1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Fear and Greed Sunday feature Michael Thompson. One 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: of the rather unusual benefits of the pandemic lockdowns was 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: that we had the opportunity to talk to some fascinating 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: people who had, in normal circumstances, probably be on the 5 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: other side of the world roaming the planet doing all 6 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: kinds of different things. Instead, they are at home, and 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: we took the opportunity to speak with them. Today's interview 8 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: is the perfect example of that. Tim Beneathan has made 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: a spectacular career out of filming big wave surfing in 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: places like Hawaii, Portugal, Tahiti everywhere, basically producing some of 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: the most famous surfing footage of all time. He also 12 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: happens to be a great storyteller. Sean Almer spoke to 13 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 1: him in October of twenty twenty. It is a terrific chat. 14 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy it. 15 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 2: Have you ever been somewhere at home, at a parb 16 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 2: or in a shop and found yourself mesmerized by the 17 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 2: big wave surfing on the screen. I'm on a surfer, 18 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: but I find myself stopping and watching footage of incredible feats. 19 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 2: The sheer power of nature dwarfing, a human on a 20 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 2: board riding a wave. Today's guest on Fear and Greed 21 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 2: knows what I'm talking about, because he's often the person 22 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 2: that's taken the footage. Over the past forty years, Tim 23 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 2: Bernythan has found and filmed the biggest waves with the 24 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 2: best big wave surfers in the world. Some of that 25 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: footage has ended up in news reports, films, music videos 26 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 2: and on the big screen as part of his Australian 27 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 2: Surf Movie Festival. Even for we nonsurfers, it is incredible 28 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 2: to watch Tim. Welcome to Fear and Greed. 29 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 3: Thanks for having a sign. Sean, tell us. 30 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 2: About yourself where you're from. How'd you get into surfing? 31 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 3: Well, I suppose it started from day one, kind of 32 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 3: living right on the beach in Adelaide at a beach 33 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 3: called Tennyson Beach, so it's a city beach, and mum 34 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 3: and dad had a house right down there. Literally on 35 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 3: the back door of the house was literally on the beach, 36 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 3: so I just walk out that back door from day one, 37 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 3: probably crawled down in my nappies and under the beach 38 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: and made the beach my playground. And here I am 39 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 3: at sixty almost sixty one, and basically the beach has 40 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 3: been my playground ever since and wherever I go, I 41 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 3: really need to have to have a beach close by. 42 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 2: When do you think you started surfing? Can you remember 43 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 2: when you first started surfing? 44 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 3: Well, in Adelaide, the surf wasn't really that prominent that 45 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 3: the city beach were at, so if you were going surfing, 46 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 3: it really need to go down the South Coast, or 47 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 3: if later on in my career as a filmmaker, I 48 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 3: ended up going to what wasn't really a filmmaker at twelve, 49 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 3: but I ended up going to York Peninsula and seeing 50 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 3: how good it was over there, which is like three 51 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 3: hours out of Adelaide. But yeah, just from the very beginning, 52 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 3: it was just a relationship I had with the ocean. 53 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 3: And then when mum and Dad opened an art gallery 54 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 3: in Paddington in Sydney, suddenly I was needing to be 55 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 3: close to the beach. So as a midnight oil songs 56 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 3: would go catch the Bust to Bond Guy, and it 57 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 3: was pretty much, you know, I needed to be down 58 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 3: at the beach. And then suddenly I was confronted, you know, 59 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 3: every day that i'd go down there by surf, and 60 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 3: so at tennis and beach there was no serf. Suddenly 61 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 3: I got a beach which has got surf. And that 62 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 3: time I was about twelve thirteen years of age, and 63 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 3: I acquired my first movie camera and ended up using 64 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 3: that camera to document what was my favorite news sport 65 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 3: when that was called surfing. So yeah, that's where it 66 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 3: all started, really when I was quite young. 67 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 2: No, I understand you must have been about twenty or so. 68 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 2: You went to Hawaii in nineteen seventy eight with a 69 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: Super eight camera and a bad way to start. So 70 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: what was Hawaii like then? Tell us about that. 71 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 3: You know, going back was definitely a lot more localized, 72 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 3: so you know, there was the local element there. The 73 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 3: name of the organization on the North Shore with called 74 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 3: the Black Shorts, and that organization was run by a 75 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 3: whole bunch of ruthless thugs that really didn't like tourists 76 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 3: coming into Hawaii. But I actually friended it number of 77 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 3: those guys, and one of those guys was a guy 78 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 3: called Eddie Rothman Fast. Eddie had a pretty hard reputation 79 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 3: and didn't take any crap from any tourists and especially 80 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 