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| West Oz or Bust |
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 Photos & Words By Tyler RockHawai‘i boys down under for the WQS Men’s West Australia Margaret River contest. It’s time to get some work done. Pro surfers get paid to travel around the world and surf—seems plush enough. But working with ever-changing conditions in the water can make a day at the office unpredictable and frustrating. Getting the shot or making the next heat becomes more about luck and strategy than raw talent. This is the diary of what really goes down on the road when the conditions are not always perfect. FSM’s Tyler Rock, Big Island surfer and photographer/videographer, bunked with Hawai‘i’s Fred Patacchia, Jr., Joel Centieo, Mike Dodd, Sean Moody and Jesse Merle-Jones to watch it all go down. Sat. March 24 – 8:50 AM 
On the bus catching my first real look at Australia. I am going down the coast from Perth to Margaret River. I don’t feel too out of place here; it’s an easy adjustment from Hawai‘i. The weather is decent. Margaret River has a Mediterranean climate. Brushy vegetation and sand dunes border the ocean. Virtually every surf spot requires a walk of at least 10 minutes one way because you have to walk through the brush to get to the beach. If it was anywhere else in the world, these spots would be packed with people, but it’s not. It’s cool that only surfers seem to come here. Lots of two-lane roads through the forest. Sun. March 25 – 2:45 PM Two sessions under our belts, but the waves have been a bit on the small side. We surfed Redgate yesterday and Lefty’s this morning. The boys aren’t too stoked on the surf so far but trying to make the most of it. 
Downtime has been spent around the house, eating, watching TV, playing with Merle’s [Jesse Merle-Jones] training devices, dubbed “Merle’s Gym” and just lounging. Luckily Joel’s [Centeio] girlfriend Ashley is here and preparing most of our meals. Otherwise there is plenty of heckling, razzing and complaining amongst the crew, but all in fun, nothing serious. The contest starts tomorrow.We are staying at Prevelly Park, which is home to world-class surfing breaks and the charm of a small, coastal town. Most homes are tucked into the base of the sand dunes and hidden by bushes and trees— as is much of the access to the great surf spots. Prevelly Park, while small, is actually a cool headquarters to have a lot of different adventures since it is near wineries, galleries, shops, national parks, cycle and walking trails, olive, venison and lavender farms, cheese, chocolate and fudge factories, horse riding, golf, aboriginal culture and some sick caves to explore. Tuesday, March 27 – 9:30ish AM The contest started off early with 4- to 5-foot stormy, bumpy surf. Not ideal. Mike [Dodd] and [Sean] Moody surfed and both made their heats. The rest of the day was a write-off. We went to town for the daily web visit, and bought some lamb for the feast. Later that evening, Scotty Bauer, his brother and Josh Fuller came over with a monster lobster they caught. We had lobster, lamb, chicken, crayfish and veggies—a definite feast. Right as we finished, Fred [Patacchia, Jr.] invited us to go check out Cuizon and the boys since it was Dustin’s birthday. What I thought was just going to be a mellow hang out turned into a pretty big night at the bar (Gnarabar). Tuesday, March 27 – 10:45 PM Today the comp was on but ugly as can be. The guys were still ripping the rideable ones that were coming in. It was 4 to 6 feet with 8-foot double-up chops and relentless, gusty southeast winds. Mike and Moody went down in their heats. We played a bunch of Trumps and basketball. Moody and I schooled Mike and Fred. It’s funny to think of them as professional athletes, which they are, but it was kind of like watching Koby or Shaq try to surf. To be honest, I kind of schooled them all, but I’m no Air Jordan. It’s really country and peaceful here. The town is small, but quaint and upbeat. It’s fresh despite its small size. There are always people walking around. A lot of storefronts right on the street. Kind of happening town in its own little way. The people are all friendly and helpful. I never feel unwanted or out of place. It’s a tourist town but it’s not a zoo. There are kangaroos on the golf course— like 6-foot tall kangaroos. Wednesday, March 28 – 2:30 PM It’s starting to sink in that we are definitely getting skunked. Today was a big let down. While the wind finally mellowed, the sky is covered by clouds, and everyone is definitely eggy. Spirits for surf are low and everyone seems to be giving up. Thursday, March 29 – 8:00 PM We got up early and headed to South Beach, which supposedly sucks in a lot of swell, and found a heaving sandbar, ledgy slab closeout barrel (3 to 4 feet). Knowing we could get some water shots we charged down the beach (a 20-minute hike). There was only one other pack of guys who charged the first bank section. Bats [Jason Shibata] and Fred both broke two boards. Bats broke his on his first wave and only caught about three more before breaking his second. It was heaving! Saturday, March 31 – 12:30 PM Yesterday was beautiful but the surf was flat. We attempted to check Gallows with Pete Frieden—for the third time— only to be stopped and told it was no good (luckily, before the bumpy part of the journey). Mike and I hooked up some tasty Kebabs when we went back to town. The days seem long here, especially when there’s no surf, probably because we get up so early to check it. 
Monday, April 2 – 3:00 PMBougie (at the butt crack of dawn) was kinda lumpy and a bit disorganized but I was stoked to get in the water again and hooked up with Hank Gaskell on one. A little later we hit Gas Bay and it was like the Rocky Point of Margaret’s with surf paparazzi in full force. A decent pack was out including Dane Reynolds, Yadin Nicol and a few other rippers, along with the Hawai‘i boys. This is probably the best session of the trip— some good airs and barrels. Friday, April 6 – 10:36 AM On my way home now, and I have a long trip ahead of me. The last couple days had some pretty fun surf and the boys were ripping. This being my first photo/video trip, was definitely a learning experience. Though it was frustrating not getting epic surf, that’s just how it goes sometimes. We did our best to find surf and were successful on some accounts, but you can’t force good waves. Regardless, I had a good time and was glad to be a part of this trip. [PAU]
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