Shooter's Aesthetics

Its been a while,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:32:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

I know its been a while, lets just say sometimes life throws up a few tough decisions, and in this case i had to focus on other areas rather than posting blogs for a while. But I'm back, and just in time before Santa hits the scene and the sacrificial turkey slaying day arrives. This Christmas looks as though its going to be a hot and very merry Christmas, as the La Nina pattern has well and truly kicked in with non stop rain in NSW for the month of December. Currently the what temperature in Sydney is around 17c! But that’s more so from a massive under water eddie sitting of the coast. Swell has not really been our friend of late as its been avoiding our part of the coast and i have noticed not to many other places have been firing around the world too. Currently the ASP World Tour is on hold at Pipeline, Hawaii due to no swell and with Kelly already earning his 10th world title this year, this comp is more about Andy Irons and his brother Bruce who is riding for him. One thing to note is that the Eddie competition has still plenty of time for its waiting period!

The global markets have been favourable to us over the last few weeks, as the European’s got there PIGS in order, and the US continues to show off how good there economy is fighting back. Australia on the other hand is running against the wind, as it has done for the last few years, and there are now big questions being raised over the state of our housing market and level of individual debt! The retail sector has been the worst performing sector in our market this year, and they are all reporting more doom and gloom for stores. Basically it looks as though if your not involved in mining in some way shape or form, then life is quite expensive.

Christmas is now even closer with only 1 weekend to go, so its time i should get some Christmas shopping done. I hope your a little bit more prepared than me and are set to have a great Christmas break. Get outside today and enjoy a great summers day, no one works in the month of December in Australia!

Enjoy

Shooter

Plodding along,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:16:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Well after an ecstatic weekend for the Manly Surfing Festival, everything has quieten back down and now we are just plodding through the working week. The weekend of sunshine however continues and summer definitely feels like it has arrived. Today being no different with not so much as a cloud in the sky, the wind is still for the moment, and its already quiet warm. Right by summer’s side is the summery surf conditions with little to no waves and high tide set for mid morning.

Not to much is happening in global markets either as Ireland has taken the same rescue hand that the Greeks did from the EU. Whilst that interruption subsides markets are waiting for more good news in relation to the economic reporting in the US. Until that happens the markets attitude seems a little lacklustre. Last night the US index’s finished 0.5% down as did Europe. Our market is not that much different although the good news is around QR National which floated yesterday and managed to stay positive. I could imagine everyone that was involved especially the Queensland Government is massively relieved.

With all this sunshine Crew, get out side and plod along with the sun.

Enjoy it Crew,

Shooter

Stay focussed,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 21:27:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Hot and humid morning today with a lot of mist hanging over Manly. Maybe because its a Monday but there is a eerie silence to go with the mist as well. There is no wind around as well as not a lot of swell. After what seemed to be a perfect weekend (i was in Melbourne) with sun and a little wind swell, it looks as though this week might have patches of rain throughout it. Not a great deal of swell on the horizon either as there is a massive high pressure system stuck in between us and New Zealand. There are not a lot of deep low pressure systems either in the pipeline so we are set for sum summer conditions.

It seems Australian sport cannot win anything either at the moment as Mark Webber just missed out on the World Title for F1, which his ‘team mate’ won. The Australian Rugby League team loss to the Kiwi’s and the Australian Rah Rah Rugby team loss to England! All we need now is to loss the Ashes, lets hope the Australian Cricket team is focused!

So with no surf, nor sun, and no winning teams on the paddocks best watch the markets instead. Last week we had a little cooling as global index’s fell around 2%. This week is full of US economic reporting and if there is any strength shown then the markets should respond positively to it. Our dollar fell back to USD$0.98 and there is a sensation that Australian households might just be that little bit over leveraged/borrowed. Any sign of strain in our economy will see our banks (and market) get hammered. Any sign of spreads in the PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) bonds widening and the global markets will get slammed. All in all though those are some pretty big movements to happen and highly unlikely until after Christmas.

