Fascinated by social media’s ability to connect people across oceans and time, we caught up with Tracee to talk more about how Instagram was a lifeline to the outside world while living in Bali, and sparked face-to-face encounters with new friends.
All images by Carly Brown Photography:@_carlybrownphotography_
SEEA : How did you and your husband Micka end up in Bali?
Tracee Annetts: Although we have both lived near the sea, mostly it has been in large Coastal cities.
With 13 years working in the airline industry as flight attendants based in Brisbane, we had some truly amazing years winging our way around Australasia and taking luxuriously long overseas holidays. This included an annual hop to Bingin, Bali. It was here we yearned to spend a couple of months annually, which we have now for two decades. These holidays were the inspiration that led us to dreaming and plotting a tree/sea change.
Eventually Bingin felt like our home away from home, we had made friends that felt like family. We couldn’t resist the ease and the contentment our souls felt when we immersed there.
This quote : “We had such a wonderful time that we couldn’t bear to go back to our regular lives, and so we decided we just wouldn’t. And then all the greatness began.” perfectly describes our last holiday in Bingin which led to an opportunity to make our home there.
Our aim had long been to simplify our lives, so believing in our hearts that this was our calling, we jumped at the offer; left our careers, sold up everything and moved to the Island. An open-air, palapa roof bungalow, no walls or doors, no hot water, no car, perched on top of the Limestone Cliffs at Bingin. It was Heaven!
SEEA : We love your blog! What is Handsome Citizens?
Thank you so much! We are equally smitten with Seea and your photographers including Luki O’Keefe, who bring the Californian beach culture and global wanderings to our Insta feed.
Handsome Citizens is a blog about salty inspired stories and destinations. We are enamoured with the Ocean and beach culture throughout the decades. We have featured a number of the Seea-babes in our Interviews titled ‘Citizens of the Slide’.
We hope to provide a glimpse into the carefree existence of these noseriding sea gypsies clad in your vintage-inspired Seea suits, as well as other ‘Salty Characters’ sharing their stoke for the Ocean.
These are the stories we are drawn to, and inspire us to live simply beside the Sea, now in Byron Bay. It’s hard not to gravitate towards the Ocean’s pull and if you’ve been to Byron, you’ll know what I mean about the energy that keeps drawing you back.
See more Citizens of the Slide HERE.
And for a daily salty dose: @handsomecitizens
SEEA : What is the story behind how you met Carly Brown?
We had just started our blog Handsome Citizens early into our Bingin days and began our love affair with social media, particularly Instagram. At that time it was such an inspiring community of people connecting from all parts of the world, sharing their common ground.
Carly Brown was one of our favourite photographic creatives and we were in awe of her images. As it turned out we had mutual friends whom were coming to Bingin on holidays and Carly was with them!
SEEA : What did it feel like to meet someone in person that you only knew through social media?
Surreal! You get a glimpse of people's lives through Instagram so when you meet, it feels like you know more than you should about a complete stranger! It can be kinda awkward, but with Carly it was very relaxed… In person, she’s as you’d imagine, except multiply it! Carly has an epic personality, generous heart, a vivacious cheeky spirit and sooo creatively talented.
Idyllic days were spent on Bingin Beach lazing in the June sun; cruising around the Bukit on motorbikes and eating at the beachfront Warungs. If you’re in Bingin on Thursday nights, you’ll find most of the Village - tourists and locals - flock to the Cashew Tree for their legendary fish bbq and live music. We had a big night with way too many Gin ‘n Tonics & Bintangs and plenty of funny memories!
Highlighting the power of Instagram, Carly’s images of me wearing a SEEA surf-suit at Bingin hash-tagged #SEEA #mySEEAlife bought our story to you in California!
All images by Carly Brown Photography: @_carlybrownphotography_ and www.carlybrownphotography.com
SEEA : What other friendships have you made on Instagram?
