Luna Park

One of my all-time favourite bodyboarding movies is Damian King’s bio, The Joker. A stand-out session in the vid is Kingy and Toby Player’s first sessions at a crazy southern Australian reef called Luna Park. Mickey Smith, the videographer on the day, has posted a bit of the footage, both seen and unseen, along with his story of the day – well worth a read if you go through to the vid’s Vimeo page.

Breaking Ground at Luna Park from mickey smith on Vimeo.

The sheer power of Luna Park is frightening, and having visited the place and seen how hectic the setup is, it’s not on my list of waves I want to surf.

Make no mistake, this place is insane.

However, I can relate to the crazy stoke that comes from pushing personal limits in the surf. A couple of years ago on a remote South Pacific island I shared a session with a few mates which, at first, spun me out. Having scratched under the first wave of a set at the end of the reef I watched in awe as a long, thick line of swell, blasted by a stormy offshore wind, unleashed for a hundred metres over shallow coral. Looking back on that session two years on, it still sticks in my mind like no other.

Pulling under a thick lip. Photo: Edward Saltau (shot links to his production company)

The look on Toby Player’s face when he comes screaming out of one of the barrels epitomises what bodyboarding is about for me: the moment of adrenaline and mindless stoke from a sick wave. I may never go near a wave as heavy as the ones in the video but it inspires me none the less!