Yesterday evening at Torquay Point a couple of dozen surfers on all manner of craft were out enjoying the mild water and small, fun waves.
It was the last day of summer, the waves were breaking and everyone seemed in a buoyant mood, laughing as they rode ‘em in. Surfboards, bodyboards, waveskis, paddleboards, even the surf boast from the life saving club was out there.
As far as summer goes, it’s been a shocker – loads of rain, on-shore winds and junky conditions. But compared to what our mates in Queensland, Western Australia and Christchurch are going through, it’s a minor hiccup.
There’s so much horror and sadness in the news at the moment. Next time you go out and catch a wave, be thankful. Just being able to get out in the ocean and surf is an incredible privilege. We are so damn lucky to have the ocean on our doorstep, be well enough to paddle out and able to surf.
Showing posts with label profession surfing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label profession surfing. Show all posts
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Vale Leeroy Granis
Revered surfing photographer LeRoy Grannis passed away at 93 last Thursday.
A key proponent in the rise of surf photography in the 1960s, he later went on to co-found International Surfing Magazine, an early incantation of Surfing magazine.
A master of the lens, Grannis sold his first photograph to Reef Magazine for $7. He went on to becomea true master of the lens..
Read more about this incredibly talented man at Surfers Village.
A key proponent in the rise of surf photography in the 1960s, he later went on to co-found International Surfing Magazine, an early incantation of Surfing magazine.
A master of the lens, Grannis sold his first photograph to Reef Magazine for $7. He went on to becomea true master of the lens..
Read more about this incredibly talented man at Surfers Village.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Friends in need
Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew once told me that “bakeries in surf towns never go broke”.
The intimation was that surfers love to fuel up on crabs such as pies, sausage rolls, buns, biscuits and rolls. Now a bakery in Torquay that is a hit with the local surfers has decided to help out our friends in Queensland who have been devastated by floods and now a cyclone. Faith Davis who run Point Bake (next door to Barrie Sutherland’s Watermarks Gallery ) has been selling cupcakes with $1.50 from each one going towards the Queensland Flood Appeal. Many a local has popped in for a post-surf pie only to see the sign and then changed their mind to scarf down a cup cake or two. Thanks everyone!
So far Faith and her team have rased over $600 – that’s a lot of cupcakes.
As surfers we should be supporting businesses like Point Bake who give back to the community. So please encourage your local barkery or café to do something similar – and feel welcome to send me a photo and I’ll post it up on surfsista!
The intimation was that surfers love to fuel up on crabs such as pies, sausage rolls, buns, biscuits and rolls. Now a bakery in Torquay that is a hit with the local surfers has decided to help out our friends in Queensland who have been devastated by floods and now a cyclone. Faith Davis who run Point Bake (next door to Barrie Sutherland’s Watermarks Gallery ) has been selling cupcakes with $1.50 from each one going towards the Queensland Flood Appeal. Many a local has popped in for a post-surf pie only to see the sign and then changed their mind to scarf down a cup cake or two. Thanks everyone!
So far Faith and her team have rased over $600 – that’s a lot of cupcakes.
As surfers we should be supporting businesses like Point Bake who give back to the community. So please encourage your local barkery or café to do something similar – and feel welcome to send me a photo and I’ll post it up on surfsista!
Story and image by Alison Aprhys appeared in the Surf Coast Times 1st February 2011.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Springing into surfing
Not quite time to ditch the wetsuit, but spring means summer is on the way...An azzure sky, a soft northerly and an upswing in water temperature means that surfers all along the Victorian coast are enjoying the spring waves. Not to mention calling in sick ('cough, cough, sorry boss I've got a bug'), as they indulge their surfing bug in the perfect A-frames melting in up and down the Great Ocean Road.
It’s been a long, long, icy cold winter in and out of the water and spring took a while to get going as even the more hardened zero water surfer will admit.
Now’s the time to remember to put on the sunblock along with your 3/2 and enjoy those uncrowded breaks before the summer hordes realise that now the footy has finished they can safely leave the house.
Late spring is also a good time to raise the bar on your surfing. Sometimes it's easy to settle into a comfort zone. Whether it's 3 ft beachies or always surfing your mal on 5 ft point breaks and nothing else, you can find yourself surfing the same beaches and the same waves all the time - and then you wonder why your surfing doesn't improve or maybe even begins to slip a bit.
Starting out
Once you discover your passion for surfing, it can be a weird mixture of fun and frustration, excitement and exasperation as you struggle to master your surfboard.
“When I started surfing, I attended lessons through a surf school each Saturday morning for about two months”, says Sydney surfer Belinda Glynn.
“Group lessons offered a safety buffer, we would all laugh and choke on water together and it made the surf seem less intimidating”, she recalls.
“Surfing with a grrlfriend helped me improve as she’s always encouraging and supportive”, says her friend Laura Soledad, who took up surfing in her 30’s.
“Having someone to encourage you really helps you persevere, especially through the times when you want to improve and you’d just get too frustrated on your own”.
Coach selection
Finding a coach with the right personality is as important as choosing your surfboard – get the wrong type and you’ll be floundering and miserable. Coaches are also good to return to on a regular basis to ensure you don’t lose your momentum.
“If you are really serious, think about getting a surf coach who can help you with the technical side of surfing”, says six times world champion Layne Beachley.
“A surf coach really improved my surfing in leaps and bounds”, agrees Laura. “He immediately identified bad habits and how to get rid of them and taught me good techniques which you don't get exposed to when you just jump on a board and go for it”, she says.
Look and learn
Northern Beaches surfer Sue Gill has been surfing for over 30 years and has caught waves in Mexico and Santa Cruz and closer to home, all along the Australian east coast from chilly Phillip Island to balmy Noosa.
“To improve my surfing and challenge my competence in the water I ask questions of my fellow surfers, particularly ones that seem skilled at a particular maneuver”, Sue says.
“I also watch videos of contemporary and traditional surfers of the 60’s and every time I venture into the water I aim to practice one aspect of my surfing technique”, she explains”.
Need to focus on your inner-surfer? Read The Surfer’s Mind by Richard Bennett.
Torquay surf news
For those who are heading down to the south-west coast, remember to check out the latest exhibition at Surfworld
Need to hire some gear? Or looking for some coaching to polish your cutback? Check out the friendly dudes at Torquay Surf Academy.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Surfers with soul
Thanks to generous people of the Surfcoast Longboard Club who presented the Torquay Fire Brigade with a cheque for $3,000 to go towards a new fire truck.
The SCL presented the cheque at their annual Winter Classic which was held over the weekend at Fairhaven, west of Bells Beach.
We really appreciate your wonderful efforts guys - you can have my waves anytime!
The SCL presented the cheque at their annual Winter Classic which was held over the weekend at Fairhaven, west of Bells Beach.
We really appreciate your wonderful efforts guys - you can have my waves anytime!
Above image shows Tim Day from TFB being presented with the cheque by Emma Webb, treasurer and John Lane, president of the SCL. Image by Alison Aprhys.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Rush Hour – Surviving a busy break
Navigating crowds can be a challenge. Image of surfers at Avalon by Alison Aprhys. It's off-shore, 4 ft and glassy. You don your 4/3, booties and earplugs, grab your board, run down to the beach, looking forward to catching some empty winter waves...only to find that every other surfer on the coast has the same idea and the swell is swarming with bodies and boards!
You’d think that in winter, with the footy on the TV (even better if local heroes Geelong are playing, then most Cats fans will be at watching the game), that the chilly waves would be less crowded.
Surfing a crowded beach can be mental and physical health hazard due to too many surfers on too few waves.
You have a couple of choices – either going into a jam-packed break and being prepared to deal with it or not going in. One option is to look for a less crowded break. The waves may not be as good or as often, but you’re probably going to get more of them if you’re paddling against a swarm.
Reading the vibe
Those few moments you take to observe the waves and potential surf rage vibe can be critical to your surfing enjoyment. Before surfing anywhere, especially if it’s not your local, resist the temptation to rush out and really look and listen – sit in the car park or on the sand and observe the people as well as the swell.
Often you can tell if there’s a good or ugly feeling out there. It’s never worthwhile going out if you sense a bad vibe, no matter how good the waves are, because you can’t predict people’s behavior in such a situation.
“I always recommend that you take a good 10 -20 minutes to check out the waves and crowd before paddling out” says Nancy Emmerson. Nancy, a former champion surfer operates her own surf schools in Australia and Hawaii and she’s a firm believer in surfing safely.