Many! The ‘salty community’ on Instagram can be such a small world. One example was a random meeting in Bali with two photographers; Rafael (@rmbagus), from Brazil and Australian travel buddy Jye (@jyetylr).
Via the #Bali hashtag I had discovered Raf’s amazing photos and commented on a story he’d told. That same day we ended up meeting… Raf and Jye quite coincidentally visited the resort we were minding in Bingin; they’d come to ask permission to shoot the surf from the resort’s ultimate viewpoint.
Conversation from life in Bali and photography turned to Instagram, and upon swapping ‘handles’, we realised we’d already met in the Insta-world. We chatted for ages overlooking the Bingin surf break and became acquainted with each other’s stories; we all still follow each other on the 'gram now and am sure our paths will cross again someday!
SEEA : Now that you are back in Australia, how has social media allowed for you to build a life that you love?
Social Media began for us, like many, a joy of flicking through beautiful images of lust-worthy destinations; being inspired by Ocean/Surf photography and living vicariously through the galleries of gypsy wanderers. Instagram also became our referral for coffee and restaurant inspo in Bali — good coffee was hard to come by at that time on the Bukit, so once a week we’d venture by motorbike to Seminyak; we were always on the hunt for new spots to hit up! And then as time went on, we began to build ‘Insta’ friendships.
Social media eventually evolved from a visual stimulation to a creation of income for me, on our return to Australia. Our new reality was no jobs/income, no car, furniture or household items, or even a location that felt like home, so we decided to go where we’d always wanted to live; which was Byron Bay.
We set up in the Byron beachside campground and lived there for our first six weeks, while we settled in and looked for jobs and a new home. A friend of a friend who owns a couple of surf shops, checked out our Insta gallery, which led to a meeting and a request for me to run their social media platforms.
I now create social media for several businesses in both Byron Bay and Melbourne. A combination of Instagram, our website and word of mouth, has led to us meeting others requiring Social Media services.
We are looking at ways we can expand moving forward, however always conscious of maintaining a work/life balance. We have made so many friendships via the Insta community; found our place to call home and made connections throughout Australia and the world.
Our enjoyment of these 'three squares wide' of visual stimulation, has led to some life-changing moments!
See more Citizens of the Slide HERE.
And for a daily salty dose: @handsomecitizens
All images by Carly Brown Photography:@_carlybrownphotography_ and www.carlybrownphotography.com
Photo above courtesy of Handsome Citizens | Tracee afloat in Byron Bay wearing the Seea Hermosa Surf Suit. |
MORE FRIENDS IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
]]>By Kirra Innes
I love the pastel winter sunsets and the offshore winds. Normally in winter we have days where you can surf offshore perfection all day long. Winter brings swell so you should find a wave without trouble, the only difficulty is finding logging waves.
Winter swells have more power to them so I find myself riding different crafts. I've recently got a new Keyo single fin for the more powerful swells. Sometimes logging isn't an option here.
It doesn't get too cold. The coldest so far was 10 degrees Celsius, or 50 Fahrenheit, but it's not always like that. We get a lot of south and west wind here in winter, but mostly westerlies, which is offshore for us. Because of the southerlies, it makes the water clearer in winter, which I really like. Summertime, we get north winds which blow dirty water from the rivermouth south, along with cold water off of the continental shelf.
Summer time is crazy at the ice creamery [where I work] as you could expect in a hot Australian summer, but it slows down throughout winter. This fits perfectly as the surf is normally amazing in winter, so I get lots of surfs in. The lack of crowd and an increase in swell and south winds are the perfect combination. I've just transferred over to a photography course, which I'm really excited to start. I've always enjoyed taking photos so now I can learn all the technical parts to excel in what I love to do.
On a lazy Sunday passing like slow incense burn, these organic crochet textures fade into the wild Australian environment. Pull up a recliner on the porch and enjoy the garden views.
Special thanks to Cass Hurrell, model Freya Gibbs and Hair & Makeup by Phoebe Barrett.
All photos by Luki O'Keefe.
