Nick Colbey / @colbeycheese is one of those classic Aussie blokes. Charges hard when the waves get nug, rips the bag, loves a bevy, and enjoys some wide open space. A quintessential man of the Great Southern Land. Nick also has a classic funny side, mixed with worldly sensitivity that interweaves his independent filmmaking pursuits. His most recent flick is Hooroo, is a classic, a raw and real, road-trippin’ adventure across Australia.

We had a brief 5 question carpark convo’ with Nick on Bundjalung Country…

Mate, have you noticed any unusual changes at the local?
I started noticing changes in Byron Bay when I was around 21 (over 10 years ago now). It feels like it takes an extra couple of weeks from the shift of summer conditions into autumn colder nights. It's hard to turn that feeling into fact but growing up on the coast your whole life in one specific area, its definitely something you feel changing.

From the freedoms you experienced in the ocean as a kid, how different is it now for today’s grommets? 
There's a whole lot more people surfing these days. More onus on kids being professional or greedy in the water, because of what they deem acceptable in the culture of surfing competitively. We should be still carrying that tradition forward of catching a wave then waiting your turn. A good vibe in the water when it's not too crowded is better than any pumping surfing with 200 people out. A shared sense of freedom is what it’s all about.

What sort of world should we be leaving for the next generation?
A future where there's no separation between the powers that be and the people they lead. For governments to stop implementing policies globally that counteract our destructive human footprint. The imbalance of a few people in the world taking too much for themselves is what is destroying our planet. Of the world not on the world!

Do surfers, as individuals and as a collective have a responsibility to stand up and look after their environment?
How can something bring us so much purpose and joy and not be our responsibility? We've got to give back, to what gives us so much, without asking for much in return.

Why do you care about Climate? 
Because it cares for all of us. How can the very thing that keeps us healthy and safe (our environment) be turned into a political whitewash to divide us? No matter where we come from or how we live our lives, we all enjoy nature in some way. It's the thing that unites us all, so it deserves all of our attention.

Footage with thanks Ishka Folkwell - instagram.com/ishkaimagery
Interview with Nick by Johnny Abegg