3: the osies that would rock up. So I decided that 81 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 3: the only way that I was going to feel comfortable 82 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 3: in this place called the Miracle seven mile stretch of 83 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 3: surf at the North Shore was to actually get to 84 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 3: know these hardcore guys and then not focus a lot 85 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 3: on the Australian contingent, but just the Hawaiians. And so 86 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 3: once I started documenting the Hawaiians in Hawaii, that felt 87 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 3: like they got the green pass to continue to do 88 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 3: what I did without getting my gear style or getting 89 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 3: beat up or you know, like hassled. So yeah, it 90 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 3: was just from then seventy eight, like Hawaii was the 91 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 3: only place on the planet that actually had big waves, 92 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 3: and the beauty of Hawaii is a lot of that 93 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 3: big wave of action actually happens directly off the beach, 94 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 3: not miles out to sea like we are now at 95 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 3: different spots I document actually way out to see but 96 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 3: you could shoot pipeline from the beach with a reasonable 97 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 3: sized lens and take that footage chain. And of course 98 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 3: back in those days, there was no internet, not even 99 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 3: VHS tapes existed back then, and so I would shoot 100 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 3: this footage on Super eight and I had my hundreds 101 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 3: of Super eight reels that I jam into the camera, 102 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 3: shoot the stuff, get it processed, edit it, and then 103 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 3: bring it back home and show at the local pub, 104 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 3: you know, an hour and a half of the latest 105 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 3: surf footage from Hawaiian. That's always been my ticket is 106 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 3: to show footage directly after the situation. And back in 107 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 3: those days surf movies would take maybe two three years 108 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 3: to get made, and then the time it actually get 109 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 3: to the shores here in Australia and tour in the 110 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 3: halls and the community centers, it'd be like almost two 111 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 3: and a half three years old. But for me, it 112 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 3: was all about shooting it, editing it, showing it, and 113 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 3: that was my ticket to ride. And the first time 114 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 3: I did that back in nineteen eighty one is when 115 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 3: I really realized that this was the way of the 116 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: world to me. I could live the dream, travel the world, 117 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 3: go the world's most exotic surf spots, and there wasn't 118 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 3: many back then, but I could actually document these amazing 119 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 3: spots and then show the footage, charge five bucks at 120 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 3: the door, and then get to be able to travel 121 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 3: around the world the following season. 122 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 2: So baging on eighty one that was a cool pro 123 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 2: at Bell's Beach, Is that right, that's right. 124 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 3: So what happened back then? When I realized there was 125 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 3: an opportunity here, I was back in Adelaide. We moved 126 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 3: back to Adelaide, I think around about seventy eight seventy nine, 127 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 3: and I decided that maybe I could make a little 128 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 3: bit of a living out of this. So I hit 129 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 3: up the local surf shop top of Taps Surf Shop, 130 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 3: and there's a guy called Peter victorson there and I 131 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 3: hasted him for some dollars to go to the city 132 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 3: to shoot the TSM Coke Surf about and at the 133 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 3: same time I hit him up for another one hundred 134 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 3: and fifty bucks to go to Burls as well, and 135 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 3: that was the very first time I went to Burl's Beach. 136 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 3: In nineteen eighty one, I basically ended up with this 137 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 3: event that was literally the biggest waves ever recorded at 138 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 3: Bell's during the ripcor Pro and at the same time 139 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 3: was the introduction of future surfing because this guy called 140 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 3: Simon Ansen brought out a three Finn board they called 141 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 3: the Thruster and put that on the world stage in 142 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 3: fifteen foot twenty foot waves and tore up the waves 143 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 3: like no end. And really at that time there was 144 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 3: only single finn boards or Mark Richards who was like 145 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 3: at the time three time world champion and he actually 146 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 3: was riding on a twin finn, so there were more 147 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 3: fins getting on the boards. But when Simon Andsen brought 148 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 3: out this three finn board and then showed the world 149 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 3: how good he could surf and he's a big boy 150 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 3: and big waves three finns, he just put to shame 151 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 3: everybody else won the event, won the two sm Coke 152 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 3: surf About and then I went back to Adelaide for 153 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 3: the very first time with a proper edited film, and 154 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 3: then we had like everybody had heard about how amazing 155 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 3: it was at Bell's Beach, because back in those days, 156 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 3: the only way to even see any of that footage 157 00:07:55,720 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 3: would be on the news because no documentary, no online. 