turn, the community - led by the Save Our Spit and Save Our Broadwater research and protest groups - has fought back the tenacious development and greed fuelled pushes.

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or now though, the city is basking in the warm glow that is World Surfing Reserve status and the prestigious, albeit symbolic, protection and unity that it delivers. This incredible achievement is thanks largely to our city’s great surfing icon Andrew McKinnon and a massive team of incredible surf community champions and passionate volunteers // 17

It wasn’t just a handshake between two people, it was a rare bridge between surfers and their government, and it symbolised the deal struck to recognise and protect our world-class surfing lifestyle from future threats. It’s also a timeless image that documents what a passionate community working together with their own elected representatives can achieve // Photo Luke Sorensen

Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve FACEBOOK

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urleigh lad Kobe Blannin is taking sets on the head at the ripe age of just 15 to chase those magic one-off moments that surf photographers dream of.

“My aim is to showcase the natural beauty of the ocean by finding new and intriguing perspectives towards the ocean,” he tells LiQUiFY. Kobe has been around the traps shooting where he can and chasing down the old salts for advice and gear - something that requires a certain level of gumption and brass but nonetheless demonstrates his ultra-keen approach.

He reminds us that he is, “selling some stuff already, ranging from small prints up to custom sized frames and canvasses.”

One look at this warped border-town shot and we think he’s pointed himself in the right direction.

Hit this frothing grom up for a custom wall piece and follow his work on -

Instagram at @kobeblanninphoto

Kracken Kobe kaptures another killer shot!

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Regarded by some as the swell of the decade, Cyclone Winston failed to set a new record but did deliver thousands of stupidly good barrels across the coastline of Far-Eastern Australia - leaving entire surf towns falling over themselves in a sort of tube-trance coma. Here’s a few shots you never saw!

LIQUIFY PHOTO SPREAD SPESHIZZLE

Kirra perfection in electric hues of lucid light // Photo Luke Sorensen

Power and more power unloads onto the ancient Snapper Rocks // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Saturday’s dawn brought a low tide and some of the filthiest dredging pits the coast has seen in years // Photo Barry Stalwart

Mitch Parkinson conforming to the shape of a Greeny grinder// Photo Luke Sorensen

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Like some sort of bizarre dream, there were a few hours amongst a week of waves where all conditions combined to form absolute perfection. Surprisingly these moments were often the least crowded // Photo Barry Stalwart

Snapper Rocks was comparatively a mess compared with a week or two earlier with sand gouged here and filled there. The racy sections and oncoming ramps did however provide some pretty lofty outcomes // Photo Luke Sorensen

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The afternoon glow is a magic thing. It was goofy central each evening on the inside at Greenmount - on for young and old - as long as you knew how to grab rail, pig dog and get piped // Photo Luke Sorensen

Electric blue ignition from a Spot X mid afternoon tube bank. Winston’s Saturday arvo, peak energy // Photo Luke Sorensen

The ever growing threat of over-development, concrete cancer and city planing gone bad looms on the horizon for the Coolangatta area. Thankfully for now there’s still Kirra during a cyclone swell to distract from the highrises // Photo Luke Sorensen

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All those in favour of electing Mitch as the new Snapper Boardriders vice president, raise your hands now. Mitch Parkinson getting the double endorsement from the club’s president Jay Phillips. With waves like this, who wouldn’t be cheering? // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Main Beach Byron Bay scored its fair share of spitting pipes. Filthy pits abound over the border // Photo Tate Bryant @Tate.Photo

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The noseriders and logs, single fins and hybrids got shelved as pumping Pacific lines streamed into Byron town. Throaty barrels all round for those that got amongst it // Photo Tate Bryant @Tate.Photo

Like a spitting dragon unleashed, Tim Hyland getting ejected out of a solid Burleigh beast // Photo Wilba

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As a shell of her former self, Kirra is still doing pretty ok these days, and depending on your luck you can still lock into a pretty insane barrel with plenty of room to move. Sadly she no longer produces anything under 5 feet, and requires a cyclone to spark her to life // Photo Shiori Hashimoto

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Park your car if you can still find a space without a time limit imposed, then park your arse in the lineup hoping and praying you might just get a grinder to yourself. Statistically, you have Buckley’s and none chance of achieving both with any great certainty, but if you do, it may just make your day, week, month or even year // Photo Barry Stalwart

Shaun Gossman at the dawn, with not a single person in sight, locking himself into a time tunnel of twisted temperament // Photo Barry Stalwart

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Ryan Grey parked in the doorway of a monstrous and girthy Burleigh slab // Photo Wilba

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The endless lineup of cars, at times nearing gridlock, trying to exit Coolangatta after what some are calling easily the best day of waves in years - in quite a few years that is // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Photography and reflections by Rachel Syers & Luke Sorensen

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volutionary slants and rapidly diverging trends are driving a new live-music landscape that has speared off in tangents in recent years. Gone are the frantic days of hard-out grandiose 11-hour festivals where more time was spent chasing hidden stages and lost friends than soaking up any of the actual sounds and sights coming from a shotgun arrangement of underwhelmed artists.

