Earlier this week I went and saw The Glide, a collaboration between surf photographer Jon Frank and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Jon’s images and footage screened behind the ACO as they played music by Shostakovich, Elgar and some compositions by their leader, Richard Tognetti. I know next to nothing about classical music but it was a great night and I’m stoked I went – Jon Frank has an incredible eye and his images deserve a wider audience beyond surfing.

While everything they showed was amazing, the first images on screen were the ones that stayed with me. Murky brown, endless, endless lefts, reeling in a formation so perfect I initially thought it must have been boat wake. The waves were shot so close there was nothing to give away their location, and with no-one in the water, there was nothing to give a sense of how big or small they were. I was baffled.
This clip provides the answer.
 


Just look at those waves at the 1.20 mark. Ridiculous doesn’t begin to describe it.

Rip Curl spent a big chunk of last year sending surfers and photographers on a project they dubbed Tip-2-Tip. An exploration by boat along the entire Indonesian archipelago. A fair bit of footage and images has already been released, but these endless perfect lefts were something they’ve been keeping close to their chests … until now. Next week they’re releasing a full video, free, from what looks like an incredible, incredible session. I can’t wait. And if you’ve got a ticket to tonight’s performance of The Glide in Sydney; stoked.