“In Australia, there are so many great surf spots within a short drive, so if you are unsure about surfing one place, you can always drive for five minutes in another direction and find a less crowded option – it’s not cowardice, it’s common sense.” Nancy admits that she finds people who feel that they must surf a particular break - no mater how hectic - tiresome.
“It’s mostly guys who want to be able to boast that they’ve surfed Kirra or Snapper”, she sighs. “Women surfers may also want to surf those breaks but they are generally wise enough to do so at times when the crowds are more reasonable”.
Dealing with aggression
Verbal and physical abuse can be a real threat in a crowded break and while being a female does mean that generally you are more likely to be yelled at than struck, you can’t dismiss this potential threat with the belief that ‘I’m a girl so I’m safe’.
Take the time I was surfing my home break and an aggressive and arrogant tourist dropped in on me, causing us to collide with his board receiving a very minor ding. He shouted, screamed and swore abuse at me. It was futile to argue, so I simply paddled over to join some people I knew and avoided him the rest of the afternoon. Yes, he was scary, but he was behaving appallingly to everyone, so while I didn’t take it personally, I didn’t want to encounter him again. If there was no-one in the water that I knew or felt comfortable joining, I’d have got out and gone for a coffee. Surfing with friends is good call – you can look out for each other and most surf bullies will think twice before taking on a group.
Surf sista Laura Soledad says that prefers to surf new breaks with a friend. “I tend to surf with my girlfriends so if we do encounter an idiot, we have each others’ support,” she says.
On avoiding wave disputes, Laura advises, “we’d much rather paddle off and have a positive surfing experience than get into a shouting match over a wave”.
Surfing with your male friends is helpful if you need a confidence boost.
“My best friend’s husband surfs too”, says Laura. “He’s really experienced, regularly keeps an eye on us too, so we know that if it even looked like someone would try to ‘heavy’ us, he’d be in there in a flash”.
Going for it!
So how do you paddle with confidence when 20 others are aiming for the same wave?
Gaining confidence to surf in throngs is a catch-22 situation – you need to surf crowds regularly to feel comfortable, but it can be difficult getting the assurance up to paddle into a situation that freaks you out. Arranging to surf with a really experienced friend or coach is one solution – I’m always more confident handling crowds when I’m with my coach, because he has years of experience in dealing with all kinds of people and wave conditions and his confidence and positive ‘you can do it’ attitude rubs off on me.
Keeping your eyes and ears open is vital. Don’t get distracted by chatting. Sure, fitness and technique are really important; the fitter you are and the more you practice surfing in crowded conditions, the more confident you’ll be in your ability to get a wave.
“It’s vital are of what’s going on around you”, advises Gally, an elite coach who with business partner Critter runs Torquay Surf Academy at Torquay near Bells Beach. “It all comes down to your ability to stay out of everybody's way and being aware of danger, so watch for inexperienced surfers and give them a wide berth”, he warns.
“The hardest thing about surfing in crowds is that people get in the way when you are on the wave, so surf with people of around your ability”, advises Gally, “Don't surf with the hot surfers, instead, move to a beach with a lower ‘wave pig’ factor”.
Surfing in congested conditions usually leads to frustration.
Remember, you’re surfing to have fun, not to get even more frazzled. So if you have come in early or avoid surfing for a day, so be it. Go for a strenuous walk or chill out with some yoga. There’ll be more waves along tomorrow.
Rush Hour 911
Your call – it’s cool to decide to surf elsewhere
Observe before entering – don’t rush out, scrutinize the action
Know your ability – if you feel intimidated, find another break
Avoid surfing when stressed – don’t take a bad attitude out there
Be polite – if you drop in, apologize!
Ganging up – do surf with people you know
Look out – observe where surfers are at the break
Communicate – when paddling for a wave, inform others of your intended direction
Equipment Check- ensure legropes are secure to avoid losing your board and causing injury
Hard hat – Consider wearing a helmet
Surf with your level – it’s an opportunity to get more waves than battling for surf with those far better
Share the swell – if you are the best surfer out there, give waves to girls who aren’t catching any. You were a beginner once!
An edited version of this article appeared in Surf Life for Women
You’d think that in winter, with the footy on the TV (even better if local heroes Geelong are playing, then most Cats fans will be at watching the game), that the chilly waves would be less crowded.
Surfing a crowded beach can be mental and physical health hazard due to too many surfers on too few waves.
You have a couple of choices – either going into a jam-packed break and being prepared to deal with it or not going in. One option is to look for a less crowded break. The waves may not be as good or as often, but you’re probably going to get more of them if you’re paddling against a swarm.
Reading the vibe
Those few moments you take to observe the waves and potential surf rage vibe can be critical to your surfing enjoyment. Before surfing anywhere, especially if it’s not your local, resist the temptation to rush out and really look and listen – sit in the car park or on the sand and observe the people as well as the swell.
Often you can tell if there’s a good or ugly feeling out there. It’s never worthwhile going out if you sense a bad vibe, no matter how good the waves are, because you can’t predict people’s behavior in such a situation.
“I always recommend that you take a good 10 -20 minutes to check out the waves and crowd before paddling out” says Nancy Emmerson. Nancy, a former champion surfer operates her own surf schools in Australia and Hawaii and she’s a firm believer in surfing safely.
“In Australia, there are so many great surf spots within a short drive, so if you are unsure about surfing one place, you can always drive for five minutes in another direction and find a less crowded option – it’s not cowardice, it’s common sense.” Nancy admits that she finds people who feel that they must surf a particular break - no mater how hectic - tiresome.
“It’s mostly guys who want to be able to boast that they’ve surfed Kirra or Snapper”, she sighs. “Women surfers may also want to surf those breaks but they are generally wise enough to do so at times when the crowds are more reasonable”.
Dealing with aggression
Verbal and physical abuse can be a real threat in a crowded break and while being a female does mean that generally you are more likely to be yelled at than struck, you can’t dismiss this potential threat with the belief that ‘I’m a girl so I’m safe’.
Take the time I was surfing my home break and an aggressive and arrogant tourist dropped in on me, causing us to collide with his board receiving a very minor ding. He shouted, screamed and swore abuse at me. It was futile to argue, so I simply paddled over to join some people I knew and avoided him the rest of the afternoon. Yes, he was scary, but he was behaving appallingly to everyone, so while I didn’t take it personally, I didn’t want to encounter him again. If there was no-one in the water that I knew or felt comfortable joining, I’d have got out and gone for a coffee. Surfing with friends is good call – you can look out for each other and most surf bullies will think twice before taking on a group.
Surf sista Laura Soledad says that prefers to surf new breaks with a friend. “I tend to surf with my girlfriends so if we do encounter an idiot, we have each others’ support,” she says.
On avoiding wave disputes, Laura advises, “we’d much rather paddle off and have a positive surfing experience than get into a shouting match over a wave”.
Surfing with your male friends is helpful if you need a confidence boost.
“My best friend’s husband surfs too”, says Laura. “He’s really experienced, regularly keeps an eye on us too, so we know that if it even looked like someone would try to ‘heavy’ us, he’d be in there in a flash”.
Going for it!
So how do you paddle with confidence when 20 others are aiming for the same wave?
Gaining confidence to surf in throngs is a catch-22 situation – you need to surf crowds regularly to feel comfortable, but it can be difficult getting the assurance up to paddle into a situation that freaks you out. Arranging to surf with a really experienced friend or coach is one solution – I’m always more confident handling crowds when I’m with my coach, because he has years of experience in dealing with all kinds of people and wave conditions and his confidence and positive ‘you can do it’ attitude rubs off on me.
Keeping your eyes and ears open is vital. Don’t get distracted by chatting. Sure, fitness and technique are really important; the fitter you are and the more you practice surfing in crowded conditions, the more confident you’ll be in your ability to get a wave.
“It’s vital are of what’s going on around you”, advises Gally, an elite coach who with business partner Critter runs Torquay Surf Academy at Torquay near Bells Beach. “It all comes down to your ability to stay out of everybody's way and being aware of danger, so watch for inexperienced surfers and give them a wide berth”, he warns.
“The hardest thing about surfing in crowds is that people get in the way when you are on the wave, so surf with people of around your ability”, advises Gally, “Don't surf with the hot surfers, instead, move to a beach with a lower ‘wave pig’ factor”.
