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When the world’s economy took a nosedive, surf companies cut loose many a surf star to stay afloat. Luke Dorrington was one of the lesser-known talents to get the ass… Rather than go the dole route Luke hit the mines of West Oz. |
Gold Coast shredder Luke Dorrington fell short of a acquiring a contract renewal with his major sponsor Billabong in 2009 and decided to head west. A day in the desert working the mines is a far cry from a day on the Superbank. After a year of surf starvation and hard yakka, Luke’s back on Goldie, working, learning his old mans trade and pumped for second crack at the WQS.
So mate what sort of stuff were you doing over in the mines?
Well, for the first six months I was working for a company called West Kimberley Cement and I was pretty much just a labourer. I was just loading the dry cement into road trains and tailers and driving this big tractor so it was pretty standard stuff. That was in Port Headland. Then I got another job in Port Headland sand blasting, spray painting and touch up paint on all the major machinery from trains to all the stuff that you see on the mine sites, all the big stuff.
What were the hours like?
Most days were around 10 but then some were like 12 and even some that were 14 hours a day. The long days were mostly with West Kimberley Cement. They were pretty flat out so you had to just keep working.
Good coin?
Yeah it was really good money. A bit over two grand a week on the last job I was on. It was good taking that sort of money home but you start to get addicted to it in a way.
Was the work pretty full on?
The work is full on but you can manage it. The hardest thing is just being away from the surf the whole time.
You get some heavy characters around building sites, what’s the gnarliest thing you saw?
We didn’t have any full on dramas or anything and I didn’t have any run-ins with anyone but your dealing with the supervisors all the time and their pretty full on. It’s pretty serious though, people die a lot on those mines sites so you’ve got to be really careful of what’s going on around you. I didn’t see anyone get hurt or anything thank god cause it can happen so easily. It was all pretty cruisey, no punch-ups or anything. I think they’re too worried about losing their good jobs.
I heard that when you first got over there your boss had poster of you up on his wall?
[Laughs] Yeah my boss got it from the local surf shop. He wanted a surfing picture and it just happened to be a poster of me. It was massive, like the size of the wall! It was a Billabong one and it must of been from a board short ad and he just got it from the surf shop because they didn’t want it anymore so he put it up in his living room and he’s like “you wouldn’t believe it, I’ve got a fucking poster of you up there.” I was like no way. What are the chances?
Did you get to surf much while you were in West Oz?
No not at all. We were way up north it’s like 10 hours north of Kalbarri.
Did you get anytime off to surf at all or do contests?
Well they actually did give me a bit of time off to do some comps. I went to California and I did the Aussie QS events this year, but virtually no surfing at all. Only when I came home or to get a quick trip away to Bali or something like that.
Do you have any sponsor at the moment?
At the moment I’m just riding for Dorrington surfboards, DVS and Creatures Of Leisure. I’ve sort of got a sponsor lined up for next year but it’s not 100 percent yet so I don’t know. It’s kind of up in the air but fingers crossed it all comes through. I’ll be stoked getting back into travelling and surfing for a living again.
So what are you doing at the moment?
Lately I’ve just been labouring for a friend of mine doing roof insulation and also doing some work for my step dad just labouring on the jackhammer all day. I’ve also been shaping with dad and getting into that heaps and I’m really loving it, so I did a few boards up for myself and hopefully I can keep going and get a few orders.
No Kelly style wizard sleeves?
[Laughs] no nothing like that. Not yet anyway.
Have you ever shaped before now?
Yeah I have. I’ve done some shaping when I was younger. I’ve done three boards, one at school, one with dad and one with Darren Handley just mucking around. It was a little 5’4 fish actually! But I’ve got a few under my belt now.
Is it something you’ll look at doing later on?
Yeah definitely, I’m looking forward to making something out if it for sure. I’m just more interested in stuff that I know a lot about as opposed to being on a mine site where I’m a bit of a virgin and they all just raw you. It’s nice to have a bit of control and know what’s going on and more than anything, being able to test out what you make!
Does it give you a new appreciation for what’s under your feet?
Yeah for sure and specially a bit of appreciation for the old boy and just how much work he puts in. He’s a workaholic!
What are your plans for next year and the rest of your career? Still chasing contests?
Yeah I’d like to, especially next year. At the moment I’m just sort of really looking forward to big things happening with the shaping side of things and also if this sponsorship pulls off. I just want to surf more than anything. I’ve missed it so much being away and stuck in the desert so it’s nice to be home now for summer and just to get as much time in the water as I can.
Must be hard with your brother Brent off doing contests and doing quite well on the QS?
Yeah it’s nice to follow him but you definitely would like to be there, you do get a bit of jealousy going on but I’m stoked for him and how good he’s doing for sure, I wish he qualified this year. It kind of was a possibility a few comps ago but not looking that way now.
What are your plans for the rest of this year? Are you going to try to get to Hawaii?
Yeah I’d Love to get to Hawaii. At this stage I’m planning on going there for Deano’s wedding. I don’t really want to go there with the circus so after Christmas would be pretty good. Then spend new years there and get some waves and hopefully there wont be too many people there. For now though I’m just going to be working on boards up until then.
Are you going to shape your own boards for Hawaii?
Yeah definitely, I want to have a crack at anything. I mean its pretty interesting getting in the bay and trying heaps of different things so I’ll definitely make my self a few but I’ll let old Gazza rip up the rest I reckon.
– Ben Whitmore
Photos: Swilly
