Longboarder and writer Sam Bleakley gives Lick a sneak preview of his new book and accompanying film.
Skimming the Surface is a stunning short film born just after the birth of my daughter, Lola, in September 2007. It has been a buzz to share so many magic moments with filmmaker Chris Mannell over the past year, shooting the curl in West Penwith where the roots of my whole identity are planted.
A longer version of the film will be released with a limited edition run of my book in 2009. This will have no narration, but an extended selection of silky jazz and guitar sounds from Nostalgia 77 and Nick Radford.
The book, under the working title Fish & Bird, is a story of how I came to be passionately involved with the ocean and her moods, and consequently carved out a niche as a professional longboarder and explorer. Through surfing, I shaped an identity; a character that, of course, is still in the making. Specifically, I have found an identity emerging from travelling widely and looking into the face of 'other' cultures. The book is a tale of two identities: fish and ocean-roaming bird, surfer and traveller.
Forming an identity is about developing style; shaping oneself aesthetically and ethically. But it's also about doing things that are not at other people's expense, or, most importantly, at the expense of the planet. This book is my soul arch, attempting to bridge fish and bird.
