Kneelograin

"The whole discussion of whether an image is manipulated or not is an outdated one that belongs in a photo department at a newspaper in the ’90s. I think it’s more interesting to observe our overflow of images and the fact that every man can call their self a photographer. Out of all these images, how much can we absorb and how much will we forget?"

 photographer/artist Peter Funch 2011

This post dedicated to Queensland DisAbility Action Week and the surfers with disAbility and still charging no matter what. Legends!!

Stoke is for all

Stoke is for all. Whether you are a little kid hamming it up.

Or a kid with a new board ready for its first wax.

Crook as

We see more whales than kneelo's in this part of Brinetopia, so I was stoked to shoot this unknown gent having a whale of a time on a few wind chopped walls not so long ago. This post is for another kneelo - my brine brother Barry D, an African ex-pat living on the Gold Coast who has been crook for a while.

I can sympathise with Barry as I haven't been feeling too well myself lately. Times like this, one gets to stop and reflect just how wonderful life as a surfer is - memorable waves, a quiver to choose from, solid friends to share the stoke (and mock), views from the shoulder and the channel that the average punter will never experience, eclectic music to lift the spirits, travels to new and favourite swirlings of brine. Here's to us all getting better and wetter.

If Frank's kombi could only talk...maybe it would recount fables from the road like this one from goofyfooter Mark, who sent me this email recently (edited slightly to achieve G rating!):

"Terrible conditions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning, didn't even get wet. Knocked off work early Wednesday and decided to make one last check before heading home. Surprised to find a 3 foot left, clean, off-shore, super consistent, no-one out, not a soul. Mad dash to the car. Freezing cold, paddled out and got a fantastic left straight away - looked in to shore in anticipation of the hills having eyes, but no-one suiting up. Paddled out again, another ripper left, again looked around, still no-one. What the *&%$ is going on? Did I miss a shark alert? Have I finally fallen through the reality crack? Am I actually still curled up under my desk at work?

Two hours of solitary lefts, the only company being a learner for about 20 minutes. A couple of absolute bombs. I kept taking a wave as soon as I paddled back out, thinking I better make the most of it before the crowd arrives - but no-one came. I'm putting it in my top 3 left surfs of all time, maybe even the top?"

Intermission

Team Brine have been on safari for the last four days, so apologies for the Intermission. Shot a lot of stuff - but alas no surfing. Details to follow.
Meantime here's another entry on the cornucopia of craft that are not 6'2" white thrusters - a kneeboarder and mate hooting from the shoulder. This one is so old that even I'm not sure where it is. I found it in one of the many yellow plastic Kodak slide film boxes that I have carted from my folks place to mate's places to my own places over the last 30 years. I'm guessing maybe Point Cartwright around '87.
Then again it could be Granite. Nah, no Cooloola coloured sands on the horizon. That settles it. This is definetly Cartwright. Just don't ask me the name of the rider.

A long time ago we used to be friends

No idea where these folk are these days. That Kombi's probably bubbling along Highway One with a few logs in the back. Russell, Gina and Liona down near Lennox Head back when Sky Surfboards made funky kneeboards that married post-punk aesthetics with post-Greenough kneeboard design.
Autumn 1981