158 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 3: And so we decided we're going to run a show 159 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 3: at the Victor Hotel I think it was anyway that 160 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 3: ended up having like a lineup of people miles down 161 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 3: the road to get in to see the show, and 162 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 3: career was born. 163 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, that kind of became your motus Operandy. You'd do 164 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 2: the filming and then you'd basically go around from place 165 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: to place and show it. 166 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 3: That's what I've pretty much done all my life. We're 167 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 3: just about to do that with the fourteenth edition of 168 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 3: the Australian Surf Movie Festival. So basically just touring venues 169 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 3: around obviously it's all cinemas now, but touring big wave 170 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 3: footage onto the big screen and really, you know, the 171 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 3: idea is to really put people into the driver's seat, 172 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 3: and from day one, you know, people love to see 173 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 3: big waves on the big screen. Unfortunately we're subjected to 174 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 3: computer screens and iPhones now and not the big screen, 175 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 3: but it still resonates. We've got twenty two shows lined 176 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 3: up for the Australian Surf Movie Festival and we just 177 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 3: sold out of our first show and it is where 178 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 3: surf movies have always been made, is for the big screen. 179 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: And for me, like big waves on the big screen 180 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 3: just looks so exciting and I think that shows and 181 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 3: the ticket sales we've got so far. 182 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 2: So how do you do it? That's a question. Aren't 183 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 2: you scared out there? 184 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 3: Well, you know, a lot of the time I'm shooting 185 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 3: off a jet ski and because the waves are so big, 186 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 3: you don't really want to be swimming around, and obviously 187 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 3: it's safe and not to be swimming around. But the 188 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 3: new place that I've been spending a lot of time at, 189 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 3: and of course I'd love to be there right now 190 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,959 Speaker 3: is nazare in Portugal. But because COVID is so bad 191 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 3: in Europe right now, I've decided against going there. I 192 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 3: could get a permit to go because we have an 193 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 3: apartment in Nazarey and it is the home of the 194 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 3: world's biggest riteable waves. Now, the only way I want 195 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 3: to get that unique shot is shooting from a jet 196 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 3: ski in the lineup. And I've been there for the 197 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 3: last six years, and you know, you've got filmmakers and 198 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 3: photographers everywhere clamoring on the hills shooting over the wave. 199 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 3: And the wave does break directly off the hills there, 200 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 3: like it's not out to see that far. You know, 201 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 3: you can see these ways. I mean you've probably seen yourself. 202 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 3: This wave is just unbelievable. 203 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 2: I was just I was going to jump in there. 204 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 2: It's naz Are for anyone who wants to see some 205 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 2: of the greatest footage of surfing ever because it is 206 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: so close. I mean, people are standing on the hill 207 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 2: there in the waves, this monster them. 208 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, this is the season to be there, so 209 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 3: from October to March April, and it's really only got 210 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 3: a short history. And when I saw what was going 211 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 3: on there just online and stuff, I thought, you know, 212 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 3: I really need to go and check this place out. 213 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 3: And the moment that I saw it, I was gobsmacked. 214 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 3: I just went, oh my god. And really it was 215 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 3: just Hawaii for me to go to the Northern Hemisphere 216 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 3: in winter. Obviously summer here winter on the Northern Hemisphere, 217 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 3: So Hawaii, you got big ways from November to March. Well, 218 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 3: the same thing happens at Nazaree. And when I got 219 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 3: to Nazaree, and knowing that this place had only a 220 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 3: very short history, I thought, this is the place for 221 00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 3: me to come to. And the beauty of that also 222 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 3: works for my part, the Sandre and who's French, and 223 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 3: so that gets her close to being home with her family, 224 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 3: and so that just thought, well, this is a great 225 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 3: opportunity to really spend a lot of time here, And 226 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 3: of course I'd love to be there now, but just 227 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 3: how bad it is in Europe right now with COVID, 228 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 3: I think we're in a lucky country right now to 229 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 3: be here in Australia. 