May 2008 - the month that was

Cold Water Classic - Update

Saturday night update (not friday as posted)
Brought to you live from Kaikoura, after two days of a building south swell.. its been pretty much pumping with blue skies and litttle wind.
Team Dunnos is:
Tom Bracegirdle, Leroy Rust, Geordi Dearns, Jordan Durst, Hayley Coakes, Jimmy Crooks, Luke Grubb, Jamie Civil, Danny Carse, Shayne Baxter, Nathan Lungley, Andy Sutherland, Jono Pascoe, Ben Bennett, & Tom Leckie. .. Support Crew, Mike Bracegirdle and me
After two days of surfing.. the following are the Dunnos team members who are facing the finals in the morning:

Juniors ( under 18) Jimmy Crooks and Leroy Rust
Cadets (under 16) Tom Bracegirdle and Ben Bennett
Longboard - Leroy Rust and Shayne Baxter
Womens - Hayley Coakes

Away to the Cold Water Classic for 5 days

I hear its going to be cold!

Above: The full sequence of the pic I got on the front page of the ODT a month or so back.
and Danny Carse flaoter at blackhead a few weeks back,

:: Art Project :: Mosaics

This art project was 'my latest obsession' from last week, I was hoping to get it finished by now, but I have had so much on, it has sat in my studio for the last week collecting dust.



Still really enjoy doing the mosaics and looking forward to getting it finished when I get back from Kaiks this weekend. then I can have my coffee table back again.

Drive Thru NZ review

I wish I could actually write a real review.. but because I didn't ensure I got a front seat at the Cellar Bar I couldn't see the screen, or hear the movie very well.
But I will say a big thank you to the guy in the Poofy Grey Cardigan for obscuring my view (and the other 12 people around me) during the whole film.

Readers Waves - from Grant

Grant sent me some pics well over a month ago, and just found them in a folder while having a tidy up.
First shot is one he snapped of me with my daughter Caity and Jay last month.

The rest of a few spots a bit further south which most of you will recognise.

Drive Thru NZ - Dunedin Screening

7pm - Friday 23rd May
At the Cellers Bar
6 Stafford St
Dunedin
A band will be playing.
All welcome

The Drive Thru Series embarks on another zany adventure as veteran road warriors Donavon, Benji, and Pat-O scour the beautiful surf soaked land of New Zealand. Joined by iconic surf legend Mark Occhilupo, air maestro and surf expressionist Ozzie Wright, and California charger Alex Gray, the barren road leads them into the unknown.

The crew trucks it 3700 km from Auckland on the North Island all the way to Dunedin on the rugged and wave rich South Island. Kiwi guides Cory Scott and Maz Quinn navigate the crew through unpredictable weather and gnarly terrain to score epic Tasman and Pacific waves. As always, fresh beats and hilarious antics with rockslide mishaps, Zorbing, and the debut of the Drive Thru Band featuring Donavon on the organ and Occy singing will get you amped for THE DRIVE THRU NEW ZEALAND!

a very windy arvo

Classic 1967 Batman surfing episode

Just watched on TV the craziest Batman episode from 1967
SURF'S UP JOKERS UNDER - Where Batman surfs against the Joker in the world champnships at Gotham Point. What I loved was the 'Surfing and Experience Ability Transferometer' .. man I so wish one of those gadgets were real! .. and the 'shark repellant bat spray' in his utility belt which gave him the 50 points to win the comp!

Chief Ohara and the commissioner were undercover hodads with the obligatory 'old shaper' Hot Dog Harrigan, they all hung out at the hang five. The Jokers' accomplices were riptide and wipeout with the secret headquarters at the ten toes surfboard shop.

Also click through to youtube and watch part 2 & part 3

Sundays chargers

two pics below- Move over and make room for this wee charger!


Below.. at Kilda in the arvo, some fun clean waves.

four photos from this afternoon

Yawning Dawnie

Sunrise is after 7.30am now.. in just over one month it will still be dark at 9am.. we're diving into the depths of winter, the morning chill makes it harder to get up early, for me anyway, or I'm just getting older. Water temp has dropped heaps with most out in their 4/3's now with booties and hoods.

:: Art Project :: BigT Surfboard Artwork

A much loved board... gets a makeover.


I used sharpies, because I had read an internet article that they were excellent for surfboard artworks, I was pretty stoked that I had picked up a 15 pack off trademe for $15 last year.
It was extremely fun doodling on the board, and the design organically evolved, not trying to make anything in particular .. I grew an understanding of the pens, and how I could apply them through trial and error .. drawing light over dark and allowing the solvent in the pens to erase previous colours. I guess that whole issue of 'solvent dissolve' should have rung the alarm bells.
Below, Almost finished.


Above the pens I used, which turned out to be FAKE Sharpies made in China, why I didn't even think to check? I discovered their uselessness upon applying the clear sealer over the artwork.
I did a test patch with Dulux Enamel spray ( which was recommended to me to use) and it bled the inks terribly. So I used Plasticote Acrylic Spray sealer, which didn't make the pens bleed, but did give them an ugly stipple finish in the lighter colours.
Below, the board before the clear spray job.

Now after 48 hours the clear coast has dried fully, and after work I am going to wax up and do a test drive. Really looking forward to getting back on BigT.
UPDATE:
17th May.. waxed it up yesterday, took it very gently light layers first (thanks for the tip Hails).
But first I changed len's to my 50mm to get a closeup of the stippling of the markers after the spray was applied.

Scenes from the last week

I have found a new obsession, which has kept me occupied for the last 5 days, more later.
But for now, I have some scenic photos from the last week.

Nothing New till 2009

Back in March this year, after seeing the sign in this shop window when away on my work weekend camp, my co-worker and I made a pact that we were not going to buy anything new till 2009. And to bring personal debt to ZERO.
This excluded newspapers, food, (special clause for me a new wettie), personal hygene products and underwear. If we were buying a pressie for someone else it had to be hand crafted and one off to support local artists/craftspeople.
I have found it very difficult, but tell you what I have been saving money! When I go into shops I abort the aimless wandering looking at products wondering if I 'need them' if they catch my eye. What are you doing to curb the endless spending our society tends to be indulging in of late? How much do you owe?

More from the Water

On Saturday I broke out the pentax in the water housing again.
What an extremely pitiful attempt again, heaps of water droplets on the lens casing, bad positioning because I didn't bring flippers.