The great punter pull-out which devastated the likes of the Big Day Out and more recently the legendary Soundwave Festival was, at first, feared to be the end of it all and the collapse of the modern festival experience. Like a good ponzi scheme or pyramid investment, it was good while it lasted but the house of cards had to fall eventually. Those of us who lost our favourite run-amok days were furious and instantly blamed a digital-age that had reshaped the way in which we take our music in. Surely there had to be a gap of Y and Z-generation punters to blame, too busy watching shitty Youtube videos of digitally altered pop artists to recognise or respect the music, or even buy a ticket, right?

A profound realisation came - it was a fair stretch to think people didn’t want to be outside and in front of amazing bands. In the end, the notion that modern youth was to blame held little water.

Boutique festivals sprang forth and crawled back, ideas were flirted with and all the while we watched on as mind-blowing gatherings of music, art and stage adorned destinations across Europe and the States. Where were we, what were we doing - as a nation of music addicted fiends?

Slowly but surely a series of festival events had been quietly growing from success to success, stripping the negative aspects of the average festival experience back bit by bit, and developing a new formula that would be putting the core values back into place. No more frantic frustration, no more fields of angry fans getting cooked in the sun only to miss bands, line up for hours for bad drinks or even get bashed by some ‘roid raging security guard for getting loose to your favourite band. Blues Fest, Splendour In The Grass and the expansion of the southern Falls Festival would pave the way.

Paced and placed in a sea of grass and trees, the multi-day camping Falls Festival of European style had landed in the Northern New South Wales hills near Byron Bay, offering a plethora of visual and audible delights without the stress and negative vibes. The parasitical weight of horrible festival experiences had been eroded by the new approach - and in its place was a rich dose of diversity, pleasure and accessibility not known before in this country.

Pitch your tent, grab some breakfast and stroll on down to the best three days of the year, drenched in an affirmation of ridiculously

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good music and sideways fun that you can truly forget the outside world for a while. The diversity and rich cross-spectrum of genres, artists, styles and sounds is notably at the top of the game regardless of whether or not your favourite jams are playing. Forget being pigeon-holed into this or that, the music takes on a formless and shapeless embodiment of contemporary blues, rock, pop, electro, jazz, hip hop, synth and much more, as well as never falling short of delivering a few outof-control moments with some of the biggest thrashing sounds on the planet. Perhaps the only thing missing is some metal or punk, but with the demise of Soundwave we could well see a few new styles thrown into the mix for good measure.

WHY IT’S WINNING THE FESTIVAL PUNTER STAKES • No pace, no stress - come and go as you please without worrying about the next day • Cool security, they’re not going to bash you for dancing loose and strip search you in front of a crowd, they just smile and if you’re no trouble, they’re actually no trouble at all • Side activities - this year we actually had a massive waterslide park and sandy beach built in the middle of the site, are you kidding me? That’s next-level raw fun. Catch fringe art and music, obscure food and people, the twisted flare of the Carnivale parade or just go get fucked up in one of the side bars or tents to some bad 90s disco music ... there’s something for almost everybody • Park, ride or glide - you can get in and out of this place so easy, yet the relaxed forest camping won’t have you travelling far in a hurry, find shade and sleep in!

• Spread your wings - the site is big and open, never closed in or boxed up. Camping is freefeeling and fresh, and unless you’re raging front and centre you hardly ever have to have some sweaty torso touch you, unless you want that of course haha!

• Diversity - not just in music but in everything including the people. You can meet the strangest, coolest, youngest, oldest, weirdest,

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straightest, loosest and broadest mix of people not only there in the crowd but behind the staff desks, the food vans and every part of the place • Timing - whilst New Year’s Eve might sound stressful and the idea of being out in the bush somewhere might ruffle your feathers, it’s actually the best possible time to be bouncing off the invisible walls and rocking out with your mates under the starlight • Cost - now before you complain about the wallet drain, think of what it earns you. Three straight days of bliss and floaty good times, dozens and dozens of international and local artists who are surprisingly into it and pouring their souls into their sets, camping that doesn’t resemble a world war two containment camp, free advice and help on every corner, water stations and a sea of service and support on your music adventure away. Although the program’s claim that they have ‘great bars with fair prices’ is a bit of a stretch, the drinks aren’t all that expensive and they are available, accessible, varied, cold and tasty

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ll of these things and more create an aura and vibe of genuine good times and a dose of inhibition loss, just enough to lend you a bloody good time without overstepping the line into a downward spiral of self-destruction.