230 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, do you ever find yourself? I mean you said 231 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 2: you're on a jet ski. Now that have you been 232 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 2: in some tricky situations where you've been filming and just thought, oh, 233 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 2: how am I going to get at this one? 234 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 3: You know? I think the one lesson I've learned in 235 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 3: filmmaking and in just the ocean itself is the one 236 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 3: the more you become part of the ocean, the more 237 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 3: at easier you are. And the one thing that does 238 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 3: kill people most times when it comes to the ocean 239 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 3: in drowning is the panic level. So once you're out 240 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 3: there and you're amongst it and you're trusting the driver, 241 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 3: I mean, stuff can happen out to see, you know, 242 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 3: and the jet ski only needs to get a lump 243 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 3: of something inside the engine there and the jet skills stop. Now, 244 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 3: if you're sitting in amongst the world's heaviest waves, and 245 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 3: the one thing about Nazaree is no channel, so the 246 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 3: wave just comes out of this canyon. The way how 247 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 3: that wave works is the swell comes from the northwest 248 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,959 Speaker 3: sort of up towards Iceland and all that, and then 249 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 3: hits this great big gap in the ocean like a canyon, right, 250 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:18,319 Speaker 3: So it's a big ocean in underwater, and it creates 251 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 3: these waves surf. It's a thirty foot swell and it 252 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 3: hits that canyon, the waves will actually triple in size 253 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 3: into great, big gay frames. Now, when you're sitting on 254 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 3: jet ski in the middle of the ocean, if you 255 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 3: don't know, if you haven't got a good driver, you'll 256 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 3: die out there very easily. So you really need to 257 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 3: trust your driver. You've got to make sure that jet 258 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 3: skis working. It's not going to break down at the 259 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 3: worst possible moment, but you know when these waves come 260 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 3: and whatever angles. I've fallen off at least five times 261 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 3: in the lineup out there, and luckily I've got back 262 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 3: onto the back of the sled, which is on the 263 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 3: back of the ski, and got out of harm's wave. 264 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 3: But last year I had a pretty scary moment when 265 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 3: it was like sixty foot serve and I fell off 266 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,599 Speaker 3: because the driver tried to charge over a gap in 267 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 3: the ocean let us out, and when we went over 268 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 3: the back of it, he kind of leaned to the 269 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 3: right and I leaned to the right to stop the 270 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 3: ski from tipping. But we both leaned at the wrong 271 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 3: angle together, and of course the ski flipped, and so 272 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 3: there's me in the water, and I knew one thing's 273 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:17,319 Speaker 3: for sure, the way our driver will work as you're 274 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 3: hot onto the steering and turn the ski back around 275 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 3: and then get that ski out. But there was another 276 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 3: sixty foot wave coming. Luckily he got the ski out 277 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 3: and picked me up, and I was like about twenty 278 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 3: thirty meters away from the ski, so it was not 279 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 3: enough time for me to swim, so he had to 280 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 3: get the ski back mobile again, pick me up and 281 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 3: race me out and that's like literally seconds. And that's 282 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 3: all in the TV series we're doing for Foxtelt called Sweats. 283 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 2: What I love about some of the footage you show, 284 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 2: it's your interviews with the surfers themselves, because it makes 285 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 2: it very human and they're just normal people who are 286 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 2: out there doing this incredible thing. But like the swells 287 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 2: are huge, but the actual interviews with the surfers themselves 288 00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 2: I think are fantastic. 289 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 3: Well, you've got to do that. One thing is surfers 290 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 3: don't like us to be set up. So as soon 291 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 3: as you set a surfer up, they clamp up. They're 292 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 3: not professional in that space. They you know, they live 293 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 3: to serve crazy waves and all of us people you 294 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 3: know that don't relate to that. They are really surfers 295 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 3: and they just live for that moment. They're not people 296 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 3: that go on air and you know, and they're not 297 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 3: commercialized people. So you've really got to get the vox 298 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 3: pops direct. So you can't set one up. You need 299 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 3: to just grab them while they can. And you know, 300 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 3: the old go pray works when you can use it 301 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 3: or you know, everything's kind of set up immediately, and 302 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 3: so you get them to release the energy and the 303 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 3: feelings of what they've been through. And that's my job 304 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 3: is to be actually the logistics and to be in 305 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 3: that exact right spot at the right time is paramount 306 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 3: to getting the best possible shot. And the energy that 307 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 3: moment only might last for five six seconds, you know, 308 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 3: literally that moment is can translate for the rest of 309 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 3: their lives. So they have the greatest moment in surfing, 310 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 3: and you know, it's my job to at that moment, 311 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 3: but also to get the energy in the response of 312 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 3: winning and conquering Mother Nature in all its glory. And 313 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 3: you know, I've always said that the oceans the star 314 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 3: of the surfers, are there to enhance it and that's 315 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 3: what this is all about, is to get that moment 316 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 3: and to be in the exact rights position and get 317 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 3: that glory shot and then make that person immortalized for 318 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 3: life for what is one of the most amazing sports 319 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 3: in sport. You know, like surfing and big wave surfing 320 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 3: is just an unique sport and it's different everywhere on 321 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 3: the planet. 