Time flies...fly times.

The weekly update:

School has been occupying way to much of my time. Whats the deal with that. I've been doing all sorts of work in the "Bat Labs" (Bond Uni computer labs) for my digital media design and editing class, and plenty of shooting and editing photos for my photography class. Madness. I know this is what I'm here for, but...I'm so over it. Going to class when its 80 an sunny out and always having there be some sort of a wave to surf right out front is a difficult task. I'm proud to say that I've yet to miss a class...but its not an easy thing to accomplish. 

I'm finally over my sinus infection. Shit lasted the whole duration of the first week of Feb. Too much water in my head is no bueno. I guess thats what I get for being in the water every chance I get, but how can you blame me?

For all the time that I haven't been doing work, I've been either surfing...or sitting my ass on the beach soaking up the sun. I'm beyond the base tan and now on my way to being in my Mexican skin-tone stage. Its not so much sun burn anymore...just a full on bake. By the time I start guarding this summer, I'll be a different race.

Here's a few highlights from this past week or so...

First off. After many hours of riding that Sideways nugget board...I'm over it. So what did I do? I hopped on the bus and traded it in. The guys at the shop know me by name now, so it didn't take much to find a performance short board and get myself a deal. After about 20 minutes and $250 later...I had myself another new stick. 6'1 x 18 1/4 x 2 1/4 Primal Surfboards and the thing is a beauty. Much more fun to ride out here. I couldn't be happier with it.

Despite all work and no play (thats not even remotely true, but just go along with it) there were some serious positive sides to this week (other than the new board). Thanks to my friend Matty, I got to have a sushi lunch with pro surfer, Dusty Payne. It was pretty awesome. He's a super nice kid, and really put me in my place when he showed me a picture of himself in a stand up barrel at Pipeline, 3 days before he arrived in Australia. He's got life figured out pretty good in my eyes. Another cool thing I got to do this week was cruise to Coolie and hang out for a few hours with Clay Marzo and a bunch of his friends at Clay's apartment. Its really a trip being over here and having the opportunity to not only meet all these people, but actually get to hang out with them like its no big deal. People have a lot to say about Clay, but after hanging out with him, he's just doing his own thing, and doesn't seem to be having a hard time at all.  He's super down to earth, and has a few good stories to tell. Quiksilver, hooking it up as always, put him up in a 6th floor apartment, overlooking Snapper rocks. All it takes for him to check the surf, is walk 10 feet from his bed to the edge of his balcony and look straight....if its good, he'll surf Snappa. If not, go get in the Quiksilver RV, Heli, boat...what ever else they have in their arsenal of vehicles out here... and he'll be taken to where ever its firing. Lucky bastard. If only...

Yet another highlight to my time here was spending two full days down in Burleigh at the Breaka Pro. I got to watch heaps of pros boosting and blowing the lip to pieces from the hill at Burleigh Heads. It was unreal. A huge plus to Aussie surf comps out here is the turn outs are awesome. So many people are out to check out the waves and watch some of the most talented surfers on the planet go crazy, doing what they do best. And let me add, girls love these things. The beach, sun, and surfers brings some of Australia's most beautiful women out of the woodwork. Add some classic barbies in the mix, my new board, surfing South Straddie again, getting a few barrels right out front, a few beers, and plenty of laughs with some mates, and I think its safe to say that I'm enjoying myself here.

Always thinking of my friends and family back home. I'm working on figuring out how to ship you guys some warmth...theres plenty to go around over here, especially these past couple days.

...A few wise words from Sublime.
"Summertime....and the livings easy."

Enjoy the visuals.

Primal 6'1 x 18 1/4 x 2 1/4

Silhouette. 

Simply blue. 

Sandy matters. 

Boonchu Thai...staple in my diet. 

A proper Goldy sunset.  

Clocking in some hours in the bat labs. 

Audi R8.

Ferrari in Broadie...usual sight. 

Parko surfs good. 

Bond night pic. 

Big hacks all day at the Breaka Pro. 

...all clear to land. 

Burleigh Breaka Pro.

Sunny Garcia throwing buckets. 

Broadbeach...the usual wave scene. 

Another one bites the dust.