Expression Session 2 - New Aged Cold Fusion

Well fans of the Old Farts Surf Co., its been about a month since our last post and we've been inundated with desperate pleas for a new post.  To make it up to you we've been saving this special little session for a while, cause we thought it would be a great drought breaker.   

("Hey, lets go surfin'" suggests Rouge full of enthusiasm)

The session occured on return from great lost wave discovery earlier in the year. Rouge and The Dude decided to have an afternoon surf-off. The Mexican had dominated an earlier session so he decided to take on photography duties to document what has become the legend called Expression Session 2. The Mexican said "I was really nervous taking photos after Moose did such a great lens job on Expression Session 1, but the boys put on such a show all I had to do was point and shoot"

  

("I'm up for that" replied The Dude, concentrating on lookin' cool)

After returning from, what Pooh Bear would say was the great "Expotition", Rouge suggested a final session. The Dude was up to the challenge and, after a couple of rejuvenating stem cell ginger biscuits, what took place over a period of 40 minutes is one of the greatest sessions of oldfartsurfing ever photographed.

  

("Wow, its pumpin'" said Rouge)

 Rouge was pumped like a Tigger and bounced down the beach with so much enthusiasm he forgot to put his wettie on.  "I surfed the whole 40 minutes and didn't feel cold at all, it was so much fun" Rouge enthused.

 

(Rouge bounces to his feet on the first wave)

 

(and bounces an enthusiastic bottom turn)

Meanwhile, The Cool Dude ambled down the beach , stood by the water's edge, stared into the horizon for seconds that seemed like hours, then, putting a hand to his face as the crowd drew a collective breath, casually took off his sunnies and and handed them to a lady in waiting and said " time to go surfin'".

  

(The Dude cool off the bottom , expressing his style on the liquid canvass) 

The Mexican said "that was the coolest entry I've ever seen in an Old Farts Surf. Co. Expression Session.  Some people in the crowd even classified it as a re-entry because it was the second surf he'd had that day."

 

(Rouge fangs into anoother one, note the left hand style - kind of reverse gay)

  

(A lady in waiting admires the expression of the two oldfartsurfers)

  

(The Dude hangin' cool)

  

(Rouge pulls off a barrel roll in the foam ball)

Rouge said, "Hey man, it was like I had just had five double expressos and a bucket of hot chocolate, I had so much energy to burn out there.  However, when I had to be wrapped in a hypothermia recovery blanket later I realised that I was surfing like a crazy many just trying to keep warm"

 

(The hyper Rouge bounces over the top of the cool Dude)

The Mexican said "The Dude had the opposite reaction to the cold water, he simply stayed cool.  Man, I've never seen such cool surfing"

 

(The Dude with frozen poise)

 

(Rouge feels like flying and does - still has that left hand reverse gay action going)

 

(Beach activity while the show went on)

A girl on the beach in a black bikini sauntered past the Mex with his camera and whispered "Rouge is hot but I prefer the Cool Dude because his wetsuit is so black and shiny and would go so well with my reverse tan."  "All I could do was mumble 'wowser' and she gave me a look and kept on sauntering" said Mex.

(The Dude and Rouge, euphoric after the intense Expression Session)

The two oldfartsurfers had completely different styles but had a deep respect for each other's form of expression on liquid canvass.  They left the water together dreaming up a new surf movement that would be a hybrid of their two styles "Cool Energy", "Lethargic Hype" & "New Aged Cold Fusion" are names being bandied about amongst the uber-cool oldfartsurfers. 

Click here to read the previous Expression Session post.
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Expression Session 1 - The Mexican

The fans have been waiting for it and now at last here it is - the final installment from the Old Farts Surf Co. Expression Session 1.  Arguably, the best has been kept for last as Canadian upstart Moose has captured the elegance and aplomb that a true oldfartsurfer on an Old Farts Surf Co. hollow timber board brings to the art of surfing.

(The Mex glides like a sea eagle on his hollow timber board while resting his right elbow on the top of the wave)

This session is memorable as it is the last installment of photos from Moose who will soon return Canuckland.  "The Mex was gliding with the grace of a sea eagle but had the power and spring in his legs like a young gazelle" said Moose.  "It was a priviledge to witness the surf expressions in that session with the Mex firing" she said. 

