This event is a call out to all ocean lovers. Aimed at raising awareness of 2 major threats of our oceans; Hearts For Sharks will shock you with their current findings on the dismal state of one of the most infamous creatures on earth and Environmentalist and co-founder of ‘Take 3′, Tim Silverwood will discuss the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans with anecdotes from his recent expedition to the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’.

Watch short film ‘One Beach’ by Jason Baffa, a film about creativity, optimism and keeping our beaches clean around the world and Bag It, multi award winning movie originally started as a documentary about plastic bags evolved into a wholesale investigation into plastics and their effect on our waterways, oceans, and even our bodies. Join the Bag It movement and decide for yourself how plastic your life will be.

Can’t make it on Thursday? Stop in over the next three weeks to check out artist Judith Price’s in store art display. We are also selling Hearts for Sharks organic tee’s instore.

Patagonia Sydney– 93 Bathurst Street, Sydney. 2000. Phone– 02 9267 7666

More about our causes–

Hearts For Sharks is a conscious movement created to raise awareness about the true nature of sharks and aid in their conservation. The slaughter of our sharks is a barbarious crime against nature. Sharks are one of the top predators in the oceans and vital to the balance of oceans’ ecosystems. As life on earth heavily depends on the health and stability of our oceans, removing the top predators is a threat to us all, upsetting the delicate balance of the environment as a whole. Sharks are slow growing, mature late, produce few young, and cannot reproduce fast enough to replace their populations at the current rate of depletion. Sharks need our help. They are a beautiful, strong & independent creature and deserve to be treated with love & compassion and recognized as an important specie on this planet. Did you know sharks are from the Jurassic period and date back nearly 400 million years?

The ‘Take 3′ message is simple: take three pieces of rubbish with you when you leave the beach, waterway or… anywhere and you have made a difference. Marine debris, particularly plastic, has a disastrous impact in our oceans on marine life and, ultimately, us. We can greatly reduce the amount of marine debris in our oceans by preventing it from getting there in the first place. We encourage people to ‘Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle’ and Respond by picking up other people’s rubbish.

Central Coast environmentalist and passionate surfer Tim Silverwood recently embarked upon a crusade sailing to the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ to undertake research into floating plastics.The findings of this research helped shed light on the global distribution and biological consequence of marine debris. Tim is the founder of environmental organisation Take 3 and one of the stars of the short film ‘One Beach’.

There are so many tiers to this crisis we are facing but the change can start with you. You can choose the impact you have on the environment. Whether you choose to stop using plastic bags, buy a reusable coffee cup, Take 3 next time you’re at the beach or the park or perhaps write a letter to your government asking them what they are doing to combat this problem. It’s a massive cliché but remember that we are lucky enough to live in a democracy and that means the power should start with us, if it’s not then we have to take it back or it will never get better.

A resident of Avoca Beach Judith’s new art series is inspired by seascapes, horizion lines and picking up rubbish off the beach on her daily walks. You can see through Judith’s art that she looks at the rubbish in a different way; “as colour, texture and shape, a thing of beauty almost” 

We all know that we have to take care of the environment, most people are lectured out.Sometimes it is just good to look at things in a different way.

For Johnny the list of attributes grow on a daily basis. One thing is for sure, he lives his life to the fullest. This journal entry is to share a little of Johnny’s motivation into your day!

To live a life via ones heart, to bring joy, to bring despair. To forever live these dreams and reflections. To always know myself as I — From Johnny Abegg’s website

Johnny on Korduroy. TV

Korduroy TV and Cyrus Sutton meet up with Johnny in his hometown of Byron Bay. They tell Johnny’s story through the beauty of film.

A swell for Christmas

“I could see on the charts, a BIG cyclone swell was on it’s way. Speeding off early Christmas Day from Lismore (where my folks live), I headed straight for Main Beach Byron. It was massive. Feeling a little weak post-flu, I was taking my time picking off the ones in between the big closeouts, and trying to get the milder death tunnels. On my second lap I stroked into this one, barely making the drop before lining up…”

“There was this stillness, I was flowing freely within a beautiful aqua cave, with the odd moment of “your doing this without grabbing the rail”. Woohooo! Instead of restricting, the barrel opened up and suddenly I was spat out. Apparently there were cheers from the carpark, but I didn’t hear a thing. I was dumbfounded. It’s not often I get that “buzz” surfing these days, that euphoric feeling you get from doing something extreme. But looking back from where I’d been, I was blown away that I actually made it. So happy! One of the most memorable waves of my life.”

- ‘Joggly‘ and Kirra Pendergast.

