WAY OF THE OCEAN

SURFING VICTORIA / ROBBO’S HOME MOVIES from CIRCULATE on Vimeo.

Adam Robertson gave us some home video footage and we threw it together for your enjoyment. Seeing the long rippable point waves Robbo grew up surfing shows where he got his smooth style and power. This first clip focuses on just the rights, up next we’ll be posting some incredible lefts.

In case you missed it, here’s another look at WAVE CLOUD SAND. A short film that was made on the off days while filming for WAY OF THE OCEAN. There are lots of updates coming this week and the count down to the official trailer begins. . .

One day of left over footage during production. D’Bah was pumping and Asher Pacey found the goods. These clips didn’t make the cut but soon you will get to see a glimpse of the ones that did. The long awaited official WAY OF THE OCEAN trailer is coming soon, stay tuned . . .

Back from our journey with plenty of eye candy and surf soaked wisdom to share. Bare with us as we get sorted and back in to the swing of internet and electricity. Until tomorrow, here’s a taste . . .

Here’s a glimpse of what one day in production looks like during the making of WAY OF THE OCEAN.

Sometimes when there is a fresh new swell you can almost feel it first thing in the morning. There seems to be more salt in the air and more energy in the crisp off shore breeze. The feeling of walking up to get your first glimpse of the newly stacked corduroy lines is like having a 2nd cup of coffee. Each and every wave has traveled hundreds or thousands of miles only to show its power,beauty and unique form for just a few seconds and for our enjoyment.

This particular morning we were early for the swell’s arrival and at first light there were small clean lines all the way to the horizon. There was a small right tucked away in a sheltered cove for a quick go at first light. Within an hour or so the swell more than doubled in size as the wind kicked up hard offshore. By mid morning all the outside bars were absorbing most of the swell and there was a fickle wedge that proved to be nearly impossible to line up. Once the swell fully filled in, it was clear we needed to relocate and doing so proved to be a smart move as that evening turned out to be one of the best days we saw. For that you will have to wait for the movie but in the mean time here are some images to highlight the first signs of the new swell.

When the surf goes flat there is a good chance you will see Asher Pacey and Josh Kerr headed out to sea for a day of fishing. One might even say that Asher loves fishing as much as surfing and that’s a lot. There are a ton of different species swimming about and during the season a good catch of yellow tail can make for a tasty sushi dinner. When fishing it’s important to remember to not take more than you need and respect the ocean and all its marvels.This particular day wasn’t the most eventful but Kerrzy locked into some large, very large and it snapped the line keeping its identity a secret, but its always nice to give it a go and spend a day on the water.

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When you have an island as large as Australia with thousands of miles of surfable coastline, timing becomes the most important element in the quest for perfect waves. Wind conditions, swell direction, tides and other variables come into play and can literally make drastic changes to the surf  in minutes. During the first few months of production for the film time and luck were on our side and being in the right place at the right time seemed to become routine. Every surfer has certain days that stand out in their mind for one reason or another as a magic day and those memories are what it its all about. This particular day for us came quite early in production as we stumbled upon a perfect beach break with spitting barrels and no one around for miles.  Sometimes its not the quality of the waves but the day itself that can turn your memories to magic.  Our  little secret spot was kind to us on more than a few occasions and here is a quick look at why those memories are so dear and why the Ocean is such a special place.

While on the Gold Coast we spent a day at the D’Arcy surfboard factory to check out the process of building a board and to find out how D’Arcy’s shop was named the most environmentally friendly facility in Australia. While there is still a need to develop greener materials used to build a board, D’Arcy shows that we can still take action now to ensure the cleanest outcome for the environment and our future. The factory is outfitted with various extraction fans and other technology to lower the toxic dust and floating fumes emitted in the manufacturing process. The air leaving the building is actually cleaner than the air outside and with just a 3% emission output, the factory is setting high standards for environmental responsibility and awareness.

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Australia is geographically isolated from the rest of the world, and contains distinctive plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. Eucalyptus forests dominate much of coastal Australia, Scrub dominates the inland regions, and pockets of tropical and subtropical rainforests can be found on Australia’s eastern and northern coasts. Temperate rainforest can be found in New South Wales, Victoria, and the island state of Tasmania. The oldest rainforests on earth are situated in the Daintree National Park and also the Cape Tribulation National Park. The Karri forests on Australia’s south west coast contain some of the worlds highest trees, some trees can reach heights of 90 m (300 ft).

Over millions of years, as the climate and geography changed, the Australian tropical rainforests receded to a small band between the coast and and the Great Dividing Range, and stretching from Cooktown in the north to Townsville in the south. Today these rainforests represent less than one thousandth of the country’s total land mass. Despite their relatively small size, the rainforests are home to an amazing diversity of life and provide a living record of the ecological and evolutionary processes which have shaped Australia’s plants and animals for over 415 million years. To protect these rainforests, and to ensure that they are preserved for future generations, they were placed on the World Heritage list in 1988.

