"We each possess a talent, a vision, a gift that is not given for ourselves, but for others, for a vision in one man, is for the inspiration of many.
I've spent my whole life by the ocean, documenting its peaceful states and it's wild moods. I picked up my first camera over 10 years ago now. A lot has changed since then. Cameras used to be big and bulky, and jumping in the water with them was only affordable for the big time film makers. For awhile, I used to ride the waves, but it only ever left me with a temporary satisfaction. And a back injury that persuaded me to change my direction in life.
I always had a passion to create, and I often dreamt of creating something that had never been seen or done before. I don't know what it was that drove me, but I poured everything into pioneering new angles and ideas of capturing the ocean and how we relate to it as wave riders. I knew the ocean had so many secrets, and I was determined to discover them.
In the summer of 2004, I built my first camera housing so I could shoot in the water, which eventually led me to running my own business, manufacturing surf housings for video cameras, but for me, it was all about that one thing, to capture that rare and unseen angle.
I was passionately curious. That's what I love about pioneers, they don't require an example, they become the example, there is no waiting around for the next order, they're always moving forward in a continual flow of action.
In early 2005 I built a small enough housing for my Sony handycam that I could mount to my bodyboard to capture footage of riding the waves. The Board cam; at the time, it was innovation in it's purest form, I took the pieces that I had and built what I had dreamt of. But something was missing.
I continued to refine my idea into the next phase of production building the pole cam later in 2005, it was a wild contraption, and it left me with many scars and wounds, but it was too heavy, i needed to expand my capacity and my thinking, yet my resources were limited. Then one day I discovered a little grey box that would change everything and captured my immediate attention.
The first GoPro. I knew in that very moment, it was the beginning of a new revolution.
Months passed as I watched the GoPro increase in popularity and the decision become clear, I was to close my business doors and embrace this new wave of change, directing all my customers to look at the GoPro. At first I felt like my dream was finished, but overtime I realised it was the opportunity to take my original vision to the next level.
I realised the GoPro was the key I needed in capturing the angles I wanted, to the take the feeling of riding the ocean and share it with the world. From there, I set out to build the rotating board cam mount, a unique device that would swivel around the riders body giving a 180 degree perspective of scooping into the oceans waves.
It was challenging vision, and I spent hundreds of hours, experimenting, designing and engineering this crazy thing. People thought I was mad but after many trials, and many errors, I found results. I walked miles and miles with that thing, surfed the craziest waves by myself, testing and refining, and because I had the vision, nothing could stop me. It was a concept made possible by the GoPro vision.
Little did I know that on the other side of the world there was a couple of guys that were revolutionising what I had conceptualised. And that there vision would unlock a world of innovation to millions of creative thinkers, this, is just one such story.
But the most important lesson I've learnt, is to pursue your dreams at whatever cost, for regardless of the outcome, whether it be fame, fortune or no gain at all, rest in knowing that the vision that was entrusted to you, will be the power that will unlock the dreams and goals of so many other people in the world.
For it is not so much a matter of where you get an idea from, but rather where you can take an idea to."
Filmed and Produced by Burg Thurston @ThurstonPhoto
Assistant Filmers | Glen Thurston, Matt Blakers, Bryce Thurston
Cover Photo: Matt Blakers
Music: New Opportunities by Artiria Productions, licensed by premiumbeat.com
The Revolution of an Idea.
I've spent my whole life by the ocean, documenting its peaceful states and it's wild moods. I picked up my first camera over 10 years ago now. A lot has changed since then...