Kobe and the Sea

“I made a film with acclaimed Chef Ben Shewry – of Melbourne’s amazing Attica Restaurant – called ‘Kobe and the Sea’. We explored three different story-lines, molding the film into one beautifully personal insight into Ben, his relationship with his son Kobe, the essence of living ‘simply’, and passing subtle commentary on the overfishing problem of Abalone in Southern Australian waters.”

The film won “Internet Food Film of the Year” according to The Chef’s Directory.

L’Amant

L’Amant is an artistic and moving portrayal of falling in love, shot against the dramatic landscape and natural beauty of Byron Bay. The film features bohemian luxe styling by Karissa Fanning of The LANE and was a creative collaboration with director Sybil Steele.

“A few months ago, I got to film/edit an amazing film for Karissa Fanning at The Lane called L’Amant, which was directed by Sybil Steele (Taylor Steele‘s wife). We had some amazing footage, and had gone through a few edits when Sybil found the song “July” by Trevor Powers, AKA Youth Lagoon. The song was haunting, dark and beautiful. That’s when L’Amant was really born. It’s now had over 46,000 hits on vimeo! L’Amant was created to inspire brides-to-be and provides a glimpse into the feelings & emotions of falling in Love.

Introduced by good friend Wayne Lynch, Gerry and Wayne chatted about the yesteryear when surfing was in its infancy, the hundreds of waves they rode and sessions they shared.

Gerry went on to reflect and comment on his book… Every word from Gerry was well thought-out, insightful and inspiring. Nothing could be said better than from the mouth of Gerry himself; If you were there, it was a life changing experience, if you weren’t you really missed it… Read on below for quotes from Gerry’s talk and pictures from his visit to Oz.

The Hawaiian’s believe there is a story for and about everything. They didn’t have a written language so it was by talking story that the traditions, the history, the lessons were passed from one generation to the next. This book is a collection of short story’s starting with my first wave, 10 years old at Waikiki, through the whole of my career to the present.

I titled the book surf is where you find it because not only have I found waves in a lot of different oceans, but I’ve also found waves in a few places without oceans and I’ve met a number of surfers who have never ridden a wave.

That’s surfing, different, difficult, forever appealing, somewhat irreverent, a little bit funny. Surfing is never ending education and the lessons don’t always come easily. Wisdom a funny thing, it’s a quality that keeps you out of situations when you need it. I’ve found that wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age, sometimes age comes all by itself. Wisdom is always there in surfing. The guy who holds the ‘cat by the tail’ like surfing learns something you can learn in no other way. Some people pick up on that wisdom right away, others never get it but most people figure out something along the way it takes a long time to do that but its there.

Surfing is a sport full of wonderful characters.

That’s surfing, different, difficult, forever appealing, somewhat irreverent, a little bit funny. Surfing is never ending education and the lessons don’t always come easily. Wisdom a funny thing, it’s a quality that keeps you out of situations when you need it. I’ve found that wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age, sometimes age comes all by itself. Wisdom is always there in surfing. The guy who holds the ‘cat by the tail’ like surfing learns something you can learn in no other way. Some people pick up on that wisdom right away, others never get it but most people figure out something along the way it takes a long time to do that but its there.

Carter Rollins playing their new self titled EP live in celebration of Gerry at torquay.

I have tremendous respect for both the mountains and the ocean. I find that they instill in me a great sense of spiritual-ness. I have spent many mornings looking at the freshly snow covered mountain-side. or nice waves peeling through an empty line-up feeling that I was really in the presence of something holly, something divine. There is a difference that I have observed in riding mountings as apposed to riding waves; the mountain holds still for the ride. Surfing happens on a seascape that’s continually in motion. The waves, everything is always moving. This is why surfing is such a great metaphor for life cause life doesn’t hold still for us. If we don’t move with it, life just passes us right by, it leaves us behind. Surfing teaches you to be in that moment spontaneously, go with the flow smoothly. That’s how you get the most of the wave and it’s also how you get the most out of life. The Chinese say ‘may you live in wonderful times’, while I believe that we do. This really is a wonderful time. Modern technology makes our lives pretty great; cell phones, personal computers, hybrid cars, medicines, medical techniques, food production, surfboard construction and design. All these things seams to improve to advance daily, the future it’s pretty bright ahead. But at the same time our world is not happy. While we are moving ahead in a lot of areas that will make life in the future better, we are going backwards in one really important area, in our own minds. In part, this social environmental crisis is a just a reflection of the chaos that is in our minds, in our collective conscious. I think the most positive step we can take to bring balance back to our planet is to start changing ourselves. Right now there is this epidemic of mental weakness; drugs and alcohol are over used, abused and offer no solution; they only actually make matters worse. Out of control emotions and imaginations plague our minds, those negative confused thoughts take prescient over the more powerful positive ones put is in a state of turmoil. Self-discipline can help us control our minds and our bodies, bring is a sense of peace. Surfing and yoga teaches us about living a life of harmony with nature. Speaking literally and figuratively, when you get caught inside by a big set you get pounded. When you stop breathing you die. You need to keep these things in mind because only by making ourselves better can we hope to heal our world. The Dali Lama says we are visitors here on this planet, we are only here 90–100 years, we must use this time to do something good, something useful. Be at peace with yourself and share that peace by contributing to other peoples happiness we can find the true goal, the true meaning of life.