Surfing in congested conditions usually leads to frustration.
Remember, you’re surfing to have fun, not to get even more frazzled. So if you have come in early or avoid surfing for a day, so be it. Go for a strenuous walk or chill out with some yoga. There’ll be more waves along tomorrow.
Rush Hour 911
Your call – it’s cool to decide to surf elsewhere
Observe before entering – don’t rush out, scrutinize the action
Know your ability – if you feel intimidated, find another break
Avoid surfing when stressed – don’t take a bad attitude out there
Be polite – if you drop in, apologize!
Ganging up – do surf with people you know
Look out – observe where surfers are at the break
Communicate – when paddling for a wave, inform others of your intended direction
Equipment Check- ensure legropes are secure to avoid losing your board and causing injury
Hard hat – Consider wearing a helmet
Surf with your level – it’s an opportunity to get more waves than battling for surf with those far better
Share the swell – if you are the best surfer out there, give waves to girls who aren’t catching any. You were a beginner once!
An edited version of this article appeared in Surf Life for Women
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Feel the heat
Brrrrrrr!
If you’re surfing around Torquay at not wearing a 4/3 at the moment, then you don’t own one. It’s winter next week and despite the water temperature dropping faster than the Australian dollar, theres plenty of joy to be had surfing through later autumn and early winter on the Victorian Surf Coast.
However, to get the most out of the coldest season, there’s a few essential rites::
Thou shall drive to the beach in your wetsuit so there’s no excuse for not going out if the waves are good. You’re already dressed, you night as well go out and get a few.
Thou shall go surfing with a friend and encourage each other not to wuss out – it’s easy to think it’s too cold but if you know your mate is in the car park waiting, you’ll be motivated.
Thou shall enjoy the change in seasons – sure it’s colder out there now - but the sea smells more briny, the air is crisp, different sigh and birds are about and the sunrises with mist spectacular.
Thou shall have a thermos of hot coffee / tea / milo in the car for an après-surf warm up on hands and core. Honest, having a hot drink makes a huge difference to warming up.
Thou shall have a darn good hot breakfast after that surf and defrosting shower! Food tastes fabulous after an icy wave or 10. Hot coffee, jammy toast, pancakes, poached eggs and crispy bacon, porridge with berries and yogurt or a bubbling grilled ham and cheese spring to mind if not to stomach. But if you are eating out and about, think twice before scoffing a usual pie and sauce because the most goodness appears to be in the latter!
According to independent consumer advocate Choice there’s not much meat in those pies! And let's face it, so many more delicious breakafast options to enjoy.
Thou shall have two wetsuits – nothing is worse than pulling on dank and damp wetsuit. And it’s easier to pull your wetsuit off in the shower if you can wait that long to change.
Remember that no matter how ordinary your surf or the waves, it’s still the best way to start or finish your day.
If you’re surfing around Torquay at not wearing a 4/3 at the moment, then you don’t own one. It’s winter next week and despite the water temperature dropping faster than the Australian dollar, theres plenty of joy to be had surfing through later autumn and early winter on the Victorian Surf Coast.
Having a glassy dawn wave to yourself at Winki is one of the highlights of winter. Image by Alison Aprhys.
However, to get the most out of the coldest season, there’s a few essential rites::
Thou shall drive to the beach in your wetsuit so there’s no excuse for not going out if the waves are good. You’re already dressed, you night as well go out and get a few.
Thou shall go surfing with a friend and encourage each other not to wuss out – it’s easy to think it’s too cold but if you know your mate is in the car park waiting, you’ll be motivated.
Thou shall enjoy the change in seasons – sure it’s colder out there now - but the sea smells more briny, the air is crisp, different sigh and birds are about and the sunrises with mist spectacular.
Thou shall have a thermos of hot coffee / tea / milo in the car for an après-surf warm up on hands and core. Honest, having a hot drink makes a huge difference to warming up.
Thou shall have a darn good hot breakfast after that surf and defrosting shower! Food tastes fabulous after an icy wave or 10. Hot coffee, jammy toast, pancakes, poached eggs and crispy bacon, porridge with berries and yogurt or a bubbling grilled ham and cheese spring to mind if not to stomach. But if you are eating out and about, think twice before scoffing a usual pie and sauce because the most goodness appears to be in the latter!
According to independent consumer advocate Choice there’s not much meat in those pies! And let's face it, so many more delicious breakafast options to enjoy.
Thou shall have two wetsuits – nothing is worse than pulling on dank and damp wetsuit. And it’s easier to pull your wetsuit off in the shower if you can wait that long to change.
Remember that no matter how ordinary your surf or the waves, it’s still the best way to start or finish your day.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Peace on the water
January 26 is Australia Day.
Think about how fortunate we are to live on island with so many wonderful surf breaks.
Australia Day is a good opportunity to take a look around and count our blessings.
A good day to chill out and catch a couple of waves.
A wonderful day to paddle out, smile at your fellow surfers and give away a couple of waves.
So no matter the type of board your fellow surfers are riding, smile, give ‘em a hoot as they soar past.
Because it’s true what they say – the worst day surfing is always better than the best day working.
And giving away a wave won’t kill you – and it might just make someone’s day.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Surfing’s Timeless Photographer – Barrie Sutherland
Stunning. Evocative. A timeless tranquility.
Wherever surfers gather, accolades for Barrie Sutherland’s images roll in like a king tide.
If eyes are the window to the soul, then images hold the key to the photographer’s heart.
Looking at a Barrie Sutherland photograph is like stepping back in time. Back to a time when the pace a little slower, the boards a little longer and the waves a heck of lot emptier.
The first thing that strikes you in his images are how devoid of surfers are the waves. Victorian surf breaks that now attract hundred of waveriders, are shown with just a few surfers enjoying the glorious glassy peaks or in the case of his now classic 1965 images of Bells Beach, battling leviathan waves.
Initially enthralled when the 1956 Melbourne Olympics exhibition surf carnival brought Californians Greg Noll, Mike Bright, Tom Zahn and Bobby Burnside to town, Sutherland was hooked. “They paddled out and rode malibus for the first time at Torquay Point”, he says with as much excitement as any grommet. His lifelong addiction to salt water always battled photography for first place in his heart – after girlfriend Madeleine, of course. A stunner then and a silver fox now, Madeleine has lost none of her charm and her warm personality is as strong as ever. She featured in many of Sutherland’s early works and was a talented shooter herself, her image of her husband paddling out on his longboard at Coolangatta in 1966 is considered a classic.
Back then Sutherland’s photographs of Bells Beach first came into prominence when fledgling surfing company Rip Curl decided to use one of his photos early on to promote their business.
From the moment Sutherland picked up a Kodak Box Brownie, it was evident that he had that rare ability to capture what he felt and saw. And it wasn’t long before others realised his talent.
“Rip Curl chose a classic full colour, early morning Bells Beach line-up shot of Barrie’s for our very first magazine advertisement and we captioned it ‘The Dawning of Rip Curl’", recalls company co-founder Doug Warbrick. “The heritage of surfing in Victoria and especially Bells Beach owes so much to the great black and white images shot by Barrie in the 60's and early 70s”, he says. But unlike John Witzig who lays claim to northern Australia, especially Queensland and Jack Eden to New South Wales, many of Sutherland’s Victorian photographs have never been exhibited before. Now after more than 30 years in Western Australia, where Sutherland worked in IT for Alcoa, they have returned to set up the Watermarks Photo Gallery in Torquay.
Sutherland’s connections with Torquay began in the mid-1940s when his grandparents holidayed then moved there. His cousins and later Sutherland’s family soon followed. “Riding surfboards then was out of the question, they were the 16-foot hollow plywood boards that were far too big for kids to ride, let alone ever own”, he says. “The older guys like Rex ‘China’ Gilbert, Vic Tantau, “Mumbles” Walker, Owen Yateman and a young Peter Troy were always on the scene”. Back then, he says, Torquay Point was the place to surf and was always busy with surf skis, boats and the 16-footers plying their way across the waves. When he was 10, Sutherland and his cousin decided to swim out to the main break on the sandbar. Ian made it, but Sutherland almost drowned but for a woman who pulled him out by the hair. “From that experience I learnt a life long lesson; always respect the ocean, never take it for granted and don’t take on any wave if fear strikes you”, says Sutherland. It was a lesson that stood him well some years later when facing huge, uncompromising swell at a Bells Beach competition. “We had watched four surfers paddle out into the huge waves, then Marcus Shaw looked at me and I looked at him and we decided to wait a while before paddling out”, he says. The judges called off the event due to dangerous conditions after several massive waves closed out Bells and caught the other surfers in the Bowl”.
