Watch: Laurie Towner Spent 8 Months On The Road In Australia

In 2013, Mark Healey called Laurie Towner “one of the most underrated big-wave surfers ever,” placing him on a pedestal alongside Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Shane Dorian and Greg Long. 

A lot has happened in Laurie’s life since, including an injury, sponsorship drops and swaps, and a tradie job, all while raising a young family. All these years later, when the affable charger/family man/chiseled fish-wrangler pulls up in the lot on a solid day, it’s still must-watch TV. 

Laurie has always enjoyed the simple pleasures of staying close and surfing with his family. With a little help from Need Essentials, he and the fam pulled off quite the journey together, an eight-month trek around Australia captured beautifully in Slow Lane.

Filmed in searing high-quality by Nathan Henshaw and edited by Ishka Folkwell, the other half of Need’s successful Lost Track series, the hour-long film is an examination of Laurie’s family life, his passion for simple living, stunning coastline, and, of course, excellent surfing in a variety of waves (No, Laurie doesn’t just reside in slabs).

The concept follows the same formula as Lost Track. Gear up in a nondescript car, camp around, contemplate life, and score insane waves. It’s complete with an original soundtrack, narration, and a candid appreciation for the open road. But if you’re a fiend for surf highlights, check out the elevator drops from Ours at 12:37, South Coast caverns at 28:20, and cleverly disguised death traps in West Oz at 47:00. 

“For years my family had dreamed of packing up the van with surfboard and fishing gear and hitting the road,” Laurie says to open the clip. “The idea was to travel slow and take our time to really get to explore Australia. We wanted to find some waves, do a bunch of fishing and just spend some good quality time together as a family.”

Job well done.