The Dali lama was once asked what surprised him most about humanity and he answered man because he sacrifices his health in order to make money, and then he sacrifices his money to re-cooperate his health and he is so anxious about the future that he doesn’t enjoy the present. The result being; he is not able to live in the present or in the future. He lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived. So I would like to say that we are all here in this life to LIVE. Life is moment to moment, if somehow one moment escapes you, if you haven’t lived it to the fullest, live the next one too. Keep paddling, keep breathing through your nose, live with aloha.

surf pics– sprout daily blog

 A land of sweeping plains and endless blue

At Patagonia Australia its the pointless pursuits that give our life meaning: making the longest paddel, riding the free flowing swells, climbing the highest mountain. They give us a sense of belonging and a connection to the land that is our sunburnt country.

Enjoy with us Kohl Christensen experimenting with a FCD 7’6 Quad at Cloudbreak, Listen to the podcast of ‘Custodians Of The Point’ The story of Lagundi Bay, Nias. Damon Eastaugh charge huge WA, Fletcher Chouinard rewarded the fruits of his labour in El Buey, Chile. Watch a video about the construction and design of Patagonia wetsuits, Dan Ross putting the new R1 through its paces, PreOccupations Scott Soens doing what he loves, Dan Malloy touching an ass. Take a breath and kick your feet in the big blue sea– Keith Malloy’s award winning facial hair film ‘Come Hell or High Water’, Wayne Lynch chasing the waves and avoiding national service in 1970, Kimi Werner spear fishing on the North Shore. Images of Belinda Baggs surfing secret rights in indonesia and getting back into surfing after the birth of her son. Learn about our environmental campaign ‘Our Common Waters’. 

touring his book ‘Surf Is Where You Find It’ along the East Coast.

By Mark Bannerman

The year was 1973. The place, California at the surfing world titles. A young man with a Beatle haircut and droopy moustache makes his way up the beach having come last in his contest heat. He turns to his girlfriend to ask what went wrong. She tells him: “You didn’t win because you didn’t do anything.” He shrugs his shoulders and says: “That’s my style… I let the wave do everything.” The young man’s name was Gerry Lopez, and although his response may not have made much sense then, 40 years on it says everything you need to know about one of the most graceful and courageous surfers the world will ever see.

For much of the 1970s Lopez rode the Banzai Pipeline on the north shore of Oahu in Hawaii like nobody else before or since. For much of that time it was virtually impossible to open a surfing magazine and not see a photo of Lopez slotted inside a wave that most surfers at the time considered to be the most dangerous in the world. It’s fair to say he didn’t just surf the break — sometimes it seemed he had some mystical connection, and perhaps it was precisely his ability to let the wave do the work that made him so successful there. The question is, though, how could he be so relaxed in the face of such a testing wave? Talking with him just a few days ago he had this to say: “I see myself as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. That’s how I feel about my time at Pipeline. Many people have been killed at that place… I thought I was going to die but I didn’t.”

Right now Lopez is in Australia to launch his autobiography Surf Is Where You Find It. It’s a fascinating book, not least because it makes it clear that for all his Pipeline-associated fame Lopez is no one-trick pony.

Born in Hawaii in 1948 with a combination of Japanese, German and Spanish blood in his veins, Lopez is someone who has always been prepared to try something new and leave the past behind. That’s why the ‘King of Pipeline’ almost gave up surfing in the 1980s to perfect windsurfing. Later he would embrace snow boarding, tow-in surfing and stand-up paddle board riding, as well as star in a handful of feature films. These days he lives in Oregon with his wife and son so he can indulge his love for riding snow-covered hillsides. But he still surfs and, as he readily admits, he cannot give it up.

Surfing is like an onion. You get in there for fun, exercise and to be with your mates. As time goes, you see there’s something deeper, a real sense of spirituality, a calming endeavour.