So get all the work out of the way early this week Crew, as there is not a lot to keep you sidetracked at the moment. So stay focused and get rewarded later on with so easy days leading into the weekend.

Enjoy this week Crew,

Shooter

Great Day,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:49:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

I know its been a while but things just have not slowed down for me of late. Today however is a great day to take it easy, slow it all down, and just enjoy it. It’s almost the perfect day out there. The sun was up early and is belting down now, and because it was so still overnight the temperature is already rising. The only thing missing from today is some swell. The little bit we do have is from the north-east which is great for Manly, however its just not big enough so you need a lot of board under you. It is smack bang low tide right now (8:30am) too.

Since my last update we have seen the surfing community hold tight and celebrate another awesome victory by Kelly Slater. Not only did he win the Rip Curl Search Pro in Puerto Rico, but he also won his 10th ASP World Title! The guy truly has a connection to the waves and that shows in his surfing. It was good to see him dedicate his win to AI. From there the surfing world focuses on Hawaii for the next month up until Christmas. Already the swell has been pretty good over there, so the competitions should be pretty good to watch.

There has not been to much to watch in the markets of late, as pretty much all major international index’s reach 2 year highs and are now having a breather. Of course its the European’s that had to put the dampener on things, as concerns are now for Ireland in its ability to pay its debt. Whilst Ireland and Portugal bonds are trading with an increasing yield, everyone is watching Spain’s yield to see if the ‘risk’ trade comes off the market. If so look for our market to fall by 10% and our great Aussie dollar to be back around USD$0.93.

Well we have made it through another week Crew, and the weather is turning it on for us this weekend. Much better than lat one! Make sure you get out and enjoy it as much as possible.

Enjoy it,

Shooter

The Surfing Community is in Mourning,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 04:25:00 +0000

G'day Crew,

It is with sadness that today's post is about the passing of surfing's most professional athlete. Andy Irons (AI), 32 years old, has passed away earlier today unfortunately in a land lock town of Dallas, Texas. He had pulled out of the ASP World Tour’s current Rip Curl Pro - Puerto Rico competition due to illness. After leaving there he seeked medical treatment in Miami. He insisted on travelling home to Kauai, Hawaii where his family doctor was but unfortunately became to sick and missed his connecting flight from Dallas, Texas to Hawaii. He checked into a hotel but was later found by staff. What adds to the sadness is his wife is heavily pregnant with their first child.

This would have come as a massive shock not only to his family as well as the close nit Hawaiian Surf Community but it has shocked the Surfing Community world wide. The ASP has released a statement on behalf of the family, but they have not made any decision with regards to the Rip Curl Pro - Puerto Rico competition continuing. Due to the time difference the surfer’s involved with the competition have not made any comments as yet.

As a surfer it’s really sad to loose someone that you can relate to when they are talking about something they are so passionate about. Surfing gives you a feeling, and as AI’s major sponsor proudly promotes, ‘Only a surfer knows the feeling’! It’s something that brings the surfing community together right around the world.

When you go for that next surf make sure to dedicate at least one wave if not the entire session to AI. Surf the way he did, strong, future focused, and passionate.

RIP AI, and commiserations to his wife, brother Bruce, and family.

Andy Iron's was a 3 times ASP World Champion and a 4 times Hawaiian Triple Crown winner.

Regards,

Shooter

A part of Indo that needs your touch,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:24:00 +0000

Afternoon,

Many of you have involved yourself in the Indonesian culture or
benefited from visiting the Indonesian people. Unfortunately they
now need more help. As I am sure you are a where by now a big
earthquake rocked the northern part of Indonesia called the Mentawai
islands. Many people (mainly surfers) visit this area, however it is
quiet remote and primitive to the western world. Due to the
earthquake a 3 meter wave wiped out many of the villagers which had
recovered from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

This is what is left of Masokut. Only one house remained standing after the tsunami.
Photo: SurfAid

Because Indonesia has been apart of the my family for many years we
are helping those that are on the ground helping restore life in the
Mentawai Islands. SurfAid has been in the region for 10 years and has
an established team working with the local people providing them
support. SurfAid is a non-profit (NGO) humanitarian aid organization
with offices in the USA, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.