Freya Gibbs wears the Belinda Top in Crochet. |
Freya Gibbs wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet. |
Freya Gibbs wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet. |
Freya Gibbs wears the Miramar Top and Belinda Bottoms in Crochet. |
Freya Gibbs wears the Miramar Top and Belinda Bottoms in Crochet. |
Freya Gibbs wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet. |
Freya Gibbs wears the Leucadia Bikini in Navy Dot. |
MORE FROM AUSTRALIA
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet, Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet, Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Splash! Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Makala Smith wears the Zuma in Verano. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet, Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet, Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet, Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet, Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot wears the Tofino One-Piece in Crochet, Karina Rozunko wears the Belinda Bikini in Crochet. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Samara Bottom in Gold Leaf; Rachel wears the Adria Top and Capitola Bottom in Dawn; Makala wears the Jalama Top in Selva and Ensenada Bottom. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Rachel wears the Adria Top and Capitola Bottom in Dawn. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Samara Bottom in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Rachel wears the Adria Top in Dawn. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Rachel wears the Palomar Top and Capitola Bottom in Dawn. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Rachel wears the Adria Top and Capitola Bottom in Dawn; Makala wears the Jalama Top in Selva and Ensenada Bottom; Karina wears the Samara Bottom in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Rachel wears the Adria Top and Capitola Bottom in Dawn; Makala wears the Jalama Top in Selva and Ensenada Bottom; Karina wears the Samara Bottom in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Rachel wears the Lido in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Makala wears the Tofino in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola wears the Palomar Crop Top in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Makala wears the Tofino in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Makala wears the Tofino in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Makala wears the Tofino in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Palomar Crop Top and Capitola Bottom in Dawn. Lola wears the Palomar Crop Top in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Palomar Crop Top and Capitola Bottom in Dawn. Lola wears the Palomar Crop Top in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Riviera in Cocodot. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Riviera in Cocodot. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Riviera in Cocodot. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Riviera in Cocodot. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Riviera in Cocodot. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina wears the Tabatinga Bikini in Cocodot. Luki wears the Riviera in Cocodot. |
Karina wears the Tabatinga Bikini in Cocodot. Luki wears the Riviera in Cocodot. |
Hangin' out in Oz. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina connects to nature. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina in the Martinique in Blush. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Beautiful scenery on the path to the beach. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina in the Martinique in Blush. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Makala in the Tabatinga Bikini in Cocodot. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Our resident photographer, Luki O'Keefe. |
Makala in the Tabatinga Bikini in Cocodot. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Cluster at the point. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Kirra in the Lido One-Piece in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Kirra in the Lido One-Piece in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Kirra in the Lido One-Piece in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Our Aussie friend's got a wicked soul arch. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Kirra in the Lido One-Piece in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Kirra in the Lido One-Piece in Gold Leaf. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Karina in the Tofino in Black Lace. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lush forests and homesteads on one horizon, and jewel blue waters abundant with sealife on the other, its easy to see why Byron Bay's natural paradise is a magnet for free-spirited souls. We caught up with locals Cass Hurrell and Bree Sorrell to find out more.
]]>Cass Hurrell, wearing the Hermosa Surf Suit. Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
Girls paddle-out. Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
Cass Hurrell in the Hermosa surf suit. Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
The ocean connects us all. Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
Cass Hurrell in the Hermosa surf suit. Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
Meeting in the waves. Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
Cass Hurrell wearing the San-O One-Piece. Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
Bree wearing the Seea Palmas, digs into a fun little wave. |
Get out there and have fun! Photo by Bree Sorrell. |
Seea has landed in Australia! To celebrate our launch, we co-hosted a few special in-store parties on the east coast: Patagonia in Byron Bay, Salt Living in Coolangatta, and Finbox Boardstore in Thirroul]]>
From left, Seeababes Kirra Innes, Cass Hurrell, and Leana Rack. Photos by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Seea has landed in Australia! To celebrate our launch in Australia's top surf retailers, Seea co-hosted a few special in-store parties on the east coast.