(The Mex with a spring in his leges like a gazelle)

The Dude said "this is what oldfartsurfers do, riding waves for riding the waves sake, with grace and style and purity of purpose."  "No flashy logos around here" said The Other Dude.  "Express yourself" said Madonna.  "Art for art sake, money for god sake" said some old song.

(The Mex glides gracefully allowing the lip of the wave to caress his shoulder while he catches up with the spray of an earlier bottom turn)

Spot put on a pair of fins and overcame his fear of the men in grey suits to swim out to take some water shots.  "I thought the expression and art in thewater were informed by surreal spiritualism" said Spot when he got back to the beach.  "It certainly inspired me to take some great photos" he said.

(Spot's photo of Mex's surfing expression informed by surreal spiritualism)

When the media asked if the Old Farts Surf Co. was going to have another expressions session, Head Honcho, The Mexican said "it will happen when the spirits of the oldfartsurfers aligned with either Mars or Jupiter."  Well Hughey knows when the next age of Aquarius will be but for now we will have to be satisfied with reviewing these wonderful photos taken by Moose with water shots from Spot and the Mex .

Click here for previous articles on the Expression Session 1 series.

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SUP Action from Expression Session 1

(Oldfartsufer Nic cutting loose on his trusty SUP)

Whilst Canadian upstart Moose was taking photos of the oldfartsurfers performing in Expression Session 1, Macho left the water and suggested she point the camera up the beach at Oldfartsurfer Nic who was enjoying a few waves to himself on his trusty SUP.  The resulting photo wins a Topshot award.
Click here for the previous article in the Experssion Session series.
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Expression Session 1 - Spot

Here is another treat from our "featured surfers ofthe Expression Session 1" series held by the Old Farts Surf Co. earlier this year.  This time our featured surfer is Spot.  He has embraced surfing with the old farts with renewed vigour, some say inspired by Canadian upstart Moose.

(Spot paddles out to express himself and watches as The Dude conducts a symphony)

The fine photgraghic eye of Moose captured the photos from the shore, while the Mexican braved the ocean and what learks therein to swim around with a pair of fins to get the up close and personal water shots of the surfers expressing themselves.

(Spot the astronaut launches in to space)

Through his surfing, Spot expressed his secret desire to become an astronaut.  "I didn't know I had the secret desire until I saw the wave face and I just thought 'what a perfect canvass to express my inner astronaut'" said the surprised Spot.  Photographer Moose said "he was a wonderful subject, so expressive and so creative"

(just like the Apollo astranauts, spot lands in the sea) 

 (Spot imitating the Mexican on the way to the launch pad)

(Spot paddles back to the launch pad)

At some stages during the expression session fans of the oldfartsurfers confused Spot with the Mexican.  The Dude said the two surfer's profiles were so similar he thought there was a doppelganger.  "the side profile of Spot and Mex is so similar, partucularly through the tummy area" said the Dude.

(Spot flys through space)

Click here to see the previous article on Macho at Expression Session 1.
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Expression Session 1 - Macho

If ever there was wise old man of the sea its oldfartsurfer Macho.  Not only is he wise but he is a mastersurfcraftdesigner and what he doesn't know about making boards go could easily be remebered if we could figure out what it is.  In this, the second featured olfartsurfer from Expressions Session 1, Macho shows us how to look wise by sitting calmly on his board staring intently at the horizon.  He looks so wise no one argues with him, but of course he rarely utters a sound because he knows everthing and wouldn't waste his breath on fools.

(Wise old man of the sea, Macho, stares intently at the horizon, summoning a set)

(Macho and the perfect crouch)

Another way Macho expresses his personality is by his measured and precise stylised surfing.  He uses perfect technicque from wave selection, position on the peak, paddling, take off and off course his signature crouch.

(Macho with perfect technique)

We asked Macho for some comments on the Expression Session, but of course he didn't answer, just stared at the horizon.

(Macho expressing himself by staring wisely at the horizon, The Dude in the background)

Surf buddy, the Dude, said "Macho controls the pack and we even think he might be controlling the waves because he always gets the best ones."  Old Farts Surf Co. Head Honcho, The Mexican said "there is a rumour that Macho is actually a physcial manifestation of the surf god Hughey".  Macho neither confirmed or denied this, further entrenching the legend while staring mystically at the horizon.