SurfAid continues to grow and in turn develop a highly professional
and accountable organizational structure. Since the 2004 Tsunami and
the March 2005 Nias Earthquake, SurfAid has provided disaster relief
and increased its commitment to developing long term sustainable
community health through the prevention of treatable disease and
community education.

SurfAid are delivering emergency relief supplies and assessing the
needs of the people who have been affected by the tsunami. As well as
this, the Indonesian Government has requested that SurfAid take a
lead in coordinating the Non Government Organisations’ (NGO)
response to the Mentawai tsunami.

If you are in a position to help the Indonesian people and want to make
sure your efforts are reaching those people that are in need. Then
please join in by donating to SurfAid’s Mentawai Tsunami Appeal.

Regards,

Shooter

Survivors in the village of Muntei, on Pagai Selatan. Photo: SurfAid

You can donate via our website - www.surfaidinternational.org

From Australia you can also call 1 800 257 957

Keep an eye on locally,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:26:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Well today apparently everybody stop’s what they are doing and we all watch a horse race together. But today i think a fair few of us will be stopping and watching what the RBA does with its rates come 2:30pm. Its a 50/50 as to wether or not rates will go up or stay at currant levels. Personally i think they have to move up and we need to bring a bit more volatility into our rate movements. Another area we should be watch today is the beach! Manly this morning had great waves down the southern end however the high tide was making them a little full. We do have good banks along the beach though and as the tide clears out the wave quality should increase. The wind was up early this morning with it being offshore in the southern corner but because of its direction (straight out of the south) not many spots will be working. It will be a tough decision to either go out and celebrate with a nation about a horse race or grab the wetsuit and hit the waves. I'm thinking the latter as the race is just another excuse for a drink.

Whilst there is plenty to keep your eye on today, there is not a great deal as yet to watch overseas as the US and Europe markets finished flat for the day. BRIC and Emerging Markets index’s however finished up over 1% as China keeps punching out spectacular economic numbers. The Fed should come out with there decision shortly and there is more press throwing a number of $500 billion around. Lets hope that they do at least that.

I hope you back a winner today (i always go horse number 4) and if you are not sidetracked by the race, get out and grab a wave.

Enjoy,

Shooter

Under the blankets,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:05:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

We are still under the blanket as the city is covered under a think cloud mass. No rain to speak of but a slight change in temperature and we could have buckets falling on us. Its rather still too and the surf is relatively flat. There is however a little bit of swell but not much as we head into the weekend but you wont need an excuse to get in the water as the water temperature has climbed up and its set to be a sunny day tomorrow. Enjoy the sun though as Sunday is looking like a great day to go to the movies or stay inside. Either way the weekend is here and its better than being stuck at a desk or on the work site.

Things may as well be still asleep over in the US markets as well, as they have traded sideways for the last week. Everyone is now waiting on next weeks announcement on what the Fed will do to stimulate the economy and by how much! There is a lot of guessing going on and in a way the market has priced around $500 billion, lets hope the Fed comes through with it. If not then we could see a re-pricing situation come into play, even if the economic reports are positive. But until we know for sure next week, market participants will stay in bed.

I hope you guys manage to get out from bed for the weekend, especially if you have been stuck behind a desk all week! Make sure you get out and enjoy it.

Enjoy,

Shooter

Planning,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:28:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

We are already at Wednesday Crew, time to get the plans worked out for the weekend! And if today is an example of what we could be up for, then make sure you get outside for most of it! The sun is out and there is hardly any wind with only a little bit of patchy cloud hanging around this morning. Its already quiet warm outside and we do have a little bit of southerly swell coming in. After yesterdays mysterious disappearance of swell, it seems that it has made a come back to keep you all happy. Seems we might get a little more toward Friday as well so this weekend should be pretty good, provided the rain stays away.

