Creed McTaggart, a swerve captured from the iron butterfly, WA

It was good fortune that found Russ Ord shooting photographs from an iron butterfly. The chopper pilot called Russ’ pal, Leith Holtzman (who uses a bird for his show, Home Grown Maniacs), and told him that he had some fuel to burn. So, Russ hitched a ride. The clique, which also included Jack Robsinson, Dan Corbett, Dino Adrian, Tom Innes and Creed McTaggart (who y’see pictured here), checked the waves early and figured a beachie in the Margaret River area would be their best bet. They also fired up two PWCs (not so much to tow, but more to quicken the wave-catching turnaround and not waste precious chopper time.) Kids are raised differently in West Oz. They have grit. If you need proof, look no further than Jack Robinson and Creed here. “He dominates the lineup out at the Box,” says Russ of Creed. “You get a lot of respect if you just take off on everything and anything, and that’s what those boys do.” Even with a chopper buzzing overhead, skis whipping by and a crew of WA’s finest paddling around, Creed had no trouble laying down stylish and timeless rail-grip swerves like this. Suffice to say the kid knows how to put himself in the zone.