So... as I write this to you I am in Torquay, Victoria, its 12:56pm and im due to jump on a plane in Tullamarine heading to W.A in approximately 4 hours. This is only the beginning.
I just had a brief chat with good mate Gaz Parker and I think I now have to add Mexico onto this list of adventures in the search for inspiration and wild white horses.
I have been down this part of the country now for the last few days sharing epic stories with legend and now good friend Craig "Gonzo" Baird... im just about to take my singo and quaddy out of the car after surfing epic Bells and pack my 6'3 coffin to get me to the next leg of this fine journey.
Gonzo... I cant begin to tell you how rad this bloke is... I love painting surfboards.. this guy got paid for 25 years to paint them for Ripcurl, boy he has a story or two and plenty of art to froth over. An amazing human who would give the shirt off his back and the boards from his garage (theres a few). Legend.
When asking me if I have ever surfed with Ozzy I thought he meant Wright and im like "yeah at the pass once with all the kids" he comes out in a long black wig and blue tinted round sunnies saying lets get these logs in the car and head up the coast.. then after il take you down to Lorne for lunch and Johanna to suss out those waves you were frothing on.. (iv been watching endless movies on Wayne Lynch the last few days) Hahaha im hardly suprised by this Ozzy Osbourne get up cos until now I have yet to find a human as stoked on Led Zeppelin as I... but Gonzo has nailed it and then some... you should see this dudes music collection. What about board collection?
The man has a few... not to mention the Museum he curates... you should see the boards in there!!!!!
Im frothing.
So stoked that this has been the beginning of the journey. I started off by dumping a load of my art, photos and 6'6 painted stubby in a glass cabinet of the museum. What an honour...My life in its simplest expressive form is now on display in the Surf World Museum in Torquay... Surfers and their Stories, of the last 7 exhibitions I have been in over the last 2 years this one definately takes the cake!
Seriously honoured... Iv seen so much incredible surfing history in the last few days... The orginal plastic machine, THE Bells contest trophy, Rell Sun's Quaddy, Wayne Lynch's Keyo Singo which I drooled over for sooo long, Simon Andersons Bells winning thruster, MP's Bells trophy (i didnt ring it i swear) and his winning shirt he surfed in. I could go on for hours... and believe me I was in that place for hours, perched up next to an old combi (in doors) watching Lynch surfing somewhere near the 12 Apostles... the vicco winds howling outside bringing in swell for the days to follow... Iv been so blessed.
And to have just surfed cranking Bells... I could feel the legends out there and the real open ocean under my feet.
My life is a dream.
Next stop W.A
Home.
Family & friends
Swell!!!!
Weeks on end I'll hang at home, pulling together articles, photos and various material before heading off to Indonesia for a while... after that time will only tell...
Il keep you in the loop...... im running out of space on this blog but il figure it out...
There is also a book in the pipeline :)
Keep chasing white horses... I know I will be
x
