Reid Johnson

Reid Johnson enjoying a few glassy lefts on a winter morning while most of us were at work.

The last one ended up closer than it looks. Thanks for not running over me.

Value for Money

Found this greeting card in a seaside shop the other day. Not sure where it was taken or who the surfer was. Could be Nat Young. Not even sure if the colour is original. It does look like the cover of an October 1965 Surfing World magazine and features a price of four shillings. So the shot has to be at least 45 years ago. (Note the lack of drop ins!)

Now Aussie currency converted from pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents in February 1966.  So 45 years ago the surf mag cost about 40 cents . And in those days a pack of smokes was about 20 cents. Now they are 50 times greater, but the mags are still around $15. Now that's value for money.

Images courtesy of Surfing World mag (I think)

A Thousand Leagues

"A journey of a thousand leagues

begins with a single step"

Lao Tzu

I have started a journey of many leagues

 - one that I hope will lead to 

clean, quality, uncrowded waves with a bunch of mates 

at an exotic destination upon an ocean 

I haven't sailed since last century. 

I have only taken a few steps - 

deposits for boat charters, food, airfares, (new board) 

and vaccinations against typhoid, tetanus, Hep A/B

But I am on my way.

Big thanks to Lyn Ling,

 the non-surfing organiser 

and herder of us surfing goats.

Last Sunday

Last Sunday I heard lots of funny words from friends,

felt the power of the brine propelling my 85 kg mass shorewards and

marvelled at the interplay between winter light and time on our island.

Stoked!

Last Monday

 Parrish Watts from Vintage Pacific Surfcraft doing a spot of R&D on the vaiables of rocker, flex, tide and water-to-sand ratio last Monday.

Electric Alaia

The spirits of Kesey, Leary, Dora, Duke and the ancient alaia sliders arrive at First Point Noosa.

Want to make your own wooden board. Try Ryan Burch's method here.

Kick Out the Jams

Muesli and coffee. Check.
Bike ride to mail box. Check.
Old skool MC5. Check.
Nikonos loaded. Check.

OK.
Now I'm ready.

Simple

So much complexity
In the journey from A to B
Passwords for Google accounts
Passwords for Facebook accounts
Combination codes for ATM Cards
Combination codes for key safes, bicycle locks and work log ons
Not forgetting iTune download permission codes (keepin it legal)

Versus simplicity

Wet Suit Singing

Back in a dry suit
after two weeks away

-

Wet suits singing

in the westerlie winds

stories of our sojourn

One from the road

Still on the road.

Surfed two different boards

At five different breaks

After eight days

of sunshine and blue skies

We now have torrential rain

Where the Cows have no names

With sunny winter days

and crisp cold nights

It's time to head north

To my mother's country

Where the cows have no names

Where warm little waves

rumble over sand

To catch up with friends

And maintain the stoke

Pink Tang

The Beatles borrowed from Carl Perkins and the Stones borrowed from Robert Johnson.

And Pink Floyd borrowed from the ancient Chinese poems of the Tang Dynasty almost 1200 years earlier.

"Little by little the night turns around.
Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn"

"Over the mountain watching the watcher.
Breaking the darkness, waking the grapevine."

"Witness the man who raves at the wall
Making the shape of his questions to Heaven"

taken from Pink Floyd Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Mono MOnday

Celebration roses

from the Australian bush

for my American 

friends

on this chilly

4th of July

Happy

Independence Day

Hayden Long

The name Hayden is synonymous in these parts with Hayden Kenny - a Sunshine Coast surfboard builder since the 1960's when he employed a couple of young fellas called Bob Cooper, Russel Hughes (RIP), Darryl "Rooster" Dell, Algie Grud, Bob McTavish and George Greenough.
Another icon up this way is seller of surf memorabilia and all manner of shells and seaArT, The Big Shell at Teewantin - one of the original Big Tourist Attractions. Owner Tim tells me that it also started in the mid-sixties. That's Tim and his watch dog below outside the Shell's entrance (the big shell of course) with a prized Hayden board from the early era. Tim is calling it a day and selling The Big Shell property and business so if you want a sea change and a piece of Noosa history get in contact with Tim to negotiate a deal. Big thanks Tim for sharing your time and your beautiful old Hayden.