I heart WOTD

Blowin's picture
Blowin started the topic in Wednesday, 30 Jul 2014 at 8:07am

The wave of the day does it for me big time. Nice work Steen Barnes , Shaun Anderson and Swellnet.
In one photo you've encompassed everything nice about surfing. If I was a wanker I'd say that it was perfect except for the fact he is in a wetsuit. Which it is , it's perfect .....except for the fact he's in a wetsuit.

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Monday, 7 Jan 2019 at 11:00am

WOTD wrap with compliments 'Swellnet Bums'(support crew)
Burleigh Heads 22nd Single Fin classic 2019 (Thanks -Mitch Crews/Stab).
[WARNING] Explosive gifs & Insta Pics from our Fav' Andrew + thanx Shayne

https://stabmag.com/news/joel-parkinson-wins-the-burleigh-single-fin-fes...

Swellnet Stu started the Fire here:
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2017/01/11/parkos-single...

Westofthelake's picture
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Westofthelake Monday, 7 Jan 2019 at 11:59am

Yesterday's Banzai Down Under WOTD was pretty awesome.

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Westofthelake Thursday, 10 Jan 2019 at 8:41pm

Todays WOTD is artistic gold.
Heart it

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Thursday, 10 Jan 2019 at 10:35pm

Westofthelake same... Messin' with our minds, Tim!
Reminds me of oldschool murals at Wet'n'Wild Wavepool Gold Coast

Ash's picture
Ash's picture
Ash Sunday, 13 Jan 2019 at 3:41pm

One of the most dynamic shots I've seen. Chippa is doing stuff few others can.

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Sunday, 13 Jan 2019 at 5:12pm

It’s a beauty isn’t it, scary thing is he probably made it!

Blowin's picture
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Blowin Wednesday, 16 Jan 2019 at 2:15pm

Hitting all the right notes with today’s caption.

thermalben's picture
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thermalben Thursday, 17 Jan 2019 at 11:48am

Today's shot of Keito Matsuoka at Pipe brings back memories of a similar shot of Sunny Garcia in the early 90's (?). 

I'm sure Stu already know which magazine, volume and page number. 

blindboy's picture
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blindboy Thursday, 17 Jan 2019 at 12:12pm

The video is on FB. Talk about getting blown out!

Westofthelake's picture
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Westofthelake Thursday, 17 Jan 2019 at 1:29pm

Crackin' photo.

For some reason it made me flash back to a picture of Chappy Jennings at Pipe I had on the back of my school folder. (There is a colour version somewhere)

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 1:35pm

About this time of the year in 2017 I’d pulled the pin on work and decided to kick things off with a spell in Indo. Had a Great time - good waves , good food and got some good boards. Life was going swimmingly.

After a couple of months I scored a dream run of three days of sheet glass perfection. The type of incredible oil slick conditions that only Indo seems to produce consistently, as though the water is denser and the surface tension takes on a life of its own. Between the sun , the glare off the water ,the water temperature and the intense humidity, surfing powerful waves can become hard work in a few hours. By the end of day three I was properly cooked and my eyes were sunburnt like they’ve never been burnt before. Post - bong redness and the full sand on the retina sensations.

Within a couple of days my right eye lost roughly 50 percent of its focal ability. Time to bail back to Oz and get it sorted.

In Australia I experienced no luck with determining the problem despite visiting a couple of ophthalmologists. They both claimed that my pterygium was growing over my eye and recommended getting it removed. The best pterygium surgeon in Australia is located in Brisbane so that’s where I went .

By this stage my vision was even worse and I’d only just gotten used to the reduction of sight in one eye . It was extremely difficult to time manoeuvres properly as distances were hard to estimate. Very frustrating mistiming repeatedly. Never underestimate Derek Hynd’s achievement in returning to surfing at high level after losing an eye entirely !

So I drove up the East coast to see the specialist whereby he injected a product into my eyes which caused the pupils to dilate so he could assess them more easily. Unfortunately this rendered the daytime sun unbearably bright and extremely blurry in both eyes.

Heading South after the visit I knew the surf was good so I decided to visit snapper rocks to see what all the hype was about. The waves looked incredible and so lunch at the Rainbow Bay surf club was an easy decision to make . If you’ve never been to this club , you’ll lose your mind at its location. Right next to the rocks at Snapper with big windows overlooking the entire line up .

