Cheers.

I had seen the trailers and to be honest I wasn’t that impressed, compared to the stuff we get to watch on Surfline and youtube everyday the level of surfing isn’t super impressive. But there was a big crew heading in and I’ve never seen a surf movie on the big screen before.

Jaysus it rocked. I could hardly keep still the entire time. I have never wanted to go shooting more than I did while watching that movie. I’m not sure if it ‘s the story, an amazing arc covering the revitalisation of surfing as a modern sport by an Irishmans son from its roots in Hawaii to the tow surfing bonanza that Ireland is these days, or just the fact that I knew a load of the faces and had been to most of the places being shown.

I was just so stoked watching it. It’s hard to get my excitement across on this page so all I can say is go see it.

It goes on release this Friday in UK and Ireland and is definitely worth checking out.

http://www.waveridersthefilm.com

The feeling I’m talking about is when you just scrap through a big wave and pop out the other side. You’re so focused on making it under the wave that you tend to zone out any sound so when you pop out the back of the wave every sound suddenly comes rushing back, like you’ve been standing outside a gig hearing only bassy sounds then go inside and hear everything. Even if your only hearing the crash of the waves and the hiss of the spray landing around you.

You can kind of get the same sensation by pulling down your hood in winter, but beware. And anyway it’s not as effective as swimming for your life (it always seems to be a life/death situation in my head) then pushing through to sweet relief and life on the other side.

Can happen after wipeouts as well I guess but I’m usually too disorientated to take notice.

Couldn’t find a photo to accompany this piece so here’s a photo of a bullock at sunrise somewhere in Clare.

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?

I’m on twitter. http://twitter.com/paudiescanlon Not sure what ‘ll be tweeting about yet but might be useful.

Wanted to highlight a special cause as well. IRMA (the evil recording company people in Ireland) are tryingto block our access to certain sites. Fair enough they are trying to protect their goods but it should be up to us what sites we visit, if this goes through it would set a dangerous precedent for blocking whatever the hell they wanted. For more info go to http://www.blackoutireland.com/

And finally to get back to some kind of surfing theme, the trailer for Lowe-Smiths new movie is out.

Check it.

So I decide to be a nice conscientious person and not run over the rabbit that’s on the road on front of me.

Check my mirrors, there’s a van a good distance behind me, but there’s plenty of time to slow done gradually.

Fuck, what the hell was that?

Ah shit you’re kidding me?

Again?

FUCK.

Ah shit this hurts

Ok not so bad, I can walk this is fine, a little shook, a little sore but I’m walking.

Bebhine arrives a while later with Justine, I try to drive the car up to the house, only a mile away. Tire starts smoking and chunks are flying off body is pressing against it, right this isn’t going to work.

Get a number for a tow guy, turns out the one we get is the guy towing the van that hit me.

He drives down to us loads up the car and we follow him to his garage.

Empty the car, again. (For new readers basically the same thing happened to me 5 months ago)

Drop stuff at home grab a bite to eat and get some books for A&E.

We arrive at half two, get seen by the triage nurse get some pain killers. Should be an hour and a half.

The crowd ebbs and flows, finish one book, start another, chat to some people, watch most, comment on some. This isn’t too bad.

6 hours later, I ask am I going to be seen soon. I’m told pretty rudely that there are 6 kids in front of me and two other people. Ok I know I’m a 20 something male but I was in a car crash, I thought that might be important.

8 hours in, I’m bloody starving, haven’t eaten since breakfast and don’t want to have something in case they need to take bloods or give me something. Starting to hurt again.

I go up and ask for more pain meds, and ask can I eat something. I’m given tablets and told I should be ok to eat something, of course this being a hospital there’s only healthy food available like crisps and chocolate bars. Mmmm filling. Apparently I’m next as soon as there is a doctor available

10 hours in, Bebhine has had enough and after three more people are called ahead of me goes up to confront the nurse calling them in, explaining that we have been here for ten hours and I was actually in a car crash. He shouts her down saying that sick children take priority over everyone, as if we all hate kids, and there is an 87 year old man waiting for five hours. According to the hospitals patient charter we’re entitled to courteous treatment. Way to go dude nurse.

00:15 I’m eventually called in. Doctor asks about the crash, yes I do think he was doing at least 80km/h when he hit, car must have been pushed at least 30m forward. Starts poking and prodding ow, ow, no that’s fine, ow , no that’s fine. Oh that really hurt.

Deep breath in … and out, in … and out, in … and out.

“Ok I’m pretty sure it’s just muscular but I want to take an x-ray just to be safe. But don’t worry you’ll be in and out in no time.”

Put in a neck brace, feels better already.

“Ok so what time did this happen at?”

I tell him, he wonders why I’m only here now? I tell him I’ve been here since half two .He looks up, really?

“Are you sure you told them you were in a Road Traffic Collision and that your neck was sore?”

Yes, apparently normal procedure for my case is braced and strapped to gurney straight away, not go sit in a hard chair for 10 hours.

Doctor berates some of the nurses near by, including Mr. Rude to my Finacée ass.

“Oh but I wasn’t on triage then, of course I would have done the right thing.”

Other nurses.

“Are you sure you told them it was a car crash and your neck was sore?”

Are you sure you’re qualified to be a nurse?

Why the fuck would I not mention either of those things?

I put my trust that everybody else was more urgent than my case, I even started to doubt that I should have gone to A&E, I’m not that sore am I?

Why?

Because some ass wrote the wrong thing on my chart.

At least I’m home know, doped up for the next few days.

Then the fun with the insurance company starts all over again.

Here’s the first. I should probably think of a witty name to do with the fact that they are seperated by a window. ut it’s late and I’m tired

Just wanted to throw this in as well, it’s one of my favourites I’ve taken so far. My dad amusing his grandson.

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.

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,

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…