![Surfing etiquette takes a backseat to sheer enthusiasm on a packed day at North Bondi, where half a dozen surfers share the exact same modest wall of water in a cheerful free-for-all, weaving past brightly colored boards and paddling arms to capture the quintessential experience of Sydney's most celebrated lineup. [3422]](beachAndSurf/splash.jpg "Surfing etiquette takes a backseat to sheer enthusiasm on a packed day at North Bondi, where half a dozen surfers share the exact same modest wall of water in a cheerful free-for-all, weaving past brightly colored boards and paddling arms to capture the quintessential experience of Sydney's most celebrated lineup. [3422]")
I grew up on the beach. I learned to swim at Bondi Icebergs to which we would march from my local infants' school. My parents spent all spare time in Summer on the golden sands. We didn't know about melanoma them! The beach smelled of coconut oil: entrepreneurial types were paid to spray it on customers' bodies to promote their tans. We had beach inspectors whose job was to measure the size of girls' bikinis. This was to preserve public decency, I suppose. Boys like us aspired to either of these jobs! All that aside, beaches can be unspeakably beautiful, an absolute magnet for camera lenses. And surfers, once they get up on their boards, are fast and elegant, a great source of good action shots, especially when they fall off! With my passion as a street photographer, activities on the sand or in calmer waters are boundless opportunities for good shots. This collection will inevitably grow, so please come back to this page every now and then.
If you recognise yourself in this collection, feel free to contact me. I’d be glad to hear your reaction. I can add your name to the caption if you wish, send you a higher‑resolution version, or take the image down entirely if you prefer. But my objective is to always cast people in a good light, so I hope you will like the pic of you.