“Bells 1965 blew them away. It was probably six to seven to eight meters and when you scaled it, the face was 25-30 ft (10m),” he says. “No-one ever knew the surf could get that big in Australia, let alone at a contest. A magazine called it the Waimea Bay of Australia,” says Sutherland.
Between 1959 to 1962, Sutherland studied engineering at the Gordon Institute of Technology. One hot day in February 1959, at Graham ‘Macca’ McKenzie’s instigation, Sutherland and some friends took a drive to Bells via the Jarosite track (now a sealed road) and that visit set in motion a deep desire for him to return and surf the powerful waves. After he graduated in civil engineering in 1962, Sutherland purchased a new Barrie Bennett nine-foot Malibu from Marcus Shaw. On the advice of mentor Joe Sweeney (the craftsman who still makes the Rip Curl Pro trophies) he went to Bells and was captivated by the waves. Sutherland purchased a 2nd hand 35mm Practika camera and a rudimentary teleconverter to enable him to start capturing action shots. As the surfing became more intense, Sutherland’s passion to record it increased. Late 1963 he was dissatisfied with the limits of the camera technology, so early 1964, Sutherland invested in a new Minolta SR1 35mm camera and a 400mm lens.
Keen to improve, Sutherland joined the Geelong Camera Club where he learnt photographic composition and dark room technique. Mentored by local photographer, Ian Hawthorne, Sutherland says he was a strict, but fair critic. Setting his ego aside, Sutherland listened carefully and took notes of Hawthorne’s comments and soon became very successful, winning many club competitions. Looking to capture what surfers took for granted as they paddled out, he investigated water housings for his Minolta, but found they were too cumbersome and expensive. Upon Nikon releasing its 35mm underwater camera, Sutherland purchased one of the first in Australia. Sutherland says his proudest photography achievement came when he combined his two loves to capture greatness on a roaring and ruthless Bells Beach in 1965. On Easter Monday 1966, tying his Nikonos camera to his waist, Sutherland made history when he paddled out on a malibu surfboard as close as he could to the impact zone and took the first photographs of Bells from the water.
Now the first water shots taken at Bells and along the Surf Coast are amongst his most famous – and best-selling - images. Sutherland’s photographs appeared in Surfing World and Surfabout magazines and were used by local surf industry pioneers, including Don Loveless at Torquay Surfer Supplies, Fred Pyke Surfboards and Rip Curl.
Despite success, surf photography back then couldn’t support a growing family. Ever a realist, Sutherland kept his passion as a hobby and joined Alcoa in their fledgling IT department at Point Henry in Geelong and a few years later, was transferred to Western Australia for a long and very successful career with Alcoa before he retired in 1999. An unsuccessful foray into a boutique surf shop / gallery, which was way ahead of its time, only made the couple long for the Victorian surf coast. However, it was evident that something was in the air if not the waves; three years earlier, he was contacted by his life-long friend John Panozzo and asked to hold an exhibition at the newly opened SurfWorld Surfing Museum. The duo had surfed along the coast for years, doings dawn patrols when some of the fabulous seascapes were taken. Sutherland took the photos, Panozzo took notes, and both caught more than their fair share of waves! Together with Jack Finlay, they spent a hectic six months and the exhibition opened to great acclaim in December, running until May 1997.
Ten years later, Sutherland and Madeleine returned to where it all began.
Sutherland has also exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Art (US), National Maritime Museum (Sydney), Surfworld Surfing Museum (Torquay), at WA’s Dunsborough Festival, Cottesloe Whalebone Classic, Margaret River Library, Margaret River Masters, Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre and Metro Church. His work has featured in many surf stores and is held in private collections throughout Australia.
“Barrie has an important place in Australian / Victorian surfing history as he was one of the few people of the time to actively catch it on film”, says former Surfing Australia CEO Alan Atkins, who won the Victorian state titles in 1967 when Sutherland snapped him standing alongside Gail Couper and Rod Brook. “Technically Barrie has an excellent eye for a surf shot and fortunately, he has maintained his library over the years; at the time, most surfers were looking for their next wave, recording their antics and surfing exploits were far from their mind (but) Barrie enjoyed his surfing immensely but also found time to record it”, says Atkins.
Down the coast at Port Fairy, Keith Curtain, editor of Australian Surf Business magazine agrees. “What can you say about Barrie Sutherland that hasn’t already been said before?” he asks via email. “Barrie occupies a rare place in Australian surfing history, because he had the presence of mind to capture and catalogue beautiful images of an embryonic surf culture emerging in South West Victoria”, he says. “It was a time before mass surf media, before the internet, each image is a time capsule, a window to our past, each lovingly taken for prosperity and not for profit.”
Over in Western Australia, Rob Holt who manages Edith Cowan University’s Bachelor of Surf Science course includes Sutherland’s images in the curriculum’s surf history unit. “Barrie is undoubtedly a significant figure in Australian surfing folklore”, booms Holt down the phone. “His images of the south coast of Vicco from the 1960s give us a real understanding of our surfing roots and our surfing culture in Australia”, he says. “The photograph that really sticks in my mind is the shot of Rob Conneeley and ‘Nipper’ on that smoking right; that's an archetypal Bells moment”, he says with the wistful tone of a man who may have taken on Bears, Yallingup and Smiths, but yearns to walk down the steep stairs and paddle out to Rincon. “Isn't that one of the fabulous things about photos though? They share such wonderful moments with future generations”, says Holt.
A few weeks earlier, visiting longboarder, talented artist and member of surf band Mal and the Longboarders, Soren Carlbergg popped into Watermarks for “a quick look around”, only to emerge two hours later. “He’s one of the special photographers”, muses Carlbergg. “Barrie is more about the atmospheric, I find them beautiful in composition, simplicity in form, very interesting in the interaction of light, he gives a timeless tranquility in his photos”.
Grant Forbes, former head of design for Rip Curl now owns Tigerfish Gallery down the road reckons Sutherland is unique. “He was actively documenting Victorian surfing when the fledgling surf media was focusing on Sydney and Queensland”, says Forbes. “While the Witzigs and Falzons, masters that they are, created heroes and a subculture through their work and the broad circulation of the surf magazines, Barrie was quietly creating beautiful images, more for the creative satisfaction than the glory of mass exposure”, he says. “So while his work is distinctly historic and ‘retro’, it's as fresh as the day it was taken...many of the images that he has stored as negatives have never been printed until now”. Forbes believes that technically too, his work stands up well in an age when we're assaulted by thousands of throwaway digital images on a daily basis, Sutherland's carefully planned pieces, textured with delicate film grain, beautifully lit and artfully printed, scream ‘quality’. “Victorian surfing is the richer for Barrie Sutherland's work; it shows us that our waves, and our surfers, are worth celebrating”, says Forbes.
Next door at the Bell Street Gallery, photographer Matthew Stevenson agrees with his neighbour. “Barrie was the only Victorian surf photographer at the time, ahead of such renowned photographers and film makers such as Alby Falzon, Jack Eden, Ron Perrot, Bob Weeks and Mal Sutherland who all hailed from NSW”, he says. “His imagery was used in the first Rip Curl advertising in 1969 and we have all grown up knowing his photos which in time where ingrained into our surfing psyche”, he says.
At Manly, Chris Moss of Heritage Surf reckons that a Sutherland image always wears its heart on its sleeve. “Barrie Sutherland gave his heart and soul to take photographs that tell us about Victorian surfing, about where surfing evolved from”, he says.
Earlier, Sutherland turned up late for a photoshoot with master glasser / shaper Peter Ashley (who retired last month. Sutherland explained that 1963 Bells winner Doug Andrew, “just popped in as I was leaving”. Ashley forgives him and the two have a laugh as Sutherland views his image of Peter surfing a wintry Bells in the de rigueur footy jumper and shorts; the faded photo has been on display at Ashley’s shop for over 40 years. Ashley recalls Sutherland taking shots of him at Winkipop (the break left of Bells bowl) in 1964. “I can remember clearly back in the 60's when new surfing vibes were new…clean consistent waves and unspoiled beaches ..very, very few surfers and Barrie always there doing his things he loved; surfing and as well as his profession, was taking photos of seascapes and true-blooded good and gutsy surfers without leg ropes and modern wetsuits ”, says Ashley. “Barrie is so friendly, without commercial ego, he is a pioneer” he adds. “Really I’m very lucky to have (the) one photo of myself surfing at Winkipop last 1964”, he says. Son Stephen, a former state surfer now does most of the shaping and he’s stoked to meet someone whose images he has admired for years.
