Surfing, Skateboarding, Music, Photography, Travel, Culture and general antics of the youth on the run.

Gunner Day Driving Through Indo Collected Thoughts 113: What makes this kid any different?

what youth gunner day photography by timmy Ridenour
Photo: Timmy Ridenour

So you’re 16 and an up-and-coming professional surfer from San Clemente…so what? There are a lot of those. Like a lot.  T Street looks like an Olympic training ground of fluorescent wetsuits these days.  So what are you suppose to do to stand out in the surf world? Is it the QS grind three to the beach and a reverse? (No it’s not) And it seems to be the clear choice of most kids these days. But for Gunner Day there is another option. An opportunity that only a few kids his age have: Go to Indo, shoot with the best, and get better at surfing.

And Gunner does this, with his dad. He hangs with Nate Lawrence and gets photos, and escapes the procedural surfing of So Cal. We recently drove, flew, drove some more, hiked a bit, took the rental car down some dodgy four-wheel drive tracks with mud pit exclamation points at the end.

We eventually ended up at a magical little bay filled with German tourists (none of whom, to our astonishment, seemed to notice the left hand slab out front winding away). Allegedly there are Tiger sharks and unmentionable things lurking in the channel — which was more like a rip current — but no one was out. There wasn’t a ‘QS beach break contest site for thousands of miles, just Gunner having a solo session away from the stress of chasing results, ratings and abiding to the norm of the surf industry.

The sun gave away to a tropical storm and an interesting photographic moment presented its self in the rain. I snapped a few pics while caught in the rip got pretty creeped out from what ever was swimming below and decided to call it a day. We got some clips had a few surfs in between chatting up the Euros on the beach. Then hit the road once again. But this time in search of some solid food, maybe buffet lunch and relaxing spa day.

There’s plenty of time to chase ‘QS rating but for today it seems like Gunner made the right call. Hang with the boys, surf empty waves, relax in a foreign country and call it work. Get a shot. Learn. And surf good waves. Gunner wins. —Timmy Ridenour

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Craig Anderson, Mentawai Islands Collected Thoughts 111: Horrible waves in Indo aren’t that bad

“We hopped on the Bintang boat and got the best waves of our year. Shortly after, we got back on that same boat and got the worst waves of our year. Turns out, horrible waves in the Mentawais still aren’t that bad…” —Nate Lawrence

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Gunner Day Mind Pump Collected Thoughts 110

“A three week flat spell led to an over-hyped swell. The over-hyped swell led to a crowded lineup. The crowded lineup led to searching for other waves. Gunner Day. A first timer to the inside-mind-pump section.” —Nate Lawrence

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Have Surf Magazines Lost their Minds? Collected Thoughts 109

Have surf magazines lost their minds? First off, surf photographers have always been creepy people. Writers, not much better. But it seems in my years dealing with surf magazines that the people in charge are usually pretty turned on. They know how to make a very selfish sport look fun and inviting. I always looked…

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Too Much Perfect in Indonesia Collected Thoughts 108

Living in Bali has it’s perks. It’s cheap, warm and has waves all year round. It also has it’s downsides. Traffic, pollution and kooks. But the perfect waves always conquer the cons when contemplating if there is a better place to live. But just recently the perfect waves didn’t seem so perfect. I found myself…

what youth nate lawrence collected thoughts indonesia

Nate Lawrence nearly robbed To get you this Collected Thought Number 107 lineup shot

I nearly got robbed trying to get a lineup shot. I probably deserved it though. After all, I am exposing surf spots. And taking photos of a wave and making it look prettier than it is. The wind? It was onshore. The crowd? It was packed. But that’s the thing with us sketchy photographers, it’s…

Dillon Perillo, Indo Collected Thoughts 106: “Dillon lost his mind out here, which is kind of like finding it for him.”

On an island in remote Indonesia, Dillon Perillo can finally surf again. 5 hour sessions in the middle of the day with no one out. And then again just before sunset. This is not Malibu. —Nate Lawrence

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Chippa Wilson on the “Duo”, Bali Collected Thoughts 105

I was pretty amazed when Chippa pulled out this Neil Purchase Jr surfboard with only 2 fins and decided to ride it at pumping Uluwatu. The takeoffs were late and the drops were steep, but it didn’t hinder Chippa’s surfing. The positions in which he was riding the waves were something I hadn’t seen before.

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The Bukit Peninsula Collected Thoughts 104

The warm water splashes on your toes as you pass mostly naked women on the beach on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula. Left, right, left. Your head can’t stop spinning. Then you see the waves. One, two, three, four. Lines stack up to the horizon and then you pick your time and go. Paddle towards the sun….

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Julian Wilson in Bali Collected Thoughts 103

Still think spraying someone who’s paddling over the shoulder is one of the best things (and brattiest) in surfing. Julian Wilson partakes in Bali recently. —Nate Lawrence

Collected Thoughts 101 Bronson Meidy

Bronson Meidy, 12, Keramas Collected Thoughts 102

There’s a new kid to the surf scene in Bali. His name is Bronson Meidy and he just turned 12 this week. I usually don’t like to say anything about kids this young because you just want them to be kids. Eating candy and shit. Not worrying about sponsors and sticker placement. Just going surfing…

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The Indian Ocean Spotlight: beach parties, waves and Scandinavian women Collected Thoughts 101

The Indian Ocean is back in the spotlight. Swells are stacking up and surfers are busy paying excess baggage on flights. So what’s new? It’s still hot, dirty and full of Brazilians. There’s still corruption and crazy tourists. People are still getting crunched my motorbikes daily. But there are parties every night and Scandinavian women…

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Chippa Wilson, Bali 2016 Collected Thoughts 100

“Sometimes it feels so good to dig your back hand in the water and do a nice Larry layback. Chippa in Bali recently unveiling his new Brixton stickers.” —Nate Lawrence

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