If the event promoters and organisers keep this good thing headed down this path then Falls is well on its way to becoming one of the iconic gigs in Australian festival legend and lore. The latest line up was no exception, dousing fans in a myriad of musical excellence and ethereal experiences.

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he LiQUiFY team jumped in head-first this time, getting sideways like a Russian taxicab from the opening moments to the dying last act.

We rolled the shutter on a couple of moderatelypriced cameras and whirled them around on a piece of string to see what would be scooped up in their light-capturing tubes - the result is as follows in our Falls Festival Freak Fotos Two another year and another scorching good time!

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We’re opening with these guys because they were too fucking good. One of the highlights of the entire event by a long shot were Young Fathers, a poetic hip-hop act from Edinburgh, Scotland, that fuses a rich tapestry of vastly original sounds stemming from various European and American styles mixed with Nigerian and African roots.

Walking in on their set was like seeing a new alien landscape for the first time, something that has never been seen or heard before, and they easily stood out as one of the best things to grace the stages of Falls in recent years. Convincing, deep, emotionally challenging and tight-as-fuck brothers preaching unity and strength - impressive!

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It doesn’t take long to look past the charade of Weird Al Yankovic to see the Godfather of modern music satire is still on fire - ripping a set that was as explosive in provocation as it was in wardrobe changes. Every song, every hysterical moment of wit, perfectly played out by a tight band and in full costume and character. Nerdy white guy, Amish gangsters and Jedi warriors (pictured) were amongst the scenery as the master dealt out hit after hit.

Freaking hilarious and solid good fun to kick it all off.

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All day every day this festival goes off - and it’s not just the music ... it’s all over the shop. People, places, grinds and tastes, slides and rides to lose people everywhere. Fun in all directions no matter who, what or where the fuck you are.

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UK songsmiths The Wombats sending the crowd mental on opening night

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The Wombats

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Cra’y DJs Peking Duck sent the crowd into a total frenzy on New Year’s Eve - twisting brains and setting the scene for a massive night of class-A tunes and beats.

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New Jersey’s Halsey turned a mid-afternoon chill into a sort of frothy mess with her ethereal vocals and seductive set - value for every penny all the way

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Add two parts water, one part loud bullhorn and mix vigourously. The activity off the stage is as appealing as that on the stage at this modern bush-bash party that calls itself Falls.

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Australian vocal icon Ian Kenny leads an all star cast that is Birds Of Tokyo, delivering on every high note and pristine rhythmic pulse

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People, people and some more people - diversity, smiles and weird shit in every direction ensures your brain is on constant stimulousmode all day every day

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Two big stages mounted in pristine valleys - a natural amphitheater with a cascading slope that gives every single person a view. The best possible place to see a band open-air is at the North Byron Parklands - and it is no accident that the setup is shaped this way - the place has the real potential to go right off!

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Carnivà le, the parade - whatever it is, each year it’s something to behold. A pure random display of costume, performance, art and story - some real and some fantasy. most of all, it is a big family of great people pouring themselves into expression and creativity until it explodes out into the fields.

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What better way to ring in the new year than with a smashing set from Adelaide legends Hilltop Hoods. Two emcees and DJ spinning up anthems and groundshaking bass lines. Crowd went nuts!

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MC Pressure, Hilltop Hoods

Suffa, Hilltop Hoods

MC Pressure, Hilltop Hoods

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Massive, surreal, sublime - Hilltop Hoods

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Master of guitar, Gary Clark Jr gave a lesson on what real Rythym and Blues is. The talent this guy oozes is intense.

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Iconic Australian songsmith Paul Kelly delivered a platter of hits

Whipped frenzy.

Swimming pools and a white sandy beach brought a Caribbean-type escape from the heat. Not everyone made it there though and some simply went full-lobster mode and basted themselves in the blazing sunlight.

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Tijuana Cartel

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Bloc Party

Ozzie Wrong and his Goons Of Doom

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Meanwhile, Officer Michaels and Officer Slater uncover a den of debouchery and sin, calling for backup and sniffer dogs haha! No seriously though, the police presence is minimal, and they are really cool to everyone despite how messy some people get. Pretty sure if we came-a-gutsa they’d be the first ones we’d be calling.