The US markets very dead flat last night even though over 175 company’s reported and consumer confidence was slightly up from last month. It seems as though people are comfortable to sit and wait and see what happens next week with regards to the Fed’s stimulus as well as there is an election. There is however a lot of support for the currant market as no one came out winning today (buyers or sellers). With out a result from overseas, our market should be fairly quiet today. No excuse then really to get outside for a lunch in the sun.

Enjoy the mid week day Crew, you are running out of time to plan for the weekend.

Shooter

Shooter’s back, back again, Yes I’m back, tell a friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 21:30:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Well its been a while, hasn’t it? Apologies for the lack of blog updates, i have been a little busy with plenty of task’s and a little bit of a holiday. But I'm back now and looking forward to firing this site up again. Since i have been gone there does not look like i have missed out on all of that much. Besides a cracker of a weekend last weekend with perfect swell and sand banks, the beach has been resembling a lake of late. Especially today with howling southerly winds and no swell to see. The weather is not doing its best to convince us summer is here either as its raining with dark clouds circling around and not to much sunshine.

The Australian market seems to have come to a holt as well, and it is not headed in neither an up or down direction. Whereas the US and European markets have been having a stellar run after possibly the worst August in years. They have bounced back solidly in September and are continuing there form throughout October. The US reporting is in full swing as well and many of the companies are hitting there targets with some (like Goggle) smashing them. Maybe this lack of performance compared to the rest of the world is causing allot of our listed assets to be targets for takeovers? Today we will see the Singapore Exchange make an offer for our very own ASX, and there has been plenty more in the previous few weeks. Lets just hope a bit of good news comes out about our housing as that will help spur the market along with the rest of the international scene.

I’m glad to be back Crew, its the beginning of a new week but one that should be a soft landing as to come back too.

Enjoy it.

Shooter

Forecasting perspective,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:32:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Well the day started off beautifully with a nice sunrise and some great waves to be had, but after an hour of daylight the colours were sucked out of the sky and the day went to grey. At least the waves stuck around as that northerly swell continues to roll into Manly. The banks have been holding up well and the tides have been timed well now with the daylight savings change, with high tide at 8:45am and low at 2:40pm. Hopefully this swell will stick around for the weekend, although it does look promising for a new swell to come through for late Saturday maybe even Sunday.

What does look good is the forecast for the upcoming ASP World Tour event – The Rip Curl Pro in Portugal. Some commentary i have seen are calling it the 50 year storm! Will that line ever go away from Point Break? Anyway it should be just as worth while as watching the Mick and Kelly final in the Quiksilver Pro in France.

Also worth watching are the markets at the moment, yesterday we saw a great rally across all global markets. Last night the US finished mixed with index’s mostly flat, however Europe continued to power on. It seems that many were willing to sit and wait for Friday night’s jobs report. If it is negative, in a strange twist, we could see the markets continue to rally as this may force the US Fed to start splashing some of there cash around as to provide a lot of quantitative easing. This is what the markets have been rallying for and believe it is needed. It should be interesting to watch over Friday night.

Great day to clear the desk of work Crew and prepare for the weekend. Start the planning as it looks like its going to have more sunshine than the last.

Enjoy

Shooter

Reality for more of it!

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:30:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Holidays are some of the best times in our life’s! It’s when you come back to reality that makes them worth so much more. But reality is what you are doing now so make the best of it, and fit as much into it as you can. Today is no exception as you can feel summer in the air, and the heat from the still night before. This morning there is a thick cover of fog which is starting to burn off to uncover some nice waves along the Manly stretch. Yesterday we finished the day with very comfortable over head high waves from the north, and that swell continues today. The conditions are perfect this morning as there is no wind, the air is warm and the tide is just reaching its high.

Reality is an everyday occurrence on the global markets and last night in Europe and the US it was very positive. Europe finished up around 1.6% and the US around 2%, this was supported by the Japanese lowering there interest rate to 0% and some more strong economic reports of growth in the US. This market has had a good deal of time at current levels and in the coming weeks we will have the US reporting season which starts on Thursday night. Hopefully along with these positive economic reports companies can start to show the improvement in there bottom lines and reveal how under valued the markets currently are. But if everyone was to make the most of it, then everyday we would have markets that are supposedly more accurate for today’s conditions. Maybe this is where the opportunities come from.

