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Who is Michael Crawley? And why is he smiling? Well, Crawley has one of those surfing industry jobs that defies description. |
Our subject surfing (left), and visiting Bon Scott’s grave in Western Australia (Right).
He counts Dane Reynolds as a good friend, was right there with Kelly Slater when the Floridian won his tenth world title in Puerto Rico, loves a drink, taking photos and getting inked. But just who is Michael Crawley? And why is he always smiling? Well, Crawley (as he is best known), has one of those surfing industry jobs that defies description… His employer, Quiksilver, requires he travel the world, hang out with and shoot photos of their elite surf team. Sounds too good a job to be true we know. That’s why Tracksmag.com got the bulky framed enigma on the phone to explain him self.
Note: HIGH NOON is a feature at Tracksmag.com where we talk to surfers of note and interest. From top level professionals to industry insiders, feral legends and vital grommets.
Many people have referred to your position with Quiksilver as the dream job, what is your actual title?
Um, I guess me job at Quik is to look after the main guys… especially more focus on Dane [Reynolds], and Craig Ando [Anderson]. Steph Gilmore and Kelly [Slater], and Jeremy [Flores]. I travel around the world to the events with Dane, most of the time, and Kelly. And I’m kind of in control of putting together all our global campaign shoots and the requirements Quik has for board shorts and so forth. And collecting content, whether it is shot by me, or any other photographers or filmmakers from around the world we use
So, it was more of a team manager’s role, but your also taking a bit of responsibility behind the lens now too?
I’ve always loved photography and now that Dane and I have become good mates, and both of us being into photography, Quik were like, “Hey, we got a bunch of camera gear, why don’t you grab it? And we’ll shoot some stuff ourselves.” And then we also work closely with Bosko [legendary Aussie photographer Peter Boskovich], Bernard Testemale and Todd Glasser, Jason Murray. Like I’ll shoot an angle one of those guys will shoot another angle, so its more a creative role working with the team you know? And it works really well.
Dane takes a time out, Brazil. Polaroid. Pic: Michael Crawley.
Australian photographers are known for being very territorial, how do they feel about you metamorphoses from just team manager to, team manager and lens man?
A couple of them haven’t been to happy about it, umm, you know, we’re not taking any work away from those guys… if anything we’re encouraging them to get behind the lens and work with us more. A lot of the time they are on trips where we are, and we always take another shooter with us when we are on a trip. So there’s nothing for those to be worried about – we should be working together.
Shooting Kelly and Steph, the most successful male surfer of all time, and one of the most successful women surfers of all time must be cool – great subjects, especially when you though Dane and Ando in there?
It’s definitely something I don’t take for granted – travelling with those guys. Like in Puerto Rico this year, which was of course one of the saddest trips [with the death of Andy Irons], and also one of those trips you’ll never forget, with Kelly’s tenth world title. Being there when that went down was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever been a part of… being there with the whole Quiksilver team. And working with Steph, since she’s come on board to Quik, ha just been a dream. And especially, Dane too, they’re all just such amazing subjects to shoot in obscure places, and doing stuff that’s not the norm. It’s pretty cool.
Mick Fanning wins Quiksilver Pro France, 2010, plus a face full of champagne from Kelly. Pic: Michael Crawley
Dane especially loves to do things out of the norm – how would you describe Dane? Loosely, as a friend too I know it’s hard, but try for me in twenty words or so?
I think he’s one of the most unique characters I’ve ever met. Even among my more unique friends. He does a lot of things people don’t know about; he plays piano amazingly, he’s has piano lessons and plays drums and I don’t think he even watches TV. He’s so creative, as you can tell by his website, so far ahead of most other people, other surfers and the industry. He’s inspirational that’s for sure, for everybody, so it’s so refreshing to have him around.
He certainly seems to love learning – he’s a sponge.
Yeah, you know who do you know that’s in the top 20 surfers in the world or whatever, and to call up an old lady and have a piano teacher come to your house and teach you piano on Tuesdays? It’s just amazing.
Dane and girlfriend Courtney, Hawaiian sunset. Pic: Michael Crawley
What about his surfing, people gush over it, you’ve seen him up close more than most, what do you think of his surfing? What are his flaws etc?
I think, at Pupukea [beach break north of Pipeline] this year for example, he had a board that he left at a friend’s house at V-land [Velzyland]… it was a channel bottom Al Merrick, and he wasn’t to sure about the year before and he just went out Pupukea and destroyed everything that came through, big hooks, and he’s, “Do you think that thing works?” And even when he surfed the Pipe event and did that huge punt – that’s when his knee was broken – and he’s going for shit like that! I’m actually looking at a photo of him now from Puerto Rico and it was one foot and he’s riding the Dumpster Diver thing, and then he took out some soft board mini-mal, flaring from one foot to ten foot… he’s a freak, mate! He just blows you away everyday.
