Hossegor, France!

Now do you understand why I keep going back?

New Years Resolution

need one!

Surf Sister Article

www.surfsister.com.au 

to read more

www.surfsister.com.au 

Family

When it comes to the festive season we all believe that ideally we should celebrated it with our families. I believe family is not only the little sister you are so protective over, nor the older brother who drives you mad, it is those who surround you. Whether it be geographically or cognitively. Moral support and presence is what brings that happy smile. They are the people who love the real you!

I miss those who are my family in Hossegor and I am grateful to have come home to the loving community in which I grew up in.

To see the smile on my grandmother's face when I first arrived home was indescribable. The first embrace accompanied by tears with my mum at the airport and the dorky hello, big hug and being lifted by my 'not so little' brother made me realise this was no longer a skype date relationship. I was home and summer number 5 was about to begin. One of the best things about travelling is coming home to such a spectacular part of the world. Who would think that I'd ever want to leave. Coming home makes you appreciate where we live, the beauty of the land meeting the sea, the loving neighbourhood and its everlasting joyful spirit that fills the salty breeze.

Happy to be home :)

Harris, Mumma, Nanny & I

Charlie, Bex, Sophie & I

Pumps, Charlie, Brendos, Bex & MC

Myri, Bex, Charlie & I

Amelie

Annabelle!

Crille! 

Fragments Of The Mind

Modernise, globalise, adopt, hinder, multiculturalise, resist change! Diminish individuality, promote conformity, international relations, combine classes, seperate the rich from the poor, liberate the nation, equality between races, loose the spice each country is proud to produce.

Is the idea of globalisation diminishing individual cultures? What are the effects of technological growth on the differences, relationships and cultural beliefs of each country? Is finding yourself on a map a way of becoming lost in the number of masses?

Why do we need to conform to the idea of ensuring our individuality? If God is the ultimate leader and we are taught not to follow, is life as hypercritical as it exposes to be?

Simply Pick It Up & Bin It!

Please take 20 mins out of your life to watch this video.
Collectively we can make a difference!

I Am Giant

I met these guys in Hossegor and was on the same flight to London. Cool guys!

Neon Sunrise - The Horrifying Truth - I Am Giant



Listen to their entire album and download one of their songs for free!

www.iamgiant.com

Like them on Facebook!

PARIS - La Ville d'Amour!

Officially Rhythmised!!

Check out the Rhythm Europe website! 

rhythmlivin.eu

http://www.rhythmlivin.eu/surf/family/ambassadors/

Super stoked to be an Ambassador for Rhythm Europe! Let the fun begin! 

Scattered All Over Me!

Time To Get Involved!

Take 3 - A Clean Beach Initiative 

Click to like their facebook page

Take 3 - A Clean Beach Initiative - short promo from Take 3 -A Clean Beach Initiative on Vimeo.

Movember Supporter

      It's all about saving money for a cause!                                         or looking cool...    

Brendan O'Gorman - The Cheerleaders 

Check out their facebook page!                                                                               

Ginger Tea Inspiration

Afraid to Indicate

It is as though doing the right thing by others is an inconvenience to one’s self. In the attempt of being cool in this ‘too cool’ town, the lack of vehicle communication reflects poorly on one’s opinion of the French style of driving. A fear of allowing one see you are a responsible and road worthy driver looms in the minds of the French. Not to put them down too much, their road system is quite good, clear signage, very respectful on high ways etc, however, changing lanes and their specialty; the round-about, is another story. No pre indication of where their mind has chosen to travel. You would think a simple hand movement alerting fellow road users would save Monsieur the inevitable throw of hands and loud, silent mouth yelling ‘Putin!’ as you kindly cut him off. Who was to know he was going to continue? Maybe the French have the ability to read each other minds? They certainly know how to stare. Perhaps their immense practice of peering into each others’ souls gives them this fine ability in reading someone’s chosen exit from a round-about. Nothing but a simple task. The French. Fearful to display their intentions? Or do they have an excuse due to their supernatural capabilities?