Today Sutherland who still drives everywhere with a board in the back of his Triton ute in case of waves, sits behind the counter and in between chatting with customers, talks about returning home. “We decided it was time to come back”, says Sutherland, his hair still damp from his morning surf. But he says it was hard to leave WA, he loves being back. Sutherland looks around the gallery and smiles as various images catch his eye and memories come flooding back. An apt description too, for many of his old mates from the 60s and 70s have been rocketing through the door as soon as they heard he was back in town. Torquay may be the fastest growing town in Victoria, but set back off Bell Street, Watermarks is now one of three places that locals in the know pop in to have a yarn with other like-minded souls.
That night at the Surfworld Surfing museum, staff are flat-chat putting the final changes into the Liquid Mountains exhibition. Along with the usual suspects of trophies, posters, big wave guns and tow-in surfboards, the exhibition contains several Sutherland images. The one that draws the biggest crowd shows an intrepid Roger Falahey paddling over a monster wave at Bells Beach Bells during the infamous 1965 event. “He captured a unique time those 1965 shots of bells beach; 25ft the biggest day anyone’s seen there,” says the then director Jeff Arkinstall. “We are exceptionally proud to have Barrie Sutherland images in our collection”, he adds. An unassuming Sutherland beams with delight as he catches up with all the old surfing tribe from back in the day.
“He’s a gentlemen”, confirms Peter Dunn, inaugural president of WA’s Cottesloe Longboard Club and organizer of the annual Whalebone Classic. “He has the feeling of stoke and he’s enlightened a lot of us as to what it what was like in the early surfing days”, he adds.
Barrie images can be seen at http://www.watermarksphotogallery.com.au/
A version of this article first appeared in Slide magazine in 2008.
Wherever surfers gather, accolades for Barrie Sutherland’s images roll in like a king tide.
If eyes are the window to the soul, then images hold the key to the photographer’s heart.
Looking at a Barrie Sutherland photograph is like stepping back in time. Back to a time when the pace a little slower, the boards a little longer and the waves a heck of lot emptier.
The first thing that strikes you in his images are how devoid of surfers are the waves. Victorian surf breaks that now attract hundred of waveriders, are shown with just a few surfers enjoying the glorious glassy peaks or in the case of his now classic 1965 images of Bells Beach, battling leviathan waves.
Initially enthralled when the 1956 Melbourne Olympics exhibition surf carnival brought Californians Greg Noll, Mike Bright, Tom Zahn and Bobby Burnside to town, Sutherland was hooked. “They paddled out and rode malibus for the first time at Torquay Point”, he says with as much excitement as any grommet. His lifelong addiction to salt water always battled photography for first place in his heart – after girlfriend Madeleine, of course. A stunner then and a silver fox now, Madeleine has lost none of her charm and her warm personality is as strong as ever. She featured in many of Sutherland’s early works and was a talented shooter herself, her image of her husband paddling out on his longboard at Coolangatta in 1966 is considered a classic.
Back then Sutherland’s photographs of Bells Beach first came into prominence when fledgling surfing company Rip Curl decided to use one of his photos early on to promote their business.
From the moment Sutherland picked up a Kodak Box Brownie, it was evident that he had that rare ability to capture what he felt and saw. And it wasn’t long before others realised his talent.
“Rip Curl chose a classic full colour, early morning Bells Beach line-up shot of Barrie’s for our very first magazine advertisement and we captioned it ‘The Dawning of Rip Curl’", recalls company co-founder Doug Warbrick. “The heritage of surfing in Victoria and especially Bells Beach owes so much to the great black and white images shot by Barrie in the 60's and early 70s”, he says. But unlike John Witzig who lays claim to northern Australia, especially Queensland and Jack Eden to New South Wales, many of Sutherland’s Victorian photographs have never been exhibited before. Now after more than 30 years in Western Australia, where Sutherland worked in IT for Alcoa, they have returned to set up the Watermarks Photo Gallery in Torquay.
Sutherland’s connections with Torquay began in the mid-1940s when his grandparents holidayed then moved there. His cousins and later Sutherland’s family soon followed. “Riding surfboards then was out of the question, they were the 16-foot hollow plywood boards that were far too big for kids to ride, let alone ever own”, he says. “The older guys like Rex ‘China’ Gilbert, Vic Tantau, “Mumbles” Walker, Owen Yateman and a young Peter Troy were always on the scene”. Back then, he says, Torquay Point was the place to surf and was always busy with surf skis, boats and the 16-footers plying their way across the waves. When he was 10, Sutherland and his cousin decided to swim out to the main break on the sandbar. Ian made it, but Sutherland almost drowned but for a woman who pulled him out by the hair. “From that experience I learnt a life long lesson; always respect the ocean, never take it for granted and don’t take on any wave if fear strikes you”, says Sutherland. It was a lesson that stood him well some years later when facing huge, uncompromising swell at a Bells Beach competition. “We had watched four surfers paddle out into the huge waves, then Marcus Shaw looked at me and I looked at him and we decided to wait a while before paddling out”, he says. The judges called off the event due to dangerous conditions after several massive waves closed out Bells and caught the other surfers in the Bowl”.
“Bells 1965 blew them away. It was probably six to seven to eight meters and when you scaled it, the face was 25-30 ft (10m),” he says. “No-one ever knew the surf could get that big in Australia, let alone at a contest. A magazine called it the Waimea Bay of Australia,” says Sutherland.
Between 1959 to 1962, Sutherland studied engineering at the Gordon Institute of Technology. One hot day in February 1959, at Graham ‘Macca’ McKenzie’s instigation, Sutherland and some friends took a drive to Bells via the Jarosite track (now a sealed road) and that visit set in motion a deep desire for him to return and surf the powerful waves. After he graduated in civil engineering in 1962, Sutherland purchased a new Barrie Bennett nine-foot Malibu from Marcus Shaw. On the advice of mentor Joe Sweeney (the craftsman who still makes the Rip Curl Pro trophies) he went to Bells and was captivated by the waves. Sutherland purchased a 2nd hand 35mm Practika camera and a rudimentary teleconverter to enable him to start capturing action shots. As the surfing became more intense, Sutherland’s passion to record it increased. Late 1963 he was dissatisfied with the limits of the camera technology, so early 1964, Sutherland invested in a new Minolta SR1 35mm camera and a 400mm lens.
Keen to improve, Sutherland joined the Geelong Camera Club where he learnt photographic composition and dark room technique. Mentored by local photographer, Ian Hawthorne, Sutherland says he was a strict, but fair critic. Setting his ego aside, Sutherland listened carefully and took notes of Hawthorne’s comments and soon became very successful, winning many club competitions. Looking to capture what surfers took for granted as they paddled out, he investigated water housings for his Minolta, but found they were too cumbersome and expensive. Upon Nikon releasing its 35mm underwater camera, Sutherland purchased one of the first in Australia. Sutherland says his proudest photography achievement came when he combined his two loves to capture greatness on a roaring and ruthless Bells Beach in 1965. On Easter Monday 1966, tying his Nikonos camera to his waist, Sutherland made history when he paddled out on a malibu surfboard as close as he could to the impact zone and took the first photographs of Bells from the water.
Now the first water shots taken at Bells and along the Surf Coast are amongst his most famous – and best-selling - images. Sutherland’s photographs appeared in Surfing World and Surfabout magazines and were used by local surf industry pioneers, including Don Loveless at Torquay Surfer Supplies, Fred Pyke Surfboards and Rip Curl.
Despite success, surf photography back then couldn’t support a growing family. Ever a realist, Sutherland kept his passion as a hobby and joined Alcoa in their fledgling IT department at Point Henry in Geelong and a few years later, was transferred to Western Australia for a long and very successful career with Alcoa before he retired in 1999. An unsuccessful foray into a boutique surf shop / gallery, which was way ahead of its time, only made the couple long for the Victorian surf coast. However, it was evident that something was in the air if not the waves; three years earlier, he was contacted by his life-long friend John Panozzo and asked to hold an exhibition at the newly opened SurfWorld Surfing Museum. The duo had surfed along the coast for years, doings dawn patrols when some of the fabulous seascapes were taken. Sutherland took the photos, Panozzo took notes, and both caught more than their fair share of waves! Together with Jack Finlay, they spent a hectic six months and the exhibition opened to great acclaim in December, running until May 1997.
