We protect what we love

FRIDAY 03.02. 23.

Good morning and welcome to February!

In this week's newsletter, we have a Q&A with big wave surfer Harry Steele.

I first learned of Harry when chatting with his mum, Julie Steele, at the Pilliga Ultra in March 2022. I've since seen some pretty epic photos of Harry deep inside a barrel in Issue #42 of White Horses surfing magazine. I was absolutely stoked to connect with Harry - who, when not chasing big waves is studying a PhD in Chemistry - and am so excited to share the interview with you. We talk about topics such as managing fear and risk, knowing when to push or pull back, the impacts of a changing climate on the future of surfing and the role of individuals and the surfing industry in managing their environmental footprint.

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Q&A WITH BIG WAVE SURFER HARRY STEELE

📷 Julie Steele.

We’d love to get to know you a little better. Are you able to tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm 26 and currently living in Wollongong, where I'm doing my PhD in chemistry, which keeps me busy most days. When I'm not at Uni, my favourite thing to do is chase waves up and down the coast. I haven't really been reading/watching/listening to much on repeat lately (boring, I know!), but the live music scene is really good in town, so I like to get out and see local bands when I can. My parents, Bruce and Julie, are both mad keen trail runners who have been involved in FWP activities, so I've heard quite a bit about FWP through them.

Have you been surfing your entire life, and when did you decide to pursue big wave surfing?

Yes! I've been surfing as much as possible since I was about 5. I'm not sure what got me so excited about it, but I can't imagine my life without surfing. I was initially terrified of big waves. I didn't get a taste for them until the end of high school when peer pressure got the better of me a few times when the surf was solid. Then, I guess something eventually clicked, and I started wanting to surf bigger and bigger waves.

Big wave surfing looks terrifying! And I imagine it would be if you don’t work your way up to that level. What are some of the risks associated with big wave surfing (beyond the obvious ‘getting dumped’) and how do you manage these risk? In addition, how do you manage fear and decide when to push or pull back?

Ha ha! It certainly puts you into some spicy situations, but I think a bit of fear adds to the fun! The biggest risk is probably head and neck injuries from hitting the reef when the waves break in shallow water. Helmets are becoming increasingly popular, but for me, the best way to manage this is by falling off safely (or ideally not at all). To avoid injury, I also try to be calculated with where I surf and what waves I take off on. If I don't think I can surf a wave, I'll pull back, but I'll always go if I think I've got a chance!

📷 Julie Steele.

The impacts of climate change are being increasingly obvious - from extended La Niña events resulting in flooding and landslides, to intense bushfires. These two very recent and highly visible forms of climate change are significantly impacting trail running (in terms of training for events and the events themselves e.g. cancellation). Are you able to detail some of the pressing consequences of climate change on the surfing industry, and describe their impacts?

For us surfers, there has been an unexpected silver lining in the recent La Niña event. The associated rain and storms have produced some of the most consistently good surf I can remember. We were able to regularly surf at spots that usually only stir to life once or twice a year, which was unreal. Unfortunately, I think in the long term that rising sea levels, increased storm activity, and overdevelopment will be detrimental to many of our best surf spots and, more importantly, to our coastal areas in general. The loss of coral reef systems will also devastate the areas around many

of the best waves in the world.

It's good to see athletes starting to consider their environmental footprint more when deciding where and when to compete, especially when our sports rely on a healthy landscape, and in your case, a healthy ocean and oceanic systems to survive. Have you observed a change in the expectations of athletes to factor this into their competition schedule, and have you considered it personally?

I think surfers have always been somewhat conscious of their environmental footprint, and it's certainly something I keep in mind. I've seen a few promising initiatives spring up lately. One example comes from the global surfing body, WSL, working with coral farmers to repair the coral reefs at some of their tropical event sites. Another cool movement I've been seeing is a rise in pro surfers using sailing as a sustainable means of travel between surf spots. In many ways, sailing looks like the ultimate form of transport for a surf trip, and I'd love to explore it when I've got the time.

📷 Julie Steele.

As an extension to the last question, how do you think the

surfing industry can do better?

I think surfers and the surf industry generally do a pretty good job of looking after their immediate environment. Where I think we have a lot of room to improve is how we travel and the equipment we use. I'd say 'strike missions', where surfers fly across the world to chase a swell, then fly straight home (I'm guilty of this myself) are an unsustainable way to travel. We should be looking for better alternatives. How we build new surfboards and throw away old ones also seems wasteful. There's a lot of room for improvement in that area, especially as sustainable materials become cheaper and more available.

If you'd like to see more of Harry in action, you can follow him on Instagram. If you're a keen surfer, or just love the ocean and want to do more to protect it, we recommend checking out the legends at Surfers For Climate to get involved in their events, campaigns and initiatives.

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That's it for this week, folks! Thanks for tuning in once again. We also wanted to let you know that unfortunately, our Trail First Aid Course on 11th February is not going ahead due to not getting enough numbers. We hope to get this course over the line later this year, so if you're interested, please register now and we'll be in touch with tentative dates later in the year.

Thank you for your ongoing support; we can't wait to continue the journey and see what this year brings! As always, THANK YOU for taking the time, for wild places.

Elanor, Harry & the For Wild Places team

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We acknowledge the the First Nations people who have been custodians of land, waters and culture for tens of thousands of years. We pay respects to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging.

This email was compiled on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. To these people, we pay our respects.

Always was, always will be.