Posted in: Top stories, surf photography. Tags: Manly, North Steyne, South Steyne, surf pictures.

Spent half an hour shooting at Manly between the constant showers. Here are a few of the snaps. If you were in the water at the peaks between North and South Steyne from about 2-230pm, you might want to have a look at the whole collection here!

Posted in: Don's surfin' pics, Top stories. Tags: Curl Curl, Gardens, Manly, Northy, surfin' pics.

Went shooting this morning and here are the results. The original pics are very high resolution so it is quite possible to get a clean looking pic out of a very small area in the image. Exposure kinda went off the rails, but it’s easily corrected if need be.

North Narrabeen 0830-0900 Sat 11 July 2009 (30 pics)

Shot at Gardens (sth Narrabeen) 0900-0950 Sat 11 July 2009. In front of observation deck and carpark just opposite the coffee shops at the south end of Ocean St. (167 pics)

Here is a link to the snaps I shot between 1030 and 1100 on Sat 11 July 2009 at Curl Curl (141 pics).

And here’s a link to a few pics I got at Manly between 1115-1145 on Sat 11 July 2009. (50 pics)

Posted in: Just for fun, News Stories, Surf News, Surf culture, Top stories. Tags: Manly, Randwick, Sprout, Surf film, surf movie, sydney, The Present, The Seedling, Thomas Campbell.

 

Modern technology offers so many conveniences today that we don’t need to leave the home. With a laptop, cell phone, and an elliptical trainer we can work and burn calories simultaneously. Grocery, clothing, and music shopping has become as effortless and speedy as a click of the mouse. 

For surfers, few could have ever envisioned how the digitalization of their sport and lifestyle would permanently alter some of their customs and traditions. Live web cams and online surf reports have now replaced the old fashioned “surf check” and the need to learn how to read the ocean’s weather patterns. As little as 10 years ago, surfboards were hand built by surfers domestically, but a large majority is now mass-produced overseas by computerized factories. This not only resulted in less work for local craftsmen, but drastically reduced the customary exchanging of ideas between a surfer and his shaper to create unique, customized surf crafts. 

For better or worse, modern technology has played a huge role in reshaping cultures around the globe. The various electronic luxuries available today have made life easier, but does a dramatic decline in physical interaction with society erode some of the time-honored traditions of our local cultures?

Californian artist/photographer/filmmaker Thomas Campbell says yes. Which is why he is helping to preserve one of surfing’s longest running social happenings off the beach: surf movie tours. 

Campbell’s new Super 16mm film, The Present—a colorful and artistic exploration of the beautiful environment surfers play in everyday—is set to do just that by hitting Australian coastal towns this month, on the back of a US tour. It’s his third film and a follow up to the ground-breaking log movie The Seedling and more recently Sprout. 

  Presented in Australia by Margie Wegener and the Lala Society, the film features the modern alaia, developed by Tom Wegener Surfboards. After test riding the alaia’s in Africa with Noosa’s Jacob Stuth, Dave Rastovich took the flat wooden boards to Hawaii with draw-dropping results at Waimea and Sunset. Rob Machado and Harrison Roach travelled to Indonesia to test the ancient boards in some very remote waves, producing some of the greatest Indonesian footage ever caught on film.

Margie says of Thomas Campbell, “Thomas is very committed not only to his art and to the traditional surf filmmaking format, but also to the notion of the historical surf film tour.”

“I am not re-inventing the wheel or anything, just doing what those filmmakers did back then,” explains Campbell, who extensively toured Sprout through 30 US cities, and did a more modest run for the Seedling. “Doing a tour is a long-time tradition in our culture. It’s also the most sure fire way of bringing the film to the surf community directly, and people love it. … It’s a really nice exchange.”

Campbell’s narrative approach is also very traditional. He hand picks some of surfing’s most talented and creative individuals and captures those riding waves in exotic locales around the word. Each film has a general theme, with narration by Campbell himself to help move the viewer forward. According to him, The Present’s basic premise is, “Taking a view into our lives as surfers on this planet, and showing that this moment—in our surfing lives right now—is a gift. It also has a subtle preservation message about our oceanic playgrounds.”

