Rob Goes Left On His New Omni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Photo Sequence: Chris Falzone

4GF Family,

I got some screamers this afternoon! The Omni is Rock Solid in everything I’ve surfed, and a Really Versatile Craft! 

I’m so Stoked on this mat! I’m Extremely Grateful to be a part of this, this mat is going to Change Lives, and Spread Stoke across the Planet!

Positive Vibes and Healing Energy my Friends! Much Love from Florida!

Super Stoked,
Rob

From Cobus

 

Dear Paul,

Been meaning to send you these pics. 

In short - extremely happy, stoked and loving every second on my mat. Thanks for a masterpiece. 

Come visit!

Cobus Joubert

Rob Goes Right On His New Omni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sequence: Chris Falzone

From Sam

Hi Paul,

These two "as new" surfmats were for sale online, recently. The private seller sold them el-cheapo while I was negotiating a sale price with her.

If you or your any of your fellow Surfmatters happen to have this same mat could you please point them my way?

Thanks, so much. Sam

From Steiny

Hi Paul,

Imagine my surprise when your interview with Danny ''Ding Dong' De'lon was posted. My wife is Dr. Ding's ex!

She's still into axe throwing. Although sometimes I find it suspicious that every time she throws, I seem to be in the line of fire. Probably just a coincidence, right?

Steiny

From Team Pendarvis

 

Hi Paul,

Here are are a couple of photos of me riding my Omni RT, taken by Sarah Lee and Axxe Classic wetsuits. I did an artist collaboration with Axxe, and they’ve been sharing photos. When a pic comes up with me on my Omni, I always tag #4thgearflyer !

I would title the surfing photos, “Pure Joy!”

Let us dance with the waves, wild and free. Joyful ... Thankful.  xoxo

We hope you enjoy the photos.

Paul, thanks for bringing us so much joy with your 4th Gear Flyer mats!


Warmest Aloha,

Cher

Extreme Gardening With Lloyd

Hi Paul,

Just a note with this strange one...

I work as an artist with air plants - some of these plants can withstand strong salt winds so over Easter I decided to take one for a surf on the flyer 

When I get the video sorted I will let you know. In the mean time here is a still frame.

Love the mat...it is going so well!

Cheers Lloyd

Handplaning With Rob

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul,

Mark gave me a Stoked handplane as a present yesterday, and I took a few slides to test it out! It seems mat surfing has prepared me well for bodysurfing.

After Mark gave me a couple tips that last session, I’ve been up and running! 

Mark has really helped Chris and I with our photography and taught us a lot about the history of surfing in the area. As a gift, I hooked him up with a Fatty, to show him my appreciation, and develop some more mat Talent! Mark’s a Solid Dude and I have learned a lot from him in the very short time we have surfed together. I thanked him for all he has done for me, and in turn 4GF, and welcomed him to the Gentle Art of Surfing!

Mentoring is such an important part of Society and we have fallen away from that. Experience still means something! I have learned so much from so many different people during this Journey to become a mat surfer! What an Amazing Community to belong to.

Yeeeeewwwwww!

Super Stoked,
Rob

Surfmatter Interview: The Legend of Danny "Ding Dong" De'lon

Photo: Decker Brandts. Coffee/moral compassing: Maria McCall

Just mention the name Danny ''Ding Dong'' De'lon, and mat surfers the world over will respond, "Isn't that that guy no one ever heard of?"

Yes folks, he is indeed that man.

The annuls of mat riding go back to the beaches of Sydney in the 1930's, yet no matter has ever garnered less attention relative to their commitment than "Dr. Ding," as he is known. If you ran a spread sheet comparing his dawn patrol surf checks to the number of waves actually ridden, your Excel app would literally explode.

The reason is simple...

After 50 years of keen interest in the inflatable art of mat surfing, the Good Doctor has never actually ridden a wave!

Call it bad luck. Call it poor career/hobby/lover choices. Call it what you like. The best way to unravel the mystery behind Dr. Ding is to look straight in the horse's mouth for a one-on-one with the man himself!

SURFMATTERS: How are you, Dr. Ding? I see you have bandages all over on your hands this afternoon.

Dr. DING: Totally! It's been a great day!

SM: Have you been in the water recently?

DD: Nah. Checked it out this AM, but had patches on my 4GF curing, so I passed.

SM: Some say you're the #1 mat patch expert in the world...

DD: 13,873 repairs, and counting.

SM: How did you become so proficient?

DD: It's not about "how," brah. It's about process.

SM: One those "Journey not the Destination" type things?

DD: Well, I never got into Journey, but I liked 'em more than Destiny's Child, that's for sure.

SM: Um, OK...let's move on. You're a fully accredited, cable access acupuncture guru, correct?

DD: Yeah, that's my scene. I heard the calling of Eastern medicine as a young man, touring Southern Asia with my surfmat back in the 70's. I got into reading the Kama Sutra on a bed of nails.

 

SM: Ouch! Strange combination, especially for a mat surfer

DD: To the Western mind, maybe. I then elevated my consciousness further by skateboarding barefoot across Eastern Europe on a deck of nails.

SM: And that's when you starting having puncture problems with your mat?

DD: Oh, hell no! When I was a kid, my family was constantly on the move along the coast of Alaska. My father was a professional porcupine rustler. We had a Combi Van filed with the little critters, and they were hell on my old Converse-Hodgmans.

 
SM: So you didn't get in the water much?

DD: Never, actually. My mats were always flat, plus it was so damn cold.

SM: That's when you got in to surfmat repair?

DD: Yeah. Which led to my father's addiction to wetsuit glue. He unintentionally sniffed tons of the stuff.

SM: No wetsuit glue rehab back then?

DD: It was the dark ages. No rehab, no nylon mats, nuthin'.

SM: What about your college days?

DD: I received a Sushi Studies scholarship to University of Texas. Go Longhorns!

SM: Sushi? That couldn't have been good for your mat collection.

DD: Tell me about it. When your dorm room is filled with Ginsu knives, it's hard to keep your mats in working order. Plus my roommate was the Travis County Blindfold Dart Champion. He practiced 24/7 to stay sharp. My mats took a beating, let me tell you.

SM: So at UT, you majored in Sushi, and minored in...what?

DD: Succulent farming. I'm still into it, as a matter of fact. It's hell on my surfmats, but a great hobby in a drought!

SM: Did you get your degree as a Sushi chef?

DD: Nope. I got sidetracked by a beautiful woman who was into Unicorn hunting.

SM: Unicorns? Not good for the mats either, eh?

DD: Well, there's no such thing as a unicorn, dude, so no puncture problems there. But damn, all the best unicorn hunting venues are, like, a thousand miles inland! Plus she was into that whole "Wedding Gown Ax Throwing" thing that was popular back then...

SM: But you stuck with her in spite of the ongoing damage to your surf mats?

DD: It was a committed relationship. How could you dump a woman who wore a wedding dress every day? We still Skype now and then.

SM: I guess the obvious question is, why don't you keep your mats away from your dangerous girlfriends, prickly hobbies, and career as an acupuncturist?

DD: I always keep my mats on hand, so I'm ready for a go out at a moment's notice!

SM: But so far...

DD: Haven't gotten in the water yet, no. But any day now...

SM:  Any parting wisdom, Dr. Ding?

DD:  Like my uncle used to tell me, "Dress sharp, look sharp!"

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...