Ten years later, Sutherland and Madeleine returned to where it all began.
Sutherland has also exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Art (US), National Maritime Museum (Sydney), Surfworld Surfing Museum (Torquay), at WA’s Dunsborough Festival, Cottesloe Whalebone Classic, Margaret River Library, Margaret River Masters, Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre and Metro Church. His work has featured in many surf stores and is held in private collections throughout Australia.
“Barrie has an important place in Australian / Victorian surfing history as he was one of the few people of the time to actively catch it on film”, says former Surfing Australia CEO Alan Atkins, who won the Victorian state titles in 1967 when Sutherland snapped him standing alongside Gail Couper and Rod Brook. “Technically Barrie has an excellent eye for a surf shot and fortunately, he has maintained his library over the years; at the time, most surfers were looking for their next wave, recording their antics and surfing exploits were far from their mind (but) Barrie enjoyed his surfing immensely but also found time to record it”, says Atkins.
Down the coast at Port Fairy, Keith Curtain, editor of Australian Surf Business magazine agrees. “What can you say about Barrie Sutherland that hasn’t already been said before?” he asks via email. “Barrie occupies a rare place in Australian surfing history, because he had the presence of mind to capture and catalogue beautiful images of an embryonic surf culture emerging in South West Victoria”, he says. “It was a time before mass surf media, before the internet, each image is a time capsule, a window to our past, each lovingly taken for prosperity and not for profit.”
Over in Western Australia, Rob Holt who manages Edith Cowan University’s Bachelor of Surf Science course includes Sutherland’s images in the curriculum’s surf history unit. “Barrie is undoubtedly a significant figure in Australian surfing folklore”, booms Holt down the phone. “His images of the south coast of Vicco from the 1960s give us a real understanding of our surfing roots and our surfing culture in Australia”, he says. “The photograph that really sticks in my mind is the shot of Rob Conneeley and ‘Nipper’ on that smoking right; that's an archetypal Bells moment”, he says with the wistful tone of a man who may have taken on Bears, Yallingup and Smiths, but yearns to walk down the steep stairs and paddle out to Rincon. “Isn't that one of the fabulous things about photos though? They share such wonderful moments with future generations”, says Holt.
A few weeks earlier, visiting longboarder, talented artist and member of surf band Mal and the Longboarders, Soren Carlbergg popped into Watermarks for “a quick look around”, only to emerge two hours later. “He’s one of the special photographers”, muses Carlbergg. “Barrie is more about the atmospheric, I find them beautiful in composition, simplicity in form, very interesting in the interaction of light, he gives a timeless tranquility in his photos”.
Grant Forbes, former head of design for Rip Curl now owns Tigerfish Gallery down the road reckons Sutherland is unique. “He was actively documenting Victorian surfing when the fledgling surf media was focusing on Sydney and Queensland”, says Forbes. “While the Witzigs and Falzons, masters that they are, created heroes and a subculture through their work and the broad circulation of the surf magazines, Barrie was quietly creating beautiful images, more for the creative satisfaction than the glory of mass exposure”, he says. “So while his work is distinctly historic and ‘retro’, it's as fresh as the day it was taken...many of the images that he has stored as negatives have never been printed until now”. Forbes believes that technically too, his work stands up well in an age when we're assaulted by thousands of throwaway digital images on a daily basis, Sutherland's carefully planned pieces, textured with delicate film grain, beautifully lit and artfully printed, scream ‘quality’. “Victorian surfing is the richer for Barrie Sutherland's work; it shows us that our waves, and our surfers, are worth celebrating”, says Forbes.
Next door at the Bell Street Gallery, photographer Matthew Stevenson agrees with his neighbour. “Barrie was the only Victorian surf photographer at the time, ahead of such renowned photographers and film makers such as Alby Falzon, Jack Eden, Ron Perrot, Bob Weeks and Mal Sutherland who all hailed from NSW”, he says. “His imagery was used in the first Rip Curl advertising in 1969 and we have all grown up knowing his photos which in time where ingrained into our surfing psyche”, he says.
At Manly, Chris Moss of Heritage Surf reckons that a Sutherland image always wears its heart on its sleeve. “Barrie Sutherland gave his heart and soul to take photographs that tell us about Victorian surfing, about where surfing evolved from”, he says.
Earlier, Sutherland turned up late for a photoshoot with master glasser / shaper Peter Ashley (who retired last month. Sutherland explained that 1963 Bells winner Doug Andrew, “just popped in as I was leaving”. Ashley forgives him and the two have a laugh as Sutherland views his image of Peter surfing a wintry Bells in the de rigueur footy jumper and shorts; the faded photo has been on display at Ashley’s shop for over 40 years. Ashley recalls Sutherland taking shots of him at Winkipop (the break left of Bells bowl) in 1964. “I can remember clearly back in the 60's when new surfing vibes were new…clean consistent waves and unspoiled beaches ..very, very few surfers and Barrie always there doing his things he loved; surfing and as well as his profession, was taking photos of seascapes and true-blooded good and gutsy surfers without leg ropes and modern wetsuits ”, says Ashley. “Barrie is so friendly, without commercial ego, he is a pioneer” he adds. “Really I’m very lucky to have (the) one photo of myself surfing at Winkipop last 1964”, he says. Son Stephen, a former state surfer now does most of the shaping and he’s stoked to meet someone whose images he has admired for years.
Today Sutherland who still drives everywhere with a board in the back of his Triton ute in case of waves, sits behind the counter and in between chatting with customers, talks about returning home. “We decided it was time to come back”, says Sutherland, his hair still damp from his morning surf. But he says it was hard to leave WA, he loves being back. Sutherland looks around the gallery and smiles as various images catch his eye and memories come flooding back. An apt description too, for many of his old mates from the 60s and 70s have been rocketing through the door as soon as they heard he was back in town. Torquay may be the fastest growing town in Victoria, but set back off Bell Street, Watermarks is now one of three places that locals in the know pop in to have a yarn with other like-minded souls.
That night at the Surfworld Surfing museum, staff are flat-chat putting the final changes into the Liquid Mountains exhibition. Along with the usual suspects of trophies, posters, big wave guns and tow-in surfboards, the exhibition contains several Sutherland images. The one that draws the biggest crowd shows an intrepid Roger Falahey paddling over a monster wave at Bells Beach Bells during the infamous 1965 event. “He captured a unique time those 1965 shots of bells beach; 25ft the biggest day anyone’s seen there,” says the then director Jeff Arkinstall. “We are exceptionally proud to have Barrie Sutherland images in our collection”, he adds. An unassuming Sutherland beams with delight as he catches up with all the old surfing tribe from back in the day.
“He’s a gentlemen”, confirms Peter Dunn, inaugural president of WA’s Cottesloe Longboard Club and organizer of the annual Whalebone Classic. “He has the feeling of stoke and he’s enlightened a lot of us as to what it what was like in the early surfing days”, he adds.
Barrie images can be seen at http://www.watermarksphotogallery.com.au/
A version of this article first appeared in Slide magazine in 2008.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Peter Ashley, Torquay’s master glasser retires
Surfboard shapers have always been regarded by their customers as alchemists, wizards who can produce the perfect board to allow them to surf the perfect wave. 
Master shaper Peter Ashely with his son Stephen in the shaping room. Image by Alison Aprhys.
One such master shaper and glasser, Peter Ashley, has decided to retire so he can spend more time catching waves.
Based in the Australian surf capital of Torquay, Peter has been crafting boards for over half a century. Now hundreds of beautiful surf boards later, he has decided to spend more time catching waves.
Peter started out shaping plywood hollow boards when he was 14. A few years later he was respected as a world-class glasser at Fred Pyke Surfboards, which was then Torquay's first surf factory.
Considered a highly talented and gutsy surfer in the 1960s, Peter can recall paddling into big Bells Beach waves all winter, long before leg ropes and wetsuits were the go. Evidence in the form of a famous Barrie Sutherland image of Peter surfing a leviathan wave at Bells has been on display at Peter’s shop for over 40 years. A modest man, Peter lets his boards do the talking. The result is that many of his customers kept coming back for more. His son Stephen, also a respected surfer who has been shaping with him for many years, will continue to work as a freelancer.