Leon Bridges showing how smooth sound can truly be

Børns

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You can be as mad as a hatter or on the run from authorities anything goes at Falls

Courtney Barnett

Kurt Vile and his Violators

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The main stage erupted when Bloc Party turned up the volume, and the crowd reciprocated in kind with a collective moving mass of bodies bouncing like crazy

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Max Dunn, Gang Of Youths

Ian Kenny, Birds Of Tokyo

Foals

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Ride the snake!

Foals

Elliphant blitzed the crowd under the tent

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reaking down the pros and cons of the Falls Festival experience you quickly realise there’s a lot more positive wins than there are negative fails. Of course it’s going to put a dent in your wallet, but the whole event smashes out such a free and open good vibe that you’re going to get your money’s worth. Everything is recycled, everything is cleaned and there’s never a delay in getting from the bar to the markets to the stage and back. The success of this event is testament to the organisers for adapting the format and working overtime to remove the stress and hassel that would normally come with a festival of this size - they really are working for you, the fan.

The lineup always brings a perfect blend of international and home-grown artists, and even if your favourite bands number few, the opportunity to stroll on in and take in new music is almost endless. One of the most notable parts of the whole thing is that everyone is smiling, all the time. Yes you heard us right, hardley a sour egg amongst the thousands - it really is an endless stream of happiness flowing through the valley and over the fields like cascading water.

Falls Festival - we rate it and reckon if you miss the next one you should give yourself an uppercut!

Learn more at

www.fallsfestival.com

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t’s that creepy moment when you realise that you aren’t actually on some cruel and distant paradoxical planet, you’re not dreaming, and there really is three blokes in Hawaiian shirts glaring down at you on your morning surf check. Welcome to the Snapper take-over, or as they call it elsewhere, the Quiky Pro. Who are we kidding anyway - it’s a bunch of inflated perceptions, a parking catastrophe most days and it’s a large chunk of public space that is shut down for months so a few corporations can hold a big party, yet despite a beach full of pushy people sucking down durries and blowing it in your general direction, there are still bucket loads of positives to having the greatest show on earth come calling at your local.

The surfing is insane, if a little contrived, but nonetheless it’s a few weeks of just ridiculously good surf sport exploding in even the most mediocre of conditions. It’s a party of sort no matter where you go, the place is abuzz with life and love and excitement - especially for the kids who get to see their heros and dream big. It’s also an economic boon for a small sacrifice that delivers dollars way beyond what any cruise ship terminal could ever propose, it delivers jobs and money and stories that will one day be the stuff of legend.

We flirted with the idea of just skipping it Cyclone Winston was so damn good and lumped the city with so many good waves and photos. What possibly could we do by being there? Like a drunken moth to the flame of mystery we couldn’t quite stay away and ventured down for a couple of the days.

Rain, more rain, burning sun and the likes of Stu Kennedy and Matt Wilkinson in full beast mode turned the place on its head, making for a week of giant-killers, upsets, drama and triumph. Here’s our half-effort fringe report from this year’s outer edges of the too cool, batshit crazy and critically insane WSL Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.

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First heat of the day seemed to start earlier and earlier each time, eventually seeing a jetski swarm clearing the lineup shortly after 6:30am on the final day whilst it was still half dark under a blanket of cloud cover.

You could hear the crew out swearing loudly at the organisers ... but the show must go on and the show most certainly did. A peaceful moment before the chaos // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Defending champion, Brazil’s Filipe Toledo, was probably the most watched surfer throughout the tour until his injury setback on the final day. Flighty, cutting-edge and warp speed, his surfing is at the leading edge of the curve right now and it seems he is just warming up // Photo Luke Sorensen

Filipe TOLEDO

It was this wave and this move that put Filipe Toledo’s season on hold, potentially shattering his dream of a world title this year. Catching the nose on the cascading lip, it compressed his left leg forward causing a significant groin strain.

Somehow he battled on but by the time he hit the dressing room he could no longer walk unaided later ruling out the next two Australian legs of the tour // Photo Geoff Finn

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JohnJohnFLORENCE

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Steely eyed and focussed, John John was a mechanical enigma and visibly fired up from his Eddie win. Fresh into the line up each dawn, his rampage would only be halted by an equally calculated Stu Kennedy, who was keen to carve his own line to the final // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Flying, ripping and tearing - John John Florence leads a new breed of surfer, charging in with a repertoire of dial-up manoeuvres on tap, ready to pull and fire whenever they need to pull a score // Photo Geoff Finn

John John // Photo Geoff Finn

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Adriano // Photo Luke Sorensen

AdrianodeSOUZA

You’ve got the title, you’ve got the yellow jersey and it’s the day of the finals - we think most people would be sporting a cat-like grin. It wouldn’t take long though for the upsets to continue and the big names to continue falling, including this gallant Brazillian. The champ // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Exploding out of the blocks, Adriano made sure everyone knew that a gap year is the last thing on his mind, he’s here for another title // Photo Geoff Finn

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“

I want to put a lot of focus on the three events here in Australia ... I give a lot of credit to these three events for my success. That’s why I come early and put a lot of work into these waves. For me, it’s so important – it’s the start of the year and if you can get in that rhythm it can push you through all the way to the end of the year.