Enjoy your mid week day Crew, you have to love short weeks! Less time to make more of it!

Shooter

Time for a change,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:28:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Its nice to have a change every so often and it can be a good thing, as today it looks like it might just be that change. Cool southerly winds woke me up pretty quickly this morning as i stepped outside, and from the forecast it looks like there could be more weather from the south through out the day. That is certainly a change from the last few days with perfect sunshine, light breeze, and even a little swell to you at the beach for longer. This afternoon however we will have a southerly change blow in with rain, wind, and maybe even some thunder and lightening.

But with change comes something new and it looks like tomorrow there will be a nice southerly swell. Manly will miss the main chunk of the action but at least the banks have shaped up for the little bits that will come through. The swell should stick around for a few days and maybe even cover the weekend.

There was not a great deal of change on the markets even though it was a rather volatile trading day. The US was down nearly 1.2% in early trading on to finish with index’s up 0.5%. There certainly is a lot of buying support however it will be interesting to see if it can hold out till the end of the month. There are some big economic numbers coming out on Friday night, and with a lot of people away on school holidays in Australia it will be interesting to watch how the Australian market holds up.

Its half way through the week Crew, and i am giving myself an early mark and taking some time off. Like i said change is a good thing, and with it comes new things. It looks like some good waves are to be had so make sure you check them out. Good luck to the Rooster’s for the NRL Grand Final and lets hope St.Kilda can finish what they started in last weekend AFL Grand Final with a win in the repeat this weekend!

Enjoy,

Shooter

It's Perfect,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:29:00 +0000

G'day Crew,

You can pack the heater away for the year, store the winter dooner and move the jumpers and jackets to the back of the wardrobe as summer is here! After a perfect weekend of sun, surf, beers and bbq's, the weather just keeps the sunny days going. Yesterday and today have been so good you may want to quit your job just to be outside.

Whilst summer is here so to are the summer swell conditions. After being spoilt for over a week of strong swell, that has finally past and now the shores are flatish. Still it is perfect weather to be at the beach, even if it is with all of the kids on school holidays. The tide is on the rise early this morning smothering any waves that might be around. Don't despair though as there should be some new swell around Thursday.

Although we have had a great swell to keep us entertained, the global markets have been staying busy themselves. We finished last week on a great high, up around 2% in the US on Friday and over 4% for the week. Last night a little weakness came into the market with both Europe and the US finishing down 0.5% but many believe this market has more to go heading up to the end of the month and quarter.

Crew you have to get outside today! Its perfect! And if you are lucky enough get down to the beach. If you are looking for some surfing tips then maybe check out the Quiksilver Pro as its on over in France. The swell is on fire over there and so are the boys. Check them out here www.aspworldtour.com

Enjoy the day Crew,

Shooter

What a week of Swell,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 23:09:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

How good has this week been? I wish i could say that the reason for the lack of blog updates was due to the swell but to be honest i have just been flat out with work keeping me at the desk! That has meant on missing out on all the swell that our beautiful coast has been enjoying for over a week now! Rather than talk about it, i thought i would just post some of the pictures that i managed to capture of the past few days.

There was some great swell last weekend and it mainly focused on points and beaches north of Long Reef. That was because the swell direction was so southerly it pretty much missed Manly, Curl Curl, and even Dee Why didn’t have the full power of the swell.

So whilst all the action has been in the water this week, the markets have managed to stay at the 4 month highs for the week. Not to much in the way of news has not helped them push any higher, but we have seen them manage to hold on to this position without any major sell off. Last night in the US there was a bit of selling in the last hour of trading finishing markets down around 0.75%.

It it set to be a perfect weekend for outdoor activities. Make sure you get out and about as there will be plenty of waves on offer. I would recommend a trip out of town as the crowds once again are going to be thick! There will also be 2 big games of league: Go Rooster’s and Tiger’s, and the AFL holds its Grand Final when all of Victoria stops! Good luck to St Kilda!

