R.I.P. Dane Reynolds on the WCT

R.I.P. Reynolds on the WCT.

I applaud Dane Reynolds for leaving the WCT.

I applaud him for taking on a "new beginning". 

Take away his fashion sense, arty clips and look at his surfing only and I'm sure you'd agree he is one of the most progressive surfers, if not the most progressive surfer, in the world today. It's sad that he is leaving for those who follow the tour, but at the end of the day surfing never started as a competitive sport like football or soccer, it was more a form of expression and enjoyment for the individual.

As you can see in this montage from 2010, Dane performed at a high level of surfing ability that most professionals currently on tour will and have never achieved whilst competing or whilst free surfing. He showed an international audience what can be done on a surfboard.





Dane leaving the tour can hopefully only allow for surfing to progress at a faster rate without the restrictions of competition. Sure he might ride some shapes that don't work, but he might also ride boards that aren't your standard 6'2 thruster that have dominated surfboard design for the last 10 years. He might ride something new that progresses surfing further than ever imagined. In the words of the late A.Einstein
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new".

I think it's pretty safe to say the future of surfing looks exciting!

Ranga with Bangs


Acrylic on wood...bit bigger than A5 in size

Mock me


Base and Computer mock up of "Ranga with Bangs" piece I put in the Art Park Christmas show last Friday night.

Bleach*


Sent off my artist info form to confirm my involvement in Bleach*.
For more info go here.  Looking forward to this immensely.

Purch's Best Friend


Roxy, Purch's besty, with my Quartet...some time ago

Send more love


Dropped by my parents house on lunch today and checked the post and to my amazement there was something for me that wasn't a bill, fine, bad magazine or a flyer asking me to join the local gym (guy-m).

Instead it was a postcard from one of my best friends who moved to America a few years back.  Nek-minnit anything on my mind washed away and a smile was painted across my face.  All gummy.

I encourage you to post a friend something today, don't text, email, facebook, tweet, skype them...post them??  Do it.  I guarantee you'll surprise them and put a smile on their face!

Pasty


Rhythm x Board Culture // Pasted from Rhythm Livin on Vimeo.

Did a big paste-up last week of Harry's Son Roach for Rhythm at Board Culture on the Gold Coast.  Twas fun.

Slide


A shot Peto took of me riding his hull from earlier in the year at Lennox scored a double spread-type-thing in the latest Slide Magazine.  Nek minnit...stoked.

Once was lost, now is found


A fin (centre, big blue thing) I designed once upon a time popped up on Crawley's blog.
Based it off the tail of a jet.

Oh Well

Purcharelly Ding-Dong



My 2nd Purch Quartet is nearly complete.  "She will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine"

Shaka Chanel (Surf or Die)


Portraits with my deck from the I Used to Skate Once Show, Brisbane 2011.
Top to Bottom: Max, Rab, Yours truly.
100 ISO shot on Konica Tomato

CK & Ronald Mac


Mentor, friend and all round dude.
CK en route Used to Skate Once 2011.
100 ISO shot on Konica Tomato

132 Photos and 3 hours later


4 rolls of film scanned 
so stay tuned for photos of randomness 
of the last 6 or something months 
of my life.

Korduroy Interview


Interview with Korduroy TV here.
A little old in the cyber world but better late than never (maybe)!

Mia & Me



Found these creepin around on Mia's site.  These were two collabs I did with Mia for the Ze Frog & Toad show in Sydney almost a year ago.  Stoked I found these photos because I never got a chance to photograph them before the show.


Seeing this guy...

 ..in just under 2 weeks.  Can't wait!
Rangi pondering life midway through a Slush Puppy.  Sometime in the Australian summer of 09/10.

COME SHOT


A new clip I made starring two of my favorite compadrĆ©s for Rhythm.  Enjoy it or don't!

Filing SUX

Editing a clip for the world wide web starts today.  Sifting through 30-something gig of footage begins.  Stay tuned for "(haven't decided on a name)".

New Sa Chork Tyme



Decided to take advantage of a random slab of concrete framed by a bunch of dirt, leaves and a hand rail.  Took to it with a stick of chalk courtesy of the young lady who took these images.  Noosa, 2011

Lost Neville


This is the trailer to Kai Neville's new film Lost Alas.  It makes me depressed seeing what guys my age and younger are doing on surfboards these days...makes me feel like an absolute kook....the truth hurts haha.  Inspires me to want to 
1. Travel more.
2. Surf more.
3. Shoot more.
4. Edit more.
5. Travel more.
6. Hang with my friends more.
7. Live more?
Maybe that's what ''livin' the dream is'' then?! 
*$&)(O@)()&$*#&$(*Q*#)($@&)*#$)*

Wax Off @ Ze Mill

My two pieces I put in the Wax Off Show at The Sugar Mill 
Left to Right: Girl Wrapped in Snake, Boy Wrapped in Snake.

