Tasmanian Tripping

   It's funny when you just think of a place because of one thing and you don't know anything else about it. Tasmania has so much more to offer than just Shipstern, the people are as friendly as the Irish and have big hearts welcoming you anywhere you went. On a trip recently there for other reasons than surf I was also pleasantly suprised by the beauty of the surroundings as I was tripping around. From classic stone buildings restored to their original state to the eucalyptus soaked hill sides and the stunning east coast beaches it's certainly a place to return to.
   Not really expecting Shipstern to break I was more driven to see the sights and the first, well you could say delivered. Driving around Hobart in the evening of the first day looking for a nice bar for a pint I kept going pass a Hotel and for some reason it was tempting me to go in. Within 5mins of being in there I found myself in the barmaid's car playing with a baby Wallaby she had saved. Stef did say she had a boyfriend straight away, but I respect bar staff and never have, never will hit on bar staff so she had nothing to worry about, besides I had this a cute baby Wallaby in my hands and it was frign soo cool to hold him. It was so fragile but Stef said Wally was getting stronger every day, she had saved it from the mom which had been mowed down by a car, so sad. Back in the bar I got to know the 2 barmaids better over a few of the best Guinness I've had since leaving Ireland. What a brilliant start to me trip. I got to know them a little more during my stay, really nice young ladies that made what could've been some dull nites so frign halarious that I got sore stomach muscles from laughing so much.
   Oh and by the way if you sit in the corner of a bar and want a drink feckn ask nicely and respect the hard working barmaids, don't just sit their gawking at them and throw sexual verbal abuse at them expecting to still be served. They're their to serve you drinks, not to take crap that they don't need to hear, if i'm in the vicinity of your bullshit I will say something and believe me I feel strongly about respecting bar staff. Sure have a laugh with them but don't cross the line, I told an older guy off at this bar, Stef said to me he's done that for years and thanked me for standing up for them, apparently he's come in since as he's a regular but now is really nice to them. Happy days aye...respect.

Stef & Wally

 The next day was the business part of the trip with a bit of a sore head, so I got what i had to do out of the way quickly and proceeded down to Shipstern. I didn't really know how I'd handle the walk in, with the van parked up at the end of the road I started on me trek in. Oh shit my legs burned so hard, I'm not exactly made for hills but with the thought of Shipstern breaking I pushed on through the bush and got to the lookout eventually. Sitting down catching me breath I saw my first set hitting the reef, holy shit it's truly a scary looking beast but so perectly mutated that you can't look anywhere else. The crack and boom as it unleashed on the reef was easily heard from my vantage point. Considering I didn't even expect to see it break while in Tasmania I just sat there thinking how frign lucky I am, life is great. Having not seen anything remotely like this since Ireland I ended up walking in 3 times over the next 5 days.

The walk in

   The second day I was lucky enough to meet Marti and Mikey, they were walking in to paddle it, fair balls to them because it was big enough and blowing a side shore gale producing over a 1m chop out there. They paddled into a few but it was just too bumpy, stuffed if I know how they didn't get mowed down by the rogue sets. It was a pretty heavy session to watch, I know it wasn't perfect by any means but I was stoked to the eyeballs to see it bigger and gnarlier than the first day. Because the wave breaks over reef the colours that saturate the wave as it breaks is this beautiful teal green, every photogs dream. There were alot of waves unridden as there wasn't anyone towing really but the boys were their to push themselves in the paddle zone, some waves are more stunning with no one on them and that lets your imagination run wild.

Marti & Mikey sitting on the edge

Every beach should have 1 of these

   I also had the honor of meeting the legend Wizz, the brains behind Harddartz surfboards. Not just surfboards thou, he also does wooden carvings. Each piece he brings out is as impressive as the first, a bulldogs head larger than life carved out of a solid piece of fallen tree, so much here so much to see. You know, I went to the world respected "Mona" gallery in Hobart and personally I think some of his work should be in there, one piece in particular of a hand that is just freaky with long gangly fingers and protrudent knuckles simply carved out of a branch. But what really caught my eye was the timber surfbaord hanging on the wall waiting for another day to be ridden. It looked like nothing I had ever seen with it's water channelling system and beautiful grain. I heard that it rode like no other board gliding across the water with ease, balanced to perfection. I heard you needn't force a turn, the natural wieght and grain in the board along with it's unique finless design and channels it does everything for you, I heard that this was possibly the perfect board...

The legend and the future

  Driving back to Hobart along the coast their's some impressive scenery, one of which looked like a scene out of Lord of the Rings with a city of towering pinnacles of stone.
   Hobart is a bustling little city, easy to get around without getting lost. Cafe's, galleries and trendy little shops line the yatch soaked harbour. The surrounding headland's a combination of bush and houses precariously hanging on the edge watching over Hobart. I did not expect to get anything from this trip, it was a trip for other reasons so you could say I was pleasantly suprised. I fell in love with Tasmania and the people and I will be definatley returning.
   I'd just like to say thanks to the friendly people I met along the way especially Marti and Mikey for urging me to head back into shipstern even thou my legs were fecked and cheers for helping me out. Last but not least a huge thanks to Stef and Sarah, I didn't expect to make such awesome friends as you 2, your gorgeous smiles and wicked humour made my trip.
Cheers Tasmania

Mordor

Best mates Stef & Sarah

Shipsterns

This little clip is tells of what really happens at Shipsterns when it's big, expect gnarly wipeouts


shipsterns from Dave otto on Vimeo.

