Thoughts While Watching "Archy: Built for Speed, Born to Ride!"

Narrated by Henry Rollins eh? Is that the Henry Rollins who I saw live supporting Sonic Youth in the Nineties?

It's odd watching something presented so historically that is set when I was a kid - makes me feel old!

Archy seems to have similiarities with Michael Peterson. Spontaneity - detachment from preciousness/reflection while surfing (free of thoughts that hold up reactions). Is the ability to dissolve your ego in the water based on having a very pure relationship with your environment? In this case with surfing? From Beckett's book "Murphy":
"Murphy, all life is figure and ground".
"But a wandering to find home," said Murphy.
"The face," said Neary, "or system of faces, against the big blooming buzzing confusion". One of the great surfy feelings: that the ground has melted. Immersion. Absorbtion.

I want to surf in California.

Archy looks so comfortable surfing.

Pottz - gnarly!

Archy would surf four hours, go home, eat Captain Crunch, back to the beach. The beauty of teenage years is the following of mature passions without life's mature complications. It all gets more gravitas as you get older. Fucking gravitas.

Gotcha bigger than Quiksilver!

Archy's airs! Groundbreaking, stunning, visionary etc but just born out of waveriding passion and fun. Also, born out of the influence of skateboarding coming through in surfing. Hold on when was he born? 1968 shit!!! Same year as me! And he's talking about his this surf history changing surfing so far in the past - my surfing 'career' is just starting... maybe I've left it a little late? At least as far as sponsorship is concerned! aHAhahahaaa... ahem...

So when Archy was making it on tour I was working in a windsurfing shop in Battersea and sniffing around Chapter and HyJumpers in Braunton on my holidays.

Actually I don't think Peterson and Archy have that much in common - almost opposing personalities extrovert/introvert etc. It's probably a bit shallow to compare them just because they were both groundbreaking young surfers and then got into trouble with heroin/drugs.

Archy was in "Point Break"! Hahaa..

"Off the Wall" - if ever a wave matched the surfer. Archy's wave. Like Peterson and Kirra. Eddie and Waimea. Lopez or Butch at Pipe. Watching Archy surf "Off the Wall" reminds me of Jamie O'Brien - super late drops with an hopeless quality that astounds when they make it. Unbelievably good. Terrifying. Rollercoaster emotions. He had a passion and a reckless detachment from fear, or a least from restraint and was, is, just an astounding surfer.

Great movie, if you haven't seen it - correct the situation...