Growing up surfing in Byron Bay really was something else. When the waves were pumping, the streets and our main hang at the grotty were pretty much empty. And when the waves weren't so good we'd be skating our way down Jonson St like a pack of wolves, horrifying holidaying tourists and getting up to no good. A bunch of 12 - 13 year olds with too much time on their hands but these were the times that we got creative and looked elsewhere for cheap thrills.
It was all about the missions back then. One of our many missions was to zip up in our wetsuits and hunt for golf balls at the Byron Bay Golf Course which lay nestled in between Cape Byron's lighthouse and the Broken Head reserve. We searched in the water, in the bushes - you name it, it was all about finding those little white balls. We did alright too, on the odd occasion we even made a few bucks selling them back to the pro shop. And somehow by having our wetsuits on we had these "super powers" that transcended snakes, ticks and broken bones as commando rolls into lantana stacks were all part of the mission.
At that stage a few of us started wondering about actually playing this game called golf. Until that point I had only been out on the course once with my cousins at Christmas a few years earlier.
I still get a smile on my face when playing around hole 15 and 16 as that was our main drop zone, down away from the main road and straight into the bush like ninjas with backpacks on.
The course has definitely seen a lot of good times along with some big makeovers throughout the years. It now boasts an enjoyable and challenging 18 hole championship layout which spans over 120 acres of coastal habitat and looking from above, it could easily be mistaken for a giant bird perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
(We were lucky enough to fly down in a Helicopter with Aussie Air, scoping out Byron Bay and the Golf Course from above really was something else. We snapped these pics and got to see a bunch of whales foolin around out by the lighthouse, highly recommend the experience.)
It just so happens that one of our first visions for a graphic t-shirt print was inspired by that mythical giant bird (check it out here) Visually it resonated perfectly with Birds of Condor the brand, was a big part of Byron Bay - our home and we went way back on a personal level. One of those happy coincidences that rarely happen so effortlessly.
With that illustration in mind we contacted our friend Ray Lalotoa for the collaboration which we feel he interpreted perfectly. Ray creates large mixed media works through to abstract poster artwork for many bands and artists Australia wide. He is also founder of Sydney's underground music movement My Sydney Riot, creative community ARTIST UNION and front man of Sydney based soul punk band FAIT ACCOMPLI.
The t-shirt is available in both black and white with 100% cotton feels - grab yours here.