Watch: The O'Riginals with Billy Bain
Time was when freesurfers had to take a few Posca pens on a surf trip to prove they were an artist. Paid handsomely by the surf companies they sure didn't have to work as one.
Now, a few years after the Great Squeeze, the freesurfer is offically dead. He or she actually is working as an artist, or as a gardener, or digging holes, whatever. And the thing is, their stories have become more interesting, 'cos while they may get the odd cheque for being an ambassador, they've now gotta deal with the same tensions and contradictions, the same tough decisions, that the rest of us have to confront.
You may surf good, but you gotta live like common people.
That's the premise of O'Neill's latest series, The O'Riginals, and it kicks off with one-time state champ, Billy Bain. Groomed for stardom - he's the son of ex-CTer Rob Bain - the path to the future wasn't so obvious to young Billy, who followed the song of another siren.
Still surfs good but.
Comments
I surf good & I been living like common broke folk for like ever. I did'nt even know it was a thing.
Nice footage. I know it would probably be costly and time-consuming but it would be great if Swellnet could do a series like this: Simple man/woman simple dreams - no pretension, just gentle insights into the surfing life that didn't involve any pros or aspiring pros.
x2.
Kinda like a surfing 'Front-up'. Do you remember that show on SBS where that bloke Andrew would just start chatting to random people on the street? He'd slowly peel back the layers revealing that everybody, no matter how insignificant they may view their lives, has a great story to tell.
I reckon BB would be good at something like that.
x3
And i loved that show it was a great insight into the fact pretty much everyone has a story to tell and a lot of the time a really good interesting story to tell.
In Russia free surfer have second job novichok assassin
How good is it to se a guy with a normal waistline shred.
Gives me hope :)
Even surfs in a similar style to his dad.
Impressive surfing for so much girth.
He's an articulate young fella and surfs good too. Wonder how the hell he can afford to live an artist's/surfer's lifestyle in Sydney in this day and age though. Even in that old Kings Cross pile he'd be paying half a board in rent every week.
Good to see some honest content/footage of someone just shredding for the love of it. More of this and less of the manicured Pro/Semi Pro shit we get fed.
love seeing a chubby guy shred!
Yes he loves a good paddock that fella and can rip. I wonder how he would go in a raging rip or sweep in a few more years time. It does catch up eventually.
great piece. he rips, and i really like his art. down to earth
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-02/surfer-artist-dharug-man-billy-ba...