- Adriano de Souza

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Kanoa IGARASHI Rushing from left of field, Kanoa shook the foundations to the core with his impressive display of wrapping turns and no-fear approach.

He’s a dynamic pocket rocket of a surfer with plenty of whip, taking down some big and perhaps unaware names on his way to an equal ninth. // Photo Luke Sorensen

Possibly the most exciting new surfer on the tour, Kanoa appears to be just warming up, and we’re going to be seeing him up there chasing the top ten this year and igniting the tour with his repertoire of surfing style and speed // Photo Luke Sorensen

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TylerWRIGHT

“

Everything that’s happened - it’s been such an experience, a crazy one, and it kinda brought so much clarity for me and it simplified everything so I could come here and absolutely be my best on the day. It made me realise that I want to win a world title and I want to do it my way.

- Tyler Wright

As the rain pelted down and the masses scrambled, Tyler took the Little Mali inside section with an unmatched drive and determination - yeilding results beyond most expectations. Winner, winner ... it kicked off a 1 - 2 for the Australian contingency // Photo Luke Sorensen

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KoloheANDINO

“

Photo Luke Sorensen

I wanted to win that final really bad. I guess it’s like I’m ‘first loser’ so I feel like it’s going to fire me up even more.

- Kolohe Andino

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Easily the most consistent surfer for the whole event, Kolohe Andino put it down to a regiment of hard training and focus, falling just inches short of taking the title for himself. If not for Wilko’s animal performance, the near-flawless tail work and shred factor this guy was bringing would have seen him crowned the king of Snapper this year // Photo Geoff Finn

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KellySLATER

“

I think when people speak truth, and they throw things right in the face of what is popular, and it’s the truth - I think those are people you can trust.

- Kelly Slater

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Photo Luke Sorensen

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Whilst his contest start to the season may have missed its mark - hitting the Stu Kennedy brick wall mid contest - Kelly didn’t fail to impress around the town with his intense surfing prowess and flare. No signs of slowing up, he’ll be hot on the heels of every single person that shares a heat with him this year and is still probably the most intimidating competitive surfer on the planet right now. Snapper morning hack // Photos Luke Sorensen

StuKENNEDY

It was a couple of years of ups and downs with the contemplation of walking away from it all to get a ‘real job’, that somehow led to this moment as Stu ‘The Giant Killer’ Kennedy surged into the semi-finals and onto the lips of every commentator in the surfing universe. Half of the North Coast turned out in support too - the insanity of the board he was riding was only bested by the insanity of his surfing, which was about as good as it gets on waves like this // Photo Luke Sorensen

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The biggest roar was when Stu bashed out this club sandwich back roll hack on his way to the semis emerging confidently from the manoeuvre like a lion leading the pack. Fast, faster and fastest was the call as he linked turn after turn with tail wafts, sprays and hacks that left his competition not only beaten, but demoralised // Photo Geoff Finn

“

The Gabriel Medina (heat) was probably the most intense one, we had Charlie there screaming, and everyone loves seeing a disappointed Charlie, pretty much. There were so many Brazillians there watching and it was so nice to have so many Aussies on the beach supporting me ... the whole of Lennox and Ballina were pretty much there, everyone thought there was going to be a blue because there was so much tension on the beach.

- Stu Kennedy

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So what now for the injury replacement he’s got a few more events perhaps up his sleeve before his slot may be retaken, but with a growing list of strained and pained surfers, we are going to see some more of the Lennox lad, at least for the time being no complaints anywhere ha! // Photo Geoff Finn // Inset: Kelly and Stu just moments before the hooter // Photo Luke Sorensen

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“

I don’t know how to explain it. It’s been crazy, it’s a blur ... I’ve got

the fire in my belly, I’m just charged to keep going. I’m fired up.