Now an era is coming to a close. For many years, longboards, mals and shortboards bearing Peter’s distinctive yellow hibiscus logo, have been a a popular choice along the Victorian surf coast. And for locals, there will no doubt be a rush to pick up an Ashley surfboard before the end of the month.
We will miss his shaping and glassing, but will look forward to seeing him enjoy more wave time.
Disclaimer - Alison Aprhys bought her very first surfboard, a gorgeous 8’4” mal, from Peter Ashley over 13 years ago.
Master shaper Peter Ashely with his son Stephen in the shaping room. Image by Alison Aprhys.One such master shaper and glasser, Peter Ashley, has decided to retire so he can spend more time catching waves.
Based in the Australian surf capital of Torquay, Peter has been crafting boards for over half a century. Now hundreds of beautiful surf boards later, he has decided to spend more time catching waves.
Peter started out shaping plywood hollow boards when he was 14. A few years later he was respected as a world-class glasser at Fred Pyke Surfboards, which was then Torquay's first surf factory.
Considered a highly talented and gutsy surfer in the 1960s, Peter can recall paddling into big Bells Beach waves all winter, long before leg ropes and wetsuits were the go. Evidence in the form of a famous Barrie Sutherland image of Peter surfing a leviathan wave at Bells has been on display at Peter’s shop for over 40 years. A modest man, Peter lets his boards do the talking. The result is that many of his customers kept coming back for more. His son Stephen, also a respected surfer who has been shaping with him for many years, will continue to work as a freelancer.
Now an era is coming to a close. For many years, longboards, mals and shortboards bearing Peter’s distinctive yellow hibiscus logo, have been a a popular choice along the Victorian surf coast. And for locals, there will no doubt be a rush to pick up an Ashley surfboard before the end of the month.
We will miss his shaping and glassing, but will look forward to seeing him enjoy more wave time.
Disclaimer - Alison Aprhys bought her very first surfboard, a gorgeous 8’4” mal, from Peter Ashley over 13 years ago.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Baby, it’s cold outside
Hi my name is Alison and I'm an ice-queen.
Winter has descended onto Torquay.
Not with a roaring, stormy, squally rush, but with a gentle glacial chill.
Despite the lack of wind, the drizzle and plummeting temperature mean that if you haven’t already dusted off your 4/3 steamer, booties, hood and hot-water bottle, it’s only matter of days.
Recently I was getting into my wetsuit (should have suited up before I left the house) at the point car park one wintry Sunday dawn, I overheard a rugged-up-to-the-max dog-walker say to another as they glanced over at me, 'what makes these people go there when it's so bloody cold?'I wanted to call out, “passion, my friend, passion”.
But as I struggled with the back zip and inserted my earplugs, I had to admit that it’s more a heady mixture of passion and sheer bloody determination to down the last of your coffee from the insulated mug, kick off your woolly slippers, shed a toasty polar fleece jumper hastily donned over your PJs to drag on an often still-damp wetsuit, run across sand so cold it burns your feet despite booties and relish the warm (by comparison) ocean.
Although, when an offshore westerly signals snow dumps to cheer the hearts of skiers even as it penetrates your wetsuit, snap-freezes your spine and the waves refuse to break, you do occasionally wonder what in hell’s name you are doing out there.
Sometimes it can be bleak out there in the water with the other desperados, while everyone else appears to be at home reading the weekend papers and enjoying another slice of hot buttered raisin toast. But when the swell arrives, be it at Possos, Juc or places further south, when you paddle those numb hands and catch that icy wave and tear down its glassy face, you wouldn't change your place with kings.
It takes a special kind of person to surf through winter.
OK, I’d like to think that as someone who willingly wakes before five o’clock in the morning twelve months of the year, leaps into their swimmers without even checking the surf report and
despite modern conveniences such as surfcams and online weather reports, bundles her boards, wax, a towel and a yawning husband into the car (not in that order) before driving off to the local beach with supreme confidence that today it will be pumping despite howling winds or hail; I’d like to think that this kind of person is, well, someone cool.
But I suspect it really boils down to being obsessed and as stubborn as all get out.
Sure, it’s easy to rise before dawn during Torquay’s seemingly endless summers and spend the day alternating between the glassy waves and the shade from the wind-twisted trees at Point Danger.
But come that first autumnal hint, then the non-committed turn away from the ocean and take up squash, skiing or footy until November.
Thank goodness.
Like those who purport to follow Richmond, but in reality only cheer them when they are winning, these fickle folk don’t realize what they are missing as winter surf is exhilarating time! Not only are the waves less crowded, they are heaps more fun to ride.
Fewer surfers mean less competition and a far mellower vibe.
Any foolish rivalry, either real or imagined between the tribes shortboarders, longboarders, mal riders, waveskiers, kneeboarders, standup paddlers and bodyboarders, for the most part disappears as we all sit there, hands tucked under armpits, teeth chattering together.
As you bob up and down with your fellow desperados, you feel scorn for those who non-believers who pull into the carpark, shake their heads and return home, warm , dry and without a wave to their name.
Some of the more mature longboarders even don neoprene rubber caps, looking strangely like medieval butchers or extras from ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ as they swiftly paddle past. Perhaps it’s because I learned to surf here in Victoria where the water might be just 10 degrees whilst the wind chill factor you’d swear under oath is no more than 11, that I shake my head at the bleats from my friends in Sydney some 1000 km north, when they complain about winter.
Still, you know how cold it is by the time it takes for your feet to numb up - when you can’t feel your toes; it’s definitely time to paddle in.
Emerging, the wind whips through you as you pelt up the sand.
In the car park you thaw your frozen feet and hands by pouring the remains of the thermos flask contents over them or a specially prepared hot water bottle; the rick is to wrap it in a towel, then plastic bag and place it under your car.
This enables you can defrost your hands to get your keys hanging on a lanyard around your neck and insert it into the car lock without help from strangers passing by), and hurriedly place said towel on the seat so you can drive home rubber-clad. On the days when my husband has the car and I cycle to the beach, I wear gloves so I can maintain grip on the handlebars and coming back, I peddle as hard as I can to get the blood going.
Dashing inside, you jump in the shower, turn the water on hot, hot, hot and are revived in the heat rush.
Later, rugged up and sipping miso soup or tea, then gobbling porridge, crumpets or poached eggs (some days you feel so starved you’d consume it all) by the fire, you relive every wave and email or text your girlfriends about the amazing rides you caught, wiped out on and the Harvey wallbanger sunrise you were privileged to witness.
Who cares about mortgages, the falling economy, your idiot boss or newspaper headlines?
Its winter waves ahoy.
The surf is up and so are my spirits.
Winter has descended onto Torquay.
Not with a roaring, stormy, squally rush, but with a gentle glacial chill.
Despite the lack of wind, the drizzle and plummeting temperature mean that if you haven’t already dusted off your 4/3 steamer, booties, hood and hot-water bottle, it’s only matter of days.
Recently I was getting into my wetsuit (should have suited up before I left the house) at the point car park one wintry Sunday dawn, I overheard a rugged-up-to-the-max dog-walker say to another as they glanced over at me, 'what makes these people go there when it's so bloody cold?'I wanted to call out, “passion, my friend, passion”.
But as I struggled with the back zip and inserted my earplugs, I had to admit that it’s more a heady mixture of passion and sheer bloody determination to down the last of your coffee from the insulated mug, kick off your woolly slippers, shed a toasty polar fleece jumper hastily donned over your PJs to drag on an often still-damp wetsuit, run across sand so cold it burns your feet despite booties and relish the warm (by comparison) ocean.
Although, when an offshore westerly signals snow dumps to cheer the hearts of skiers even as it penetrates your wetsuit, snap-freezes your spine and the waves refuse to break, you do occasionally wonder what in hell’s name you are doing out there.
Sometimes it can be bleak out there in the water with the other desperados, while everyone else appears to be at home reading the weekend papers and enjoying another slice of hot buttered raisin toast. But when the swell arrives, be it at Possos, Juc or places further south, when you paddle those numb hands and catch that icy wave and tear down its glassy face, you wouldn't change your place with kings.
It takes a special kind of person to surf through winter.
