Six Seasons

Melbourne's Six Seasons; one researcher argues that our seasons aren't simply a model of the European ones; maybe we'd understand the surf better if we were more specific and more local in our conceptions, rather than just saying 'summer surf' etc. I'd like to see a surf calendar like the one above with Victorian surfing conditions delineated.

Swell Rising

Just got back after a week away camping down the coast, and watching and surfing waves a lot. I feel sore and tired and buffeted and water-logged and wind-soaked and sun-baked. On Tuesday the waves in the bay were six inches high. By Thursday there were solid eight foot sets and more water moving and swirling around than I'd ever seen there before, and I'd been going there for twenty-five years.

On Tuesday I tried to get my 9' mal moving on tiny little waves breaking in waist-deep water, amidsts boogie boarders, swimmers and floating old ladies.

Next day the swell picked up and we had two good surfs; increasing each hour in size, light onshore, but promsing.

By Thursday I was riding the 'short' board (7' 6") and struggling at times to get out the back as set after set pounded in, and riding too far meant negotiating a tricky paddle out. Big peaks too, some breaking way outside and rolling in tons of white water ages before it even hit the bank.

By Friday the swell had already begun to drop, and I had the best surf of the week, even though I was sore and tirerd; 4-5' sets and absolutley still and clean, the bottom of the sandy bay shining through, fine sand floating in the water between sets like grains of gold, longish lefts and fun peaks. It was a great way to finish the trip.

The Way of the Surfer

I just finished reading this; I was stoked to find it under the tree on Christmas Day and enjoyed it a lot; a good mix of interviews and some insightful essays about surfing culture. The surfers interviewed are:

The Surfers:
1) Woody Brown - surf pioneer, over 90 and still surfing
2) John Severson - co-inventor of surf culture and Surfer mag
3) Dick Brewer - top surfboard builder, psychedelic guru
4) Nat Young - 1966 World Champ, surfboard pioneer, iconoclastic Aussie
5) Bill Hamilton - top star, dropped out to do it all on Kauai
6) Rolf Aurness - 1970 World Champ, son of Gunsmoke Jim, mysto seeker
7) Gerry Lopez - Zen surfer, Pipeline master, movie star
8) Tom Curren - 3-time World Champ, huge fame, soul man
9) Lisa Andersen - 4-time champ, most popular female surfer of all time
10) Kelly Slater - 6-time Champ, best surfer in the world
11) Titus Kinimaka - Hawaiian warrior, tow-in surfer & king of Hanalei

The essays though are just as interesting, and sometimes challenging. There's lots of pictures, but this is one of the most thoughtful books about surfing I've read for a while, even if it does take the zen/spirituality/Christian thing a bit far for most Oz surfer's sensibilities.

Toxic Gunna

The dark toxic looking poison that SE Water and the State government is okay to dump at one of the best surf beaches on the Hoax Coast. A protest is schedued for tomorrow.

Check the CLEANOCEAN site for details

Classic Bells 1966

When I was trying to find out who the Soulwater people were who originally designed the 'Tribal Law' poster, I found this site, which they are somehow connected with. One of the things for sale at the site are some great images of Bellsin 1965, 1966 by Barrie Sutherland, like this one. You can buy them at this address at SHOREZONE

Last day of the year

34 degrees, a small but very clean swell and a little left peeling off a shallow rock-studded sandbar were the ingredients for my last surf for 2004, and one of the most fun. It was great to get some good waves in warm weather, the best surf I've had this summer, and a great way to end the year.

Tribal Law

A New Year; time to reflect on the old rules. I found this 'Tribal Law' diagram in the front of Nat Young's book, 'Surf Rage' and the NSW government seems to have taken it up in some of their surf safety campaigns.