Avalanches above, business continues below

This some way describes my state of mind at the moment. 

Apologies for not updating too much recently. Haven’t shot surf since mid january and I don’t think many people are too interested in hearing about me doing a report for my first year studying electronic structure of quantum dots.

Here’s a few oldies to gawk at for a bit.

Models Courtesy of the Skajarowski Agency.

I hope nobody is stealing these images.

Let me know if you see them anywhere else will ya?

Secret Life Of The Beach

A theme robbed from SPU a few months back.

Just stuff that’s going on that you see but don’t always take notice of.

I’d love to start taking real birsing shots, there’s some great stuff online and it seems like a real challenge to get good shots.

This is the sort of stuff cathcing my attention when shooting from land, it can get pretty lonely/boring.

Didn’t think we had the sand to do this properly in Ireland.

Back to Waves

Both for and the blog.

Popped in for a (very) quick one in L.A.hinch today.

My first wave was a laughable attempt at a right (backhand). Very wobbly take off, one foot at a time job, I somehow managed to be standing by the time I got to the bottom, pumped a little to get speed then stopped. I managed to pump off the wave. Go me.

Next one was a little better managed to actually bottom turn go to the lip and come back down before I lost my speed. Then caught a left that closed out so I took it in on my belly.

Jaysus I’m unfit.

Strict pool regime starting tomorrow.

In the meantime, normal photoblog service resumes with my boy Jacko Scanes whacking one off the top last Autumn,

The Meaning of the Ritual

Wow, music is amazing. For the past year or so I’ve been trying to get my hands on an album by an Irish band called The Immediate. I shot one of their gigs about two years ago and it was amazing. Never got around to getting the cd, but it was continually popping into my head for the past while.

Unfortunately The Immediate split up, however one of the guys (Conor J. O’Brien) from the band has gotten a new EP out under the name of Villagers. The EP called Hollow Kind, is a limited run so not sure if it’s available in shops. But the band are on tour at the moment so go see them and pick one up if you can.

 

Conor is the main man in the band but he acts more of a focus point for the band rather than a lead singer/song writer.

Conor wrote all the songs and recorded them at Tommy McLoughlins Attica studios in Donegal. When Conor started gigging Tommy joined him on other-guitar/noodly lead bits. Tommy used to play with rockers Berkeley who always point on a good live show. As a result of this he doesn’t restrain himself live. Snapping a guitar strap clean off at the end of one song.

The rest of the band are equally talented and this leads to a really strong collective sound. Ideas seem to bouncing back and forth across the stage before the audiences eyes as opposed everyone doing what the singer says to do. This could go very badly and end up in free jazz territory but the guys really gel and it works.

Conor has a scruffy head on him, offset (or possibly explained by) by the glass of wine he brings on stage with him.

The highlight for me was Down, Under The Sea. What sounded as quiet a mellow track on the radio comes across as very strong and powerful live. The drummer using mallets able to smash the kit without overpowering everything else and adding a beat that you can feel deep inside.

Conor was left on his own for two songs which had a nice relaxed atmosphere.

There’s lots of reviews that talk about how it was an experience almost religious in its intensity. I’m not really into that shit, unless your on something mind altering, but this gig was good*. Everybody was there to see and hear new music and enjoy themselves. Well I saw all but I mean almost all, there was one particularly drunk moron who started pogoing on his own in the middle of the floor twice and ended the gig by shouting abuse at the band. Way to go Patrick.

Like I said the guys are on tour now so catch them if you can.

This is one of my first attempts at trying to write up a gig, I’m aware I didn’t so a particularly excellent job, there’s a lot more I want to say but can’t get out properly. The words seem clumsy and clichéd to me. Any feedback would be appreciated.

*I reserve the right to talk about other gigs as if they changed my life completely and you wouldn’t understand unless you were there man…

A Land of Lefts

Start off with the rainbow and the pigdog. Irelands number one shit hot surfer Mr. Cain Kilcullen, last I heard he was hunting for sponsors, so if anybody reading this owns a company get in contact with him.

Next up is my hero of th week (because of all of the posts with him in them) Liam Joyce a Kiwi living in Dublin for past while, here he is scholing Richie Fitz on barrel riding in Richies front yard.