Enjoy the weekend Crew, Summer is on our doorstep!

Shooter

Tasmania now has recorded Australia's biggest ever wave at 18.4m high,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:29:00 +0000

G'day Crew,

The swell has made it onto the front webpage of the Sydney Morning Herald. Check it out here. Its going to be big, but not as big as down in Tazmania!

Have fun out there.

Shooter

Expectations,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:21:00 +0000

G'day Crew,

Perfect morning out there today however their is a chill in the air as a very cool south westerly is blowing through town. It definitely made the dawn patrol a challenge as my hands were nearly frozen on to the bike's handlebars. Still it was worth it as that expectations of the southerly swell has arrived. This wind has groomed it and it looks very clean and its set to build through to tomorrow. Manly probably is not the pick today as the tide is due to hit low at 8:40am and there is not a decent sand bank along the entire stretch. Take a drive up north and you would be sure to score as I just got a report that a certain long reef is the spot this morning. It would be worth taking a drive tomorrow as every weekend warrior will be on the much publicised swell over the weekend.

We might be able to forecast the swell for the near future but the global markets are at a fork in the road. The bear's are set for any bad news as to tear down the market, but the bull's are awaiting on the sidelines for confirmation to drive the market out of the current trading range and continue this great market strength. Last night the index's finished mixed as technology stocks continued there good run, however industrial's were down a little. Hopefully something that will help our last day of the week is that after the bell in the US both Oracle and RIM smashed there reporting beating all expectations. This along with more good US economic reporting might just help push the markets up into a higher trading range. Times are good with good news flow and support for the markets to drive higher, it just depends if they can.

Have a good weekend Crew, its set to be a great one! Get out and get some waves and be positive, it might just help push the markets over that line that they are hung-up on.

Enjoy,

Shooter

Holding,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:29:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Well after a some heavy rain last night and a howling southerly we finally have a chunky southerly swell. Its pretty much missing Manly but there were a few Log Crew getting a few that looked pretty good. Zoom in on the picture above. The wind was up early or just continuing from last night, so it might be best to find a little corner. But if you really want little wind then you will also have to sacrifice wave size. Maybe looking ahead will keep you holing on until better conditions come along. Plenty of cloud around but i think it might stay mostly dry with just a couple of passing showers.

Not much happened really overnight with European markets finishing positive, however in the US it was mixed as the index’s finished negative except for the Nasdaq, as more M & A activity continues. Still the good news continues to role out with regards to European and US economies, but the strength of the market is flattening out as it has run up pretty hard in recent days. Once the analyst’s and strategist take all of this data and apply it to there models we may see a little more energy come back to the market but until some extraordinary news comes out we are in a holding pattern.

Crew it looks like we could be up for some very nice and sizeable waves come Friday. So if you are keen, get out an warm up those legs today but otherwise maybe check the ‘guns’ over for any maintenance and get really for the weekend as we are on the downward slope towards it.

Enjoy,

Shooter

Keep on, Keeping on,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:29:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

As I write the thick clouds that we woke up with are breaking up as the sun is bursting through and there are scattered showers around. Even with the howling south-easterly wind it is still rather warm outside. Hopefully this wind can generate some lumps so the Crew can start to get there quota for the week. With this wind it is just ugly along the beach, it is offshore at the southern end of Manly, but cross shore further up near Queenscliff.

Things are not that ugly on Global Markets though as the September rally continues on. So far the S&P 500 has risen around 8% and the Dow Index 5%, Europe to has been improving. Last night we saw the markets respond very positively to the Chinese Economic reports and financials gained both in Europe and the US on the new ruling for there capital requirements. Markets around the world are at the top of there trading range and only require a little bit of good news as to break through, however saying that the opposite could always happen, but at the moment i just cannot see any bad news on the horizon unless the bear’s want to raise old news about Greece or the US consumer.

Great day to focus on the markets and clear the desk of those jobs you have been putting off. I would recommend you clear out the weekend too, as there is a nice low pressure system behind these clouds out to the west that might generate some nice south-easterly swell for the end of the week.

