Bells Beach.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Grooter]

^^^

>><< >><< >><<

It's in Revelations people!!!!

Run for the hills!!

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[crabmeat thompson]

Another aspect I'd like hear is the environmental down there. Not the artificial circus of the comp. But the trees and beach vegetation. The local birds

I find every region of oz has some subtle difference....and sometimes u can miss it if u don't look close particularly coastal zones.

I'd like read stuff like that....as well as the surfing and boards.

But as u rightly point out the blow by blow contest proper will.be reported.per normal too death

p.s any fish off the rocks down there

The whole place reminds me of Tassie fong. The water is way warmer, but the vegetation and wildlife are almost the same. Tassie has way more birds.

I saw an echidna yesterday on a dirt path down past bells.

Everything here is much drier than I expected. Most of the vegetation is natives used to living on fcuk all water. Acacias & wattles etc ...

[BA]

The whole place reminds me of Tassie fong. The water is way warmer, but the vegetation and wildlife are almost the same. Tassie has way more birds.

I saw an echidna yesterday on a dirt path down past bells.

Everything here is much drier than I expected. Most of the vegetation is natives used to living on fcuk all water. Acacias & wattles etc ...

Fully agree Braithy. Very similar to SE Tassie. It has more people. Tassie has more wildlife. Think I prefer Tassie!

[crabmeat thompson]

Yeah BA, Tassie is one helluva place. I surfed some 2-footers before with about 25 other people. If that was Tassie, it woulda been just me and maybe a big wedgetail eagle up in a tree watching me.

I often think about and pine for Tas.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[steve shearer]

You guys should sign up for this. Maybe you could even use the free mat as a crash pad, Steve, and harass them to crash on their floor.

Already did.

Missed the free Yoga mat because I wasn't in the first 100.

Fong the vegetation is coastal heath........native rosemary, beard-heath, seaberry saltbush and other shrubs on the cliffs, coastal teatree predominates along and behind the dunes along with boobialla and moonah.
Banksia woodland just back from the coast, grading to eucalypt stands in areas that haven't been cleared.

[Nick Carroll]

hey fong

is it OK if I write about what actually happens down here over the next six days or so.

You know, who surfs good, who sorta doesn't, the people I run into and talk to and find interesting, the feel of the coastline and how it's affected by the wind and swell changes, the pressure of competition, the spectators, all that stuff.

'Cause that's what I'm gonna do.

See to you these contests are one thing, they're mostly viewed from a remote site and involve a bunch of people you haven't met etc, and probably (what I get from your posts) feel a bit spiteful toward while also being intrigued by despite yourself, not to mention the judging panel etc

But to me, a lot of these people are friends or acquaintances of mine, they have interesting stuff going on in their surfing lives, some of them are competitors and struggle with that or glory in it to varying degrees, others are ex competitors but grand surfers in their own right, still others are busy trying to pull the levers of the pro machine in the background.

They're all under a fascinating new sort of pressure right now because they truly have no idea what awaits them in the coming New Age of ZoSea etc, and they're just trying to ride whatever wave pops up.

So I will write a lot about all that and report on what happens at and around the contest and unfortunately will not be referencing the AFL much if at all.

[Nick Carroll]

You guys should sign up for this. Maybe you could even use the free mat as a crash pad, Steve, and harass them to crash on their floor.

Already did.

Missed the free Yoga mat because I wasn't in the first 100.

Fong the vegetation is coastal heath........native rosemary, beard-heath, seaberry saltbush and other shrubs on the cliffs, coastal teatree predominates along and behind the dunes along with boobialla and moonah.
Banksia woodland just back from the coast, grading to eucalypt stands in areas that haven't been cleared.

If you want a place to stay why don't you go to the Torquay SLSC.

It has a massive bunk room and nobody in there. Fcuken luxury.

See Swiv, the board and ski coach, he'll put you in touch with the caretaker etc. It'll cost you fcuk all and you will be in touch with a real slice of Torquay's surfing life.

[Trev]

Many years ago, a bit part (read Reserve Grade) player I worked with took me to a game in Melbourne. The stadium was awesome, sort or dug into the top of a hill so the playing field seemed to be below ground level.
It was an awesome experience but not one I've ever been moved to repeat, despite getting dragged to a couple of Swans games in Sydney a few years later.

[Trev]

Many years ago, a bit part (read Reserve Grade) player I worked with took me to a game in Melbourne. The stadium was awesome, sort or dug into the top of a hill so the playing field seemed to be below ground level.
It was an awesome experience but not one I've ever been moved to repeat, despite getting dragged to a couple of Swans games in Sydney a few years later.

I also had a bit to do with Gerry McCarthy after he retired and moved to Queensland. We became pretty good friends owing to our business links but AFAIK he moved back to Victoria. He's probably too far back in history for any of you AFL supporters to remember.

[crabmeat thompson]

Well ... it was a very dashing echidna.

[steve shearer]

You guys should sign up for this. Maybe you could even use the free mat as a crash pad, Steve, and harass them to crash on their floor.

Already did.

Missed the free Yoga mat because I wasn't in the first 100.

Fong the vegetation is coastal heath........native rosemary, beard-heath, seaberry saltbush and other shrubs on the cliffs, coastal teatree predominates along and behind the dunes along with boobialla and moonah.
Banksia woodland just back from the coast, grading to eucalypt stands in areas that haven't been cleared.

If you want a place to stay why don't you go to the Torquay SLSC.

It has a massive bunk room and nobody in there. Fcuken luxury.

See Swiv, the board and ski coach, he'll put you in touch with the caretaker etc. It'll cost you fcuk all and you will be in touch with a real slice of Torquay's surfing life.

Thanks Nick, that's a great tip.
But I've got a garage to inhabit now.......

And a pink bike to ride.

Didn't seeya at Winki for the late, it was pretty fun.

[Beanpole]

Bit of a throw back to when you could crash in basically any SLSC in Australia if you were a member of one.
Speaking of ex pros I have happened to notice in a couple of online videos lately a few expros who appear to have packed it on a fair bit from the footage shown. Sometimes quite unlikely ones. Now we all pack a bit on as we get older to some extent but I find it odd that expros, some of whom are in a superficially perfect position to go surfing and stay fit, would decide to hit the chuck wagon and prop up the bar. From one point of view its really encouraging.
Have you thought of starting up a bit of a boot camp Nick?

[Nick Carroll]

^^^No.

[crabmeat thompson]

I just saw a big kangaroo right behind the contest site. He was a beauty.

And this morning, two black labradors were fornicating while and anxious 11-year old boy tried to break them up. I tell you, that little grommet has more stones than me, coming between to big black labs like that!

[pinhead]

Here's one for the journo's then. Why the fcuk do they insist on running everything at Bells? 8 times out of10 Winkipop is a better wave. I just took a look at the webcast. They're running the groms in small mid tide Bells - Rincon is sectioning at the bowl which is too fat to ride. Not even contestable. I can guarantee Winki will have great little peelers.