Well dressed ladies enter Patagonia Byron Bay. Photos by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Hi friends! Right, photographer Ming Nomchong. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Packed house in the Patagonia Byron Bay party. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Right, Seea sales rep and master of ceremonies, Leana Rack. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Party vibes. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Fresh cut flowers all around. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Live music at Patagonia Byron Bay. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Live music at Patagonia Byron Bay. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Best party in town happening at Patagonia Byron Bay. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Visual size check on a Seea suit at Patagonia Byron Bay. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Packed house at the Seea film screening in Byron Bay. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Sitting room/ standing room at the Seea film screening in Byron Bay. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Intimasea plays in Byron Bay. Photo by Cinzia Brambilla. |
Surf break! That same weekend, Australia Seeababes Kirra Innes and Cass Hurrell paddle out nearby. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Cass Hurrell wearing the Hermosa Surf Suit in the sweet spot at Broken Head. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Kirra Innes on the nose wearing the Leucadia Bikini at Broken Head. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Next stop: a lovely champagne evening at Salt Living in Coolangatta. |
Raffle prize at Salt Living in Coolangatta, a framed underwater photograph. |
Welcome to Finbox in Thirroul. |
Live music at the Seea Finbox event in Thirroul. |
Inside the Finbox Boardstore event. |
Seea in Italy film screening at the Finbox store. Thanks to everyone who came out! |
Thank you to everyone who came out to Seea in Australia!
Local ladies: say hello and shop for SEEA at Patagonia Byron Bay, Salt Living in Coolangatta and Finbox in Thirroul!
MORE FROM AUSTRALIA:
]]>Meet our new Australian Seeababe Kirra Innes! Aside from her lovely cross-step, we immediately connected with Kirra's inherant respect and appreciation for nature around her.
]]>Kirra Innes in Broken Head, Australia. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Kirra Innes in the Zuma Surf Suit. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Kirra Innes in the Zuma Surf Suit. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Kirra Innes in the Palomar Crop Top and Capitola Bottoms. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Kirra Innes. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Kirra Innes in the Palomar Crop Top and Capitola Bottom. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Kirra Innes in the Palomar Crop Top and Capitola Bottom. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Kirra Innes in the Zuma Surf Suit. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
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Kirra Innes in the Zuma Surf Suit. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Kirra Innes in the Leucadia Bikini in Luna. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Kirra Innes in a quiet moment between the sets. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Kirra Innes in the Leucadia Bikini in Luna. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Kirra Innes in the Leucadia Bikini in Luna. Photo by Macauley Rae. |
Seeababe Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald shares why she loves escaping from Byron Byron Bay to the chilled out vibes and pastoral backdrops of Lennox Head.
]]>Beach pebble walk outs though pandamus trees wearing the Leucadia bikini and Rincon jacket. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Chrystal going left in the Leucadia Bikini and Rincon jacket. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Chrystal going right in the Leucadia Bikini and Rincon jacket. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Post Surf stoke! Chrystal wears the Leucadia Bikini and Rincon jacket. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Chrystal and Chad Campbell on the green way. Chrystal wears the Leucadia Bottom and Doheny Rashguard. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Chrystal going down the line wearing the Leucadia Bottom and Doheny Rashguard. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Locals only. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Winged migration. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Days like these…Photo by Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald. |
Pandamus trees are great natural shelters! Chrystal wears the Leucadia Bottom. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
This is our neighborhood. Photo by Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald. |
Serenity. Wearing the San-O. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Byron shire Hinterland, taken from Hot Air Balloon photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Chrystal staying low in the San-O. Photo by Joel Fitzgerald. |
Volcanic green photo by Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald. |
"Less is more" in the Australian outback. Seeababe Leah Dawson surfs her face off and shares the lessons she learned during her recent trip to Oz.