OK, I’d like to think that as someone who willingly wakes before five o’clock in the morning twelve months of the year, leaps into their swimmers without even checking the surf report and
despite modern conveniences such as surfcams and online weather reports, bundles her boards, wax, a towel and a yawning husband into the car (not in that order) before driving off to the local beach with supreme confidence that today it will be pumping despite howling winds or hail; I’d like to think that this kind of person is, well, someone cool.
But I suspect it really boils down to being obsessed and as stubborn as all get out.
Sure, it’s easy to rise before dawn during Torquay’s seemingly endless summers and spend the day alternating between the glassy waves and the shade from the wind-twisted trees at Point Danger.
But come that first autumnal hint, then the non-committed turn away from the ocean and take up squash, skiing or footy until November.
Thank goodness.
Like those who purport to follow Richmond, but in reality only cheer them when they are winning, these fickle folk don’t realize what they are missing as winter surf is exhilarating time! Not only are the waves less crowded, they are heaps more fun to ride.
Fewer surfers mean less competition and a far mellower vibe.
Any foolish rivalry, either real or imagined between the tribes shortboarders, longboarders, mal riders, waveskiers, kneeboarders, standup paddlers and bodyboarders, for the most part disappears as we all sit there, hands tucked under armpits, teeth chattering together.
As you bob up and down with your fellow desperados, you feel scorn for those who non-believers who pull into the carpark, shake their heads and return home, warm , dry and without a wave to their name.
Some of the more mature longboarders even don neoprene rubber caps, looking strangely like medieval butchers or extras from ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ as they swiftly paddle past. Perhaps it’s because I learned to surf here in Victoria where the water might be just 10 degrees whilst the wind chill factor you’d swear under oath is no more than 11, that I shake my head at the bleats from my friends in Sydney some 1000 km north, when they complain about winter.
Still, you know how cold it is by the time it takes for your feet to numb up - when you can’t feel your toes; it’s definitely time to paddle in.
Emerging, the wind whips through you as you pelt up the sand.
In the car park you thaw your frozen feet and hands by pouring the remains of the thermos flask contents over them or a specially prepared hot water bottle; the rick is to wrap it in a towel, then plastic bag and place it under your car.
This enables you can defrost your hands to get your keys hanging on a lanyard around your neck and insert it into the car lock without help from strangers passing by), and hurriedly place said towel on the seat so you can drive home rubber-clad. On the days when my husband has the car and I cycle to the beach, I wear gloves so I can maintain grip on the handlebars and coming back, I peddle as hard as I can to get the blood going.
Dashing inside, you jump in the shower, turn the water on hot, hot, hot and are revived in the heat rush.
Later, rugged up and sipping miso soup or tea, then gobbling porridge, crumpets or poached eggs (some days you feel so starved you’d consume it all) by the fire, you relive every wave and email or text your girlfriends about the amazing rides you caught, wiped out on and the Harvey wallbanger sunrise you were privileged to witness.
Who cares about mortgages, the falling economy, your idiot boss or newspaper headlines?
Its winter waves ahoy.
The surf is up and so are my spirits.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Not The Dream Tour…taking the rose-tinted glasses off pro surfing
Surfing for a living…ah.
I can feel the sun disappear as I glide into long Bells barrel.
As I emerge after what seems an age, the loudspeaker booms congratulations as the judges award me a 9.2, Gilmore looks furious and Layne gives ma thumbs-up from the beach. Walking up the sands through the cheering crowds, execs from leviathan companies rush up, all eager to sign me on to amazing sponsorship deals and Santa Claus royalties.
A life of endless summers awaits…
That crash you just heard was me hitting a reality check.
Writing this from my office in Jan Juc, any view of the ocean today obliterated by autumnal fog and more than my newspaper deadlines, (alas money and talent lead the list) prohibit me from packing up my boards, buying a ticket, leaving my husband a note reminding him to feed the cat and chickens and heading off to surfing fame and fortune.
And after reading Tunnel Vision: the true story of my probably insane quest to become a professional surfer by Margaret River local Sullivan McLeod, I’m not sure it’s the dream life so many of us think.
After a surfing mate at Reuters (thanks Jim) put me onto this book, (which opens opens with the line “I decided to become a professional surfer a few years ago in a sauna in Norway”) I've been thinking long and hard about what it takes to make the WQS, let alone the hallowed waves of the WCT.
And despite reporting on all kinds of surfing topics, events and profiles for over decade, I really had no idea that it was so easy…well, not easy but let’s say uncomplicated, to go on the WQS.
You pays your money to register, you commit to competing, you attend the events and surf and you get rated.
Yep, that’s how it works.
Of course there’s a million more factors, mostly things that an go wrong, such as being jailed, living out of suitcases, lost luggage, missing flights, losing boards, stolen wallets, hangovers, weird competitors, you name it.
Not to mention actually surfing.
By the end of 2006, McLeod was rated 567th on the WQS – he’d actually put his money where his mouth was and had a crack at something most of us only admit to after our 3rd wine or 8th beer.
Tunnel Vision is a fly-on-the-wall look at the surfing events and athletes that don’t make the covers of Tracks or Surfer magazines; who aren’t up on the podium holding up the trophy while bookmarked by bikini-babes; who live on rice and veggies while sharing dodgy hotel rooms, loan and borrow gear and strive and suffer to get points, keep form and overcome all the head-games that the lower levels of pro-surfing demands. It’s certainly not the flash life that so many dream of as they paddle out at Kirra, Yalls, Winki or Narra.
So the next time you fantacise about throwing in your IT job or plumbing apprenticeship and having a go at the good life as enjoyed by Steph and Mick, grab a copy of Tunnel Vision first. And if do decide to chase the dream, it's a good look at what could be ahead.
It’s a fun and sometimes sobering tale and should be compulsive reading for anyone contemplating the WQS - or looking for an excuse not to.
http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781741757132
I can feel the sun disappear as I glide into long Bells barrel.
As I emerge after what seems an age, the loudspeaker booms congratulations as the judges award me a 9.2, Gilmore looks furious and Layne gives ma thumbs-up from the beach. Walking up the sands through the cheering crowds, execs from leviathan companies rush up, all eager to sign me on to amazing sponsorship deals and Santa Claus royalties.
A life of endless summers awaits…
That crash you just heard was me hitting a reality check.
Writing this from my office in Jan Juc, any view of the ocean today obliterated by autumnal fog and more than my newspaper deadlines, (alas money and talent lead the list) prohibit me from packing up my boards, buying a ticket, leaving my husband a note reminding him to feed the cat and chickens and heading off to surfing fame and fortune.
And after reading Tunnel Vision: the true story of my probably insane quest to become a professional surfer by Margaret River local Sullivan McLeod, I’m not sure it’s the dream life so many of us think.
After a surfing mate at Reuters (thanks Jim) put me onto this book, (which opens opens with the line “I decided to become a professional surfer a few years ago in a sauna in Norway”) I've been thinking long and hard about what it takes to make the WQS, let alone the hallowed waves of the WCT.
And despite reporting on all kinds of surfing topics, events and profiles for over decade, I really had no idea that it was so easy…well, not easy but let’s say uncomplicated, to go on the WQS.
You pays your money to register, you commit to competing, you attend the events and surf and you get rated.
Yep, that’s how it works.
Of course there’s a million more factors, mostly things that an go wrong, such as being jailed, living out of suitcases, lost luggage, missing flights, losing boards, stolen wallets, hangovers, weird competitors, you name it.
Not to mention actually surfing.
By the end of 2006, McLeod was rated 567th on the WQS – he’d actually put his money where his mouth was and had a crack at something most of us only admit to after our 3rd wine or 8th beer.
Tunnel Vision is a fly-on-the-wall look at the surfing events and athletes that don’t make the covers of Tracks or Surfer magazines; who aren’t up on the podium holding up the trophy while bookmarked by bikini-babes; who live on rice and veggies while sharing dodgy hotel rooms, loan and borrow gear and strive and suffer to get points, keep form and overcome all the head-games that the lower levels of pro-surfing demands. It’s certainly not the flash life that so many dream of as they paddle out at Kirra, Yalls, Winki or Narra.
So the next time you fantacise about throwing in your IT job or plumbing apprenticeship and having a go at the good life as enjoyed by Steph and Mick, grab a copy of Tunnel Vision first. And if do decide to chase the dream, it's a good look at what could be ahead.
It’s a fun and sometimes sobering tale and should be compulsive reading for anyone contemplating the WQS - or looking for an excuse not to.
http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781741757132
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