- Stu Kennedy

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MattWILKINSON

Like a sort of starving cat that‘s on some kind of designer drug, Wilko’s vertical and sideways attack was second to none, joining the likes of Mick Lowe and Gabriel Medina as the elite few that have delivered event-winning backhand blows to the frontside favourites. He proved to be unstoppable and proved that power surfing and hacks can still be at the absolute forefront of professional surfing // Photo Geoff Finn

Arguably the move of the competition, Wilko’s savage finals-day vertical strike on a wide breaking set wall lit the crowd on fire, with roaring applause and hooting engulfing the beach. The Snapper amphitheatre came to life that day and so did the backhand warrior and his arsenal of devastating surfing savagery - he won most battles and eventually took the war // Photo Luke Sorensen

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He’s the hottest property on the surfing landscape right now and is racing up the ladder towards a world title at an alarming pace. Matt Wilkinson’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular, but not by some miracle or fluke - he’s a phenomanal surfing machine with an incredible backhand attack. This year at Snapper he obliterated the competition, and seems to have found his on switch for the time being // Photo Dan Mahony

“

I feel amazing ... my heat against Adriano, that’s the kind of heat that I usually lose. I just kind of got the score at the end, and it gave me the fire ... it made me feel like the ocean is on my side.

- Matt Wilkinson

Photo Luke Sorensen

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One national park, one single day and one walk to the boulders and back - the LiQUiFY Team takes a 24-hour break at Queensland’s favourite surf park

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ometimes you just can’t escape the pace and frantic pressure of the city unless you break the chains with force. It’s a matter of turning off the phone, throwing the surf forecast out the window and driving into the dawn darkness in hope of scoring a wave or two. We did exactly that - threw a dart at the map, picked a date off the calendar, filled a tank and went.

Prevailing conditions meant we sailed into Noosa with the morning sun, greeted by tidy lines, light winds and a foreign vibe of relaxed style and a soulfully slower place to be. It’s rare these days to see the points of Noosa rolling in like the days of old - not too crowded, no vibe or hassle and just pure fun waves being shared by everyone.

We pulled up stumps, left the car behind and ventured on foot - camera in one hand, board in the other and spent the next 10 hours coasting up and down the point getting a couple of sliders and observing the locals at play.

The trapped light of the late afternoon delivered a cherry on top of a stunning day where time ran at half speed and warm water lapped at our ankles for most of those hours. Lazy, loose and lost in time, the area still drifts in and out of the new and old, but the one timeless element that sticks out above all is that it’s still a place of family - that the sanctuary of family drives the culture here and leads the lifestyle.

We’re happy to share a couple of frames, from our perspective, that we managed to snap up that day - Summer bliss is Noosa as it was, as it is and as it should be!

D’Arcy Dineen // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Dare to walk, dare to score - the National Park still holds a wonderous abundance of waves for those who time it right // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Afternoon gold never looked so fun - First Point // Photo Luke Sorensen

It’s a frothing grom’s fun park paradise with gentle perfect waves on tap, ready to get your Summer sessions into full swing // Photo Luke Sorensen

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ungle, flora and fauna, forest, dunes, rocks, eagles, frogs and very big lizards - just some of the sights to take in on your hot lap of the points.

Noosa Heads is a traditional surfer’s true paradise, it is their heaven and their preferred afterlife but oddly it came to be here and now. If you’re one of the lucky few to actually own a little chunk of real estate along this stretch, you’ve ended up in your own dreamtime, your own fantasy land and an oceanic landscape that’s the envy of the entire world.

Aside from a few weeks of school holidays every 3 or 4 months, for the most part you can grab a longboard and slide your life away each day, never wanting to turn on another television or pick up a phone. We know and we didn’t - touch our phone that is, for the time we were there.

On a side note, Noosa is testament to the foresight of earlier people to see how they’ve managed to protect it from encroachments and excess greed - for now that is. No highrises, no cancerous foreign developments slowly chipping away at the boundaries, just a solid sense of this is where development goes, and this is where it does not. The Gold Coast could certainly do with a few pages from the Noosa story book, if it isn’t far too late for the last bits of undeveloped coastline there already, that is. The Noosa Spit and Southport Spit have some eerily similar traits and we’re sure the developers have been eying both for decades.

Crowded it is ... most of the time, but not all the time.

Afternoons in the bold contrast of trapped light can be a surrealist’s dream come true // Photo Luke Sorensen

Soar like an eagle, in the air and on the water. Seems to be the place is full of great people and wild animals who all spread their wings // Photo Luke Sorensen

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D’Arcy Dineen perched and sliding on a perfect First Point afternoon peeler // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Crystal waters at times, warm and gentle - the bay provides a sheltered sanctuary where water is allowed to roll on up to the shore without the confusion and corruption of the open ocean’s winds and seas. The views below are as nice as above at times // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Half a tank of petrol away from most of the populated South East, a lifetime away from the realities of the suburban or city existence - such a magic place to put your kids in the water and watch them ride their precious youth away // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Speed and light and water blurs - and it’s the pure glide that few places in the world can provide that makes this place special.

