Pre-flight

I'm off today for a month, the mother land, home of the cold wave and the warm beer. But...to kick it off with dafin's a chunk of wood and a empty ocean was a good way to start the journey. A little bit of unconstrained freedom-a chiropractic work out.

So long vicco, see you when it's colder. Check back for blighty waves me heartys!

(this mornings body surfing bliss)

thoughts on this life

 this morning i woke up super early (to bake a cake, but thats a different story) - whilst waiting for the oven to heat up I watched a little of a short documentary  by warner Herzog, regarding the treatment of death row prisoners. Nothing to comment about that, not the purpose of this writing or the place for opinion. But the single most profound sentence uttered, was regarding the movement of the prisoners - from place to place, awaiting "the act". the prisoner is transported 41 miles through the countryside to a separate facility. It is their last glimpse of the world. And what a world it is…

By no means a comparison, but when I left home and travelled to the southern hemisphere I left behind a scenery, a world full of reminders of my past, the little cues, you take for granted, an old newsagents, with yellowing signs advertising "hovis" bread, now defunct - or a kid, outside, peeling the sticky paper from a Trebor Drumstick…these things are the signposts to your past…which i no longer have, its the single hardest thing….however…that moment, that journey captured on celluloid reminded me of a quote by Henri Matisse, i think…"leave only today the things you are happy to die having never done", I'm sure this is hugely misquoted, but the essence is right.

Most mornings i am struck by the beauty of this world i inhabit, but rarely profoundly, the sun is coming up right now, its not a special sunrise in the usual terms, its not golden, its steely and overcast, but nonetheless, its spectacular, because I'm here it witness it. and all these things, all these moments, were lucky to be present for, if we remember to be present.

The fact that one day, I'll see them all for one last time, is heartbreaking, and serves as a reminder that whist I'm not in a cage waiting for a needle, not in box having the lid nailed down…whilst I have these eyes and ears and nose and skin, i'll really look…really listen…really smell…really touch, and try to remember to take it all in.

the day before

swimming

small to flat today - but a perfect day for swimming - for floating, for trying the new handplane, and for photographs - vibrant colours...

 aquatic window pane

a lungful

froth

model H

this crazy little beast got glassed today - im hoping she pushes less water and gives me more speed on the steeper waves.

a pommie logger short film...coming soon

the last few days

These last few days have been ALL time - ive surf my brains out, swam, and been fully present - aquatic.

thursday night - this...

 perfect head high body surfing - looooooong walls - hooting and good vibes, and again quiet, im amazing and how quiet and peaceful this coast is - no crowds when you turn left or right, im discovering so much



Then today, if it was more fun i think i might have exploded - to kick things off, it was cold first thing, and beautiful - it reminded me of home, the grass was dewy, it was quiet - and i was sanguine - as usual.

yes...in both ways

i picked a bank - just one other out, it was a perfect peeler rifling along the little bank - shared with with noone - then I shared it with nick, with is better than sharing it with noone.

we split the a-frame - i look awkward, i probably was, but man, it was all time fun! -

then i shaped a new kind of handplane - hully, but without chine rails, to stop it pushing so much water, cant wait to glass it and try it...

then down the coast, for a body surfing session...new DaFin flips - i felt quick and responsive and rode a few all the way through

heres the best thing i saw this morning....

nick- jazzing the glass.

nick and mick

sean

glasses - shapes click this ---->(vane) and cuts back - he does all of this well

its not all about the nose ride, hanging heels, jiving -  a solid cutback, even on a small peeler is the foundation of it all,

solitude

a few hundred yards makes the world of difference.

Scored some fun ones this morning - empty peaks, looking down at a busy grove - attempted a few close out barrels, which were entertaining.

and then, whooomph! - i said hello to the sandbar

mornings planing

i love this new way of experiencing the ocean, a new fun way to ride waves, the fins have been out more than the board of late...