"By The Sea" with Isabell Cook

"By The Sea" with Isabell Cook

For our next instalment of the Gage Roads Summer Surf Coast series we catch up with another beloved Torquay local and total shredder Isabell Cook. We’re down in Anglesea after a day of hunting novelty waves during a surprise monster swell and its been non-stop smiles and stylish carves from this ocean loving cruiser. Cruising wasn’t always the way for Bell though, coming from a competitive background and even having a Junior State Title to her name, she’s transitioned from comp slayer to creative fun-seeker, and has some tales to share about both. Here’s Isabell…

SV: How was growing up in Torquay and what got you into surfing?

Isabell: My dad got me into surfing, I was pretty young and I just always wanted to be in the ocean. It was just kinda the thing to do here.

SV: What were the grom days like for you?

Isabell: So much fun, I loved going up and down the coast for comps and meeting new people. I formed some really good friends when I started doing comps around 11 years old who I’m still friends with to this day!

SV: When did you step back from comps and what made you want to follow a different path?

Isabell: I was around 14, I’m not a very competitive person, I loved doing them for the social aspect but I didn’t want to make a career of it. I still continued doing local board riders for a while but I just couldn’t take things seriously.

SV: How's your approach to surfing changed since your grom days?

Isabell: I appreciate different styles so much more and riding different boards. I never really touched anything but performance boards before I met my boyfriend Dane, but he pushed me to longboard more and kinda showed me to have fun in the water. I admired his outlook a lot and his relationship with surfing.

SV: Got any memorable surf trip tales to share?

Isabell: Umm when we ever we go down the coast we always meet new people, we met these legends 6 months ago down at Portland who had been on the been on this epic trip and ended making a movie we got to feature in.

SV: What's in your quiver at the mome?

Isabell: I have a 6’2 twin fin and my long board.

SV: You've been getting into film photography and film-making in recent years, give us a rundown of what you're getting up to.

Isabell: I’ve always loved taking photos and I just have this thing for film photography. The excitement of getting back and forgetting some photos you’ve taken on it but then you get to see it and you look back and think oh I remember that.

SV: Who do you get influenced by?

Isabell: I get influenced by the people around me. There were so many cool things I got to do this year with Dane. We really met each other at a perfect time. His surfing took my breath away and I felt so grateful to be able to film and adventure with him to places I’d never been before.

SV: Where do you see yourself in five years time?

Isabell: I’d like to be working in some sort of surf lifestyle photography kinda thing.

SV: When’s your favourite time for a frothy bev?

Isabell: On a sunny afternoon.

SV: Well thanks for the great hangs today and having a yarn!

Isabell: My absolute pleasure.

@isabellviolet