WALKABOUT began 20 years ago.
At the age of 19, young Arnaud Mestelan left home to embark on his first solo surf trip.
On the platform at the train station in Biarritz, he met Robbie Page, an Australian pro surfer.
With his 10 years on the ASP Tour and his Pipe Masters title in 1988, Robbie was a surfing legend. At the time, he was living in France and was on his way home to Australia. After a few minutes chatting together, Robbie offered to take Arnaud with him on his trip. The two new friends spent more than three weeks together, surfing across New South Wales, before Arnaud set off on his own journey.
Today, Arnaud is in his forties, has 3 children and runs the Aux Guides Baigneurs’ shop at Biarritz's Grande Plage. Since they met, Arnaud has always had the dream of one day returning to Australia to meet up with his buddy Robbie.
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Two decades after their original adventure together, Robbie and Arnaud are set to meet up again. Arnaud surprises Robbie at the National Aboriginal Surfing Championships at Bells Beach and together, they embark on a new road trip, in search of waves, community and connection to Country.
Produced by OXBOW, the movie WALKABOUT: the Songlines of Surfing (42min) tells this story.
Photography by Thomas Lodin
Filmed by Pierre Frechou / Alex Heitler / Matty Hannon / Jospeh Daniel
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