Jordy’s take on the memorable trip, below.
When I drove across the Nullarbor to Western Australia, all I had on my mind was waves and freedom.
Little did I know I was about to start the best chapter yet. It’s like I stumbled into a honey hole filled with mates who became family, a pretty cool girlfriend, an epic caravan on a farm, and a job that still doesn’t feel real.
But chasing waves isn’t cheap.
I was lucky enough to pick up an acting role in a Netflix TV series, which helped keep the dream alive. Every dollar I made was pretty much spent chasing the next swell and funding travels in my pursuit of waves.
Looking back, though, I don’t think the perfect waves are what I’ll remember most.
Whilst there are some pretty incredible waves throughout Drifting West, this film is really about everything in between. The memories, the laughs, the adventures and the people who made this chapter what it was.
It’s a glimpse into my life on the West Coast. Most of the time it probably looked like a complete mess.
And honestly, it sort of was.
My car kept breaking down. The forecast was always changing. I was burning through money faster than I could make it, working every chance I got just so I could chase whatever swell popped up.
But the real memories are from laughing at the Beer Shack with mates. Sleeping in the caravan. Fixing the car in the driveway. Storms. Flat spells. Swells and sometimes sitting around for hours waiting on swells that never ended up arriving. Even reading scripts trying to learn how to act.
That’s why I didn’t want to make another highlight reel full of perfect waves.
There are already plenty of those.
I wanted to show everything that usually gets left sitting on the hard drive. The laughs, the setbacks, the waiting, the chaos and the people who made this chapter what it was.
Because the waves were almost just the excuse.
Western Australia has produced some of my favourite surf films of all time. The ones that always stuck with me weren’t just about surfing – they made you want to throw your boards in the car, call your mates and head off on an adventure.
That’s exactly what I hoped Drifting West would do.
Not because I want everyone to move across the country chasing waves.
Just because life’s bloody short, and some of the best things happen when you stop waiting for the perfect time.
— Jordy Liackman