]]>Leah Dawson ducks into the green room in Australia wearing the Zuma Surf Suit in Black Stripe. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Leah Dawson holds the board that was surfed in Morning of the Earth. Photo via @leahloves |
Leah Dawson heads into the ocean, wearing the Seea Zuma in Black Stripe. Photo by Chrystal Fitzgerald. |
Leah Dawson in the Zuma in Black Stripe. Photo by Shelly Dark. |
Leah Dawson in trim. Photo by Albert Falzon. |
Mele Saili in Australia. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Mele Saili wears the Swami's in Blue Fossil. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Makala Smith, standing confidently, wearing the San-O in Coral under a shirt. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Leah Dawson wears the Swami's in Tiles. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
The anticipation was rising, and Byron Bay's famed glassy perfection didn't disappoint.
]]>The anticipation was rising, and Byron Bay's famed glassy perfection didn't disappoint.
Being foreigners in roaming cell phone tower zones, connecting in real life with our Aussie family branches was a game of comment tag through Instagram posts and email chats on stolen Wi-Fi. And when the stars finally aligned for California Seeababes Mele Saili and Lola Mignot to share waves with Byron Babes Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald, Lauren L. Hill and photographer Ming Nomchong, it was heaven-sent fun.
Special thanks to Ming Nomchong for capturing the blissful session. Don't miss her blog, The Drifter for more salty inspiration.
Mele Saili wears the Seea Swami's in Blue Fossil. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Lola Mignot wears the Seea Mundaka Wrap Top and Solimar Bikini Bottoms in Luna. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
The inspiring Lauren Hill slices through the crowd. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
A brilliant dance. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
The graceful gliding of Mele Saili. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald wearing the Leucadia High-Waist bottoms in Luna. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Lola over the edge. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Filmmaker Nathan Oldfield joined in the fun. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Bing surfboards team rider, Lauren Hill. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Lola Mignot. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
MORE SEEABABES IN OZ:
]]>
Congrats to the Seeababes who placed at the 2015 Noosa Festival of Surfing! Read on for full results and photos from the contest.
]]>
Karina Rozunko during one of the heats at the Noosa Festival of Surfing 2015. Photo via Noosafestivalofsurfing.com |
Mele Saili after one of her heats at the Noosa Festival of Surfing 2015. Photo via Noosafestivalofsurfing.com |
Cool and confident, Makala Smith at the Noosa Festival of Surfing. Photo via @letmesea on Instagram. |
Another great shot of Mele Saili leaning in. Photo via @letmesea on Instagram. |
Winner of the Women's Open Mele Saili during the final round. Photo by Narrow Path Media. |
Second place in the Junior women's, Lola Mignot goes in reverse. Photo by Narrow Path Media. |
Another one of Karina Rozunko flying, winner of the Women's Pro. Photo by Narrow Path Media. |
Seea Jalama Bikini in Sea Glass. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Jalama Bikini in Sea Glass. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Hermosa in Limestone. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Hermosa in Limestone. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Chicama in Cable Knit. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Chicama in Cable Knit. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Chicama in Cable Knit. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Monterey in Black Diamond. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Monterey in Black Diamond. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Pacifica Legging in Purple Shell. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
Seea Chicama in Cable Knit. Photo by Chris Cooney for Mayde. |
We imagine that the Byron Bay Surf Festival is like a surfer's version of Coachella, but even better because it's at the beach! The three-day festival held Oct. 24-26 was a coastal bum’s dream of sensorial happiness.
]]>We imagine that the Byron Bay Surf Festival is like a surfer's version of Coachella, but even better because it's at the beach! The three-day festival held Oct. 24-26 was a coastal bum’s dream of sensorial happiness: live music concerts, surf movie screenings, expression sessions, yoga, SurfLit Lounge, artists and brands selling awesome stuff and way more events to please the eyes, ears, body and creative mind than we can list.
Seeababes Makala Smith, Leana Rack and Chrystal Fitzgerald were up in it all last weekend and still smiling days after from the vibes. They guided us through some of their festival highlights!
