Watch: Tom Lowe // Mordros
This clip has two very big talking points. The first is the subject, Tom Lowe, a bloke you've seen pindropping from the lip at Puerto, cartwheeling at Jaws, and getting steamrolled at Nazare. Big ticker, no doubt about it, but he doesn't often make the finish line.
Recently, his shaper Chris Christenson jokingly said he was suprised to see Lowey make a wave. In fact, the wave Christenson was referring to is at the heart of this clip. A wave Lowe himself called the wave of his life, and which begins around 2:15, all set against the background of a horror wipeout so many months earlier.
The other matter is the bloke behind the camera.
Ten years ago, Mickey Smith released 'Dark Side of the Lens' and swept all before him winning every surf, art, and lifestyle film award, plus spawning a legion of imitators trying to recreate his gothic surf noir. Smith's surf output since then has been sparse, in fact I can't think of any, though he has been busy with music videos for Ben Howard and also for his own band A Blaze of Feathers - which also includes Howard.
A Blaze Of Feathers score this clip so while the subject might be Lowe it's undoubtedly a Mickey Smith production.
Sit back, don't adjust your brightness setting, but give the volume button a wee tap.
Comments
The third talking point is how they fucked up the spelling in the title, but they prolly dont want me drawing attention to that.
"Mordros: a Cornish word for the sound of the sea." Prolly not that concerned Stu.
But you have seen the misspelling - 'Modros' - in the title screen above, yeah?
Maybe it's the editor in me, but that bothers me greatly.
Hah hah, oops. There is a big red triangle in the way above, is my only excuse. So fair play to you. And that's what I get for being a smart arse. Good clip tho, looks cold and mean.
Mullagmore.....Mullaghmore ?
That was amazing. Ballsy comeback after such a heavy wipeout experience. This wave just looks so heavy and powerful and would be such a freaky place to come unstuck at from the take-off. I love the view looking back over the wave once its detonated onto the reef with all the energy still boiling, sucking and dredging. Love that same view of Chopes too.
Insane. And so good.
Mickey Smith's part in Spirit of Akasha was definitely the highlight of that, imho.
"Big ticker, no doubt about it, but he doesn't often make the finish line." :)))
Misses watch the vid with me saw the comments and said "hmmph he sounds like the perfect man" laughed outwardly...died a little inside.
lol. i think the heaviest thing about this wave is how some sections go tighter than others, so if you were in the barrel you would have to ride up higher, then the next section goes square, so you have to then readjust your line with all that speed and not catch a rail or go over the falls. scary stuff
Readjusting your line shouldn't be a problem on a 10ft board.
Its a problem if you have to do it quickly. I've been a casualty on numerous occasions when the board wouldn't turn as quick as the wave changed (8ft, 9ft, and 10ft guns). For me it could be a user problem though !
Can’t believe Lowe and the boys surfing this wave dont take out the big wave awards in whatever category ., it’s balls to the wall on a normal day when it starts to break . when in these conditions and paddling, hats off and socks off ., mully is a beast that’s hard to tame . Well made vid again by Mickey . Go Lowe
wow......me, I'm wondering where they managed to find a gimbal stabilised 16mm that can shoot at 100fps with old scratchy film stock
..
Man that's some big ocean. Legend.
Gold. Feel lucky to be a boog, we were blessed with Against the Grain and ABC. Smith is an absolute artist.
I loved it, moody, mean, dark and the track matched it really well.
One criticism- on waves like that I like to see the whole start to fisnish. I like watching the paddling in technique of the big wave guys.
PS- did anyone notice my spelling mistake?
I'm gonna leave it in there just to annoy Stu.
Zenagiin, finish?...I did have a paid for education!
That was amazing, incredible to be paddling into waves in wind where you can’t walk and carry your board. Loved the back story. I’d love to see the whole session no edits!
Great photography had me shivering with cold and fear. great to see paddle in skills
Spectacular!
Insane! We’re all different aren’t we. I see that icy breeze at the 3.20min mark and think a pint of Guinness and a sit down, while old mate thinks surfs pumping
That's pretty good footage, and a pretty big day. I wouldn't imagine there to be many big wave paddle spots that break like slabs and are still paddleable when big.
Like Zen I like to see the take offs also, probably the most critical part of the wave in my opinion, you stuff that up you stuff up the rest.
Big, mean, cold, and windy … what a challenge. Good on em.
wow
Dark Side of the Lens deserved every award it got. Mickey Smith is one out of the box. We're lucky to have him.
Bit late to this one... He's a nutter.
I wish his opening ride wasn't so dark and "arty" though, I would've liked to see what was going on then.
Getting hammered in that freezing water and having it flush down your wetsuit while you're a few meters under the surface wouldn't be an enjoyable experience.
I'd like to try it at about half that size though
I may confuse it with another left in the area (Pxxx), but isn't it Mullaghmore that Joel Fitz surfs in Litmus? Solid, but not huge.
I think you're right Joel Fitz surfs Mullaghmore in Litmus but I think there are also some waves at Pxxx. For those who can remember the section of Noah Johnson and Chris Malloy in Thicker than Water, they're also surfing big, wild and wooly Mullaghmore.
Watching them suit up, jump off and paddle for about 45 mins against raging current to get out to the wave was another world for me as a slack jawed 13 y/o grom watching from the cliff.