With no possibility of surfing I was into a delicious fish and chips accompanied by a couple of ice cold schooners. Safe to say that I was enjoying myself , but soon I realised that the dropping tide was making the surf even better and more importantly.....it was semi uncrowded.

When I say uncrowded, I’m talking relevant to what I assume is the standard for the Superbank . Though it wasn’t just the lack of numbers , the surfers weren’t as shit hot as I’d expected. It probably helped that the Bells comp was going to start in the next couple of days and every pro and semi pro had been sucked into its vortex , but there wasn’t even many of the local rippers I’d assumed would be overrunning the joint .

A few beers watching these waves and desperation overwhelmed me , I was out there . Even if my eyes had been removed with a spoon I’d have been out there. Easier said than done though , I basically could not see without my sunnies. Squinting like I was within spitting distance of the sun and a bit wobbly from a few beers , next thing I’ve done the thirty metre sprint paddle and I’m out next to the rock.

Obviously, the joint is unbelievably good , but somehow I’d still never realised just how good. Despite hours - days- of watching it on a screen , I was still impressed. The place is literally made for surfing.

After a few fun ones and a chance to get my sea legs , I snagged one just to the side of the rock , away from the crowd . The wave seemed alright enough , a quick couple of cutties , but then it seemed to bend into the bay and just streeeeetch out in front of me.

The swell line hit the bank at the perfect angle and just kept pushing me down the line and standing up beautifully, nothing too gnarly , just perfect lip begging to be hit and hit....and hit.

A quick barrel and then then it’s just hit that tempo again , for lip bash after lip bash. By now I was getting buggered. A plate of chips and some beers weren’t helping , but this wave just kept fucking going....

The incredible part is that at no stage did I need to work for speed or race a single section. The entire ride was ultimately paced . Not a perfect barrel but it truly was a perfect wave. A bit overhead , I’d call it four foot surf , and just steaming down the line.

I rounded Greenmount and was fucked , I’d lost count of how many turns I’d done and was now surfing because I had to. Finally it shut down in front of me . I was so tired I had to put my hands on my knees to rest my legs for the ride in before flopping on my guts , praying that I didn’t roll off my board and just sink.

The wave ended halfway between Greenmount and the Kirra groin , right where that deep hole is in today’s WOTD photo.

Longest wave I’ve ever caught and certainly one of the best . And it was just another day at the Superbank . My mind boggles as to how good it must get when it’s really , really on. The surfers there must ride waves that the rest of the world couldn’t really comprehend.

So I caught a few more including another crazy good one which didn’t run quite as far , though far enough to equate to twenty rides at most any other spot . Enjoying the walk back up to the point and the beauty of the whole joint took my breath away. A few of the girls strolling around don’t do too badly in the beauty department either. I I found myself dreaming of catching waves like this and enjoying the ease of life in the area....nice climate , healthy lifestyle, pretty environment and perfect waves . Greenery and fresh water in abundance.

We stayed overnight with plans to surf the next day. The next day was a dawning in more ways than one.

The swell had dropped and it’s angle had altered ever so slightly. The surf was semi ok , but the shine was definitely gone. In its place was an easier line up utterly overrun with aggressive fuckwits of every size , shape , sex and nationality. Malibus dropping in on sponno grommets, chicks paddling past jabbering Brazilians and the metaphorical scales fell from my eyes

It was like I’d gone to sleep next to a playful Margot Robbie and woken up next to a nagging Susan Boyle.

Dream shattered , I couldn’t get out of there quick enough. And I assume that’s exactly how the locals like it . All 100,000 of them.

Queensland - perfect one day , getting thankfully smaller in the rear vision mirror the next .

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 12:35pm

Good read Blowin, what happened with the pteregyium?

Blowin's picture
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Blowin Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 1:05pm

Still got them.

Turned out it was a cataract which all the original specialists missed. Triggered by acute exposure to extreme sunlight . It’s basically just a hardening of the lens , like a callous, which they reckon can happen in a few minutes . Watch those eyes people.