All the surf-related events were held at Wategos Beach, a gorgeous world class point break. Board demos and expression sessions had the water packed all weekend long, and even the sand was a space for creativity. Sand drawings were done by a local artist that gets up at 4am to draw on the fresh and untouched beach.
Wategos Beach in the early morning. |
Sand Art on the beach. |
Close-up of the sand art. |
There was plenty of socializing and happenings to check out between surf sessions, or just have a minute to take it all in.
Makala hanging out on the grass. Photo courtesy of Byron Bay Surf Festival. |
The festival field. |
Chrystal Fitzgerald with Drifter Bali friends at the Surf Art Market. Photo courtesy of @dawnwolfdreamer on Instagram. |
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Gato Heroi in the Wild Things installation. |
Closer look at the boards that are also like works of art. |
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Beach day! |
Yoga for surfers stretching. Photo courtesy of Bryon Bay Surf Festival. |
Donate $1 for a pair of headphones! |
Board made out of bottles! And he actually surfs it. |
See you next year, Byron! For more photos, check out the Byron Bay Surf Festival website and this video produced by the festival.
All photos courtesy of Byron Bay Surf Festival, Makala Smith and Chelsea Palmer unless otherwise noted.
KEEP ON TRAVELING THROUGH AUSTRALIA:
In honor of our arrival into the Southern Hemisphere, Seeababe Chrystal Fitzgerald and our Australia representative Leana Rack teamed up with photographer Ming Nomchong for just another day in the life of a Bryon Bay babe — with a 1950s twist.
]]>
Leana in the Palmas in Copper and Chrystal in the Gaviotas in Tea Leaf. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Hermosa in Tea Leaf. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana in the Palmas in Copper. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Hermosa in Tea Leaf. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Monterey Bottom in Black Diamond. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Monterey Bottom in Black Diamond.Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana in the Palisades neoprene high-waist shorts. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the San-O in Black/Ivory. Leana in the Riviera in Zilian. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the San-O in Black/Ivory. Leana in the Monterey Top in Black Diamond and Palisades high waist bottom. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the San-O in Black/Ivory.Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the San-O in Black/Ivory.Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana in the Jalama in Sea Glass. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana in the Jalama in Sea Glass. Chrystal in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Rincon jacket available only on conciliacionconstrupaz.com.Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Rincon jacket available only on conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Marina neoprene pants available only on conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Leucadia in Blue Fossil. Marina neoprene pants available only on conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Marina neoprene pants available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Marina neoprene pants available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Carmel neoprene one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Carmel neoprene one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Carmel neoprene one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Carmel neoprene one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Carmel neoprene one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Carmel neoprene one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Carmel neoprene one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal in the Rincon neoprene jacket and Marina pants one-piece available only at conciliacionconstrupaz.com. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
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Thanks to all the hip Australians and Kiwis that were amongst the earliest supporters of Seea. Check out the list of shops below where you can now touch, try on and buy these Seea suits in Australia and New Zealand!
Fandango Surf Co., Yamba, NSW
Finbox Boardstore, Thirroul, NSW
Noosa Longboards, Noosa Heads, NSW
Patagonia Byron Bay, NSW
Salt Living, Coolangatta, Queensland
Siberia, Iluka, NSW
Sunhouse Surf Shop & Cafe, Coolangatta, Queensland
The Surfing Tribe, Christchurch, New Zealand
MORE AUSTRALIA & SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE GOODNESS:
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What’s the best wavecraft to ride? The one that will be the most fun! The latest issue of Surfgirl magazine featured Seeababe Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald and Seea’s Southern Hemisphere sales rep, Leana Rack talking about the boards they reach for the most.