After a long week of production we needed a down day to relax and the rainforest is just the place to do that. Here is a look at one of the many beautiful spots we visited aside from the ocean.

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The only thing constant is change . . . and as time marches on around us it is easy to loose sight of all the natural beauty that surrounds our everyday lives. Often we forget to sit back, relax and take it all in, creating our own pace.

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More than half of the earth’s population lives within 60 miles (100 km) of the ocean. But even those who live far away feel the effects the ocean has on our weather. The ocean has the ability to absorb, store, and release heat into the atmosphere and by doing so directly affects the land. Changes in water temperature cause major climate events such as El Nino, those temperature changes have a huge impact on weather events such as hurricanes, typhoons, floods, and droughts which directly affect the land and the people that live on that land.

We awoke to a fresh cool offshore breeze and a solid 4 foot swell. It was a tell tale sign of the changing of seasons. The cool, dry morning offshores that often accompany winter greet the strong southerly swells and groom the long lines into clean hollow a frames.

ENTRY 3 : SCENIC

Stunning is the first word that comes to mind when describing the landscape in Australia. From the dense rainforests to the swooping green valleys that lead to wide open sandy beaches and rocky coves, there is plenty to set your sights on. In between surfs we found our eyes drawn to the natural beauty surrounding us and spent a day exploring the coast. First stop was the rainforest which was nothing short of amazing. So clean, crisp and lush you could feel it in every breath. Although rainforest’s only cover 6 % of the earths surface, they are responsible for up to 40% of the earths oxygen supply and more than two thirds of the worlds plant species are found in tropical rainforests. They have been called the “jewel of the earth’ and after spending an afternoon there it is obvious how one could draw that conclusion. After a cool drink from one of the many fresh water streams we headed back down to the beaches to have a look around. There is so much to see and so many places to surf that one could drive themselves mad just thinking of all the possibilities. It was refreshing to see some untouched coastline with no signs of human destruction or intervention. No cigarette butts, coffee cups, cans or plastic just pure ocean and sand. We made it a point to pick up at least one piece of trash everyday from each beach we visited but for once we were left empty handed. Coming from California this was hard to comprehend after so much rain and swell that the sand was still pure and garbage free, the way it should be.

Australia’s waters contain all five of the world’s ocean temperature zones: polar, sub-polar, temperate, subtropical and tropical. Luckily for us, we found ourselves in a subtropical zone with comfortable water and air temps. Generally Australia is a relatively dry continent, however prior to our arrival they had seen months of torrential rains along the East Coast, particularly in Queensland and Northern NSW. Another generalization is crystal clear blue water. This was not the case after so much rain and flooding. Most of the line ups closely resembled a Mexican beach break rather than the pristine swimming pool colors you so often will see. With the rain came very green landscape, tons of mosquitoes and lots of silty run-off, oh yea and a few sneaky sandbars as well.

Day 5 : The waves were pumping for the first four days and Asher had already locked into many dozens of filthy dark caverns of moving water. Just when we were ready for a rest we happened upon a fickle gem of a left point. It takes a lot for the sand to line up correctly but on this day all the stars aligned and with no rivers or inlets for miles in either direction the water color was an impressive emerald green. Knowing that these days are few and far between, Asher spent nearly seven hours in the water and mostly in the tube hiding from the glaring sun.

WAY OF THE OCEAN: BLOG : AUSTRALIA 2 from WAY OF THE OCEAN on Vimeo.

Destination 1: Australia

Australia is a magical place with an abundance of surf, culture and wildlife. Being the largest island on the planet Australia boasts 16,006 miles of coastline to explore. From the tropical coral reefs in the North East to the cold water and lonely beaches of the South West the land down under can satisfy almost anyone.

Upon our arrival we were greeted by one of the country’s finest, Asher Pacey. Asher’s family roots go deep into Australia’s history and being that he is a class act in and out of the water he made for the perfect tour guide to begin exploring this wonderful continent. The swell had been up for weeks and Asher was buzzing having racked up countless minutes of tube time over the last month. We were pleased to hear that the swell train was supposed to continue in the weeks to come and we quickly grew anxious to see what the morning light would bring. Although the first day was supposed to be the smallest it had been in awhile the winds were going to be good and after all, it wasn’t going to be flat. Our first glimpse of the ocean the next morning proved that surf forecasting can sometimes be a flawed science.

The first session was a good introduction to Australian beach breaks and the heavy peaks they provide. This was just the beginning and the swell forecast was looking good for the next couple of days. Stay tuned . . .

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