Enjoy,

Shooter

Rules for all types of sport,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:06:00 +0000

G'day Crew,

Hope you all had a nice and relaxing weekend. There was not much swell around at all but there was plenty of sunshine and plenty of sport. Probably the best game of rugby league I have seen all year was on Saturday night with West Tigers took on The Rooster's. After 20mins of extra time The Rooster's finally came away with the win!

Every other sports game seemed boring after that. The Swans gave up and lost in the 2nd half ending their season, and the Wallabies lost after leading the game all the way to the last minute. Canberra however did manage a great win against the panthers.

Still even with all this sport you had to get out and enjoy this spring time weather. It was stunning out there and Manly turned it on for all of the tourists. It seems even the water tempreature has started to rise for the summer.

Whilst we were all focused on sport over the weekend elsewhere in the world governments and boards were making a few decisions that will change how the game will be played in the future. China came out with some amazing economic reports showing that they just cannot slow there economy down. Its booming over there, even with the breaks on! This has put pressure on their government as to allow there currency to appreciate more so against the USD. These economic reports are good news for Australian miners. However in another part of the world the Basel board has decided to increase the capital requirements for every bank in the world over the next 8 years. Whilst the Australian banks should be ok, this will put pressure on the entire sector globally.

Looks like another week of news and lack of swell. It also looks like we will start the first half with a bit of rain about, but finish strong with some nice sunshine.

Enjoy the week ahead Crew,

Shooter

Another Great Day,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 22:26:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Wow what a way to start the weekend! Its nearly a perfect summers day out there, it just needs to be a bit warmer. Clear sky’s and very little wind has the day starting off pretty well. As i look from the Manly wharf to the city, i can see that it is covered in a think blanket of fog. The people over there must have woken up with a totally different perspective on the day. Manly is truly the best place on earth!

There is not allot of swell around today, as even the ferry didn’t even rock crossing the heads. The tide is currently rising at the moment for a high tide around 8:40am so any energy out there with be smothered by the tide. You also have the dilemma that the wind is set to increase throughout the day, turns what ever waves are around into mush. So either get out now with a very big board or wait around for the wind and chop-hop through a few waves.

If we think we have it good here today (as we definitely do) the US has had the best run of good economic news this week in a very long time. Just as everyone was talking about a ‘double-dip’ recession, the US economy kicked in with some great results. To add to the global markets impressive week they even managed to ignore the ‘Greece’ issue that raised its head again. This was helped by the Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund stating that they have been buyers of Greek bonds. Also the Greek Finance Minister said that the country was on track to repay all bonds maturing soon.Both the news and economic reports helped global markets continue to trade higher. The US finished around 0.50% up and Europe was 1.2% up.

Well you have made it through another week! Just! And this one has had a lot happen in it. Enjoy the weekend Crew as its set to be a great one!

Go the Swan’s, Rooster’s, Warrior’s, Raider’s, and Manly!

Enjoy,

Shooter

The Beach,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:23:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Funny day out side with a thin layer of cloud keeping the sun at bay, whilst there is a little breeze from the west keeping temp’s a bit cooler. There are some waves about down at the beach, you just need a very big board to catch them. The tide is very full at the moment (8:15am) so there might be some more energy in the swell as the tide runs out.

It’s a great time of year to be down at the beach first thing in the morning. There is so much activity down there, and its possibly the best way to start the day! I don’t know how we could live if we didn’t have the beach.

Markets reacted overnight to the realisation that Europe was not as bad as a select few thought. The night before a journalist managed to make financial headlines saying that the Greece debt was about to cause a world melt down again. This cause global markets to drop around 1% yesterday. But last night confidence came back and helped the European and US markets finish up about 0.5%.

I cannot believe it is Thursday already! So much has happened this week and i really need the weekend to come just to relax a little. Looks like we could have some waves around for it, so maybe clear some time to enjoy the best thing we have got. The Beach.

