I dont write much on here anymore. I write better when im bitter. Lately i’ve been happy.

Today one of my good friends sent me a link to an interview. I just watched it, it blew my mind. Because until now i’ve never heard a story told like this from someone who has died and come back.

It has made me want to write something.

I didn’t stumble across death like Ross Capiccioni did and for that I am grateful, very grateful. But so much of what this guy says I can relate too. I dont think about it much and I dont talk about it much, because it upsets my girl and I dont know if what I remember is real or parts of stories other people told me?… You know when you have heard a story so many times that even though you weren’t there you have painted the picture of it, and now it feels like you were there? No? Well, I am a little strange I guess. I came across death through a massive cardiac arrest. It came not from boozing or fiending or from being unhealthy, it was just a ‘bad luck from birth’ sorta deal. In short, my girl saw me purple, my whole body, face, purple. The medics almost gave up on me, said I was too far gone to bring back. I was choppered to Brisbane, I spent two days wrapped in foil on a bed of ice. My loved ones were told that there is a good chance I wont make it, if I was too live that I would likely be disabled in some form, speech, sight, movement and so on. Fortunately, I did survive and recover and until this moment I hadn’t really given what happened the respect it deserved. I am one of the luckiest people alive, because I am alive. The doctor’s told my mum that the odds of me living and recovering the way I did were about 1 in 50,000.

No idea why I would write this, but there it is. No, Actually, I do know why I wrote it. Ross Capiccioni’s story hit me hard. I guess this is me letting go of a little bit of whatever it i’ve been hanging onto.

Keep smiling. RV

What happened to the Stone Temple Pilots?

You cant leave him alone with his camera for a second. He will self portrait the shit out of himself

I first got a look at Duncan’s photography through Stab Magazine’s little weeds project. There was a lot to like about the project, and amongst the masses of creative kids there was a handful that were truly ruling. There was the winners, and they surely deserved their spots. The likes of Riley Blakeway, Mike Jennings and Matt O’Brien. But it was this hobo looking kid and his camera that slowed down my clicking… ”Hold up right there… Shit, I dig this guys stuff… I fuckin love bluebottles”…  As Creative Destruction took flight and we headed south for Chapter 3, we teamed up with Surfing World magazine. I spoke with Vaughan about what photographer we could get onboard, Hilts was our obvious choice. Outside of his skills, Hilts brings the high vibes to the road. We wanted to build Creative Destruction around the Good times. But Hilts was out, loaded up working with Rasta… We were kinda stumped. Vaughan mentioned some old salts from around the area, but I took a gamble and threw out Duncans’ name. Vaughan was all about it and within a few days Duncan was crashed on the couch alongside the pen-weilding city cat, Mike Jennings. We were out on a limb with 2 of the new kids… One had a beard of pubes that belonged on the front porch of a 70′s porn actress the other rocked up with himself and his healthy head of hair. I liked them both… After a few days of sleeping on the couch, sleeping in the back of my wagon and all without a single whinge, I started to realize how much of a trooper Duncan was. He was bringing the good vibes that CD relied on. More importantly he was nailing shots. Surf shots, land, water. Scenics, Lifestyles. The kid was here to get the job done and everyone agreed that… ‘this Duncan kid is alright’… Since then we have had Dunk’s onboard a few trips and he has been consistently sharpening the tools of his trade, to a point now where has been handed Surfing Magazine’s Follow the light award. So on behalf of all us ratbags here at Runamuk Visuals, Congrats mate.

Here is the collection of photo’s that won Dunks the award.

Right now, I could happily shit my pants, but my girl would think im a grub and I’d have to deal with the result eventually. There is only so long you can leave a turd in ya pants. But my son does it all day and he’s ruling, he thinks its great! Take the concept to a bigger scale. If everyone in the world who was currently doing something they didn’t enjoy just stopped and started doing something they did enjoy I wonder what would happen? after a few days, a few months, a few years… I reckon it would be amazing.

Anyhow, I better go to the toot

There’s two sides to the concept. There is the item itself which is great, but its the gesture which I love the most. Not like the local Radio station giving out choccy milk on the side of the road, that’s free shit at its lowest. The best free shit comes without an agenda, its just free.

I am lucky enough to get a few free magazines sent to me each month. I love magazines, the better the magazine the better the morning shit. simple. Of these mags there is one that has become something I collect. They have their own pile, I love the little fuckers. They are Surfing World. It has a lot of heart and no bullshit. The advertising is minimal yet remains relevant to the content of the mag to an extent where I actually stop and look at them. Each edition feels like a much loved project and every element is there because it was intended to be.

Fuck I can ramble… The other day the latest one got stuck in the good side of my letterbox and landed on the ground on the bad side of my letter box. Ive barely made a start, but I know its a corker, the team in it is rad, the surfers, the writers, the photographers… It is  a Book that I reckon you can read by its cover, here’s proof

Look at the thing… So good to see pulled back photos again

Other than the magazine itself it comes with Mooney and Jimmy K’s new flick. Its a joyous little video and they have continued to tell a story like they did in their debut film. Jimmy’s really got himself a style and its needed to set yourself apart from the Rat race. Props Jimmy! Monkey Mountain also comes strapped to the mag, a film by Maria De Jesus Gonzalez and it comes from outside the box of your usual surf video… Some of it I loved, some of it got under my skin a tad, but it was refreshing and different and there was some amazing waves in it… I think its the sort of film that I will watch in a years time and say… ‘I was tripping back then, this thing is unreal‘… But until then hindsight remains a motherfucker.

I reckon it’ll be the best 12 bucks you’ll spend this week.

I woke up this morning. Drove to the beach. Walked the path and stood on the same crest and looked at the ocean the same way that I did with my Dad most weekends. It wasn’t til hours later I realized its 3 years since he went to heaven. Hey Dad, you should see how beautiful Ana looks with our little bub in her belly. Love ya. x

If you havent told your oldies you love em in awhile, give em a call, let them know you do. x