I've got two boys, one sixteen who cant stay out of the water and one twelve who I cant coax into the water!
The oldest is your classic Aussie grub...hangs with his mates on the beach all day...lives to get barreled and doesn't think much past the next feed or the next surf. The youngest is a far different kettle of fish. The surfing gene seems to have skipped this one and his idea of a classic summer day is sitting in the aircon shooting zombies on video games and eating barbeque shapes.
Anyway, last Saturday the good lady wife was working and decreed that this was a good excuse for father son day to be declared. Number one was out the door and on the beach before I could even canvas his opinion...number two looked very sceptical!
After the requisite swim, ice cream, fish and chips and more swim...I was starting to sweat...the surf was pumping around the point and I was stuck at kiddies corner. Time for some lateral thinking. "How'd you like to earn some money for looking at a screen for the rest of the arvo?"
My favourite left breaks right in front of a World War Two era concrete gun emplacement/bunker. I posted number two up inside the bunker with a video camera, a bottle of Pepsi and a packet of shapes. The result is the following video...probably not the highlite of my surfing nor my parenting...but what the hell...we both had a blast and he earned a bit of pocket money for his troubles.
Love the Hunters and remember the psycho jerky film clip they had with this song back in the day. Seemed to fit my surfing and the young blokes camera technique perfectly.
HD...turn it up...Cheers
Sparx

Hey Sparx.... perfect parenting... your son connected with your surfing while learning a bit of history and earning some money. Win win!

Excellent video in a lot of ways.... and nice surfing. Thanks for the stoke. Please tell your son that I enjoyed the heck out of his cinematic skills... great flick

Nice one sparx, my son was similar at a young age, was scared of waves and the ocean in general. At about 15 he changed and wanted to learn how to surf as I had taken up SUP. We both enjoyed learning together and laughed and surfed as much as two inland dwellers could. He moved to Hamilton Isand for a year and now resides in Newcastle learning your trade at Newcastle Uni, I don't really care if he surfs or not, it's being together and having a relationship that counts. Good onya mate
Mick

micksmith said..
Nice one sparx, my son was similar at a young age, was scared of waves and the ocean in general. At about 15 he changed and wanted to learn how to surf as I had taken up SUP. We both enjoyed learning together and laughed and surfed as much as two inland dwellers could. He moved to Hamilton Isand for a year and now resides in Newcastle learning your trade at Newcastle Uni, I don't really care if he surfs or not, it's being together and having a relationship that counts. Good onya mate
Mick

Cheers Mick
They put us through all manner of grief across the journey but at the end of the day you wouldn't have it any other way.
Sparx