Craig Anderson, Dixon Park, Australia

“It’s just so fucking cold,” says Craig Anderson of his recent trip back home. “I just can’t, like, I dunno, I haven’t really been surfing in anything cold.” Home for Craig Anderson is the city of Newcastle, on Australia’s east coast, which is currently 20 days into winter. A pretty darn icy winter too, by the region’s standards. The weather at home was a shock to the system for Craig: “I’ve been away for just over two months – I did a boat trip in Indo, then I went to India for a month, then did another boat trip. All warm water. And then coming home, surfing in a steamer and booties? I was tripping.” Dickson Park, pictured here, is a shifty beachbreak that can sometime hold sand in the dreamiest of patterns. But this day, it wasn’t quite hitting the mark. “It was almost good,” says Craig. “The forecast looked good. The morning before this, we paddled out on dark and it was firing. But this day… there were some ramps and barrels, but nothing great.” And what’s Craig up to, right now? “I’m actually just going for a paddle at south Bondi (in Sydney),” he says, a morning-wind shiver apparent in his voice. “I was meant to fly to Bali last night but I missed my flight, so I just stayed in Bondi and went out. We went everywhere, it was funny. Hopefully I’ll jump on another flight tonight. There’s a swell coming and I’ve gotta do some stuff for Quiksilver.”