by Franck Gazzola | Apr 9, 2013 | Daily Updates
It's been a while since the sunrise has been so changing and spectacular !
Great contrast in the sky, thousand colours in the clouds, structures and shapes,…and then the rain.
I must say It was a bit of a fight with the umbrella, the gear, the bag,…to take the shots, but what a pleasure to have witnessed that.
Now, the downside is: it's still flat as. Not a bump in the water. Nothing. Nill. Rien du tout. Peau de zob….and nothing on the horizon as well. Maybe a bit of an increase towards the weekend, from the E-NE. Wait and see !
But there is a good news this week: the King is gonna be in town. Yes, you read well: THE King is gonna be in town !!…and so will Owen Wright, Occy, Simon Anderson, Taylor Wright or Tom Carrol. They're all here for the Komunity Project Comp, in Manly, on Saturday 13th April. You should go check it out. Not only la creme de la creme of surfing will be there, but they'll be competing with some of the key Waratahs players ! A great fund raising event where they need your support.
Of course, Frothers will be there to bring you the best shots of the day. Stay tuned to it ! And if you see us on the beach, come and say g'day ! Let's all pray for some waves…
Have a nice day !
Franck
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 8, 2013 | Daily Updates
G'day again from the Mentawai Islands.
Bad weather has had us trapped for the past two days, so today's first surf back saw froth levels sky rocketing. A tasteful righhander, named Bintangs, was our saviour. Why Bintangs? Because nothing beats pouring a cold can of pilsner through the hole in your beard after a great day surfing here.
I'd never had the chance to surf this place before. Wow, I'm glad I have now. A super playful ride that throws a lip every wave – it's almost impossible not to find some shade out there. The boys and I were still frothing when imagine who floats into the line up? Another boat with another bunch of local crew from back home. Mark Maguire and his son Jake had already scored a couple of super fun sessions at Rifles, Pussys and Bintangs. Mark though, still claims Bronte Reef's his favourite wave on earth. Mark?
And, of course, we finished our great day surfing with the boys by dutifully draining a few Bintangs on sunset, reminding me that absolutely nothing beats an Indo boat trip with your best mates. See you for one more Mentawais update later in the week, thanks to TC Communications. Yew – Brad
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 5, 2013 | Daily Updates
Well, I think we're in it now. Autumn, I mean…
After two days in winter hell, we're in Autumn again, with nice colours in the sky.
14 degrees this morning at the beach. That makes surfing & swimming all the more attractive. Get into the water and gain an extra 10 degrees: it feels like a hot bath !
There are waves this morning. Plenty. Playful, 2-3ft, sometimes more. I even saw a lucky one getting shacked. Wind ? Barely any. So let's do the math: waves + no wind + decent weather + warm water = leave early today !
The weekend weather looks decent. Not crazy good, but good enough. The swell is not going to last for too long though, so the sooner you'll the higher the chance for you to get a few.
Maybe you'll take it easy in the next two days, maybe you'll be healthy, maybe you'll get Champagne-showered, maybe you'll go nuts, maybe you'll end up hangover….In any case, I wish you a nice weekend !
Franck
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 4, 2013 | Daily Updates
Next stop, Thunders.
We headed to the swell magnet, half way across the world, and who do we see? A few guys from across the street in Bronte. Including Haysey, my neighbor, tearing down the line in between bintangs. The swell has backed off over the past two days, the wind has picked up and I've earned three stitches in my hoof. So, today we replenished our supplies in a tiny village where the locals were friendly, the dogs hairless and the heat relentless. Lathered in sweat we soon retreated to the comfort of the Southern Cross.
There's rumour of a new swell so we've decided to steam back across to one of the world's best rights, HTs. And if all goes to plan, the boys will be getting barreled at first light while I'm Resting, Icing, Compressing and Elevating (camera in hand).
I'll be back with you next week bringing you more from the Southern Cross in the Mentawai Islands. Have a great weekend – Brad
PS: If you're planning a trip to a far off destination, don't leave the loved ones hanging – grab a sat and stay in touch via TC Communications.
by Franck Gazzola | Apr 3, 2013 | Daily Updates
The city streets were awash with heavy rain early this morning. At 7:45am it was still quite dark down the beach as the cars, headlights blazing, began to bank up around the coastal feeder roads heading for the big smoke.
Dressed in my 3/2 steamer wetsuit and holding a bright yellow water housing in my hand, I must have looked like an idiot standing in the pouring rain on Campbell Parade shooting the commuters boarding the 333 to work. I’m just glad it wasn’t me trying to hold my umbrella open until the last second before jumping on that cattle truck!
I saw all of one surfer this morning leaving the water at South Bondi as I drove away. I would have loved to have taken a shot of him and got his name. So keen to be out in this when no one else is. The beaches are a virtual ghost town.
A mate of mine I ran into asked, surely you have something in the files you can put up today instead of shooting this crap. Answer was "I do! But if it was me, I’d rather see a bit of what is happening today…"
Stay dry!
Billy
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