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(A Day Like Any Other: The Routine Of Our Friend Tom Morat)

Originally published in Volume XIV, June 2024

Photography by Nil Puissant | Words by Josh Barrow

 


 

When asked where he’d prefer to live, Tom Morat leans towards Australia but laughs, saying it will be good for him to suffer a few more cold winters here in France first. Mr Morat is a fortunate young buck who boasts both an Australian and French passport. He splits his time between the continents, trying to dodge the darker months accordingly. When Tom isn’t keeping himself busy in these two glorious countries, you’ll find him on surf trips with friends around the world, getting invited to Joel Tudor’s infamous Duct Tape contests along the way.

Tom’s future in surfing is bright; a household name around his hometown on the Sunshine Coast, and quickly making a name for himself here in the Basque Country. It’s been a few years however, since the act of surfing itself hasn’t solely scratched the itch. Sure, first and foremost, Tom’s an extremely talented surfboard rider, no matter the shape or the length which comes his way; he’s as comfortable riding chunky shoreys on a shortboard as he is tiny points on a longboard. But now a big focus of his is shaping, which is where you’ll find him when he’s not in the sea (or the pub). The bay is located out the back of Biarritz, at a collective warehouse set up with friends, named Finish Line. His boards go under the name DICE, and you’ll see anything from logs to asym’s leaving the door, heading to some of the most established surfers in the region. Tested and approved by the likes of Adrien Toyon and Nathan Sadoun, to name names.

From what we’ve heard, Tom’s a very busy man, and we wanted to see what fills his day whilst working in our own backyard. So our staff photographer Nil Puissant, who doubles up as one of Tom’s best friends, was sent out on assignment to document the above. The deliverables? Shoot everything from dawn ‘til dusk and keep notes of everything that happens throughout the day. What follows is a documentation of how WT poto Tom Morat spends his working day. Must be nice!

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