With clips in the bag after the morning’s filming session, videographer Toby Cregan clocks off for some well earned surf time on his crazy single-fin coolite. It’s Toby’s go to board at the Pass and around Byron when the waves are small and all he craves is a solid block of foam that paddles well and flies down the line. However, now we’re further South and the waves are more Hossegor shorebreak than pleasantly zippering Pass. For a professional lensman, Toby handles his lime slider well, tucking and weaving with inherited ease [his dad, Brian, was a ’70s pro] and deftly avoiding the guillotine lips which pitch in the crystalline blue shallows.
It’s not long before Creed catches the scent of Toby’s green machine and recognizes the opportunity for novel experiments. Perhaps the real test for how well someone surfs should be to hand them the biggest piece of crap board you can find and see what they do with it. Although fun to ride Toby’s foamie is pretty much that board.
The instant Creed connects with the coolite he finds a synergy with it – his limbs adjust readily to the extra volume and his style automatically assumes elements of a good longboarder, for whom trim is king.
The board manifests as Creed’s Green Card to the barrel. The two-foot wedges double up and fold with the sort of perfect contours that automatically bring to mind that most infamous of comments – if only that barrel was a little bigger. However Creed is unconcerned by the absence of size, he merely adjusts his limber frame so that he gets barrelled all the same – remember he’s riding a piece of foam with a flimsy fin. Then something special happens. A wave with perfect symmetry bends towards the bank and Creed strokes confidently towards the ten inches of water in front of him. Somehow the rail holds in as he bottom-turns the foamy beast through a vertical face and disappears behind a dream in green. From shore we dismiss it as another closeout novelty, but somehow he threads and drives in perfectly compressed form. As the tip of the inferior craft emerges, the board begins to pearl but somehow he pulls the nose up. When he finally makes the ankle deep exit a self-surprised smile ripples across his face and several of us cheer from shore. It was a tiny wave on a weird board but Creed obviously sensed it was a moment to cherish.
Creed’s green dream. Photo: natesmithphoto.com
Tragically the life span of the little Green coolite was only two more waves. Having witnessed Creed’s tubular tendencies, Noa, was determined to make his own mark on the foam flyer.
However, on his second wave he missed the exit ramp and the broke the board in two.
Guilt-ridden for destroying Cregan’s favourite toy, Noa suggests he might be able to make it up to him by getting him a new one.
Farewell old friend. Photo: natesmithphoto.com
