Like many passionate surfers, Laurie Towner relishes any opportunity to simply look at the ocean, waves or not. Unlike most, Laurie has a passion for a wave that’s frightening to watch even on a 4-inch screen: Shipsterns Bluff in Tasmania.
But if you catch him early on a Tuesday morning, he may be stoked just watching his son surf with his friends before school. Life, after all, is an unpredictable flow of swells and lulls. Finding balance is the key to unlocking the full experience.
Equilibrium, filmed primarily by Harry Dot and edited by Ishka Folkwell , explores that balance andits pull can be felt from the very first wave. It’s the latest film from needessentials, which has built a reputation for deep, patient and cinematically stunning surf films.
On that first wave, we see Laurie lose control going over the notorious step at Shipstern’s. As he is about to get violently sucked over the falls, his calm narration on staying positive plays over the top.
“It’s gotten me way farther through life than being negative and competitive. If I was to be like that, I feel something bad would happen for sure. There is every opportunity you could get hurt in those kinds of conditions…”
The narration continues as the next wave appears, “but every now and then the right wave will come to you. Its reading and understanding but, I feel like there is some good karma there. I can’t describe exactly what it is….”. It’s a perfect right at Shipstern’s, no step, just a big hollow tube that he rides perfectly.
Being respectful and being kind have a huge part to play in that. That’s how my mind works, always try and find the positives.
“It’s definitely an energy thing. What you put out there in the universe you receive in a positive way if you’re being positive. Being respectful and being kind have a huge part to play in that. That’s how my mind works, always try and find the positives.”
Harry Dott
As the film progresses, Laurie speaks to the joy of having his family and having a purpose much bigger than his passion for waves. “I’ve been a dad now for over a decade, which is wild to think. A lot of things become way more real once you become a parent. All of a sudden there’s people in your life that are more important than yourself. I think that’s the beauty of having a family for me too, is I get so much joy out of watching them surf now. It’s just like I go out and help the family get waves and I don’t even catch a wave, and that can be the best surf I’ve had in months.”
As for work-life balance, he knows there is much more to life than just getting paid. “You can get stuck in the routine and making money and trying to provide, but I think it’s super important to step back and have some time for yourself. I’ve always loved using my hands and tinkering on things and making things. It’s way more rewarding when you know that you’ve put time and effort into that piece of equipment. It’s very important too to continue to learn, I think, as you get older. I have a design role at Need Essentials, so I’m pretty lucky to experience what I’m doing there and help design products and also be able to go to places and test the new suits and continue to try and make the products even better.”
Zakaria Adli
Lucky for him, both his job and family life allow for occasional surf trips to chase perfect waves and test product in the process. Equilibrium documents his six-week journey along the cost of Morocco, scoring tubes and immersing in the rich culture of North Africa.
Do yourself a favor and watch it on a big screen and get hyped for your next surf, whether a 2-foot day with your kids, or a tube-rich adventure through exotic lands.
Related: Dakar Dream: This New Film Goes Inside Dakar’s Surf Scene, Told by the Surfers Themselves