I've been lucky enough to jump on a commercial shoot traveling through 3 countries in S. Africa. This is my first trip to SA and I've been blown away by the kind spirit of the local people and the amazing power this land posses. The hawaiians speak of "mana" and the energy a land exudes, Africa definitely embodies the spirit of it's long breathe of cultural history.
We spent our first days traveling up a long windy road called the "Sani Pass" into a region known as Lesotho - i've never really seen anything like it. We are now by a stretch of beach that feels like it hasn't changed in 100 yrs. I'm looking forward to the adventures to come.
i don't know why but it seems like all of us self proclaimed surf artists tip toe across a very thin line between completely self indulgent and certifiably mad. from timmy turner hiding out in the staff infested indo' bush to the meanderings of allan c. weisbecker - traveler, writer, mad man. at its core, surfing is a pretty selfish experience & yet certain artists have been able to convey their thoughts, feelings & ideas in a way that connect with the tribe. in the end, its all pretty primal. like the campfire stories passed down from our ancestors, modern surf media whether web based, broadcast, dvd or print form, tries to capture the essence of the experience and share it with others.
have you ever had a perfect session with no one out & wished you had just one friend around to share it with? i know i have and yet, i've had 100s of crowded sessions when i wished everyone would just go away. surfing is a weird thing that way. how do you share something special with your friends yet keep it all to yourself? just thinking about it is as painful on the brain as analyzing the space time continuum parodox of Terminator 2. if one thing exists, how can the other co-exist and vice-versa? headache coming on. weisbecker has been playing this role for a while and it seems he's found a new act. i'm not as jazzed on the creative as i am intrigued by the glimpse into an underground wanderer's mind. i will add, kudos to utilizing new technology in the cathartic effort to portray unique visual meanderings for the campfire.
Allan Weisbecker has written three books: Cosmic Banditos, In Search of Captain Zero, and Can't You Get Along With Anyone?. To buy the books, for more info and to sign up for his newsletter, go to banditobooks.com.
