He was the first pro surfer with a blog. The diminuitive goofyfooter with an extensive aerial repertoire and multiple movie clips. The go to man for modern filmmakers. An avid wearer of beanies and equally avid appreciater of the female form. A self-confessed photographic novice with the time and inclination to improve. He's an eyewear entrepreneur...and probably many other things, yet this intro has already gone on long enough. He's Dion Agius.

Swellnet: You wouldn't recognise me in the surf yet you always write polite, enthusiastic emails: capital letters where capital letters are expected, commas in the right place, even pleasant little sign offs. What's with that?
Dion Agius: Hahahaha...well for one, I hope we get to meet eventually, it would be nice to put a face to the email signature. As far as the seemingly literate emails go, you must be catching me on my good days. Unusual, as I'm generally hopeless and am also a very lazy person when it comes to emails. I've had four naps already whilst typing this...

A lot of people peg you as the quintessential surfing hipster -  fair or unfair?
They do? My dream as a young boy from Tasmania in ripped up Black Flag tee, wielding a tomahawk whilst riding a cafe racer was always to be surfing's most quintissential hipster! I've made it! 

Recently on Swellnet it was argued that hipsters and their 'art over competition' ethic may have altered the path of surfing. That is, the onus may be switching to less competitive more artistic activities. Do you agree?
I prefer art during competition. Let's give Kelly Slater and Jordy Smith paintbrushes and send them to war mid-heat at Teahupoo, first one to emerge with anything that bears resemblance to an Andy Warhol, an upside-down cross, a yin and yang, some form of triangle, a Basquait crown or a Charles Bukowski quote wins!

What will be the lasting legacy of hipsters?
Many discarded motorbikes - complete with surf racks - an excessive amount of wide brimmed felt hats and piles and piles of vintage Rayban Wayfarers.

Living in cities without surf - why do it?
The smell. It's good for the soul. Have you ever walked the streets of New York City during a hot summers day? Really opens up the nasals.

Favourite album of all time this week?
Tamam Shud's Evolution. It's good riding music. Fixed gear, of course.

How are you accessing music these days?
Napster.

Is vinyl better than digital?
Vinyl is much better for making uncomfortable chairs that get extremely sticky in the summertime. Chairs made of digital are simply no good at all.

Krautrock and surfing: A novel way to welcome German surfers to the sport or a natural mix of ambience and action?
Krautrock and river surfing - that's where its at! Shredding the German river rapids. They don't need our subculture.

Favourite camera to shoot with?
I like shooting with my Polaroid land camera, then taking a photo of the Polaroid with my Rolleiflex. I then develop that film, enlarge it in the darkroom and shoot the print with my 7D, email the file directly to my iPhone 5 via bluetooth, create negative space using Whitagram and upload to my Instagram. #nofilter mind you.

For the first part of your surfing life you mostly appeared in front of the camera, these days you're mostly behind the camera. Is that a natural transition?
As you get older you get wrinklier, hence less time in front of the camera. And it adds ten pounds, so there's that reason too. 

Do you think you've reached a point where you've reached a signature style? You know, the things you film or shoot have a recognisable look.
No, I dont think so. That would be nice though... Actually I do have a signature style Neff beanie. So maybe that?

http://www.dionagius.tv