Pacific Liquid Storm

Towards the end of the road

   Is it the perfect storm I ask, well the answer to that question would be debated forever so here are a few things to consider. Firt of all how damn lucky we are, how many people from the Chathams, Polynesia, the Americas to Alaska will enjoy this swell smiling from ear to ear as they glide along the long period glassy walls of LIQUID produced by a STORM pasing under good old New Zealand...millions?
   Tahiti was hugely perfectly wrong with waves ridden on the tow day rediculous, beyond belief to say the least. After some mammoth waves rode on Saturday they went back to running the Billabong pro the next 2 days allowing the best surfers in the world to have the wave to themselves with no more than 3 people in the line up, how sweet is that. Kelly took the honors to re claim the lead in the title race, some say he was over scored but really who gives a toss, they just got one of the best barrels in the world to themselves.
   I'm stoked that all this was broadcast on the net live to all who couldn't be there and shared with joy around the world. Now as the swell spreads from Tahiti it will smash into all of the Americas including Hawaii and a shit load of islands inbetween that aren't regurlary documented then onwards to finally gently caress the Alaskan coastline. Think for a second how many miles of coastline the swell will hit? How many breaks known and unknown will be going off, beach breaks, river bars, slabs, reefs, point breaks and how many waves will be ridden by this 1 Liquid Storm...?
   If I find any stories as it hits I will try to post them on this story so keep an eye on this page, and oh you might've figured out by now I'm not anywhere near these waves and maybe you're asking the question why am I'm posting all this,,,the luv, passion of it and to keep me alive inside

Clik here for a Puerto shot on magicseaweed

Clik here for surfline's take on the swell

and here for surfline's Puerto experience

Hawaii


Teahupoo

Teahupoo's little brother

When I was looking through some shots online from the past week of Teahupoo there was one that stood out, but stood out in a different way. Like i'm sure i've seen a smaller version of this shot somewhere, then it dawned on me, a photo I had taken a few years back of Ferg at Rileys, a place very close to my heart and how lucky I was to be in Ireland when it was being explored. 2 totally different country's, one cold and the other warm, one surfed by every big wave freak in the world the other by just a handful of people but when you look at both these photos there is an uncanny similarity. Obviously not in size but most certainly in shape and definately in power and if you don't believe me just ask the guys who have had broken bones, near knocked themselves out and joints disjointed @ Rileys!

 This Teahupoo shot was on Lairds facebook but it didn't say who the photog was which is a damn shame as it's a great shot, so my apologies to the photographer whoever you are for not crediting you the photo.

Laird

Ferg

May 17 Shippies overload

Well on the 17th of May 197? my mother brought me into this glorious world, 30 odd years on on the same day Shipsterns has a fit, some of the photogs, film crew, surfers are calling the biggest surfed yet. Biggest or not these guys are feckn nuts, just look at the photos and video in the links below, it will blow you away. I really want to see this place break and take a few shots back with me, bring on next year maybe...

Clik here for "Australian Surfing Life" photos

Clik here for "Surfline" video 

Clik here for "Jamin McLean" footage on vimeo

Filth, pure filth

 Sorry Roo but I knocked your photo, sweet shot.

 Clik here to see more of Roo's work

This is what's been going down the last few days, unfortunately i'm not there but thank the webster for youtube and facebook to keep me sorta sane, will add clips as more comes in the coming days. Some pretty amazing surfing went down at the 1st towin comp in Ireland organised by Paul O'Kane in junction with The Irish Tow Surf Rescue Club and sponsored by Billabong and Monster energy at Mullaghmore. Paul did an amazing job putting a lot of this together, if it wasn't for Paul this would not have happened this year so a big thank you to him. Even though I wasn't there on behalf of everyone I would like to thank the RNLI from Bundoran and Sligo, The Irish Tow Rescue Club, Billabong, Monster Energy, which ever council gave the ok which I think might've been Sligo to run the comp and The Pier Head hotel at Mullaghmore. It sounded like an epic day. Apararently there was hundreds of people watching the comp, great turn out and support for the extreme sports people. Bring on next year...
Results:
1st. Eric Rebiere/Benjamin Sanchis
2nd. Peter Conroy/Glynn ...
3rd. Andrew Cotton/Al Mennie
4th. Gabe Davies/Richie Fitzgerald
Gabe also got best Barrel, it's in the clip below at around 28sec in, Richie also got most gnarliest wipeout

Roo has an awesome photo in the Irish Times, just clik here to view it

This the latest clip is pretty wicked, it's good to see a few camera people putting there heads together to do a pretty cool clip and using there imagination. Keep an eye out for a documentary maybe later this year by these talented videographers. 4 different angles. The water angle is sooo close to the action that it makes me fell like a scardy cat not being closer myself in the sessions before. Big congrats to Peter Martin, Peter Clyne, Dave Mottershead and Daniela Gross. Well dones guys, cool bananas

Mullaghmore Head "Tow in Surf Session" from Mully Productins on Vimeo.