Enjoy,

Shooter

Clean,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:23:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Splendid day out there on offer for you today as the cloud is burnt off by the sun and the crisp offshore morning breeze cleans up a very nice looking swell. Southern end of Manly had a clean 3ft wave with some of the best banks along the beach, but if you are after size then Queenscliff had 4 to 5ft waves, however the banks were pretty straight with the occasional smaller one holding up. The water temperature is cool and refreshing and is in stark contrast to the air temperature, but it has always lagged behind the seasonal changes.

I think everyone knew that the seasons were changing this morning as there were plenty hitting the footpaths for fitness. I guess trying to burn that winter coat off and get the summer body back. Still it makes it a whole lot easier when:

You have Manly beach to exercise on,
The weather is perfect, and
You know everyone else that is out there with you are feeling exactly the same as you.

Not much to report from overseas markets overnight as the US were on a Labor Day holiday. However Europe was positive again with a very strong economic report out from the UK showing they a blistering ahead out of recessional times.

I know its a bit late but Andy Irons (AI) has won the Billabong Pro in Tahiti. Apparently he has come out re-birthed and has lost his arrogant attitude. Now he is everyone’s mate and surf really good. He definitely turned it on for the final few rounds, but again Kelly stole the limelight with an unbelievable late drop on a wave to end up in the barrel and still ride out of it as to score a 10! Only Kelly!

Enjoy the Tuesday on offer Crew, get outside its clean and smells of summer.

Shooter

Its a perfect life,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:19:00 +0000

G'day Crew,

And what a weekend! Plenty happened with possibly to much to fit into one blog. Friday night started the weekend of big sporting games with one of the best all year St Kilda V Geelong, and the Saints won! We also had terrific news that the US had a good jobs report which helped all of those bears out there turn around to maybe believe a little in this market. As such we had positive results from the Index's across Europe and the US by around 1.5%.

But Saturday was ugly with howling winds, rain, and a very ugly beach, it was a great day to stay inside (and some did). But it was quiet warm with the wind coming from the North. Still it just gave us something to look forward to on Sunday as the sun was to come beaming out. With night fall came a great catch up with friends and plenty of laugh's and added to having a fun weekend.

It turned it on though for all the fathers out there on Father's Day with a nice 3ft swell out of the east and a brisk offshore wind. But there was not a cloud in the sky and the day was perfect. Just relaxing with family and enjoying the spoils of living the Manly dream.

Life is perfect and its the actions that you take that makes it so. So on a Sunday in September 2010 which was Fathers Day I took action that I knew would make our life's together happy and fun forever. Shooter is now engaged to the one that makes his life perfect. What makes us take these types of actions? Love of course!

When life is this perfect all you can do is smile.

Enjoy your week Crew, I will.

Shooter

Keep on Roll’n, Roll’n, Roll’n,

noreply@blogger.com (Shooter) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:28:00 +0000

G’day Crew,

Gloomy morning out there today with thick dark clouds and no breaks as to let the sun through. We had a few showers throughout the night and about 11:30pm last night the breezy southerly winds taw through town. Thankfully that has given us the first real waves this week. Although its mainly wind-chop there is a bit of swell from the south, the wind is still onshore early this morning so you just have to get out there and enjoy it. Lets hope that the swell just keeps roll’n, roll’n,roll’n, so we can enjoy it over the weekend. Its low time around 8:30am so maybe some of the shallow sand bars might be overing a few good head dips.

Overnight there was no rain or gloomy days to speak of as Europe and the US markets continue there positive run. The good news just keeps roll’n, roll’n, roll’n, but tonight is the big one. The jobs report where economists get to see if the company’s are hiring again. Some market strategist are saying there is no way this report can be good. Even if the number is good or great then that might question the Fed’s plan’s for the economic stimulus packages. But at the end a positive number is a positive move for the economy and that’s what is really needed now.

Enjoy your Friday Crew, we are back on to weekend time! Look’s like they might try and run a few heat’s at the Billabong Pro in Tahiti today. Mick Fanning is taking on Andy Irons which should be again another match up of the year. Check it out!

Shooter