I USED TO SKATE ONCE

This is the skate deck I did for the I Used To Skate Once show for 2011.  If it wasn't for my friend picking up my spelling mistake at the 11th hour my deck would have said "I USED TO SURE ONCE".  Thanks for the heads up PM, and thanks to Claud for the shot I stole from his iPhone photo blog The Fish in the Sea.

The Worthys 2011

New edition of Surfing World is out and I was lucky enough for my portrait of Westerly Windina (formerly known as Peter Drouyn) to receive the opening spread in the article for the finalists of The Worthys. Stoked I made the finalists and can't wait for the show later in the year.   Some amazing entries in there, stoked to be sitting alongside them.

Studio Move Out Post 4 of 5

Lamps, shoes, paint, nutcracker, tool box, drinks, paint.......etc etc

Studio Move Out Post 3 of 5

Found the Sea Biccy hiding behind the sofa.  He was in good spirits.

Studio Move Out Post 2 of 5


One of the pillars holding up my studio roof was covered in the previous home owners children's heights.  As you can see we added to the list.  Dexter's pretty small for 22-years old.

Studio Move Out Post 1 of 5

Moved out of my studio recently.  As I stopped halfway through the pack up I experienced a visual montage in my brain of my time spent there and came to the conclusion that I will miss her (the studio was a girl).  Everyday this week I'll post a photo from the pack up for your enjoyment or disappointment.

Happy Fridays


Screen grab from mock up of a new work.  Happy Fridays :) Pointless post...sorry

2 many reds

Post Kopps/Knost show all we wanted to do was drink beers and play Space Invaders but this guy wouldn't budge. 

Kopps, Whalebone and Craig reading.

Kopps, Whalebone and Craig reading the first ArtPark Journal at Kopps/Knost show.

Doc & Stu

  
Doc and Stu gettin' deep at Kopps/Knost Show at Ninelives

Schmi Lee

  
"Hey Jai, I...ergh, I gotta...ergh go to the toilet....then I'm gonna grab a beer".
Jai Lee at Kopps/Knost show earlier this year at NineLives.

Joni x Johnny


Tweaked.  I was looking at a roll of Super8 I shot when Joni Sterbach and crew were shooting in Byron a few months ago.  Hit the space bar halfway through the roll and the weird half frame of Joni's face and Johnny Abegg's body appeared.  Weird.

WAX OFF TONIGHT


If you're in Sydney, or to be more specific Narrabeen tonight you should come along to WAX OFF at the Sugarmill.  I have a couple of pieces in the show and there's all the big names featuring as well.  Should be a top night.

Vaughan (part 2 of 2)


People like Vaughan make me feel like a goldfish, even a real tool at times. Why you ask? Because Vaughan is one of 'those people' who you could be introduced to at 2am in a bar 100x Jager Bombs down and 6-months later you could bump into him in a street halfway across the world and he'll still remember your name and what you talked about ''that night''.  His brother Ron is the same so it must be something in their blood.  To rub his 'remembering names/faces talent' in your wounds check his blog here.
blog out

A little bird....

....told me that it was flying around a shaping bay on the weekend and saw my freshly shaped board waiting to be glassed.  My first wave on a NPJ Quartet blew my mind...literally...it nearly exploded sending my brain into a kazillion little pieces for the dolphins snack on like peanut butter and jam on toast.  From that day forward I knew I needed one. Alas me being all Mike Myers in Wayne's World (see above) "She will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine!"



Vaughan drew me (part 1 or 2)


Vaughan has a blog where he draws people and he recently drew yours truly.  Vaughan admitted it himself when saying I "look like the captain of an Italian football team".  To be honest the first time I saw it I instantly thought of the d-bag from the worst movie ever Skyline (I recommend never ever ever ever watching this, my friends hired it from the movie store and by golly gosh they sure secured that it was the last time they ever choose a movie) meets the Lion from The Wizard of Oz.  Either way I'm chuffed; my hair looks clean, my mo looks more manly that it actually is and I have the tan the colour of a Caramello Koala chewed up and spat out.  Stay tuned for my portrait of Vaughan tomorrow.