Bondi today, Chris Friend in a house of flames

S P I E L

Some days it’s pretty tough writing my two paragraphs to you all. I’ve written this spiel 3,500 times over the past 14 years..and the first sentence is always a killer. Takes me ages. I normally hunt around for inspiration (normally a distraction)…I trawl google earth looking for hidden point breaks in Sydney, watch Slater’s Fijian 10’s, read all the swell charts in hope for a boomer approaching, fiddle with my phone or load up on Java until my hands shake and I can barely type. Today I’m skint. Bone dry. So here are the raw facts of today:

  • It is 15 degrees right now and will top out on 19 degrees
  • Waves are chest to head high at Bondi, and fun
  • Rain, wind and big swell arrive tomorrow – ah yes, that thing called winter
  • The shortest day of year is next week, so hopefully we’ll get some light back in these morning soon
  • My Mentawai flight leaves in an hour, have fun boys, guttered I am missing this trip

Bye :: uge

Swimmercam

Bondi 7:00am, Chris Friend blowing out some heat

Fruity bondi

Andrzej Kowalski, always out there

This man just returned to civilisation and went out all night to celebrate

Some nice open faces this morning

Couple nice little left nuggets

19 thoughts on “S P I E L

  1. their was some good waves out their but some of the sets had a bit of size to them when i was out

  2. Paddled out in tama at first light and it was 3 foot, 45 minutes later i was caught inside 6 foot rouge sets. gonna be big by tonight

  3. Bummer to miss indo Uge, feel for you.. but some great shots this morning.
    Classic to see AK still out there at every opportunuty…used to surf with him 20 years ago in Cape Town and even then you could never get him out of the water! good to see nothing has changed and the stoke is still there!

  4. wow, ppl are still swimming? what’s the water temperature these days? I haven’t been at Bondi for a while now

  5. Kindred spirits…….I was booked for Telo Island Lodge starting Monday but instead have my arm in a sling after shoulder surgery. Sucks!

  6. Not surprised that the first line is a killer after doing this each day, 3500 times. Good thing is you keep it short, sweet and the visuals are always spectacular. For those of us not able to make it to the beach each day, the basic description will suffice.

  7. Don’t worry about your lack of wordsmithing today Uge, the photos usually say it all … and did today!

  8. Can we please dispense with the flouro, faux zaniness now? Once was mildly interesting; every week is nauseating. Yes, it’s for a good cause but, conversely, is making me want to kill myself.

    1. I agree with BB it was good at firsts but now its kinda frustrating i go down for a surf hoping i can get on aquabumps and 4 or 5 of the 7 photos are fluoro guys

  9. Love the fluros so keep em coming. Can’t please all the people all the time hey Uge 🙂
    Ps. Great to see you’re keeping it real, we all get writers block so you’re not alone. What’s important is that it never seems forced and the photography is always fabulous.

  10. lovin’ the photos today uge, dont worry about indo, it isn’t going anywhere! it’ll still be there next year!

    I have an idea for you, something that will bring something good, out of missing the indo trip… save the money and, when your leg has healed fully, and it starts getting flat, hot, summery and boring in Sydney, take an epic november/december celtic euro trip to south wales. the proper, old skool, south wales. and maybe take in Ireland and Scotland too? nothing like snow stinging in your eyes while hoofing along a wave, before a proper pint in a proper pub, fire & all, to cheer you up eh uge! get crazy! whoops the Ment’s anyday! i would be interested how your work would look somewhere cold ( and i dont meant VIC!)

    get well soon, T

  11. Hi-havenot heard from you for four weeks-have we been dropped? So look forward to our daily dose of OZ so may we go back on again? See you in the flesh in November. Love the pics. (Ogris Mum(Blank Space) D

  12. Toms suggestion sounds awesome!!! I’m over there same time the following year for a family reunion, maybe you should do a fans roadtrip 🙂 The water that time of years sounds too icy but the apres surfing in local pubs would be great.

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