A bit of action yesterday with a big swell that had been predicted arriving.

A solid 8-10 feet with bigger sets, and one of the biggest crowds I'd seen out at Bells at that size. Lot's of big boards and everyone having a good dig, it was fun and games for all.

Very consistent, with a screaming offshore, and even a tow team getting a few bombs up on the Centreside through Rincon section. If you look carefully in one of the shots below you'll see them out the back waiting for a big one. Long walls with not much room for anything but massive speed runs but they looked like they were having fun.

As for me, I got about 6 waves in three hours, one big bomb which drew some hoots, another couple of good ones, and one monumental stuff up towards the end, where, tired and cold, and attempting a late take off on a larger one, my legs didn't want to do what they were supposed to do (ie stand up!), and, paralyzed from the waist down I went over the falls buried in the lip, a long weightless wait with me thinking "oooh this feel nice" followed by KABOOM, drag, drag, drag, gurgle, gurgle, wait some more and come up with pretty stars in front of me.

I had to laugh. Old Coot.

Paddled back out and called it a day with one last one that took me in.

Can't get down today but it's doing it again.

PS: Secret Big Wave Spot Down South was reportedly over 20 feet with three tow teams out.

PPS: Guess who's got a new camera?

Woops. Nearly a week since the last post. Saturday morning, everyone is still asleep. Bedlam hasn't erupted yet and I've been sitting checking some shots of the recent trip to the Banyaks. These given to me by Markie, who'd just bought one of the little waterproof Olympus happy snapper... the model up from mine, which met an unfortunate end.

On occasion over there the camera was borrowed by Justin, another of our number, who, because his back was giving him a lot of grief, would take the camera into the line up, for the swim, and to try his luck.

Now Justin is not a photographer... didn't have a clue, but he produced a series of happy accidents that in their skewed, weirdly framed way, made for some great shots. Below is a case in point. The subject, Hec, one of our two doctors on board, is making a late drop at Cobra Logs. Juzzie is about to be enveloped as he's far closer to Hec* than you think, and the lens is half submerged. Given the lens is about a centimetre in diameter and you do indeed have a very happy accident.













*See the bottom of my entry for Nov 11 2006 for more about the mighty Hec.

And as for Justin, his great fame is as a musician, being well known as one of the best blues harp players in Oz, as well as killing it on mandolin, violin, drums, guitar, and God knows what else. And he really rips in the surf too when his back isn't giving him hell. He was in the Melbourne Band Things of Stone and Wood for many years, this clip being Happy Birthday Helen. You can see the ginger nutted Justin leaping about with the elfin glee that perpetuates his life.

NEW DISCOVERIES

Over the past weeks I've discovered a few gems to add to the growing list of interesting souls decorating the mystery that is the web. Through my interest in drawing the delights of the Indiscreet Mechanical Pencil, one man's journey as he sketches his way through life, found it's way to my screen.

Again through a chance comment on SafetoSea, I happened upon Nursemyra... who's take on the world is both sexy and life affirming. As you'll discover if you dip into Gimcrack Hospital, she's been through quite a bit and is using her interests in the worlds of medicine and the erotic to both entertain, titillate and touch the souls of us all in some unsuspecting ways. Be warned... Myra is a PG lady so if you're under 16... have a look anyway.

Because she seemed interested but had no real connection at all with surfing, I sent her a copy of Musica Surfica, just to see what a non surfer might think. Check out her review in her Movies section.

Through Nursies links I found an hilarious English blog... charting the amorous adventures of the unlikely Lord Likely. Funny in the way only the English can be, go there and prepare to cry...

Then there's Grandmas Gone Surfing. A New York surfing granny has got to be pretty interesting and it's worth visiting this lady as she struggles to master the 'pop up' and all those other things that drive or drove us mad as we struggled to master the unmasterable.

Yesterday another comment from a lady named Jamie led me to PineappleLuv. Jamie seems so nice it's frightening.

And finally Shakas and Singlefins. If anyone is scouring the web for things of interest in the surfing world it is Ryan. And in the process, being very interesting himself. He's also a pretty fine photographer. Worth a look if you haven't been there already.

As for me I still haven't had a decent surf since I've been Back from the Banyaks, which probably accounts for why I've found all of the above.

I'll leave you with another Banyak shot. A sunset, somewhere up there, just one of 12 nightly spectaculars.

MUSICA SURFICA UPDATE:

No doubt some of you may be wondering what's happened to Musica Surfica?

We've got it in two Festivals so far. The Surfilmfestibal08 in San Sebastian has it on opening night (in two weeks time). The New York Surf Film Festival tell me they're opening with it too so I can't tell you how happy I am about that. A great thrill and honour and our thanks to both committees. Also we've got entries into other mainstream festivals and will continue to do so, but how we go there will be interesting as the criteria broaden markedly. That being said, it's so different so who knows?

Over the past couple of months we've also been sorting the marketing plan, I've been designing sleeves, DVD and Soundtrack CD faces, recording directors commentary for the extras (quite a few), trying to make a living and trying to edit a short of the film to send out that gives a sense of MusicaSurfica in two and a half minutes.

Not easy as I was so close to it, and not having done one before what I ended up with was crap, so I went surfing.

So the other day the boys (Simon and Richard, who produced the film) and a young editor who saw it for the first time last week, really liked it and said he'd have a shot, sat down and produced this. The main musical piece is Paganini Caprice 5, as played by Richard and Satu in Derek Hynd's old cheese factory.

I hope you enjoy it.

Serves me right for going away. I've got a poxy cold and despite waves on the weekend I was laid up. I can barely talk. Some might say no loss.

Waves were good too, as it turns out.

And speaking of good waves, Sean Davey sent me ANOTHER King Island tantaliser. Its looooong, so long in fact that I've edited it so that you can actually see what Sean manages to capture. His article on the place is coming up in several venerable publications.

And an answer to a question from Andrew re the Banyaks.

No land camps, but it has been done feral I'm told. Be careful if you do as there is a malaria element on some of the islands. Also Simeulue has waves, but not nearly as good as pre quake. A lot of uplift on the western side.. in fact the island tilted, west up, east down. There is a land camp there and we did fly over some guys surfing a meaty, largish and Bellsy looking left. Fun but not hollow. That being said there is a coastal road so it's easyish to check and explore, and there is no one surfing really. We flew a lot of the coast and you could easily have a great time in my opinion. No G-lands but lots of chances to name your spots. Good luck.