Easter Greetings From Oz

Howdy Paul,

Hope all is well mate, with plenty of Easter Bunny Froth being sent your way!

With April Fools Day falling on the Easter Sunday, I like to reflect and think back to a few years ago of one particular special April Fools,  that I shared with Eric and Paul.

I was still working my own business back then, so could always cut time for a surf when needed or depending on expected swell and wave forecasts.  Eric had already retired from his job and Paul could just take a sick leave day, so a plan was hatched the night before for Eric to meet at my house, where we would then catch up with Paul at the Wreck Bay carpark.

The swell/surf predicted to be small and from the wrong direction, but I was frothing and banking on a little sneaky underlying south swell, so you couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces as we first glimpsed the lineup, small little peaks breaking on the reef, incoming tide and not a soul to be seen down on the rocks or in the water! By the time we hit the carpark (it was empty) it was hard to control the laughter, and running down thru the bush track and brushing away cob webs, only to confirm it more, that we were the first down the track and had it all to ourselves.

SCORE!!

As we spoke before about my love of riding different surf craft, we took this opportunity to carry in just mats, paipo, hand planes and a kneeboard, to all take turns riding and getting tubed on, just the three of us out sharing, calling and hooting one another, pure stoke and froth at a high level. We never took a land camera in, and lucky as neither one of us would really want to sit and film, so I have just POV vision , my trusty gopro 3+ capturing the true feel of that morning...3 best friends sharing Waves, Stoke & Froth

STOKE

Colour, Light and all things Nice, I just love filming here at this reef! Early morning lacks light and creates almost a eerie, dark feeling in the water, with the afternoons \, back lit perfectly as the sun sets, so many different textures, colours & water movement to be seen and captured, one of my true happy places ! 

I did this edit first up, quicker more up beat music...

...and soon did another, slower with more focus on the tube ring,  rider and most importantly, the vision, in and out of the water...

How good was this day? just look at the big smile on Eric's face!!

Enjoy Easter, and May the Force be with you and your Family Paul!!

Adam

#ericwouldgo

From Steiny

Things that matter!

Happy opening day to baseball fans everywhere...

:)

From Scott

Just a weird presser for your amusement, Paul...

Chris Falzone

 

The 4GF mat surfing community continues to grow as more talented people come out of the woodwork all the time. We try our best to give everyone props (do people still say that?), but of course, many deserving individuals still create in anonymity.

That said, there's one guy you should doff your cap to (another dated cliche'? ) His name is Chris Falzone, and, in friend Rob Pollard's words, "Chris is a husband, father, son, friend to many, 6 years a surfer, photographer, musician, multi-craft surf-wizard (mats, boards, handplanes, etc.), purveyor of stoke, dreamer, and wave hound."

Rob continues:  "Chris has been a Big Influence on me as a Surfer and Friend. I have Learned a lot from him over the years. Chris is Stoked in and out of the water! He Charges Everything from Dribblers to Drainers, but always takes time to Capture some Moments for the Boys on camera! I am Proud to call him a Friend, and Always Stoked to Share waves with him! He has Always Shared his Positive Mat Surfing Experiences with the people we meet in and out of the water! Yeeeeewwwww!

Chris is an ambidextrous slider with no preference, right or left! He has a Very Free Style letting go when he Mat Rides! He rides DaFins, Duckfeet, and Yucca Fins! His favorite mat so far is a 4GF Standard SS! He plays the Guitar, Ukulele, and various other instruments. He was a music major in College at Florida State.

 I’ve always Admired his Style on the mat, the way he Rides just looks Fun and Cool 😎!"
 

 

 

 

Some of Chris's memorable photographic images of Rob...
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day Dreaming With Adam

Flat Spell Thoughts From Rob

Paul,

The thing about mat surfing as you all know, is your Feeling your way through the wave. You're dancing with the wave, but you're not leading. Without the weight of the foam and the drag provided by Fins, your able to Experience the full Raw Power and Potential of the waves Energy! You can’t force or muscle anything. It’s when you finally let go, and let the mat search out its own lines that you realize your riding the wave exactly how the wave wants you to ride it, and the mat reaches speeds you didn’t think possible. 

 

I feel every ounce of the waves Energy under me as the mat comes Alive and Sings! I can feel the Energy flowing through my body! I feel like that Energy from across the Ocean transfers itself into me with every wave, keeping me Young and Joyful! I’m surrounded by the Ocean in the time between waves, being hugged by Mother Nature!

 

I’ve gotten in and out Barrels in 2.5’ surf! What other craft can provide that, and roll up to fit in your carry-on bag? This is the Gentle Art of Surfing. Much like Jiu Jitsu it has been misunderstood. When you watch mat surfing there doesn’t look like there is much going on, but mat surfers are rolling hips, leaning heads, and squeezing corners and that’s just your front half. We have to listen to the Wave, and the Mat, Feeling our way through sections. People just haven’t been exposed to the Experience or many good riders so when they see a mat they think it’s a Toy. You can change the Planet with the kind of Vibes and mat gives you! I totally Believe that! We need more People in Love with the Ocean, and the Planet right now. Mats can do that, and there are plenty of unridden waves they can be surfed on! 