Like his other films, The Present covers several surfing sub-cultures. Some include: surfers riding ’60s style surf equipment; modern day hi performance tri-fin short boarding; sustainable surfboard building; and following the evolution of a recent board design movement based on 1,000 year old equipment that ancient Hawaiians rode called alaias. Throw in a funny skit with people riding surfboards with exercise equipment and ladders bolted to the decks. Then add some travels to West Africa, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, California and Hawaii and you end up with a classic surf film narrative. All of this happens to the backdrop of a timeless, down-tempo soundtrack that has been a hallmark of Campbell’s other works. 

Through his uniquely artistic style of filmmaking and intimate screenings – with live music performances to set the mood  – Campbell hopes to help keep alive the nearly dead tradition of surfers gathering at a local theater to view a new independent surf film. 

The Present will show for one night only at –

 

The Coolangatta Sands Hotel – Friday 22 May 7pm

 

The Bryon Bay Community & Cultural Center – Sunday 24 May 6pm 

 

Avoca Beach Theatre Friday 29 May 7pm

The Randwick Ritz Cinema Monday 1 June at 7pm 

Two screenings are booked for the Manly Cinema on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th May at 7pm 

 

Tickets are only $18 which includes music by Shannon Sol Carroll & OJ, who feature in the film and lucky door prizes. Bookings are on line at www.trimyourlifeaway.com and follow the prompts to Australian tour.

Posted in: Advertorial, News Stories, Top stories. Tags: Fitsuit, Heritage Surf Australia, Manly, Patagonia Wetsuit, R2.

Heritage Surf, long time supporter of RealSurf, has got in this brand new fandangled wetsuits from Patagonia. Check it out.

 

 

 

From Chris Moss at Heritage:

We’ve just received some “fit-suits” from Patagonia and will have a full size range of the R2 Front Zip Steamer at the end of May.

The suits are made from the highest quality neoprene available and are manufactured in Japan.

The R2 is a 2mm suit with an amazing merino wool lining for that extra bit of warmth – these suits are tested to be used in 12-18 degree celcius water temperatures, so will be perfect for the dead of winter.

For more technical details on the Patagonia range, check out Patagonia’s website .

All Patagonia wetsuits are available to order through Heritage Surf.

Posted in: At large. Tags: barrels, Manly, oceaneye, winkipop.

Photo: Winkipop this morning and yesterday looked like this. Sick!
Thanks god some decent waves hit this weekend and this morning… Just when I received 2 free nights in a hotel in the city and missed it all ( Jules has been around and about though getting some great shots and pits himself. Hope you enjoy this one.

Posted in: At large, Freshwater, Manly. Tags: Freshy, Manly, Superb Blue Wren.

After checking out Dee Why and Curly, I headed out the Curly headland to see what Freshy and Manly looked like.

As it has over the last few days, Freshwater had a few very weak and tiny, but sort of catchable little waves in the north corner. The wind wasn’t doing it too much damage and there were only three or four people in the water with boards along the entire beach. Biggest waves looked to be in the knee to waist high range.

From my vantage point, it looked as though there were a few weak little waves flopping into the Queenscliff end of Manly beach as well. Appeared to be a few folks out amongst them and the size seemed pretty much the same as Dee Why and Freshy.

Posted in: At large, Curl Curl, Freshwater, Manly. Tags: Curly, Freshy, Manly.

Went for a look at Curly & Freshy around 0830 after the school run. Curly was about the same as yesterday, but thanks to the lighter winds, it was looking a little more attractive. Not that many more in the water though. I wouldn’t want to be accused of overstating the situation though. The biggest sets I saw were struggling to make waist high, and the moment of peak energy was generally pretty brief. Waves would stand up over a bank and then quickly subside as they were swallowed by a gutter.

Here are a couple snaps to fill in the picture a little.

Drove on around the corner to the south Curly headland carpark for a squizz at Freshy and Manly. Again, there were a fair sprinkling of bods in the water at both places. Pretty much seemed to all be mals – understandably enough. Waves at Freshy were extremely tiny. Biggest thing I saw was around thigh-high. But you could get the odd multi-metre glide over near the rocks at the south end.

Manly was not putting on much of a show – to the extent that one can judge such things looking over the back of the waves. From what I could see, the folk in the water were not only a thousand miles from care, they were about that far from something like a wave. But good on ‘em for getting in for a paddle!

Posted in: Site News, Top stories, Video. Tags: Manly, North Steyne.

Hi all,

I’ve just posted a short video made up from some footage I shot Wednesday morning at Manly when it was, well, rather good…

Check it out on RealSurf.tv by clicking here.

