Safetosea

I've always liked the way Garrison Keillor begins his stories.

It was a sunny day in Lake Wobegon.

Not so Victoria today. It's cloudy, onshore and I haven't posted for a bit, when I should have.

Jaimal Yogis had his book launch last Thursday, and it was different to say the least as he led the twenty five odd attendees through a very 'calming in the middle of town' meditation which set the tone for a gently amusing reading from his book.

An impressive young guy, and it looks quite likely we'll be getting a splash together tomorrow, with fun wave possibilities to boot.

Changing the subject, I have recently been sent some snaps from Steve Ryan, resident west coast surf photographer.

Steve has a been a presence on our coast, and on the pages of the magazines for decades. He snapped me falling (literally) down a twelve foot wave that made it into print nearly twenty years back, and I've been waiting for the day when he'd do me the honour of snapping a shot where I wasn't buggering it up. As my wave riding ability star was never as bright as most others in the surfing firmament, it has taken a while, but as you can see from last weeks post the day finally arrived.

He's been sending me a few lately, all bottom turns meaning clearly have no game off the top, which is not what you could say about another 55 year old I know.

Maurice Cole is two weeks younger than me, and has had a hell of a lot more battles in his life that most people could fit in to two. The most recent has been the ongoing battle with prostate cancer (which seems to been beaten, though the bills haven't), the death of his dear old dog Taz, as well as other deaths in the family and his ongoing battle with bureaucracy and the care of his beloved Bells.

To top it all off last weekend we had the Australian Football League Grand Final, between the St Kilda Saints and the Geelong Cats.

Now our game is a tough mother of a battle at the softest of times, a massive arena, with big, fast guys and a lot of blood. It was one of the great games of the last few years and it was a nailbiter.

Maurice is a rabid Saints supporter, so much so that on game days if he is not AT the game, he stands alone in a darkened room, scarf around the neck, telly in front, and screams at the set for an hour and a half.

After leading for all but the last ten minutes, last week the Saints lost.

MC was devastated. If you go to his blog today you will see he has decided 'that he will not be taking orders from Geelong Football Club Supporters until further notice". Everyone in Torquay barracks for Geelong.

It's that bad.

As the week has passed he has mellowed. By Christmas people may get the chance to put in an order.

But if you are in the US and attending the Sacred Craft show, Maurice will be there, with a flotilla of magic boards (and they are) to show. Say hi if you do make it along, and as they stay, light the blue touch paper and stand back for the fireworks. He's a very entertaining guy to listen to but don't expect to get a word in edgeways.

Now back to Steve Ryan. Maurice was the target of his lens a few weeks back and unlike me, Maurice went off the top as well, laying some beautiful lines. The shots are taken on a dropping swell at Winki. On a six foot board, he is wailing. When I saw the shots I thought how often do you see a fifty five year old cancer patient doing what you see in these pictures? This time last year he was given a death sentence and this is not what I call taking it laying down.

So the shots.

A couple of snaps from the Big Game courtesy of the Melbourne Age, some hits of MC at Winki, and me again that Steve sent me last night, from about a month back.