322 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 2: You mentioned a moment ago swell chases. Tell me about that, Well, 323 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 2: that's what we are. 324 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 3: We chase swells when we see something on the charts, 325 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 3: and you know, it's a lot of communication with looking 326 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 3: at the swell charts and talking to forecasters and making 327 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 3: sure that what you see is going to resonate. And 328 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 3: you know, when we go to for example, Tahiti, you know, 329 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 3: like we want to make sure that the storm is really, 330 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 3: really powerful. You want to make sure that when the 331 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 3: swell hits that place that the winds are going to 332 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 3: be the right wins because you can have the biggest 333 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 3: well in the world, but if the winds from the 334 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 3: wrong direction, you're not going to get what you need. 335 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 3: And so what you need to do is get all 336 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 3: those tick all those boxes, and then you connect with 337 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 3: the surfers and make sure the surfers are also connecting 338 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 3: to that moment and we all go over together. So 339 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 3: you document the journey. You document when you arrive, You 340 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 3: get them getting into the water. You sit in the 341 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 3: exact perfect spot, and that's a job, and you're going 342 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 3: to rely on good drivers, you know, if it's a 343 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 3: boat or if it's in a jet ski, and then 344 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 3: you get that glory shot and then you get the jubilation. 345 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 3: So yeah, it's an incredible situation that I put myself 346 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 3: into and Swell Chases is all about that, and so 347 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 3: with a TV series with Foxtel is about my journey 348 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 3: and connecting with these surfers and the forecasters, and it's 349 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 3: a warts and all half hour episodes. We've done four 350 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 3: episodes for Foxtel that will be released early next year. 351 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 3: We've gone one down at ships Turns, another one at 352 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 3: Nazaree in Portugal, another one at Ireland called Mulligmore, and 353 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 3: the final one which was on hold to do but 354 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 3: with COVID it didn't allow me to travel, was here 355 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,400 Speaker 3: in Sydney and as a wave in Sydney called Cape Solander. 356 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 3: The bra boys used to call it ours. They call 357 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 3: it pound for pound. One of the most dangerous waves 358 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 3: in the world. What's Australia's famous for is these slabs 359 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 3: and slabs is a big slab of water that hits 360 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 3: these reefs abruptly and creates some of the most treacherous, 361 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 3: most beautiful barrels on the planet. And we have stacks 362 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 3: of these amazing ways. 363 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 2: So where's that is that? Actually at rub or something 364 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 2: like that. 365 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 3: Cape Solander is near sort of Cronulla over that side 366 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 3: of the harbor and incredible wave. It's basically you just 367 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 3: go over there and you can stand literally on the 368 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 3: rocks there and look at it unload and hopefully we're 369 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:49,719 Speaker 3: going to get swell this week. Actually, you know you 370 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 3: need a southeast to east well, and you need the 371 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 3: right winds, so southwest to northwest winds and breaks very 372 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 3: very close to the coast and one of the most 373 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 3: waves on the planet when it. 374 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 2: Works, sounds fantastic. Look good luck with swell chases. I 375 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 2: hope it goes well and I look forward to watching 376 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 2: it because honestly, I can find myself in surf shops 377 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 2: not being a server, just watching your footage. It's that good. 378 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 3: Well, The Big Wave Project is the movie I did 379 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 3: a couple of years ago, and so now we're doing 380 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 3: the Big Wave Project too, and that will also be 381 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 3: ond Foxtelt. But yeah, just basically, you know, I've had 382 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 3: a lifetime of chasing the world's biggest waves. And there's 383 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 3: a difference between the two ways they do it. They 384 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 3: toe into waves when the waves are so big you 385 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 3: need a jet ski to get into these waves. But 386 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 3: the other way of doing it is paddling, and that's 387 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 3: really you know, balls to the wall paddling into these waves, 388 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 3: and that happens a lot in Hawaii and it's happening 389 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 3: in nazare as well. So yeah, just the whole sport's 390 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 3: evolving very very quickly, and it's an exciting sport to 391 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:50,919 Speaker 3: be part of. As I said, and the whole idea 392 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 3: is now at my age at sixty one, is keep 393 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:54,919 Speaker 3: the dream alive and do it for as long as 394 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 3: I can. 395 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 2: Good one, you're Tim, thanks for talking to Fear and Greed. 396 00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 3: Thanks for having us John. 397 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 2: That was Tim Benight, a filmmaker and founder of the 398 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 2: Australian Surf Movie Festival.