]]>Aussie babes with their diverse wavecrafts. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal Fitzgerald featured in the "Foam Glide Fun" story in Surfgirl magazine. Photos by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal with a board shaped by her husband, Joel Fitzgerald. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal with her handplane wearing her favorite bodysurfing combo: the Seea Palomar Crop Top over the San-O One-Piece. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal gets down low. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal catches a little peeler. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana Rack featured in the "Foam Glide Fun" story in Surfgirl Magazine. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana has a blast on her mat. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana wears the Seea Palomar Crop Top and Palisades neoprene shorts. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana makes a smooth turn on her longboard. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Leana instinctually moves. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Leana's favorite sign. |
Watego's Lines rolling in. |
Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Leana's gets ready for a surf. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Leana at one of her favorite point breaks. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Byron Bay sunrise. |
The Hinterland in Byron Bay at dawn. Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Lennox Head, one of the famous surf breaks around Byron Bay, Australia. |
Leana's outdoor office. Photo by Nathan Oldfield |
Welcome to the family Leana! Photo by Nathan Oldfield. |
Photo of Lauren Hill by Swilly |
Photo of Lauren Hill by Swilly |
We are continually inspired by intelligent lady gliders whose extracurricular passions include making art and doing good. Environmental activist Lauren L. Hill is wholeheartedly all of the above and more.
We were pen pals with Lauren before meeting her in person in Pisa, Italy after we came back from the girls surf trip in Sardegna.
Lauren currently lives between Florida (she was born in St. Augustine and grew up on Anastasia Island) and Byron Bay, Australia where her schedule is dictated by when’s the best time to surf. We caught up with Lauren to learn more about her many irons in the fire: a documentary surf filming trip to India; educating about gas drilling in Australia and her zine Sea Kin. The zine and website is a dense collection of stories and images compiled by famous surfers and relative unknowns that’s captivating from page to page. It swallowed up our afternoon in escapism like a good book while on vacation.
Read on to hear Lauren’s insight on the male/female dynamic in surfing cultures across the globe and what it means to label yourself as a feminist today.
Portrait of Lauren Hill by Takanami |
I love the slow pace of Florida and, maybe more than anything else, I love the food: datil pepper sauces, lemony sweet tea, boiled peanuts and black bean burritos are basically a recipe for home.
Floridian surfers have exceptionally low standards for surf, and I take a bit of pride in that. Haha. We are born and bred with an appreciation for anything rideable, because the surf doesn’t get amazing all that often.
In my experience, Australians are comparatively quite snobby when it comes to judging the surf. But they have every right to be. You have to be picky as a surfer in Australia, because you could spend every waking hour getting good surf, by Floridian standards.
I love the beach culture of Australia. I guess it makes me feel less like a beach bum odd-ball when I’m surrounded by lots of others who really just want to be playing in the ocean all of the time. And they actually make it a priority. I also love Australian humor. They have a way of not taking things so seriously that is so very different from American culture.
For the past few years I’ve had distinct 6-month spells that are starkly different. I try to spend the first half of the year in Australia and then the [second] half of the year traveling with Florida as a home base.
I’m a bit of a homebody, so I really love staying still for the first half of the year. If there is surf (and there usually is), a typical day revolves around swell, wind and tides. My favorite days are when I get to ride a shortboard at one of the punchier points in the morning, followed by a big lunch of veggies from our garden, a sunset longboard slide in Byron, and then just collapsing in bed from surf exhaustion afterward. In between surfs are for writing, reading, gardening, nap taking, or researching.
Photo of Lauren Hill by Swilly |
I’m working on a few projects at the moment:
1. The threat of Coal Seam Gas in our backyards here in Australia is really disconcerting, especially the inevitable poisoning of water that occurs as a causality of the process. Last weekend I visited another one of the exploratory drill sites in our area. It was perturbing to see drills already in the ground, hunting for gas so near to home, and so close to world class surf breaks. The local community there has been demonstrating for weeks, trying to ward off Met Gas Co. from carrying on, but to no avail. The amount of shortsighted greed and destruction involved in CSG in unthinkable. We must prevent these corporations from pillaging our homelands and waters. To get educated and involved read here. And watch: 101 East: Risky Business on Youtube.