Craig's picture
Craig's picture
Craig Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 1:16pm

Great read, and wow a few minutes, hectic!

simba's picture
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simba Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 3:58pm

So did you have the lens replaced?

blindboy's picture
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blindboy Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 4:45pm

Cool story Blowin. Hope your eyes are good now. I've had a pteregyium since my late teens. Every doctor who has ever looked at it has told me it is going to grow over my pupil. Never has.

Blowin's picture
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Blowin Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 5:14pm

Haven’t had it replaced yet . I got used to it after a while , learned to put up with it , cause I’m not a fan of any kind of surgery. But it’s since gotten worse still and it’s back to see a specialist at the start of February to begin the process . They reckon 10 month wait .

BB , same here with the pterygiums . The doctors have always proclaimed impending doom but nothings happened beyond my eyes looking like they’ve been dabbed with red paint.

Eyes fucked , ears fucked .....go surfing they said . It’s healthy they said.

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shoredump Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 5:57pm

Thanks Blowin, good reading. Summed up the madness of that wave so well. It always pulls me back, maybe once a year. I’ll pick a day, if the storm has a name all the better, and if I get one like that, then I’m happy. Regarding your eye, have you tried not getting any older? Maybe that could help haha

simba's picture
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simba Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 5:57pm

yeah shoulders,neck,lower back......but all worth it ..........the not so .old saying 'only a surfer knows the feeling'......creak creak.

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wally Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 7:20pm

Great story, Blowin. I grew up surfing Snapper to Greenmount. Now I just go out for a pleasant nostalgic paddle and maybe snag one. It's still a nice activity once you reduce your expectations of actually getting a wave.

Cataracts. Get it done. It is generally considered, of all elective surgeries, the one with the most guaranteed, very positive outcome. Haven't needed it myself, but friends have had it. A game changer. “Why did I leave it so long?”.

Westofthelake's picture
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Westofthelake Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 7:51pm

Great story blowin thanks for sharing.

"I've had a pteregyium since my late teens. Every doctor who has ever looked at it has told me it is going to grow over my pupil. Never has."

Exact same thing for me bb.

factotum's picture
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factotum Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 8:04pm

One eyed and half deaf...and whinging about it. Makes sense, Blowie.

I focus's picture
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I focus Saturday, 19 Jan 2019 at 9:10pm

Thanks for the story Blowin (as all ways) get the cataract sorted deaf not so bad blind you're fu(ked.

Blowin's picture
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Blowin Wednesday, 23 Jan 2019 at 2:06pm

Surf porn.

I NEED that in my life.

Except for the wettie. Cold water....no thanks

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Wednesday, 23 Jan 2019 at 3:39pm

You’d hate this joint blowin, crowded and cold

Blowin's picture
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Blowin Wednesday, 23 Jan 2019 at 5:10pm

With a strong rip through it except for right on the tides ?

Cold AND crowded !!

Sounds.....shithouse.

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Wednesday, 23 Jan 2019 at 5:12pm

Yep, I haven’t surfed it for a long time.
50+ guys out over the Christmas period, but I’m sure you can still score little pockets of (semi) uncrowded sessions

Island Bay's picture
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Island Bay Sunday, 27 Jan 2019 at 7:17am

NZ for WOTD on Straya Day! That's almost treason, and I love it!

Solitude's picture
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Solitude Sunday, 27 Jan 2019 at 7:40am

Oz day was yesterday

PS- what a glorious lineup shot. On my bucket list

Island Bay's picture
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Island Bay Sunday, 27 Jan 2019 at 8:28am

Sorry. Close enough, though :-)

Hope you all had great waves and some shade. It was pumping over here, thank you very much.

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Sunday, 27 Jan 2019 at 5:31pm
Solitude's picture
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Solitude Monday, 28 Jan 2019 at 8:59am

That left getting a fair run on the WOTD

stunet's picture
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stunet Monday, 28 Jan 2019 at 9:27am

Two shots in a week. Last time we ran a shot from there was August.

GuySmiley's picture
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GuySmiley Monday, 28 Jan 2019 at 12:11pm

Last saw that wave late last year, slight cross shore, inconsistent, one guy out, boat parked in the channel no-one aboard, just him caught inside chasing a smaller wave and getting hammered by a 4-5 wave set. Sets well overhead. Gutsy or crazy brave?

