Tim Baker is the author of four best-selling books on surfing, including “Bustin’ Down The Door“,  “High Surf” and “Occy”.  He was editor at both  Tracks and Surfing Life magazines, and won the Surfing Australia Hall of Fame Culture Award twice. Check out Tim’s website for the full run-down: www.byTimBaker.com.

We caught up with Tim for a chat…

Tim slotted in Chile

BH: Hey Tim, how are you doing?
TB: Yeah good, just trying to get back into work mode after the holidays and kinda fighting a losing battle right now.

BH: Been getting many waves lately? And where?
TB: I’ve actually been pushing my two kids into waves all through the hols and loving it. It’s the first summer they’ve both got keen on surfing and I’ve been loving it, can barely describe the joy of watching your offspring hurtling shorewards on a wave.

BH: We loved “Surf For Your Life“. How much did you enjoy Mick Fanning’s world title win in 2009?
TB: It was very sweet. I had no expectation of this being a world title year for Mick, especially after Joel’s start. What he did in the back half of the year was truly remarkable. I was on the beach with his mum Liz, his wife Karissa and coach Phil at Pipe so it was all very emotional. Lots of hugging.

BH: So, what are you working on next?
TB: A bunch of magazine stuff for Surfing World magazine at the moment. I’m also off to Yallingup for a surf film festival in a week so been watching lots of movies, because I’m on the judging panel. A surf movie festival in a winery? Are you kidding me? Sounds too good to be true.

BH: Do you think youll write a fiction novel?
TB: Funny you should ask. I have been tooling around with the great unfinished novel for years and I’ve decided to start posting it online, kinda like a blog, just to put some pressure on myself to finish the damn thing, but also hopefully to generate some interest, invite comments and feedback, have a conversation about it – the world’s first interactive, e-novel in progress. Not sure if you will be able to vote characters off like big brother, but it should be fun, just kinda playing with the medium to see what’s possible.

…can barely describe the joy of watching your offspring hurtling shorewards on a wave.

BH: Doing any exciting trips in 2010?
TB: Well, Yallingup, but also hoping to take the family on the big round Australia trip in mid-2010 or early 2011. I’ve had lots of great opportunities to travel with my work but I’m kinda sick of leaving the family behind and so am trying to plot ways to take them with me and make it pay, so want to do a book about the journey.

BH: Ok, a set is coming…left or right?
TB: Ah, right, if it’s all the same to you. You don’t want to see me surf on my backhand, trust me.

Tim Baker and his son Alex

Shaun and Rabbit

In 1975 a group of young Australian & South African surfers revolutionized their sport.

Bustin’ Down the Door brings this epic tale of power, skill, violence and triumph to life through the eyes of the surfers themselves.

Subtle humour and honesty pervade this movie which retells the story of the birth of professional surfing through the narrative of its founders and other characters of the time.

Sometimes stark and brutal, the story tracks the highs and lows of the new contingent of upstart surfers from South Africa and Australia as they began to dominate the waves of Oahu’s north shore in the mid-seventies. With good looks, skill and brash attitude they became self-proclaimed superstars but encountered fierce resistance from the Hawaiian locals who retaliated with fierce displays of aggression and threats – even of death.

Local legends such as Eddie Rothman smile wryly, proclaiming not to remember serious incidents of violence towards the new crew, whilst Rabbit Bartholomew tells in graphic detail of the beating he received at the hands of the Black Shorts (led by the aforementioned Eddie).

After peace was restored by the legendary Eddie Aikau the film plots the progress of our main protaganists, who progressed from surf-obsessed youths with a desire for fame to true athletes who created, competed in and conquered a true world surfing competition.

This is beautiful film that captures the essence of Hawaiian surfing in the seventies as well as the diverse backgrounds of the guys who effectively busted down the door and created a world surfing competition whilst inventing a new career – that of the professional surfer.