2. I’m helping with The Economics of Happiness Conference here in Byron, held at the community centre March 15th-17th. It’s an amazing gathering of thinkers and activists from around the world who will speak and hold workshops about localization. All kinds of topics will be covered, including education, economics, art, surfing, health, community, and ecology, for example.
3. In April I’ll be traveling to India with a crew of four other lady sliders for the first all-female surfing/humanitarian documentary trip:
"With unshakable determination for a better world, we—Crystal Thornburg-Homcy, Liz Clark, Emi Koch, Ishita Malaviya and Kate Baldwin and myself—will travel through Southern India. Our goal is to document the ways that surfing, yoga, and ecological creativity are bringing hope and fueling change for local people and the Planet. We’ll be making a film of the journey. Help us fund the trip!
The Kovalam Surf Club in India |
I don’t really aspire to educate people, I just like to share what I’ve learned and experienced. Most people are more receptive to hearing first hand accounts instead of abstract facts and figures. And that’s the real strength and importance of surfers being environmental custodians—we’re canaries in the coalmine. We’re not in labs studying the slow decay of marine ecosystems, we get sick from ocean water filled with runoff and we are on the beaches that are littered with plastics. I appreciate book learning, but experiential knowledge helps bring environmental issues to life.
I tend to find trying to share ideas about gender much more challenging than talking about environmental issues. Most people can see the ways that we are altering our planet now, but it’s much more difficult for most to clearly see something as deeply ingrained as gender and how destructive rigid conceptions of gender can be for men and for women.
Photo of Lauren Hill by Swilly |
Feminism means standing up for equality and recognizing that the feminine has traditionally been overlooked and undervalued.
For example, women and men tend to surf differently. Instead of celebrating this, most people (women included) tend to judge women as inferior surfers. The way men surf has been accepted as the best way. In reality, women’s surfing tends to emphasize characteristics that are just different to the way men ride waves.
Feminism means that all people should have the right to choose how they want to be, unfettered by social impositions of how they “should” be.
Feminism is about supporting men AND women. Men have just as many crazy expectations placed on them as women—to look and act in certain ways—and men suffer from those pressures just like we do. Most men in western cultures have essentially been taught to deny any semblance of femininity. And that’s not fair, or possible, for any holistically healthy human, in the same way that it’s crazy to deny that all women also possess what we call “masculine” traits.
So many women of my generation and younger are terrified of the word feminist. They associate it with being angry, man bashing or think that it’s no longer relevant. It’s such a shame.
We need look no further than our own surfing culture to see gender imbalances at work. One of the founding missions of second wave feminism was to attain equal pay for equal work for women and men. Today in the US women still only earn .76 cents on the dollar for what a man earns for doing the same job. And if you want to see extreme inequality, look at the pay gap between women and men on the ASP world tour. Women are able to earn only a fraction of what men earn for winning contests. I don’t really follow contests or care much for them, but it’s still not fair, and it’s undeniable proof of the devaluation of women’s work and unique talents.
Images from Sea Kin zine |
I’d love for it to be a hub for creative thinkers, sliders, and do-ers; a place to share the stories that are so often overlooked by mainstream surf media.
I think that the average Australian woman tends to be more fashion-forward than the average American gal. When you combine that passion for fashion with the outdoorsy nature of Australian life, it seems like we end up with some pretty innovative takes on surf wear.
Sometimes the more popular line-ups around here look like fashion parades—filled with women and men getting really into what they wear in the water. As long as people are having fun, it’s awesome.
To be still and listen.
Photo of Lauren Hill by Dawe |
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Photos by Gus Goozee.
Nice waves my friend!!! Good thing you remembered to keep the second shoulder strap for this session ;)
Logging at her home break, Wategos.
And here is an enchanting video of one of her solo session in Byron Bay.
Video by Rest your eyes.
Enjoy ~
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