Hossegor Sunsets

no editing, no saturating, no nothin! what an amazing sunset to come home to! 20/11/2011

Amsterdam - What You See

• Speedy bikers, slow bikers, fashionable - wearing heels bikers, old bikers, texting bikers, smoking bikers. Everyone rides a bike! Everyone! Tourists on bikes (danger!)
• Coffee shops - that stink!
• Marijuana seed shops, mushroom shops, sex shops, vintage shops, hat shops and your usual high street shops.
• A variety of people (that's obviously normal in a city - but seriously this place beholds the young, the old, the strange and the adventurous)
• Tourists getting run over by bikers
• Canals and house boats
• Unfortunate girls posing in windows awaiting a horny, big spender
• Fashionable people and not so fashionable people - people who put no matter what on, concentrating on keeping warm
• Stylish bikes and practical bikes
• Small, box-like stores selling herring - a Dutch delicacy 
• A 'Coffee Company' café every 200 metres  

Let The Good Times Roll

Travel is not about where you've been or what you've seen, it's the moments you remember whether they be positive or not - or both!

4am en route Armaçao de Pêra to Hossegor we accidentally take a detour. Amongst our stress of taking the wrong highway exit, we forget the need to stop for petrol.
A sudden choke in the engine reminds us kindly.
In the middle of nowhere, the rain pouring, we imagine the worst.
We climb a hill, but only just; the engine cuts and we begin to roll.
We pass a sign, 2kms till the next petrol station.
We continue to roll.
Minutes later we are still rolling.
Still rolling the station is in sight. Sighs of relief overcome us.
Our momentum comes to an end and we stop literally 1m from the pump. Screams of joy and laughs of amazement fill the van. Luck was definitely on our side.

On this journey I saw a highway, a boring, straight road from the Algarve to Lisbon - negative.
I chatted and listened to music with my closest friend - positive.
And we experienced for the first and hopefully last time an amazing feat.
Unexpected and potentially difficult travel is always exciting!

Tough Day On The Promenade

à la centrale during the Quik Pro France October ⓒ Crille Rask
stillxlivin.tumblr.com

Silence is ...

"Silence vibrating is Creation. Silence flowing is Love. Silence shared is Friendship. Silence seen is Infinity. Silence heard is Adoration. Silence expressed is Beauty. Silence maintained is Strength. Silence omitted is Suffering. Silence allowed is Rest. Silence recorded is Scripture. Silence preserved is Our Tradition. Silence given is Initiating. Silence received is Joy. Silence perceived is Knowledge. Silence stabilized is Fulfillment. Silence alone is."
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Words of Sweden by Nicholas Pumphrey & Sam Page

Hot chicks. Supermodels. Blonde. Tall. ABBA. Swedish meatballs. Singing. Slick hair dos. Expensive booze. Buttoned up suits. Coffee shops. Prolonged café visits. People watching.

Sum Payji

Thompa & Pumps

Hanging With Locals

It is always nice to be shown around a foreign place by a local. Their knowledge of where to go, where to avoid, how, at what time etc are all valuable elements in travel. Being taken to someones home town where they haven't visited is even more exciting. Walking down the streets of Armaçao de Pêra we were stopped by almost every old man and lady as they recognised the boy they once watched playing in the street. We devoured the best fish, socialised at the local bar and we even scored waves! Being on the the south coast of Portugal, close to the Mediterranean Sea this part of the Atlantic coast receives little swell. Fun waves all day.

After being home - Hossegor, France - for just one day we then flew to Sweden. Another true home of my beautiful friend. Walking around town was done in a day and just slotting into normal daily life was easy. Meeting his closest friends and family was a lot more enjoyable than sitting on a roof top bus touring the city to make sure every tourist site was ticked off. He took us to the bars he and his friends like, sat in prime people watching cafés and attempted to listen to their Swedish catch up conversations - fail!

The feeling you get when you are greeted by a person who has known the friend showing you around their home town since they were toddlers is of a special kind. They are so excited to see their unexpected friend and their happiness is infectious. Their big smile and genuine hand shake is welcoming.

I am a tourist in my own city, I would get lost too easily! I could give a tour of the Northern Beaches but anything inland or on the city side of the Harbour Bridge - tragic! I love showing friends around my home away from home. Hossegor, Bayonne, Biarritz - I will never get sick of sharing these beautiful places!

Armaçao de Pêra

Armaçao de Pêra

Armaçao de Pêra

Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm

Don't Bother!

Is it LOVE that tortures the MIND?
Or is it the MIND that tortures itself when it is deprived of LOVE?

Are we blind in saying that the heart needs LOVE to live?
While all we see in the elation of LOVE is a disfigured reality!