Timeless, uninhibited and free, this is how you walk on water in heaven // Photo Luke Sorensen

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A three-day visual feast of classic style, kinship and cracking Kingscliff surf Photography by Luke Sorensen

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t’s Australia’s premiere WSL longboard qualifying series event, and in 2016 it delivered on its promise with pulsing swell, pristine conditions, the ‘best banks in years’ and scorching competition from some of the world’s best longboarders.

Leading the charge would be former and current world longboard champions Harley Ingleby and Rachael Tilley, however it was the young guns, the local lads and the international contingency that would eventually steal the show.

Performance surfing was equally matched with a smothering of style and simplicity as traditional fused with modern, old met young and radical danced with renaissance, showing that the modern resurgence of longboard surfing is here to stay, along with the family and friendships it hosts.

There was no better place for LiQUiFY to be this Easter weekend, so we pitched camp, pulled up a chair on the balcony of the Cudgen Surf Club, ordered some cold ones with a bowl of those oh-sofamous chips and drenched ourselves in the cool vibes of this timeless wave sliding event //

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Local staple and wave barometer Dean Bevan was calling it the best bank in years after recent swells had dumped tonnes of perfectly groomed sand across the lagoon in front of the surf club. We turned up, took one look at this and found it hard to disagree - day one and the competition kicked off into this!

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Two-time world champion, USA’s Taylor Jensen wasted no time setting the pace for the WSL LQS men’s heats, lashing smooth drop-knee turns and lip hits together seamlessly with gliding noserides of fives and tens - he’s fired up and hungry for the title this year and makes no apologies for showing it.

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(Clockwise from top left) Tweed Heads’ underground longboarding enigma Heith Norrish, Jared Neal walking on water, Evans Head’s Ruben Roxburgh getting shady on the perfect bank, two-time world champ Harley Ingleby, all smiles from the 8-footer finalists, Coolangatta legend Dane Pioli with one of longboarding’s most dangerous competitors Taylor Jensen.

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Dawn delivers and certainly it did for visiting Brazillian longboarder Chloe Calmon, with her fiery performance earning her the top title of the weekend

Chloe Calmon was ecstatic with the first place spot in the WSL LQS final, saying it had been a while between wins for her

Andy James frothing on the best conditions of the weekend and a walkthrough heat with fellow New South Welshman Frank Murphy - the pair would meet again in the final of the 9 foot open, with Frank eventually taking the win

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Andy James on a pumping peak at the top of the banks

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Harley Ingleby in full flight, demonstrating his world-beating flare for whipping his longboard around like it was half its size. Harley’s propensity for riding almost anything as long as it floats has given him a real edge when it comes to riding all craft in all waves for the win.

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The Godfather of soul, the unofficial mayor of Kingy ... we’d rather let the labels go and just enjoy watching the moments this bloke is whipping into one of his trademark classic turns. Ray Gleave is justifiably the symbolic central figure in East-Coast Australia’s longboarding renaissance and modern rebirth during the 1990s - oh and he blitzed his peers for a solid win in the over 50s division.

A last-minute turn out for defending women’s WSL LQS champion Karina Rozunko saw the San Clemente surfer soar ahead in her opening heat to only hit the wall as the conditions deteriorated late on Saturday. Her untimely exit from the event, along with the early departure of last year’s runner-up Victoria Vergara from Reunion Island, left the door wide open for the remaining surfers to chase the 2016 pro-division title.

Consistently putting on a noseriding clinic, Coffs Harbour slider Jared Neal was a constant threat to take multiple divisions and pushed the competition to the last minute of every heat.

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Hawaii’s young protégé Mason Schremmer shocked the field with a come-from-behind win after the buzzer in her quarter final heat to edge out crowd favourite Georgia Young

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Ruben Roxburgh

Experienced and calculated, one of Evans Head’s favourite surfing sons Ruben Roxburgh put in a consistent and strong run to the final of the Men’s Pro but was unable to keep that momentum running to the final hooter.

Three schooners down, then combo-ing the competition to blitz the noserider final only to be handed a bottle of pink bubbly - it was a good day for Dane Pioli!

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All style and all class, Coolangatta’s Dane Pioli is arguably one of the best traditional longboarders in Australia right now and when he’s got his game on there’s few that can match him on the nose.

Dane out manoeuvred and outclassed a hungry field early on in the noserider final. With plenty of time to spare he took the win - his nearest rival was miles behind. Two solid wins to earn the 2016 logger and noserider champion titles!

