Interview By Rovin Richie for Surf4theSoul

Neil ‘Moonwalker’ Armstrong

Consulting Editor; Pacific Longboarder Magazine.
Freelance Photojournalist;
Nalu, On The Board, Beach Girl – Japan.
Longboard Mag, Surf Life For Women – U.S

Questions

S4TS: How did you end up in Noosa, Australia and what stokes you about the place?

Moon: Noosa’s only part of the journey so far. I was born in Sydney in ‘76 to British parents, lived there for three years, then NZ for three, England for seven, Brisbane (state capital of Queensland) for eight, and the Sunshine Coast – including Noosa – for the past seven years. (No, Interpol hasn’t been chasing me all that time, my folks used to work in the airlines)
Why Noosa? There’s surf almost everyday, especially if you ride a longboard, and there’s five points as well as numerous beach breaks. The water’s always warm (by English standards anyway!) and so is the weather. Plus it’s nowhere near as crowded as the Gold Coast and the vibe’s a lot mellower in the water.

Niel 'Moonwalker' Armstrong at Home Noosa rivermouth Sunset

S4TS: Why did you choose surf photography?

Moon: Because of the vast amount of money I make . . .joking folks! No, I started out at uni completing a diploma in film and TV production – worked for the ABC as news cameraman, also doing sound and editing. Then worked with surf filmmaker Chris Bystrom shooting land and water footage for his productions, then co-founded ‘Australian Longboarder Magazine’ with a friend which he then sold to a large company after 5 issues. I travelled around the east coast for a year surfing all over the place and was then approached by Pacific Longboarder and have been with them for over 3 years and now hold the position of consulting editor.
With photography you’re your own director, editor and cameraman. You, as the photographer have complete creative control. So if you have a particular image in your head it’s easier to translate to film. Besides, as it’s said – ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words’.

S4TS: What inspires you for your work?

Moon: The beauty of the ocean and her waves - and seeing how surfers weave their magic across the walls of aqua. Every surfer is as unique as the wave they ride – and trying to capture that on film is a never-ending quest. It’s a beautiful ride.

S4TS: Why photograph longboarding and women’s surfing?

Originally the disparity between the exposure of mens and womens surfing annoyed the hell out of me. And people riding longboards seemed to be having a lot more fun than their (often) aggressive counterparts on shorter equipment. I just thought why not try and promote having a good time and being happy as opposed to people trying to outdo each other and being as ‘extreme’ as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I ride shortboards as well and love it – but I think you have to be smart enough to ride the right kind of board for the appropriate conditions. Life’s to short to be mad at people – and I don’t see how people can be stupid enough to be mad at a wave if they blow a manoeuvre or something. Just let it flow!

Rich and 'Moon' doing the sunset soul surf at Noosa rivermouth

S4TS: What are your personal feelings about surfing? And what about the ‘hype’ of competitive surfing v soul or freesurfing?

Moon: Surfing is my life (along with photography and writing), and the act of riding a wave is something so pure and simple and it puts a smile on my face and lights up my soul – it’s beautiful.
As for competitive surfing v freesurfing; it’s all relative – to each their own. Competitions are good to push the performance level of surfing and it’s always a buzz to see a gathering of high calibre talent. And freesurfing is, I think, where most of us get our enjoyment from. It’s a symbiotic relationship – both types of surfing need each other.

S4TS: Your numero uno surf destinations?

Moon: Umm, that’s a hard one. I haven’t found anywhere I haven’t liked yet. The Mentawais, Samoa, Bali, NZ, West Oz; As for the best spot – I always like to think it’s the next place I’m headed, wherever that may be.

S4TS: What about your favourite surfers to photograph?

Moon: I’ve got a few, but it all depends on the surfers attitudes and how committed they are to working with a photographer to get good images. It’s not just a case of them going surfing and me taking photos – there’s a lot more work to it than that!
Some of my favourites are; Dane Peterson, Belinda Baggs, Julie Cox, Ben Skinner, Lee Ryan, Tom Wegener, Kevin Connelly and Jackson Close.

S4TS: Where would you like to be in five years from now?

Moon: Apart from still breathing and smiling I’m not too sure. I still want to be involved in surfing with photography and writing, as well as travel more . . . always seeking new destinations. I really want to come back to Europe and live for a while, I’d also like to spend some time in NZ chasing waves – who knows? As long as surfing is still involved I’ll be the happiest person on the planet!

S4TS: What’s your best all time surf shot?

Moon: I’d like to think it’s the next one I take. Photography’s like surfing, you’re always learning new things. But having said that I do have a few favourites; Tom Wegener at First Point, Noosa, Kevin Connelly at Johnson’s, Noosa, a couple of Dane and Belinda, and a barrel shot of Skindog (which I got sucked up in the lip and driven into the sand after he went past – but the shot turned out well!).

S4TS: Your recommendations for a good read / listen / watch

Moon:
Books: ‘The Perfect Day’, ‘Walking On Water’and every issue of Pacific Longboarder!!
Music: Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, J. Johnson, Morcheeba, Coldplay, Thicker Than Water Soundtrack.
Film: Thicker Than Water, Shelter, Customs, Contours, Reflection, Glide, Scratching The Surface and Siestas and Olas . . . and Monty Python’s Life of Brian!

I can’t stress enough how watching good surf films will help your surfing – they’ll get you stoked to surf and enable you to replay good manoeuvres repeatedly.