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Monday, 28 Jan 2019 at 3:11pm

Probably having the time of his life, but yeah a bit can go wrong out there

velocityjohnno's picture
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velocityjohnno Sunday, 10 Feb 2019 at 12:04pm

Wonderful wave of the day today with the groms riding the shoulder of a spilling wave. They look stoked. Let's hear it for actual shape to grow up with! So much better than closeouts! (We will remove all the Marram grass in time...)

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Sunday, 10 Feb 2019 at 12:07pm

Can you remember your first green face ride ?

Was crazy. Couldn’t believe it was happening.

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Sunday, 10 Feb 2019 at 12:09pm

I can’t, but I remember the time when I thought right that’s it, no more tennis, footy, basketball... surfings the only thing I want to do

velocityjohnno's picture
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velocityjohnno Sunday, 10 Feb 2019 at 12:28pm

Sure can! It was backhand too. A little A frame beachy, at a beach that is now a suburb and all the A frames are now closeouts. I was so stoked, it looked so amazing.

Goofy, once I had board and car, I don't reckon I picked up a sportsball for about half a decade, until I had little people running around my legs wanting to kick soccer balls around.

Nick Bone's picture
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Nick Bone Monday, 11 Feb 2019 at 6:02am

N.I?

linez's picture
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linez Monday, 11 Feb 2019 at 8:57am

How inviting does that look

truebluebasher's picture
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truebluebasher Tuesday, 12 Feb 2019 at 2:35am

Dutto's ~ Zodiac Surfgrom Academy

*Surf Negotiation Skills!

Sgt Tom: "Today we're up against rough conditions contending Rips & 7ft swells."
"Honing our amphibious capability on RIMPAC with our US partners...[over & out]

Power up Sharksheilds > Rubber Duck...Cowabunga! Let's surf the shit outta them!

(Top Secret Surf Flick "Somewhere in Hawaii" )
http://www.contactairlandandsea.com/2018/07/09/surfing-in-hawaii-the-2ra...

I focus's picture
I focus's picture
I focus Wednesday, 13 Feb 2019 at 12:08am

That's an amazing frame today nice work Tim as always

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Wednesday, 13 Feb 2019 at 7:32am

Feels like Tim B and Andrew S have been getting a good run lately, any young up and comers submitting pics that you could be running instead?

stunet's picture
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stunet Wednesday, 13 Feb 2019 at 8:15am

Yeah, I guess they have, though there's a few reasons for that:

1) It's been a mostly terrible spring and summer around the country so there hasn't been much to shoot. Of the two guys you mentioned, one has a large back catalogue, the other is often on the road chasing swells.

2) I've just had a few weeks off so I had to tee all the WOTDs up in advance, and

3) There aren't as many surf photogs as there were 5 -10 years ago. A decade ago surf photography exploded in the wake of technological leaps and dropping prices - even schoolkids could afford a Canon 5D - however, as we know, the surf industry collapsed and so did print media - two reliable outlets for photographers. On the 'net, we're the only site that pays for photographic content every single day, but one site cant sustain the photogs so they've largely vanished. Many who are still in the game (mostly young'uns I should add) work as personal filmers for pros to post Instagram clips.

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stunet Wednesday, 13 Feb 2019 at 8:16am

Oh, and GF, I do have some shots from your neck of the woods. Might post one of 'em tomorrow.

goofyfoot's picture
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goofyfoot Wednesday, 13 Feb 2019 at 8:32am

No Exposure!

Fair enough, all good points you’ve made. I wasn’t criticising, just seems like it used to be guys you haven’t heard of on wotd a lot more, which makes sense with your 3rd point.

stunet's picture
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stunet Wednesday, 13 Feb 2019 at 8:37am

Nah, didn't take it as criticism, but there's been large changes that a lot of people wont be aware of. Worth explaining why.

Nick Bone's picture
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Nick Bone Wednesday, 13 Feb 2019 at 6:56pm

Better not be of the circus. Hopefully it’s of somewhere else along the coast with the tag line “This sucks.”

Solitude's picture
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Solitude Thursday, 14 Feb 2019 at 9:42am

Eerie colours. Set up looks like Hawaii.