(Macho paddling out towards the horizon while another dude surfs by)

(Macho with perfect take-off and crouch)

(Macho with his perfect crouch coming out of the sun or is that Hughey)

Click here for the previous article on The Dude at Expression Session 1.

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Expression Session 1 - The Dude

I am pretty sure that it was 1972 because I went with Scotty, a surfie from Sydney who also played half back in our rugby team, and Scotty was only at the school when when I was in Grade 10, which was 1972.  Scotty took me to a movie called "Expression Session 2" at the State Theatre.  It was pretty exciting turning up to the theatre and seeing Kombis and panel vans parked in the street and guys with long blond hair, Roman sandles and scruffy jeans.  We didn't see them in my suburb.  It was at the time when there was a debate about whether surfing was a sport or an art.  According to the movie, instead of a competition, surfers

(The dude paddles out to conduct the Expression Session)

were paid to surf giant 3rd reef pipeline while they filmed it with four cameras (two in the water and two on land).  They had gathered all the big name surfers of the time, who probably would have been there anyway, and, as the title suggests, they were expressing themselves on the waves.  At giant pipeline "expressing yourself" probably involves expressing your survival instinct and maintaining some form of honour by not soiling your boardies in front of your peers, the crowd on the beach and the boys in the theatre who had probably never surfed anthying over 3'.  The images of Expression Session 2 still stick in my mind today.  Guys riding these huge green walls with a strong offshore breeze, big barrells and massive wipeouts.  I still can't figure out how more people don't die riding those waves.

(The Dude lifts his baton to begin the first movement)

Following the success of the recent World Series Surfing Splinter Group competititions, the Old Farts Surf Co. (OFSC) decided to revive the expressions session concept as a way of showing the surfing world how to enjoy surfing without commercial hype and allowing oldfartsurfers to express themselves without the inhibitions imposed by a competition environment.  OFSC Head Honcho, The Mexican, said "we gathered as many Old Farts Surf Co. stickered surfers as we could for the event and asked them to surf how they felt".  "The results were amazing, we had two cameras shooting the action, one from the water and one on the beach, capturing surfers carving lines on waves expressing how they felt" said the Mex. 

(The Dude paddles back out through the crashing waves, boards and bodies)

Canadian upstart, Moose, manned the camera on the beach and displayed her artistic eye to capture the magic being expressed by the surfers.  According to Moose, "The pure artistry in the water inspired my photo taking".  Talking about his first attempt at water photography,The Mex said he was "inspired by the survival instinct amidst crashing waves, boards and bodies".   Even Spot, after an inspirational performance on the board, took to the water with Camera, overcoming his dibilitating fear of men in grey suits, to take an inspirational photo of The Mex late in the session.

(The Dude extracts pianisimo from his hollow wooden surfboard "The Craic")

We've decided to bring the photos to the readers, surfer by surfer.  This way the mood and feelings being expressed by each individual can be truly presented as "their" exhibition.  The surfer we have chosen for the first exhibition is one of the original oldfartsurfer,s mastersurfcraftsman and perenial crowd favourite, The Dude.  The Dude has a music in his blood, his dad played the guitar, and some photos suggest a subliminal desire to conduct an orchestra.  "We didn't realise how beneficial the Expression Session concept would be for the surfers" said The Mex.  "We thought it would simply be a display for the surfing world that the surfers could be proud of, and didn't realise the journey of self discovery it took the performers on until we got the photos back and the surfers talked to us about them." 

(The Dude lifting the baton for a crescendo as Spot paddles by)

When viewing the photos, The Dude said "that's when I realised I had been denying my desire to conduct an orchestra and now I've done it in the ocean".  Other surfers discovered things about themselves, Macho to be a Yogi, The Mexican to seek the essence of nothing and Spot discovered he could surf.  Stay tuned as their expressions willbe presented soon.

(The Dude, baton down, focusing on the bar ahead)

(The Dude eases the Craic through a movement while Macho watches in awe)

(The Dude in the moment where he lowers the baton at the finale, just before the applause erupts.)

(The Dude, paddling back for an encore)

As to the debate whether surfing is art or a sport, in 1972, I think I just thought it was something you did because you loved doing it, like climbing a mountain, reading a book or growing roses.

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