One of the great things about that is when the conditions are right, I can  just grab my housing and walk out the front door in my wetsuit and shoot a few … pretty cool

These are some of the little beach breaks out the front yesterday 20th June 2010.

The first time I saw Tim Bonython was at the North Cronulla pub, I think it was 1979…… He was travelling around Australia with a projector screening his super 8 films.
One of my mates christened him Tim ‘Monty Python’. Not exactly a compliment on his comedic abilities but more a jealous dig because of the interest his girlfriend was showing in the young blonde, film maker from ‘out of town..’
Tim would talk live commentary through the super eight screening. The footage was raw and entertaining.
It’s funny what you remember after all those years ago. What comes to mind is the running battle Tim had that night, with a hair that kept working its way onto the projection light all through that screening.
Around 30 years later and Tim is one of the most accomplished film makers in the surf industry.
“Indefatigable surf video-maker from Sydney who worked his way into surf movie making in the late 1970’s and early eighties by showing home edited Super-8 films at Local pubs.”
Matt Warshaw – The Encyclopedia of Surfing

I went along to Tim’s new ‘SOULED OUT SURF FILM FESTIVAL’ and left the theatre feeling stoked and itching for surf……. Which is exactly how you want to feel after a Surf movie…right?
The festival consists of three segments.
The first section is a compilation of beautiful scenes, sunsets and waves shot by Tim Bonython.
I loved this section it showcased the visual arty side of surf films….  A lot of film makers will over do it with this sort of stuff boring the viewers. But this was done just right..Enough to entice the audience to stay glued to their seats and wait for the next section, without being too long and starting them yawning…..
The second film of the festival ‘Surfing 50 States’. Is a video journal of two Australian Surfers, travelling through every state of America.
This is not your classic ‘all time’ surf movie…but it is a lot of fun. It brought back a lot of old travelling memories for me.
The best thing about this film is the warmth and hospitality of the American people who take these crazy young guys in and help any way they can.
A Classic Fun Movie!!
Check out the trailer below.

The third instalment and finale of the Festival is a film by American Teenage Wiz-Kid film making sensation Cyrus Sutton.
Called ‘Under The Sun’.. The movie is a comparison of two Australian Cities, which are less than an hour’s drive from each other. The Gold Coast (Surf Industry, Skyscrapers, Big City Ideals) and Byron Bay (Surf Industry Hippy Trippy, Feral, country vibe, soul surfing community).
See the trailer below and read Marty Tulleman’s review below that.

Dan Howard

‘A SWEET AND SOUR SMORGASBORD OF SOUL AND SOLD OUT SURFING”
The movie struck a bottom turn in my heart. Not since the days of being a grommie stoked  on  the ‘once in a blue moon’  surf movie show  when it  came to town, was the vibe and buzz of surfing  so  refreshed  in  me.
Admittedly an overdose of too many corporate surf DVDs had me burnt out on the whole overdone surf company, surf brand promo, advertorial, shonky DVD thang.

Cyrus’s balance of the mix was way cool. A tasteful collage of characters, from both sides of the free riders and the spono-ed brigade with equal airplay.
IN APPROACH AND ATTITUDE kept it fair and diverse. His varied textural usage of effects, angles and the kiddie like animation assured the ‘take the piss factor ‘ was alive and well. Rasta’s soul surfing was state of the art .
The historical use of surf photographers slides and archival footage made it a panoramic sweep of town and country lifestyles of Byron and the SOLD (Gold) Coast..

A very solid nine out of ten.
Martin Tullemans

The Festival is now moving to South Australia then W.A. Check out the session times and details here

Its been stormy and windy all week. But theres been a few waves to ease the pain.

Summer is only a few weeks away and I guess we’re already into cyclone season…

So hopefully the waves are going to turn on some perfection for us soon.

Its going to be a bumper summer here at Snapper Rocks , Coolangatta

Josh Kerr

I love this shot above. It really shows what goes on behind the rock and you can see the wave sucking out while the guys in the barrel and the previous wave is just hitting the rocks getting ready to rebound and smash into the wave with the surfer behind it. You can purchase a copy of this shot from my shop click here

Jarrah Tutton seq-4

Jarrah Tutton almost took my head off with the sequence above … I think I’ll have to start wearing my Gath helmet.

Check out more of the photos from the session below

I hooked up with Samantha Cornish to try and get a few water shots.

Sam has been around for what seems like years on the Pro tour and is currently rated 6th on the ASP Womens’s WCT.
It seems pretty crazy that she doesnt have a sponsor??
She really knew how to work the camera , and even though the waves were tiny she would line the camera up and smack the lip right in front of me ..almost decapitating me a few times..

Sam Cornish flys of the lip at Rainbow Bay

Surf Coach Dave Davidson owner manager of the Gold Coast Surfing Centre based at Rainbow Bay was out there with Galey mucking around on the Surf School Boards.

Huge storms are circling as I write this which is pretty normal for this time of year.
Hope fully there will be a bump in the swell for tomorow as a result.

There was no surf to speak of but the water was crystal clear and the light was great So I found a quiet little beach and swam out to take a few shots .

I was only out there for around 20 minutes and had already scored some great pics, when two dolphins came by and caught a wave either side of me.

I managed to get this shot above. I was shooting with a fisheye ….its hard to tell by the photo but he was only about 1-2 metres away from me