The latest and best footage so far, 3min 10sec in...


The following clip insane barrel at 28sec

This next clip at 2.08 in, what a barrel


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Also more from around Ireland

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more to come...

Tim Bonython's "Sessions 2"

Well I have been waiting for this for a while and finally it's out. The insanely rediculace new movie "Sessions 2" is now available to buy at www.volatile.com . Check out the new trailer by clicking here . Some of the shit that's going down in the trailer alone is beyond belief. I am a big fan of Tim's and i know this dvd will not disappoint. I remember that first photo of The Box that came out in the late 1980's as this is probably where the first real heavy gnarly slab hunting in Oz was started, the first in my mind anyway, slab hunting has changed dramatically since the introduction of skis and this is where they find their home in big gnarly heavy stuff. The last 2 years have been off the frign scale and Sessions 2 looks to show it off big time, hats off to ya Tim and can hardly wait to get my copy. It certainly has inspired me

Image pulled from youtube footage from the new trailer of "Sessions 2". copyright Tim Bonython

To shoot stills or video Aileens style

At heart my passion is surfing photography but i've always had it in the back of my mind to do some video as well & seeing some of the crazy videos coming out of Ireland recently has to inspire you to look seriously at it but this brings me to my problem, when you're always by yourself doing this sorta of thing do you stop shooting stills and do video for the day? If it's epic you might miss out on the photo of a life time in full res and the oportunity of getting me first cover. So a while back it got me thinking why not make a collar that'll fit on my big lense on my stills camera with a mount top and bottom so you can have the lense mounted on a tripod with a video camera mounted to the top of the lense...sure i've only got a limux compact but it records 720 HD and not too bad as well. So I set out with the idea in mind & gave it to my good mate Graham who took all the measurements and carved it out of 1 solid block of aluminium & did a cracking job I must say. I know i have put this in me blog before but this time i have the results. So it was at Aileens or is it Aileen's? Who cares, anyways it was at the cliffs of Moher earlier this year, below is the stills results and at the bottom is the video result which you're better off to go into youtube and view it in 720 HD, the video camera is mounted on top in the centre with a height adjuster to allow for the slightly different angle when you zoom in, works a bloody treat if you ask me.

Me collar

Click here to watch full screen

My apologies Ferg...

As we say back home "i screwed up", earlier in me blog i said this is Tom Lowe but out came Carve mag and it's frign Fergal Smith. Sorry about that Ferg, so to fix my balls up i have put here the full sequence of Ferg's unreal barrell at Aileens. One of the most insane barrells i have seen there, for someone so young he certainly does charge, i think his philosophy must be go hard or go home...

Mullaghmore kicks 2010 off

Well it was a over a month since any decent swell hit up here and only a few were around to grab some fun waves at Mullaghmore. Thankfully the big thaw had happened and there was no ice skating getting there! I decided to shoot from the land for a change and it was alot drier! Althou i did miss the excitement of being out there. Easkey grabbed the rope and was first to tow and got a bit of a foamy one but still some size in it and very very shallow. Neil grabbed one but then they had some running problems with the ski and had to retire early. Paul and Barry swapped around and fed off each other carving it up bagging a few waves along with Shane and youngster Peter who took this gnarly vertical drop, it was pretty heavy looking. It wasn't anywhere as big as they hoped for but it was a good practice session for them all with a little sun out as well, a bit warmer than the recent cold spell...
Easkey on a foamy slippery face

Paul carving it up

Sth African Barry ripping it

Shane from Cork

Young gun Peter Clyne's verticle drop...

...and this happened on the next one!

Dave Lavelle

Been a long time coming this, Dave's been towing since day dot in Ireland, originally teamed up with Mikee back in the days of towing with fast cats and ribs into usually unaccessable waves. So i'm totally stoked for Dave to get this on Towsurfer.com with this nice little bomb at Spot M. Congrats mate and Merry Xmas

Freak of a Wave

Well we stumbled upon this yesterday, never seen anything like this in my life, check the last shot for the scale, i'll let the photos do the talking
The push up

Never seen a wave do this

One lippy wave

The scale of the beast

Hugh Galloway rips

I first saw Hugh surf at this very same spot a couple of years ago with Fergal, and the 2 of them ripped the place apart. A couple of years on he still charges harder than ever, he paddled out here the other day when alot of others were staying in there cars with the heaters on full with a nervous look on their faces whether to go out or not, most didn't. He got a couple of great barrels before his leash snapped and had the good old swim in, when Hugh walked past me i said to him "looks heavy and a bit all over the place", his reply was "ah it's nice once you get out the back, good hollow barrels". I ended up giving him my longboard leash and he went running back out and pulled into some really nice barrels, most of which i missed due to the wave in front sending too much spray up, maybe i should jump in the water and shoot...I don't think so! Hugh pretty much dropped into everything everyone alse paddled for the shoulder until dark, the kid's got balls, some shots below from the session

1 of many bystanders

Straight out of the lip

Slotted

Basement level

Style