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As the youngest ever world surfing champion at just 17, American young gun Rachael Tilley carries the weight of expectation on her shoulders well. Solid performances and an outward positivity easily landed her a final spot in the women’s pro division and her classic moves in the water lived up to all expectations.

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Hiroka Yoshikawa

Rosie Locke flying over and out the end section

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Chloe Calmon from Brazil upstaged a world-class field to scoop the points and the cash

Japan’s Hiroka Yoshikawa was the most consistent noserider throughout the event, earning a second place finish in the pro division for her gracefull toes-over approach

Tayor Jensen

Kingscliff legend Dean Bevan brought a contemporary and perhaps unorthodox approach to his longboarding performance. His surfing was aggressive and explosive and certainly turned heads, giving him a convincing win in the 8 foot division.

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Marlenn Guihot and his fiery cheater five during the noserider final

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Shane Morton

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Shane Morton with a strong finish in the noserider

Dean Bevan (left) exits the water alongside the oldest professional surfer on the WSL rankings, Michael Cottier

For the full wrap up and results visit www.australianlongboardopen.com or hit up the official FACEBOOK for the event HERE

Getting old school and livid on the point for 50 years of Burleigh Boardriders

Dave Rastovich eyeing off the next section to swoop into - Dave is a staple attendee at this event and a former winner who always draws a crowd to witness his stylish free-form surfing // Photo Luke Sorensen

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nother year and another installment of one of the greatest surf comps in Australia - the notorious and infamous Burleigh Boardriders Single Fin Festival.

It’s a pure celebration of friendship and all things classic, framed by one of the best surfing spectator amphitheatres on earth.

Reminiscent of the classic Stubbies series of events from yesteryear, the format is all about fun and healthy rivalry, priovided you ride nothing but a pre 1985 sing fin board.

This year’s event was a cracker and delivered clean pumping waves across a groomed sand pile on the inside of the point, with the high tide each day allowing competition to even hit the far inside rock break for some sketchy moments, hilarity and cracking snaps a few metres from the crowd’s faces.

Whilst the comraderie was at the forefront, the business end got busy as usual, with fierce competition bringing on some slick, soulful and stellar performances. We hung around, made some $5 drink donations to the club and floated our way through the weekend to see what we could see - and here it is, from our view to yours. Classic, classy and crazy - this IS the best weekend of the year to be hanging on the point, and we might just attest that this event makes competition surfing come alive!

Occy driving a timeless bottom turn into the next section as only this bloke knows how to // Photo Luke Sorensen

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2016 Junior winner Liam O’Brien was in deadly form throughout the event // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Former event winner Cabarita lad James Jameson drifting across a rock-break section amongst the pines // Photo Kobe Blannin

Dave Rastovich // Photos Luke Sorensen & Ewan Rutledge

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Hooking in to an early chandelier section out at the cove, Gold Coast board-shaping icon Nev Hyman was frothing to be part of this year’s event. He dusted off his amazing self-made 1978 single fin shooter for the weekend and relished the chance to bless it with some emerald Burleigh waters // Photo Luke Sorensen

Byron Baker with a scorching gouge, using his single fin like a hot knife to butter - he was unlucky to not progress in the event // Photo Luke Sorensen

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2016 Burleigh Single Fin winner Creed McTaggart frothing it up on the final day // Photo Ewan Rutledge

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One of the most consistent threats throughout every event is this bloke, the Turtle, Ryan Gray - looking at this swooping turn it’s easy to see why // Photo Luke Sorensen

Josh Hyland ripping the rock break in half // Photo Ewan Rutledge

Brendan Margieson flying down the line // Photo Luke Sorensen

Blaine Robinson’s fantail thwack // Photo Ewan Rutledge

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Clockwise from top left - Ellis Ericson, Beau Emerton, Liam O’Brien, Toby Mossop, Ibis, Chris Brooks // Photos Luke Sorensen & Ewan Rutledge

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Talon Guest slicing apart a glassy section on top of the rock boil - check the bubbles in the spray and the commitment from Talon who was on fire in the earlier rounds // Photo Luke Sorensen

Novacastrian super legend Matt Hoy in blistering form regardless of what happened the night before // Photos Luke Sorensen

Turtles wear green // Photo Luke Sorensen

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Jake Cumberland // Photo Sorensen Jye Brazenas // Photo LukeLuke Sorensen

Jye Brazenas // Photo Luke Sorensen Jack Lynch sharing some alone-time contact with his co-competitor on the inside // Photo Ewan Rutledge

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Reece Hudson takes flight // Photo Luke Sorensen

With thanks to

www.burleighboardriders.com

Ibis // Photo Luke Sorensen

Flippers number 23 and 27 on one of the set waves // Photo Luke Sorensen

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