The Big Wave World Tour has its own unique set of challenges. For one, how do organisers appease sponsors who stump up money for a contest that doesn't run. Also, how viable is a circuit where interested parties can wait six months between contests only to have it called off.
Craig Griffin is a Melbourne-based film director. His latest work, which he finished mere hours before this interview took place, is a documentary on Wayne Lynch. Uncharted Waters: A Personal History of Wayne Lynch is a study of the enigmatic Victorian, once the greatest surfer of his generation and a person whose politics and opinions thrust him into the spotlight as Australia underwent sweeping social changes.
Perhaps it was the big wave paddle revolution? Or perhaps it was the internet revolution and the promulgation of images and video that followed? Whatever it was it's kinda bizarre to look back at Cloudbreak's rise to prominence as a legitimate big wave spot.
At last year's Volcom Fiji Pro a huge, clean swell hit Cloudbreak on Day 6 of the waiting period. Sets were breaking in the 20 foot range under light offshores creating mindlessly perfect conditions - everyone has seen the photos and videos! The contest got canned so the Top 34 stepped aside allowing the spotlight to fall on the world's best big wave surfers.
Three years ago Andrew James of Freshwater on Sydney's northern beaches made the surf travel film 30,000. With his brother Richard for company the two drove from Casablanca to Cape Town traversing the entire western side of the African continent. Since then Richard has travelled to Afghanistan to make a frontier snowboarding film while Andrew has immersed himself in another project, one that's all-consuming but far removed from the entertainment industry.
What place is there for ethics in the modern business landscape? How many businessman would forego dollars and ignore the bottom line to do 'the right thing'?
Strange questions indeed. Even stranger when you consider I was sitting at a surfing press conference when I flashed upon them.
Russell Ord is a surf photgrapher from Cowaramup, Western Australia. He's a photographer that specialises in heavy water and his photos of heaving local reefs are seen around the world. Russ recently worked on Drift, the new film set in Margaret River during the early ‘70s that tells the story of two brothers at the genesis of the modern surf industry.
Tom Innes is a Margaret River local, he's a past winner of the Margaret River Pro trials and even went on to finish fourth in the main event that year. Tom was recently chosen to be a surfing stunt double in Drift, the new film set in Margaret River during the early ‘70s that tells the story of two brothers at the genesis of the modern surf industry.
Victoria's Surf Coast is uniquely positioned with a broad swell window to the southwest, however incoming swells are refracted as they round Cape Otway. This narrows the apparent swell direction at the coast, so when viewed from shore the majority of swells appear to arrive from the south. So how can you tell if there's a westerly swell or a southerly swell running through Bass Strait if they all appear to be arriving from a similar direction at the coast?
Billabong today anounced that it had begun exclusive talks with one of its takeover bidders, ex-head of its North American division, Paul Naude, and his backers, Sycamore Partners. The move is a sign that the Billabong saga is finally drawing to a close. The deal, if it holds, will see Naude acquire the beleaguered company for $0.60 a share valuing Billabong at just $287 million, a paltry sum for a once-mighty company worth $5 billion only five years ago.