And last but not least old reliable Hugopotamus (nice one Damo) about to pull in to a fairly meaty sized shack on the last monster swell we had.

The Long and Winding Road

It’s tough being a surfer especially one of the cool ones that travels alone seeking out new spots just for the hell of it. Nobody to talk to and share the stoke with, nobody else to get eaten first when that shark arrives, nobody to watch you get spat out of a barrel, nobody to snake or drop in on,  nobody to yell “outside” at, nobody to yell set “outside” to you. Screw that I’m strapping boards top my roof and getting surfer tattooed across my forehead.

I’m cool man.

Rise and Shine

This was a bit of a crazy day, it was a new enough wave that hadn’t been surfed at this size before. There was some crazy rips and sets were coming in all over the place, I just about managed to hook up with Joycey on this one as the sunlight spilled over the hill that had been blocking it all morning. There’s a bit of water splash on the lens, but I’m liking the shot regardless.

Making Honey

Sorry for the break in transmission, been crazy busy the past few weeks.
Trying to get Issue 3 of Tonnta together.
Have my one year review for my PhD, which is apparently a Very Important Thing.
And myself and my lady friend got engaged.
Yay.

Back to the Surf.

Here’s Liam Joyce stunning some beginners in no foot Dougie last summer. Those fins out mean it’s a radical maneuver.

Another from those Golden few minutes I got a few months ago. Not sure who the rider is.

 

Ollie Mac Fla making the most out of a section at everyones favourite Clare left.

 

Joycey again, same day, just as sick. Even if the rider doesn’t make it up after a turn like this, does it matter?

 

And to finish is Cian just about to get shacked this was one of the most fun waves to watch, he started off with a big carving turn bounced off the white water, raced it down the line a bit, then jammed his arm in and stalled up got a lovely few seconds in the green room before getting spat out down the reef from me. I was hooting and hollerin’ for ages after that. The spray as he was stalling looked amazing and it kind of comes across here but it was so much better being there, one of the times I would have loved to have a video camera with me instead of the stills cam.

Redecorating?

Amazing wallpapers available here http://surfermag.com/photos/wallpapers/

Was going to list out my favourites but there are too many.

Re-Up

Started watching series 4 of The Wire, still awesome.

Here’s a few from the past while, was trying to think of a story to link them but can’t.

We’ll start with a drop in. I’m loving everything that’s going on in this, most of the guys paddling up and over watching what the next one is going to do, except for Ruben getting that one last look in. And then Stef just going for it, already with an amazing barrel going on behind him, knowing that he’s going to shacked just down the line. That little glassy patch right in front of me. I love the way Stef is half in the wave still as well.

I know it’s pretty far away, but it’s kinda like something you might see as you’re paddling back out after your own wave, just Damo getting shacked (or just about to) but quite a sizey wave. Light was atrocious hence the B&W. this was actually a horrible session. It was my second time in the water that day and I’m pretty unfit at the moment and I was freezing. I’m not moving around as much as people riding waves so I tend to get colder faster. Or else I’m just a wuss which is more likely.

This is from the same session as above, before I got in the water. I just like the fact that the wave is so big that the two guys can fit in it above one another. It’s a weird scenario when you think about it, the fact that both these guys are in the water and Ruben is basically able to be looking down on another person. It seems so natural to all surfers but water that bends like this and goes to different levels is really an amazing thing, really goes against what we think about water everywhere else.

Damo again walking out across Crab on Christmas morning, just the two of us and it was smoking. Very similar to another shot I have of crab but that has two surfers on waves. I like the pulled back of Damo just going into the water on his own, if I was closer I think it would have taken away from the solitary nature of the shot. Crab has these great clints (or possibly grikes?) that lead the eye down to the water edge, then you might notice the surfer and then the wave beside him.

 Just a big ass empty. I love being an Irish surfer/photographer because of the smaller crowds but it mostly means I end up with way way more photos of empties than action shots. For a bit of perspective there’s a surfer in the water on the right behind the spray. Pretty sizey.

Finally here’s Damo just dropping into a nice one, it was so quite just the two of us out this day. You can almost hear the hiss of the spray from the light offshore landing around you  as the wave goes by.

 

Enjoy the weekend whether you get wet or not.