Elite Surfing - Weekend Away

ES Surfing weekend away from Nicholas Damen on Vimeo.


miss you lil grommets!!

Blue Floating Shapes

'Stoked & Broke', a film by Cyrus Sutton encouraged the inner stoke and basic want to surf something one could create. While packing to leave Peniche, Pumps, Brendos and Crille spotted some stored materials for the construction of the apartment we were staying in. Blue planks of styrofoam. These basic blocks were to become our creative outlet in an attempt to make stand up, body board like surf craft. We each had our own vision, discussing tail shapes, rail lines and buoyancy. Not wanting to disclose too much to each other a quiet day arrived in Armaçao de Pêra and we got to work with our basic tools.

Finding Walls - Lisbon

On our day trip to Lisbon, Nick Pumphrey and I set off on a search for some epic walls. Lisbon is full of great sites but it is their colourful walls we desired to explore. Job done after a few laughs, big smiles and goofy looks. The shot of ginjinha at midday - a traditional Portuguese alcohol may have help a little too. Photos will be used by Rhythm Europe hopefully early next year on their website www.rhythmlivin.eu

Brendos, Crille & Pumps having a shot of Ginjinha

Stereotypical Drug Customers

Young, blonde traveler - not potential customer.

Sun tanned, facial hair, surfy looking, long hair, cool alternatively dressed and covered in tatts - bingo! potential customer - harass and likely sale of goods. 

Poor Brendos, Crille and Pumps were constantly bugged by Pakistanis coming up and saying 'hashish! hashish!' - 'NO!' 

Fernando Pessoa

Concentrate!

Running through my mind.
A continuous jingle.
An unwanted repeat.
The limited lyrics that circle.
STOP.
This is what hinders minds to be aware of each individual’s presence.
Why do we enjoy a catchy tune?
And once it has ‘caught’ you, how do you escape it’s forever repeating insignificant words?
In daily life we have the desire to expand our knowledge however in one way or another it is unfortunately dumbed.
The industry of what is called music includes many talented artists yet the diversity allows repetitive crap to be constantly played on the radio.
I am not saying that I do not enjoy singing along to their catchy tunes.
Nor do I not enjoy dancing to the same songs every time I go out.
It’s the times when you have been captured into the realm of poor lyrics and repetition that the mind is incapable of returning to it’s unique thought process.
Music takes us to a world of rhythm, insignificant to our surrounding, we have the choice to fill our ears with tunes that do not, if chosen, coordinate what the eyes see.

Brazilians Can't Barrel Ride

De Souza, Pupo, Alves, Medina, Andre and Muniz all successfully posted high scores in the Ripcurl Pro Peniche. Supertubes was pumping and the barrelling waves were only a few meters from the shore line. The crowd practically had their toes touching the water's edge and as each set sucked up and spat the jerseyed competitor out the salty blow swiped out faces with amazement. Each succession of every barrel threw the crowd's arms up with applause. People had travelled from far to watch the final day and see Kelly Slater be beaten by the Brazilian, Adriano de Souza. Such incredible entertainment. Perfect waves with the best in the world showing us how it's done. The strong Brazilian contingency on the tour consists of 6 surfers, most proving to excel in ariel manoeuvres. Coming from a country where waves are weak and competition is high, their aggressive approach and lack of bottom turns is evident. These guys however have proved themselves in the more surfable waves completing turns top to bottom and dominating their heats in the Ripcurl Pro. Coming from Hawaii, John John Florence has Pipe in his backyard, we could see how at home he felt in the similar conditions here in Peniche.
Where you grow up shapes the way you surf.

A Treat for Spanish Roadies

Travelling late at night, through the deserted roads that cross Spain flashing lights flicker along the highway. A method of attracting and luring fatigued truckies into what lies within. 'Club Jamaica' remains in our minds the rest were thankfully forgotten. It is said that in Spain for a new town to develop there needs to be a church, a whore house and a bar. We passed many stray 'Clubs' so they could possibly be hoping to start new towns or have their independent business excel in the scarceness.
Onwards we go, Portugal in the distance.

The Sound of Change

Completion of one chapter encourages the commencement of another. I am grateful for the support O'neill Europe has given me over the past 2 years and now I am happy to be returning to a more fashion minded surf label. RHYTHM.

Road trip on! lets get Rhythmized!!

Headed down to Peniche for the Ripcurl Pro and the Rhythm event 'By the Sea'