There’s a slight pause at this point in the conversation and Lopez chuckles slightly before adding: “You know, I sometimes think the first 20 years [of surfing] were just a test to see if I was really suited to it. Then you realise you are learning lessons in the water that are applicable to the beach, rather than just the water.” The lessons he learned in the water are the basis of the book he has written, and many of the stories he tells are not so much about him, but the people who’ve taught him valuable life lessons.

Valuable lessons– One of many who very clearly left an impression on Lopez was Buffalo Keaulana. Known as the ‘Mayor of Makaha’ on Oahu’s west coast, Keaulana incorporates the very essence of Hawaii. In his book, Lopez tells how, during a major surf contest, he paddled into a massive set at Makaha. As he made the drop he realised the wave would close out, putting him in serious danger. Lopez was halfway down the wave, preparing himself for a terrible beating or death, when he suddenly heard the noise of an outboard motor. Looking to his left he saw something he still finds hard to believe. There on the same wave, in an 18-foot Boston Whaler open boat, was Keaulana standing, tiller in hand, sunglasses on, cigarette in his mouth, driving down the same wave completely unperturbed by the situation. In the bottom of the boat were two Time-Life photographers, terrified beyond belief. As the boat went past, Keaulana simply threw Lopez a salute. Suddenly things seemed different.

I had to laugh. Laughing relieved the tension in me, and that image of Buffalo probably saved my life. Because when that wave broke on me, the pounding I got was horrendous. I got ripped. I got tumbled for what seemed a lifetime before finally coming to the surface.

That lesson delivered by Keaulana, and other great surfers like Buzzy Trent, has informed much of Lopez’s life. In his autobiography, he explains how Trent once admonished him when he saw Lopez drinking beer before heading back out into big surf. The most fearless of all big wave riders looked hard at him, then delivered this warning: “When it comes to the ocean, she’s always boss, she takes no prisoners.” Lopez didn’t argue. Perhaps this partly explains why Lopez was able to survive at Pipeline for so long.

Spiritual connection- Talking to him, I find myself coming back the same question – how did you make it look so easy? How did you do it? His answer: “I enjoyed it. It wasn’t as difficult as it appeared.” He pauses again. “Really, it wasn’t. I had really good surfboards. I didn’t have too many bad wipeouts.” But that of course doesn’t explain his mastery of the wave. So, like a young kid not quite satisfied with the last wave that’s been caught, I push off into deep water and ask him again — really though, how did you do it? This time his voice grows very quiet and he begins speaking like he’s telling me a secret.

There is a special relationship with the place. There was something spiritual… that made me feel very comfortable there. On occasions now, I stand on the beach and the same feelings rise up.

Now I begin to understand, but it also raises another question. What does he think about the situation at his former home away from home, Pipeline, where hundreds of surfers crowd the break only too willing to snake each other for waves, and even to physically assault each other? His response shows all the perspective his 63 years can deliver. “Everything changes as you go on, you look at things differently as you go. I had a wonderful time on the north shore. I was at Pipeline and I have memories of it almost by myself. Pipeline is a tight playing field, the take-off zone no bigger than a small house… these days it can get pretty congested, but the wave never changes. The people change, and the same wave I adored is still there, and if you don’t mind going shoulder to shoulder with other surfers, it’s still a joy.”

Surfing is like an onion. You get in there for fun, exercise and to be with your mates. As time goes, you see there’s something deeper, a real sense of spirituality, a calming endeavour.

Gerry Lopez and Rusty Miller surf Bali in 1973

Directed by Doug Walker, with a cast of Aaron Chang, Dan Merkel, Bob Barbour, Gerry Lopez, Rory Russell, Buttons Kaluhiokalani, Bobby Owens, Larry Bertlemann, Jock Sutherland, Greg Weaver, Bernie Baker, Randy Rarrick, Herbie Fletcher, Candy Moore.… THIS IS ‘LOST AND FOUND’

When you see a photo of someone that you haven’t seen for 20 years minimum, it reminding me of just how good some people were then.

Whilst filming ‘Lost and Found’ Doug meet up with Gerry Lopez in the shaping room. Described as nothing short of a ‘legend and class act’ Gerry talks of his revolutionary surfboard shaped by Brewer in 1967.

Not many people can say they’ve single-handedly changed the course of a sport. Gerry Lopez not only made Pipeline the world’s most important and exciting wave, he made the tube the ultimate prize in surfing.

In The Shaping Room With Gerry Lopez

You can meet Gerry this February during his Australian book tour ‘Surf Is Where You Find It’.

Justin Carter and Johnny Rollins use the power of vocals to deliver a full-band sound. Complimenting their harmonies is a simple recipe: Johnny smashing the drums to pieces as Justin plays his raw guitar licks. Its this formula that makes it easy to see why the boys sound is attracting so many new fans.

