Some waves are perfect, others are flawed and this wave is somewhere in between. No takers this day so Asher Pacey jumped at the chance for a few empty caves.
We have once again seen the seasons change and with Autumn now in full swing, early morning sessions mean crisp offshore wind and clear skies. As the days get shorter, the dawn sessions become more frequent as do the deep low pressure systems that come swirling through the the southern ocean and roaring 40′s. Winter swells are only a short time away and as we cling to the last few drops of warm water and enjoy the beauty of Autumn, have a look at why this is such a special time of year.
Australia is swept by a number of major ocean currents. The East Australian Current (EAC) runs south along the east coast. The Indonesian Flowthrough flows westward from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. This in turn provides a mass of warm water to the Leeuwin current off Western Australia as it sweeps south along the west coast and east along the south coast. South of this, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows past South Australia from west to east on its continuous clockwise journey around the globe.
The water is still warm on the East Coast and there has been plenty of swell around the last few weeks. When an east swell combines with sunshine and Easter holidays, the crowds that follow can be a bit much to handle. Luckily there was plenty of surf and smiles going around. Here’s a look at what went down last weekend.
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 . . .
We came across a rippable right-hander where Jordy Smith and Asher Pacey traded shacks and ramps in the blistering sun.
Here’s a glimpse of what one day in production looks like during the making of WAY OF THE OCEAN.
New wallpaper images from the making of the film: WAY OF THE OCEAN.
When a new swell begins to hit the coastline, good things happen. Creative energies from the surf are carried on to the land and into our lives.
Click one of the links below to download this desktop wallpaper. enjoy-
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.
Josh Kerr is regarded as one of the best aerialists in the world and its clear when watching him surf that he intends to keep it that way. Kerrzy’s bag of tricks is endless and you can bet he is busy dreaming up fresh and creative ways to take to the air day in and day out. Later this week we will be posting a short and sweet clip displaying how big Josh can go in just one quick session.
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.
New wallpaper images from the making of WAY OF THE OCEAN.
This is a photo collage with a shot from the rain forest, a perfect early morning peeler and Josh Kerr getting loose. Click one of the links below to download this desktop wallpaper. enjoy-
Two double exposures.
On this particular day the surf was so consistent and so good that we were all seeing double by the end of the day.
The surf had been solid for weeks now and we wanted to get away from the Gold Coast for a bit and find some different waves. While perfect point breaks are always on the top of the list, sometimes a wave that keeps you on your toes can be much more rewarding. There are many types of waves in Australia and reef slabs are all over this surf blessed country. Reefs come in all shapes and sizes and can bend and transform waves into all kinds of different forms. In this case the shape was round, sometimes almost square and somewhat below sea level. It wasn’t the biggest day but there were a few on offer and Asher Pacey and Josh Kerr traded barrels for an hour before the tide turned and the waves turned off.
“The loss of Kirra Point has been caused by an excessive build-up of sand that has been pumped and dredged into Coolangatta Bay over the past 12 years. In this time there have been relatively low levels of storm activity and the sand has not naturally made its way north at the same speed at which it was placed in the bay.
An increase in the level of sand in the bay by 3–4 metres on average has resulted in a significant widening of the beaches – in some cases by over 150m, the loss of surf quality, an increase in rips which has made swimming more dangerous and the loss of Kirra Reef. The reef, which is located at the northern extent of the temperate marine zone and the southern extent of the tropical marine zone supported a diverse range of marine species.”
kirrapoint.org
Although Kirra looks nothing like its former self, it can still produce fun waves with a barrel or two on offer. With the swell up a bit Asher and Kerrzy gave good old Kirra a go and found some clean long lines and a very light crowd. After all the rain from the previous storm the water was far from the usual topaz blue making Kirra look a lot like California or anywhere else but the gold Coast for that matter.
Here is a wallpaper with photos from the Gold Coast Australia. The ocean was alive with surf and there was no shortage of barrels. The shot on top is classic Greenmount wrapping it’s way in to Kirra. The photos in the bottom right is through a rearview mirror, sometimes you can find interesting views of waves through simple reflections. The bottom left photo is from the bluff looking into a random right on a mostly lefthand wave.
1280 X 960 wallpaper
1024 X 768 wallpaper
After sitting around the house for days waiting for the rain and wind to stop we started getting restless. Frequent runs to the beach in between downpours only revealed victory at sea conditions but we knew it had to clean up sooner or later. So when the forecast showed a switch in wind direction, less rain and more swell, we decided to make a plan and head out to a wave that rarely breaks and needs heaps of swell like we had on our hands. Getting there would require spending some quality time on the ski and motoring out miles into the distant horizon. The crew consisted of Asher and his good mate Ado along with Dean Morrison and Shaun Harrington. The plans were made and we would take off dark and early the next morning.
We awoke to what had to have been the loudest crack of thunder any of us had ever heard. It was pretty clear that the storm was nowhere near finished but plans were already made and so we headed off for the long drive to our launching point to assess the situation. Upon arrival we were greeted with howling side shore wind with pelting sideways rain. Out to sea the horizon was black and the wind driven white caps marched across it with no sign of remission. But, plans were made and the thought of what we might be missing out yonder wouldn’t allow us to cancel the trip, after all this wind would be off shore at our destination.
So we packed ourselves and the gear on to our ski, three hombres, five surfboards, one Camera, one water housing, one tripod, three backpacks, two extra fuel canisters and the storm of the year. Packed on like refugees we set off on our adventure wondering what the day and our luck help in store for us.
After motoring out for about five minutes we heard Deano and Shaun whistling from their ski behind us and we realized we had lost all five boards. We quickly looped back and rounded up the wandering crafts and pulled ashore to reload. The seas were extremely choppy and it was clear no matter how tight they were tied down we were going to have to keep an eye on them.
Take two, so we made headway into the black horizon and as the wind driven sideways chop met the on coming swell we found ourselves caught in what felt like a washing machine. No sooner than the shoreline disappeared and my death grip to the back seat started to loosen we rode over the top of the biggest lump yet. Then we came down the back only to submarine right under the next wave. The ski had to keep motoring to stay afloat and we submarined for what felt like a good distance before Asher and myself were ripped from the ski into the murky water. Luckily the tripod bag floats because it went flying off as well and was floating a few yards from where I popped up. The waters we were in are known to be very very sharky and we didn’t exactly want to hang around to find out.
So now that we had two mishaps in the books there was sure to be a third since things seem to always happen in threes. We continued on for what seemed like forever bobbing up and down and slowly making our way to an island we still couldn’t see. Luckily the rain let up, in the distance we could see the shoreline and knew that were on the right track. The wind was still howling as we make our way around the island to the side where the swell was hitting and as we came around the corner we could just barely see through our bloodshot eyes what appeared to be waves peeling off in the distance.
continued in part two tomorrow . . .
Josh Kerr and Asher Pacey grabbed the ski and took turns pulling into barrels in the big stormy conditions. Without a ski the current would send you miles up the beach in just a few minutes. Here’s a shot from the newspaper of Asher setting up for a big dark barrel with Kerrzy in the foreground watching the action and waiting for his turn.
You can also follow the making of the movie on facebook to stay in tune every time a post is updated. Become a fan and spread the word. For every thousand fans we get we will do a contest for some goods ( T’s, Sandals, Original Art, Music Downloads and more )
This is some of the art that we designed for Asher Pacey’s board during the filming of the movie. Click one of the links below to download this desktop wallpaper. enjoy-
below are some photos of the creative process
getting the idea down on paper first is key, then it’s on to the board.
Just laying on a few minimal colors to keep it simple.
Ocean Facts
