Every time we see an "unread" message from Morgan Maassen in our inbox, our hearts race. Like a young teenager who receives a text from the girl he loves, our heart rate accelerates. Always awaited, the last edicts of Morgan Maassen never disappoint. And this latest video from the famous director with Australian Soli Bailey is no exception to the rule. When a filmaker with so much genius teams up with a pro surfer of this level, the story can only be beautiful.
10 years ago, an Australian surf magazine editor handed me one of my first photography assignments and said "capture Soli". We had only a few hours together, shooting portraits and action on a small day in Hawaii, but I was immediately struck by the incredible demeanor of the teenager. Polite, quiet, but so fiercely determined to make his mark, Soli was rising through the junior ranks and dreaming of make the World Tour.
As time went on, we crossed paths countless times in random, far-flung places... but this last year i was bestowed both the pleasure of travel with him to Indonesia to score perfect waves, and to watch his inaugural year competing on the tour. The highs of his performances in incredible surf, and lows of watching him struggle with the complexities - and literal luck - that comes with being a professional surfer, was nothing short of amazing, and as I release this short film, I cannot express how proud
I am of this human's fruition into a young adult who surfs with incredible talent and carries the flag for Indiginious Australians with dignity.
direct/film/edit: Morgan Maassen
additional filming: Blake Myers & Shane Fletcher
Supported by O'Neill
Music by:
Trees Speak "Shadow Circuit"
The Hers "White Oil"
The Daze "OJ"