“Their unique style of surf-rock comes inclusive with songs of hard times, good times and the tunes that won’t easily escape your memory”—FasterLouder

“With influences as diverse as Ray Charles, Pink Floyd and Prince the music they create together is unique but easy to relate to.”—Geelong Advertiser

While touring through Japan in 2010, CarterRollins took some time to disengage from the road and release their spirit into the water to surf. They headed down to a small coastal village in the province of Chiba, named Onjuku, where they met up with Japanese champion surfer Eugene Teal. It was the following four days spent with Teal; surfing, jamming and immersing themselves into the local culture, which proved to be the catalyst for shaping their new Self-Titled EP.

Recording CarterRollins EP at Medici Studios in Australia, the inspiration from Onjuku has made it a fun and honest album. With no deadlines to adhere to, in the spirit of CarterRollins this album was recorded in-between surfing and live shows.

Tour Dates

Wednesday 22^nd Feb– O Festival @ Monash University, Melbourne VIC

Thursday 23^rd Feb– The Front Gallery, Canberra ACT

Friday 24^th Feb– Oxford Art Factory– Gallery Bar, Sydney NSW

Saturday 25^th Feb– Old Manly Boat Shed, Manly NSW

Sunday 26^th Feb– Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW

Thursday 1^st March– The Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland NSW

Friday 2^nd March– The Aztec, Forster NSW

Thursday 4^th March– The Hoey Moey– Beer Garden, Coffs Harbor NSW

Thursday 8^th March– Ric’s Bar, Brisbane QLD

Friday 9^th March– The Cave, Gold Coast QLD

Saturday 10^th March– Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast QLD

Sunday 11^th March– The Railway Friendly Bar, Byron Bay NSW

Thursday 15^th March– Baha Taco’s & Tapas Bar, Rye VIC

Friday 16^th March– Torquay Hotel, Torquay VIC

Saturday 17^th March– The Basement, St Kilda VIC

Surf Is Where You Find It, by Gerry Lopez, is a collection of stories about lessons learned during a lifetime of surfing. It presents a collection of 38 stories about those who have been influential in the sport–surfing any time, anywhere, and in any way. Lopez made his reputation at Pipeline; from there he went on to a lifelong career in surfing, and more recently in snowboarding. He co-founded Lightning Bolt® Maui surfboards (lightningboltmaui.com), was instrumental in developing the high-performance shortboard, and has appeared in many films. He lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife and son.

Where you will find Gerry

SYDNEY 7th Feb 6-7pm. Book signing instore 93 Bathurst Street, Sydney, 2000. 0292677666.

MANLY 8th Feb 7-10pm. Murray’s, 49 North Steyne, Manly. Tickets are FREE, pick up instore ONLY– 24 Darley Rd, Manly, 2095. 0299777 623

TORQUAY 11th FEB 7-10pm. PLUS Carter Rollins EP Launch. Torquay store, 116 Surf Coast Hwy, Torquay, 3228. 0352614420. Tickets are FREE, pick up instore ONLY.

CURRUMBIN 13TH FEB 7-10pm. Surf World, 35 Tomewin St, Currumbin. Tickets are FREE, pick up instore ONLY– 15 James Street, Burleigh Heads, 4220. 0755761901.

Following the adventure of Patagonia ambassador Crystal Thornburg-Homcy as she journeys through Patagonia.

You can catch up on Crystal’s previous post BACK TO PATAGONIA PART ONE and PART TWO here.

After more than a week camping in Patagonia with Jamie Sterling, Jack McCoy, and Mel and Kenny, founders of 1% for the Planet member Sol Raiz Organics, along with their crew, we regrouped and repacked for the coast. While we were in Santiago packing our surfing gear, we heard that the nearby ski resort, Valle Nevado, still had snow and was closing for the season. We decided to make a day trip to visit the over 10,000-foot-high mountain.

The drive up the mountain was as thrilling as hearing the “Wild Bull” breathing outside our tent. The sharp turns and steep cliffs with no guard rails looked down onto car cemeteries. With no coca leaves to chew on the altitude was getting the best of me; I closed my eyes and tried to relax. Our whole drive we didn’t see one patch of snow, just dirt. We were all wondering if there would actually be any snow at the top. I was ecstatic to get out of the car finally to discover a white-capped mountain with patches of mud. It had been almost eight years since I’d been snowboarding, a sport that I’ve love to do at least once a year my whole life growing up. I guess I had been so focused lately on traveling to other coastlines in search of waves that I neglected visiting snowy peaks.