Craig Anderson, Stockton Syndrome, NSW

Craig Anderson digs Stockton, a stretch of untouched beach on the northern side of Newcastle Harbour, a lot. You’ve probably, unknowingly, seen a whole lot of shots featuring the South African-turned-Australian throwing himself over a Stockton sandbank. Maybe he feels strangely at home there (the sharky vibe ain’t dissimilar to South Africa). Maybe he likes the lack of crowds. Maybe he digs having The Signa (a shipwreck, visible way out there on the horizon of this photo) in the background of his images.

But in this case, Craig was in Stockton for a Surfaid Charity tag team event. While the circus currently inflating Newcastle for Surfest were on the other side of the breakwall, surfing in the Harbour at one of the only contestable waves in the area (an outta control northerly swell battered the primary event site), Craig and pal Ryan Callinan hucked straight into the southerly wind on a Stockton bank between squalls. Kid sure can float an oop, right?