I will say this. I wouldn’t be doing this if it was easy. I enjoy a physical challenge and this craft provides that. I was looking for everything mats provide. I went from 215 to 165lbs.

Yeeeewwwwwww! I’m Stoked and Frothin just from writing about Mat Surfing!

Positive Vibes and Healing Energy! Much Love from Florida!

Super Stoked,

Rob

From Adam

Howdy

This is a quick one from yesterday morning, big mat waves to ride, crowd was mega after a hour, real shame but anyways fun. Surfed right off my chest , maximum forward pressure I could give with my whole body, big air drops and Paul lost his mat after dropping in on a big one, great morning with Laughs🤘

Froth On

We have another Bommie to surf this morning!!

From Rob

Paul,

It’s still flat here, so I took the opportunity build fin racks, to organize some of my fins. Mariah has been asking me for do this for a while. 

 

I drilled out holes in some 2x4’s and mounted them to studs. Then I hammered some 1 1/4” dowels into them. This picture gives me pleasure and it probably shouldn’t, but I am officially a Fin Nerd! There’s still three pairs in my Van 😂. I ran out of materials so those will have to stay in the Van for now. 

 

Tons of Positive Vibes and Healing Energy! Much Love from Florida!

Staying Busy and Staying Stoked,

Rob

From Adam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howdy & Greetings from Oz

Well with our winter months quickly approaching , with what finally seemes to have passed our Summer Blues of Small Wave Slop and entered a great period of powerful ground/ cyclone swells, so many great waves of late, with Gilligans being our premier mat wave spot, delivering the goods to us crew from SCUMM.

Even this morning I rode waves that would rival the winter of 2015, but thats another post down the track, and this is about last Saturday week, with just Paul (Oil)  and myself hitting it before first light ( 2 others beat us out there) We were both riding Lotus's , which I find my favorite mat to speed on.

One thing I would like to mention is the real  importance of using your legs, flippers and body position in riding larger waves , as we spoke before about the type of wave that I like surfing with mats , I also find my legs are my main rudder / accelerator / stabilizer , so when entering a fuller section, I tend to lay my legs down more flat, giving my mat a reverse tail rocker in sense, and giving it the extra little acceleration to help it enter the next section, and so when flying flat stick down the line , I tend to have my inside leg down, holding my line, with the outside flipper up , and if your feel the moment is right, lift both flippers up, this again will push your knees down , and help create the reverse tail rocker to really hit 4th gear !

If your confident enough, drop your inside shoulder down flat, with your arm behind your back or both arms, giving you the full birdman look as you are streaking across the face, for a full tilt speed run! Just a little tap with your outside flipper ( check the 2.57 minute mark in this video) can help correct your line and your tail from drifting out slightly, I dont know how many times I have down this over the past few years, with the best one I had to actually tap my outside flipper over my inside leg, and correct my line otherwise I was going from edge riding one pontoon to a full face turtle roll.

The main thing is to have fun, don't matter how you ride, hold your mat, or the waves you ride, just enjoy the ocean and the joy it brings!

The next morning ( Sunday)The Cushion Club

A nice flat battery in my van led to latter start to the day , so by the time I caught up with Neal , the tide has filled in, the swell had dropped and there was a fun but friendly crew of boys and girls out in the line up. So after the larger, down the line waves we had the previous day, it was fun to just relax and chill, and enjoy the banter and laughter from those bratty girls who named us the Cushion Club ! I was sitting out the back when I heard all the girls squealing and screaming , with a large pod of dolphins bouncing the thru the lineup, much to the delight of everyone.

The last time I had this happen was a few years back and I was surfing with Eric and Ric the kneeelo, we were surfing way out the front of the Island and Eric had just caught a bomb thru to the inside when I heard him yell out ' here they come' with the biggest pod of dolphins I have witness every, came marching thru the lineup.

From Rob

 

Paul,

I’m up early, eager to slide, but it looks like the Atlantic needs a break. Who could blame her? She’s been very good to surfers this year!

Above are some pictures of my new Liquid Eye water housing for the Sony a6000. It’s from Indonesia with Love 😁! This little Gem is going to capture a lot of Joy! I went with the lightest most functional body I could find, and I am extremely happy with the build quality. 

Positive Vibes and Healing Energy! Much Love!

Super Stoked,

Rob

From Adam

Howdy Paul,

 Had another RDO yesterday and caught up with Neal and Paul before going to the dentist to have a couple of teeth pulled out. The break was basically flat with a massive high tide and not one person out, but we could see swell on the horizon marching past, and every now and then a wave would break, so being my day off , pre dentist visit , I jumped in for a couple of small waves and on my return a hour later, I could see that the tide was dropping and waves were breaking nicely , so out with my camera to film the boys , and as they told me later, there was a real spike in the swell 30 minutes before I got back , but as always so did the crowd grow as the waves rolled in!

Adam