My Own Surfing Thread!

[Baz]

Owl Chapman - matador stance at Pipe, 1983.....

[Baz]

Figueira da Foz, Portugal.....

[Baz]

Goes with this Tweet:

https://x.com/RCEY28/status/1979345665013748001

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by Baz

Figueira da Foz, Portugal.....

Didn't want to stick around for Nazare?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by wilnj

Didn't want to stick around for Nazare?

I know you're just kidding but......I visited Tahiti in 2003 and took my surfboard.

I did get some surf sessions in.....but for reals.....not at Teahupo'o!

[wilnj]

I'm not a surfer but my family is from Portugal.

My memories of my first visit there as a kid are watching them pull fish nets in with oxen and the number of fishing widows.

To see it transform into a surfing mecca is fascinating.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by wilnj

I'm not a surfer but my family is from Portugal.

My memories of my first visit there as a kid are watching them pull fish nets in with oxen and the number of fishing widows.

To see it transform into a surfing mecca is fascinating.

That's cool!

"Big Wednesday" was on (of all networks) TCM a couple weeks ago late at night. I have the DVD but watched anyway.

I've gone back and forth in my mind as to what the best surf movie is of all time, and many a time I thought this was it. Not necessarily because of the surfing footage, which isn't anything compared to others, but because of the story and the actors in it. Directed by John Milius ("Conan the Barbarian") it speaks to the fellowship of the wave slider community. A lot of life philosophy there.

The late Bill Delaney's "Free Ride" is also up there in my rankings. This clip with some of the best soundtrack ever for surfing footage......

[Baz]

The Most perfect day of surfing at Teahupo'o in Tahiti of 2025. We used the GoPro MAX2 to capture Tereva David POV Surfing at Teahupo'o during one of the best swells on 2025. Accompanied with the ASUS ProArt P16, we were able to reframe our 8k 360 footage on the go!

[Baz]

SURFILMUSIC, a documentary chronicling Johnson’s evolution from surfer to filmmaker to world-renowned musician, weaves through the making of his iconic surf films Thicker Than Water (1999) and The September Sessions (2000). These classic films revealed Johnson’s artistic point of view through his lens and guitar, ultimately launching his music career.
The new film celebrates the lifelong friendships and ocean-driven community that shaped Johnson’s path, and features many of the surfers who appeared in the original films, including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, and the Malloy Brothers. It also captures the shared spirit of exploration and creativity that continues to inspire his music and environmentalism today. Additional SURFILMUSIC documentary and soundtrack details will be announced next year.
For the soundtrack, Hermanos Gutiérrez, longtime admirers of Johnson’s music and surf films, joined him in the studio, where Johnson also reunited with producer Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Seu Jorge, Beck), who co-produced several of Johnson’s most beloved albums, including In Between Dreams and Sleep Through the Static. What began as a mutual appreciation quickly turned into a creative connection and friendship, resulting in a beautiful new song, “Hold On To The Light” and an original film score.

[Baz]

Here's a really nice tribute/bio of Col Smith of Newcastle (salty language warning).



My friend was in Hawaii when Col arrived that year and took photos of him at Pipe and also wrote to me about him in a couple letters. No one used email back then. Letters and postcards were the norm when traveling. I kept everything.

I rode a few channel bottom boards and they were great. Never in big surf like in the video though. Just stuff around here.

Here's one of them. A double-wing swallowtail twin fin. Mostly I just got what my board maker was making at the time, with limited input by me. After a while I just bought his boards when he was done with them. Seemed to be the easiest path to getting a nice riding shooter.

[Baz]

Here's a couple photos my buddy shot of Col at Pipe. I think this was in '83......





He also brought an autographed Col Smith/Hot Tuna Surfwear poster back for me, which I currently have hanging on my kitchen wall. It's personalised to me with my name. Really means a lot to me.