Shellys
Well it's been awhile since we have trek out to one of out favorite reefs and for me ,the best testing ground for all my surf equipment which includes surf mats , paipos , hand planes , soft boards & and all sorts of fin set ups and conventional kneeboards ( still have not ridden my spoon there though)
It was a pleasant surprise to see only a handful of cars when we arrived and even better to see only a few in the water , between the bushfires, floods and covid this year the only way in has been via boat or ski , and I think it was great to give this place a break from the hordes of surfers who have made this their bucket list to visit but for us locals its been a nightmare when you knew it would be pumping and also knew there was close 50 guys in the water and sitting on the beach , so a little rest from the crowds has been great, off the radar for over 6 months and when we walked out you could see the difference with no rubbish any ware apart from one blue surgical mask laying on the reef! The waves were super clean 2-3 ft and perfect for riding our mats , its been over 10 years now since I took up mat riding again and we have tried over years to surf there with these and much to the amusement of the younger boogie board rider's & footboarder's but as our skills have increased and riding basically reefs most of the time it was like a light bulb moment for us as we were taking off from the peak and riding our mats riding like any other surfcraft with a edge to hold and no one dropping in, a really fun session which allowed me to film and ride my hand plane with just 2 others in the water....just like the old days and to finish it off a great feed from Damian up at the local takeaway , what more could a man ask for?
VISION BELOW
GO PRO
Riding our Fourth Gear Flyer surf mats , we both have Standard models and with general wear and tear they are both slow leakers which isn't a bad thing as your inflation needs adjustment numerous times during a surf session , and that's what makes these older mat's special and fun to wrangle!
4GF Shellys Point from adam williams on Vimeo.
DMC
I always have a hand plane packed in my bag and with just a mat as well its easy to travel light and not be weighted down for the walk in and out , the old days I would have a full backpack loaded , camera gear strapped to my chest and two boards under my arms to last me the day but nowdayz I prefer to travel light and only surf for half a day, getting older sucks!!
DMC from adam williams on Vimeo.
GDOME
2ND time using this and still a learning curve as far as keeping the port clean and water droplet free!
Spinners from adam williams on Vimeo.
The Real Deal
This would be one of the best mat riding clips that I have seen since watching all the older films of GG back in a day , professionally made , edit and tunes, it shows all key functions of riding mats in quality waves and the beat part is these younger riders who are embracing and riding mats, the next generation , and not just us older guys who have re discovered mat riding with inspiration from our younger years , this younger crew are normally foot boarders and highly competent riders at that and with Ellis working with GG to re introduce the edge board to a whole new generation of surfers and to see him embrace mat riding as well , I am STOKED!
Josh Simpson Mat Movie
Stay Tuned
Mick Mackie Side Cut - Flex Tail - Edge Bottom - Full Custom
Stay Tuned !!
Surfoplanes
Many Thanks to my old mate Brian Manahan for picking up this surfoplane for me , we called in on the way home last weekend and enjoy a few hours on his verandah talking , drinking spring water and discussing the benefits of rhubarb !
OLD GOLD
SURF-O-PLANES AT KIRRA - following up on our recent post, here are some more very interesting facts, courtesy of Toni Cameron, Jack Evans’ daughter. I never realised that Jack actually invented it!Jack and his wife, Merle were hiring surf-o-planes out at Kirra possibly from the time that they arrived here, around 1942, until around 1953 when Jack built the Burleigh Heads pool. He possibly handed the surf-o-planes into his friend, Johnny Charlton at around this time. Thanks also to Toni Cameron for this most interesting newsletter clipping.
