Faces of Byron: The Surfer
Faces of Byron
Faces of Byron is a poetic series inspired by the unique personalities who live and breathe Byron Shire values, either residing here or holding it strong in their hearts. Get to know the quirky, down-to-earth and inspiring humans ditching the nine-to-five and exploring a new way of being. Our in-house storytellers share tales straight from the lives of quintessential Byronites, be they long-time locals, new residents or those simply passing through.
Faces of Byron: The Surfer
Story by Rebekah Reeve
If you go in and you’re feeling shit and you think ‘I don’t deserve any waves’ then you won’t get good ones; especially when it’s big and good because you have to fight your way to the top of the line-up.
You have to get yourself into the position to be deepest to get the best wave and if you don’t think that you deserve it, you won’t get it because someone else who thinks that they deserve that wave more will paddle harder to get inside you and then they’ll get it.
I moved up here because I lost my job and my house during lockdown. I didn’t own the house, but I had to leave the house and then I didn’t know what to do. I spoke to my friend who lives here and then obviously Covid was looking bad in Victoria and I just left, and I just drove up here.
Everyone said “Fuck yeah, do it, get ‘outta here” - mostly, except my dad; he said I’d hate it.
My dad surfs, I think when I was like two or three dad had me in the water. It was cold, but I think it’s better if it’s cold; it weeds people out who don’t really want to do it.
Everyone surfs up here because they can, it’s so easy and accessible. I suppose, objectively, I fit right in because I came here for the surf, but I don’t really feel like I fit in. At the same time, I don’t feel different to people here at all. Not at all. I feel like I have no identity here.
Back in Victoria, I guess because I’m an artist I felt that I was somewhat unique in that I surfed as well and there were way less surfers because it was regional Victoria. There were less artists too. Also, every second person here is blonde and sunburnt.
Sometimes I pretend to be really happy and I end up feeling pretty happy, I suppose until I take the mask off. That usually happens, ironically, when I’m surfing, when I should be having fun.
I just get so fucking pissed off sometimes. I punched a hole through my board recently because I was so annoyed at myself for being shit at surfing. The waves were quite good, and it hadn’t been good in a while and I was just catching shit waves and surfing like an idiot and then I punched a hole in the board and then I punched myself in the head a couple of times out in the middle of the ocean. There was this little kid out there - he wasn’t that little but just like, just young, and I got embarrassed and then I went in.
I think my internal dialogue just sort of says ‘shut up, you’re an idiot’, you know, classic stuff. In different circumstances, it gets louder. It seems to be quieter when you’re around friends because you’re comfortable and joking around and you like the same things - you feel like you’re a part of something.
Up here I don’t really feel like I belong, I don’t really feel like part of this place. I’m just here because I’ve got nowhere else to go.