The Blue Valla

A fun beachie a little way up the coast from here. Photos courtesy of my good mate Jason Smith. A fine single fin surfboard by Sage Joske.

surferjoe.com.au

I let the hosting lapse on the www.surferjoe.com.au domain for a little while, but it's back online now! Hope you've been having some enjoyable ocean immersive moments lately. The water temp is certainly just right this summer and some amazing water colours too.

Favourite Board Ever

As I've said in the past this blog's not intended to be all about my own surfing, but about everyday regular surfers, or surfer joes. But as I'm a surfer joe myself, sometimes I get a pic or two as well. I'm going to pop up around once a week over the next few weeks—please excuse me if it comes across as self interested... And it won't always be this verbose!

Now that I'm getting older, I find I'm becoming less certain or definite about a lot of things. A little slower to make absolute, finite, best-ever kind of calls. Like for instance "this is my all-time favourite surfboard". But I thought it might make for an interesting post.

To begin, I considered my first ever board. It was a pre-loved 6'1" Sam Egan thruster (complete with the dinged rails from my first attempt at balancing on it in a backyard pool). After all, those first rides will remain some of my most memorable. Or perhaps my favourite board was my first custom, shaped by Brett Warner at Brookvale when I was not long out of high school? However, these are both fairly conventional thrusters which I haven't ridden so much in the past few years.

Then I thought about my funky purple double-ender—a thick, short and wide Chris Brock number complete with a deep single Ben Lexcen winged keel fin. My first summer riding that board was super fun. But then, I've also had massive amounts of stoke in recent years riding longboards. So, what about my first custom McTavish malibu that I picked up second hand for a song at sleepy Evans Head? Or maybe one of my sweet single-finned Valla longboards by Paul and Sage Joske?

I'm tempted in my old age to temper the absoluteness of my initial quest and tweak it to "favourite shortboard" or "favourite fish". But that just won't do. I've gotta say it loud and proud: the Valla fish pictured below is a dream board. I just love it! Now I sound like a teenage girl...

It was hand crafted by Paul Joske over 8 years ago now. After my first surf on it I wrote to him gushing that I felt "destined to ride this board". Unlike a lot of the closer-to-a-thruster "fishes" that get around, it's a traditional, timber keel finned, wide swallow tail fish—far closer to the original design that came out of California in the 1970s.

For a few years previous I'd been mesmerised by the footage of Curren riding a true fish at Jeffreys Bay. The high-line speed runs and massive drawn out cutbacks looked like so much fun, and so different to how a thruster would have performed in the same waves. Paul's been building all kinds of boards for over 40 years, and when I saw his son Heath ripping on a fish his dad had made him, it finally dawned on me I could have one under my feet too.

As with a lot of good things in life, you have to wait for them. I'm sure it was at least 6 months before I paddled the fish out for it's maiden voyage at the south end of Mona Vale in October 2003. It was a dawn session and I quickly took these board photos before heading out. It was only small, but I was alone and just so stoked on the unique way it rode. Still am. The surfing shots are from a great afternoon session a few winters back—at least 6 years on and the fish is still going strong.

So there you have it, my favourite board ever. So far at least...

5' 8 1/2"  X  21"  X  2 7/16"

Send Your Photos

A week or so ago someone I know well, who shall remain nameless, passed comment on my photos. To paraphrase they reminded me that I've been posting photos here for over a year now, but went on to tell me that they've seen little improvement in my photos and if anything the quality of my posts may be getting worse... it's just that you don't take enough time, they said.

Ouch. The things people close to you can say! So after about 5 seconds contemplation I conceded that yes, it was a valid point. I guess I know that I'm a surfer first and a photographer second (actually there's a number of other things in my life that would go in that equation, but as a figure of speech I'm a surfer before I'm a photographer). 

And when I do have time to get out and amongst it, my passion is for riding waves rather than watching them being ridden. But I do like watching and capturing them being ridden sometimes, when I'm in the mood, or I've got an injury or a cold... 

However I will try and lift my game, spend a bit more time on the beach catching the moments, and sorting out the digital pile of photos in the folder. I'm still a big fan of celebrating the everyday surfers getting out there experiencing some pure surf stoke. 

I'm actually hoping you can help. If you have some photos of regular 'surfer joes' then feel free to send them my way and I'll post them up here. They can be of you or your mates or family, longboarders, shortboarders, bodysurfing - whatever. You retain the copyright etc and I can add a link to your own blog/page/site, just email them to surferjoephotos@gmail.com 

Looking forward to seeing your photos.

Surfer Joes

In case you're wondering what this blog's about... Surfer Joes are everyday average surfers who happen to be out there while I'm taking photos. Anyone can turn up here, you don't have to be sponsored, cool, ride a certain board or know me. I just shoot whoever's out there. As you can see often in average conditions too. It's good to be reminded that we can enjoy it even when it's not 'surf-mag' perfect.

Surfing Truth

When I started this Surfer Joe blog I wrote a personal photo philosophy, it's at the top right of the page. In part it says:

"I also shoot all kinds of conditions. From ankle high to way overhead, from onshore and grey to offshore and perfect. The consistently perfect waves so common in surf mags often leave us with unrealistic expectations of what good surf is. It doesn't have to be 6 feet and slabbing to have fun. Surfer Joe features everyday surfers enjoying everyday conditions. I hope it makes you feel like surfing."

But I've come to realise this is only partly true. When I trawl through my photos looking for something to post I can't help gravitating towards photos of better waves and conditions. It is true there are very few large and perfect waves, but there are also very few completely unappealing, small, onshore, grey waves either. Whatever the type of waves featured I am sure of two things; it's about everyday surfers and I hope it makes you feel like surfing.

Ace

Adrian 'Ace' Buchan, a surfer joe just like the rest of us. But unlike most of us he's currently competing on the ASP world surfing tour. I know my best backhand turns aren't a patch on this one captured at Ace's home beach last week. 

Like many local surfers and beach users Adrian has raised his voice in opposition to the proposed ship dumping next Saturday. Peter Garret our Federal Environment Minister has yet to sign the sea dumping permit the NSW government needs to legally scuttle the ship. 

Please email your opposition ASAP  

Peter.Garrett.MP@aph.gov.au 

Learn more at noship.com.au

Post script: I've since learned that it's not actually Ace pictured above but yet another local ripper Beau Atchison... another surfer joe who no doubt cares deeply about protecting the ocean environment.

Pseudonym

'Surfer Joe' is a place for everyday surfers, their waves, their boards. It's not so much about me. But if you are wondering...

My name actually is Joe.

I live on the Central Coast.

I first attempted to stand on a surfboard in 1992.

I enjoy all kinds of boards and all kinds of waves.

Even mushy waves at The Pass.