Like you, Dane loves a beer, how do you though bounce back? You’re on tour, it’s good times, there’s a party every night, but you gotta get up and get shit done each day?
[Much laughter] I don’t seem to get hangovers… it is hard to not get caught up in the moment when your travelling and every ones excited in a new place. We definitely try and pull it back whenever possible, but it’s hard when you get carried away with someone who loves to have a beer as much as, ahh, some of the guys do.
KS pocket-hack, Queensland Australia. Pic: Michael Crawley
What do you think a persons beer tally should be between here and Melbourne?
Oh, you could knock 12 back, if they would let ya. But I’m not saying I would do that! But I’m claiming that if you were on a buck’s weekend with the boys, you could definitely pull it off. I don’t think they’d give you that many – one every ten minutes?
Is your job harder now that you are married and have a baby? [Dash Kyuss Crawley]. Dane and those guys travel so much, and you’re with them?
It’s pretty good. My wife works for Roxy, so she knows exactly where we’re at and when we’re going to be away, it’s good, when you go away it makes coming home even better. We have a kind of family environment going on with Quik you know, I had Kelly calling himself the baby whisperer before coming and seeing Dash, and the Quik team has dinner together every night when we’re away. We have a chef at every stop that cooks dinner for us all. Quik is all about the family and carrying that on, so us having a grom is cool. If Teen [Michael’s wife Tenielle Crawley] and Dash want to travel with us anywhere – that’s cool. And Skype is that good nowadays.
Skate legend Jay Adams, Hawaii (left), and double exposure (right). Pics: Michael Crawley
There was a rumour that Dane was taking a year off from the world tour? Can you shed any light on that?
He was meant to be on a trip in Indo right now with the guys from Lost Atlas, but his knee wasn’t ready, so he’s sticking with the rehab and waiting to see how it goes. He was really keen on doing the events the last time I spoke with him. He just wants to get his knee one hundred percent first.
What about Kelly, you spent time with him in West Oz, how did he feel about the somewhat controversial loss to Billy Stairmand from New Zealand? What did you think about the result first?
Billy definitely surfs really well, but I think, he was over scored on his first wave getting a 9:5 for two turns and on the second turn he almost fell. I think when that happened the judges rose the bar too high and were, “Oh, god what have we done?” Kelly then got barrelled, did a couple of crazy hacks and didn’t get it… but you know it’s good to see a grom beat Kelly, and it must have been amazing for him. Kelly copped it on the chin, no drama, and we went off and shot photos and got on with it – got back to work.
People were losing their minds over it online? Yet, for Kelly it was water of a ducks back you say?
I think he was okay with it… As you know Col, he’s super competitive, and he was bummed to lose of course, and we [collective] didn’t think it went the way that it should’ve. But we were just as happy for the grom. He’s such a legend kid – he was wrapped. Good on him.
A behind the scenes look at the first official tenth world title photo shoot in Puerto Rico. Pic: Michael Crawley.
Just for the record I too thought Billy’s wave was over scored, but I also thought Kelly’s wave was scored correctly. A bigger closeout re-entry from Kelly and he would have nailed it….
He did play it a bit safe on the end bowl.
Yeah, yeah he did.
He was whipping it on that little board though!
Oh, yeah. Can’t believe some of the hacks he was doing when it was 100 foot. He made a mockery of big wave board choice protocol.
I spoke with commentator Reggae Ellis on the beach before and he said, “If Kelly goes out on that quad and rips it apart, no one can go on a surf trip and claim to be under-gunned ever again.”
Not a bad office, Crawley recently captured this image of Kelly cruising in a solid Staddie pit. Pic: Michael Crawley
Apart from surfing, rock n roll music is important to your life too, right?
I love it! I love my music. A good friend of mine looks after a lot of the major bands that come to Australia so I go to a lot of shows – I took Steph to meet Lemmy [Motorhead], and of cause we saw Kyuss Lives! As you know, you did that great interview with John [Garcia – singer], they are my all time favourite band and were all time live. We get a lot of access to these concerts and I’m always happy to share that love with the surfers. Music is a huge part of our life.
1. Kyuss: Welcome To Sky Valley
2. Queens of the Stone Age Live album: Over The Years And Through The Woods
3. AC/DC: Back In Black
And we’re done.
Thanks Crawley.
Pipe (top left), Steph and Lemmy (middle), and Steph and the late Bon Scott, WA (right). Pics: Michael Crawley.
Dane Reynolds and craft. Pic: Michael Crawley
Kelly Slater comes face to face with Crawley in the office. What a meeting room. Pic: Michael Crawley
Puerto Rico reaches out to the new champ, Kelly Slater. pic: Michael Crawley.
Dane Reynolds, beer, fence, France. Pic: Michael Crawley