Posted in: At large, Curl Curl, Dee Why, Long Reef, Manly, North Narrabeen, South Narrabeen. Tags: Gardens, Manly.

Hello Friends,

Headed out on my morning surf reccy some time ago now..

I began with a look at the fabled North Narrabeen around 0830. It wasn’t too crowded, but then it wasn’t really that good either. Tide was an issue, so lots of waves were fat and relatively slow. But, that said, if you were in the right spot, you could have a little fun. The waves were a bit bigger down the beach, just south of the carpark. Most were closing out, but again, if you were in the right spot…

It looked as though there were a fair few people down toward the Gardens, so I headed down that way for a look. Again, the tide was not being helpful, but the waves were definitely jucier because they were breaking in pretty close to the sand. There wasn’t any wind at that stage, so I was very sorely tempted to paddle out and join them because some of the sets looked damn fine.

After grabbing a couple snaps, it was time to check out Longy and Dee Why. Longy turned out to be just about flat down in front of the lugga. There was a little peak down toward the pole though. As it turned out when I pulled in to check it from the other end of the beach, the sets were not looking anything like as good as Gardens. The point wasn’t functioning at all. Perhaps I should’ve given it more of a chance though, because as I subsequently learned, Shari had been out not long before I turned up and she reckons the waves were actually quite fun. I don’t find it hard to believe, because like yesterday, it’s pretty setty everywhere.

After grabbing a couple snaps, it was time to check out Longy and Dee Why. Longy turned out to be just about flat down in front of the lugga. There was a little peak down toward the pole though. As it turned out when I pulled in to check it from the other end of the beach, the sets were not looking anything like as good as Gardens. The point wasn’t functioning at all. Perhaps I should’ve given it more of a chance though, because as I subsequently learned, Shari had been out not long before I turned up and she reckons the waves were actually quite fun. I don’t find it hard to believe, because like yesterday, it’s pretty setty everywhere.

Over the hill at Curly the situation was somewhat similar to Dee Why, ie. pretty average. There was some size, but the fatness prevailed and there were only a couple folks in the water up at the north end. The south end was its usual messy, slightly chaotic self. What can you say. Water’s warm, folks were in it and getting a few little sections.

Pushed on to the balliwick of our very own Big Al and discovered that once again the swell and Manly were getting along pretty famously. Actually, it was pretty much focused on North Steyne. Queenscliff was getting some sets, but the quality was down the beach from there. Ran into into a couple of my Surfrider mates, Kevin and Eve, and had a yarn while watching the waves. By the time we’d finished chatting, I’d decided to jump in the water before filing my words. It was just so pretty and glassy that I couldn’t stand to put off surfing. You know exactly what I mean, I’m very sure.

So now it’s after 11 and the wind has sprung up. Sets are fewer and further between but there are still a few into the head high range and there are still lots of people in the water. Ah, summer…

Go well with your day and check back later ’cause I plan to do an update for the afternoon crew.

Posted in: Big Picture, Manly. Tags: 9/10, Manly, North Steyne.

Hello Friends,

What a rollercoaster!

This morning started out misty, cool and windy. I began the day with a check out run down to look at south Narrabeen. Swell at that stage was out of the east at 4 metres at about 8 seconds apart. The wind was SW though, so although the picture taking conditions were pretty ordinary, there was definitely some size going on.

I hung around the parking lot just north of Marquesas on Ocean St for about half an hour, watching a couple blokes doing tow-ins up the beach where the Gardens used to be. Overall the conditions were not particularly good, but I did grab a pic or two to share.

The wait between sets was relatively long, plus the swell was not quite the optimal angle for Gardens, so after awhile I lost interest, and headed south to see what I could find.

Dee Why point wasn’t too crowded, but at that stage it wasn’t really coming together. Again, there was plenty of size, but the swell angle had too much east in it. I got a pic or two and then made for Manly where I figured there might be some interesting conditions to contemplate.

It was pretty obvious when I came around the corner to the bridge at Queenscliff that Manly was the spot. Skies were still grey and ‘orrible, but the swell was pumping. At that stage the wind was just a breath and there were barrels like the one below everywhere from North Steyne to the flags at South Steyne.

For the next hour or so I snapped away at the waves at North Steyne. And then I got out my camcorder to shoot a bit of video (haven’t looked at that yet…). The crowd was building rapidly as every car with surfers in it screeched into parking spots when the occupants saw what was happening. Below are few snaps from the morning’s session.