Unveiling the UDA Collection
Meet Filmaker Clementine Bourke
Meet Clementine Bourke; ‘Clem’ to those of us that know and love her best.
Clem is the biggest, brightest ray of sunshine who, on any given day, you’re likely to find floating floating around in the ocean, wearing the biggest smile and a little Lore of the Sea.
She’s always up before the sun, keen for an adventure or any kind of aquatic play. She is also the artist/photographer/rad friend behind many of our Lore of the Sea photos and videos.
She’s an absolutely epic human who I’ve shared countless ocean memories with!
Catch a little more about this sparkling, avid water-photographer and surf-obsessed Mademoiselle of the Sea in the Q&A below:
*warning: this interview contains extreme Ozzie slang*
Clem is wearing the Haize Jacket over the Myriade Highwaist Bikini
1. Why Byron Bay and what’s your favourite part of living here?
I moved to Byron to go to SAE. I could’ve done it in Sydney, but in classic Byron fashion was trying to get away from a complex relationship and the strains of city life. I love Byron, of course for the ocean, but mainly for the people you meet here. I feel like to succeed here you have to be someone with a certain drive, willing to go the extra mile and to overcome the challenges of living in a regional area. Byron also it attracts weirdos and I love weirdos.
2. Tells Us Some Fun Facts About Yourself.
I have a duck named Marjorie who lives inside and has a penchant for toes and tomatoes. I surf a 9”6 log and on my first surf lesson ever, I fell off the board and onto some rocks, and had to get eight stitches in my knee. Was a kook then, am a kook now. I am excellent at impressions and have a view of life to not take things too seriously and to always jump on the plane first and do your research later.
3. How did you get into surf/aqua photography?
I first got into surf photography when I was 23. I had always been keen to do it and as soon as I saw a “custom made” housing for a sony a77, I was like, ‘yep sounds like a sweet deal’. Legit the first time I took it in the water it ruptured; turns out “custom made”can also mean “home made” a true shitty rig. It didn’t stop me from using it for the next 2 years though, I’m tenacious. I don’t actually know what drew me to it, but I think it was the idea of getting to spend more time in the ocean. If I could forge a career out of that then heck yeah.
“ Byron also it attracts weirdos and I love weirdos. ”
4. When the surf is pumping do you rather shoot or surf?
That’s a tough one.
When the surf is pumping I generally want to be shooting. I’ve met a lot of legends here, and they can all surf better than me, so I would prefer to capture that style than have me kooking around. That being said, I generally have a board in the car and grab it after shooting.
5. What’s your favourite thing to shoot?
My favourite thing to shoot is lady sliders.
There is so much grace in this side of the sport and also a lot of joy. It’s really cool to see a big bunch of girls out there just frothing - you have to love a girl gang. One day I’d love to shoot sharks. I’ve always loved sharks - it’s going to happen, and hopefully on a planned shoot.
“ I surf a 9'6 log and on my first surf lesson ever, I fell off the board and onto some rocks, and had to get eight stitches in my knee. ”
6. What’s in your gear bag?
In my gear bag I have a canon 5d iv, L series 24-105, 18-35mm and a bunch of random vintage lenses. Oooooh and at the moment I’m having a lot of fun shooting from land with an old f4 600mm, it’s a f***ing beast!
I shoot in the water with an Aquatech Kit, Elite series with a few different ports. I’m learning to try to shoot better with a flat port, but there are lots of little tricks to learn.
I also shoot a bunch of videos on red Gemini with Cooke lenses (not for in the water just yet).
7. What’s your favorite Lore of the Sea piece?
Hmmmmmm that’s a tough one cause I like everything. At the moment I’m really liking the Haize Jacket, because we are going into that fun in-between-season phase. It’s super warm and will be excellent for keeping me snug in the water while I bob around for hours on end.
8. What current projects are you most excited about?
I’m super excited for a project that I’m working on at the moment called Heavenly Bodies. I can’t tell you too much but it’s an exploration on form ;) Classic Photography.
Check out Clem’s awesome work at
Posted on 17/12/2020
Lola & Millie - Video
The beauty of living in Byron Bay is that you don’t need to travel anywhere to meet friends from all over the world.
Just before our trip to Mexico (story coming up soon!), we got to share some super fun peelers with Lola Mignot from Mexico/France and Millie Nabeshima from California/Japan - yep, this town is pretty multicultural! -.
With the change of seasons the air has become a bit more crisp but the water remains so warm that it’s enjoyable to surf in our bikinis and surfsuits.
Let me introduce these two beautiful Mademoiselles of the Sea we shared the day with:
Lola Mignot, semi french, semi mexican, living in the famous spot of Sayulita, Mexico. She comes to Australia regularly, usually around the Byron Bay Surf Festival & Noosa Festival to take part in the competitions.
Lola is one of the most stylish longboarders we’ve met - there isn’t much more to say, her surfing just flows gracefully.
Millie Nabeshima, born and raised by her Japanese family in the heart of California has been living in Byron Bay for the past few months. She is the cutest surfer out there, a super-tanned ballerina with a constant smile on her face. You’ll see her in the ocean pretty much every day as she barely takes a day off surfing!
Here are a few shots of that day taken by Jemma Scott
Welcome to Noosa - Video
We went to Noosa for the legendary yearly Noosa Surf festival.
This festival has got to be the oldest “classic” longboarding festival that has ever existed showcasing single fin logging, old mal surfing in many different categories. A full week of traditional surfing mixing amateur and professional surfers.
For those who don’t know, Noosa is that iconique headland north of Brisbane. A little surfer town that holds some of the best point breaks in Australia. Several little bays with amazing rolling rights that occasionally connect and offer the longest rides.
I met Anais Pierquet, French longboarder living in Bali, up there. We got lucky to score 3 days of good swell during the festival.
Not only did we get amazing waves, but we also got to surf with a whole bunch of incredible surfers. The line up on those days of swell was better than any longboard single fin video you can watch. All these amazing girls and guys were out there ripping right next to us being the biggest inspirations.
Filmed and edited by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers
Laure wears the Acotz Cropped Top and Biarritz Bottoms Vintage Blossom.
Mademoiselle's of the Sea in the South West of France - Video
Indian summer slides 'n' rides in a place we cherish, in the SW of France...
This video features, in order of appearance, Maribel KF, Laure Mayer, Ambre Victoire, Lucie Curutchet, Renata Gonzales Vargas (38 weeks pregnant in the video) and Alice Vedrine.
A film by BIRD film company (@wearebird)
Published on the 15/10/2018
Lady loggers of The Bay - Shot on Film
- Words and photos by Dave Thew, film photographer -
There are a fair few lady loggers in Byron Bay. Some grew up here, some settled from afar, and a few are holiday-makers. Sure they have their differences, but they have a lot in common. Firstly, there are all regulars in the lineup out at Wategos and The Pass. Secondly, they all have heaps of fun in the water; smiles all round. Another thing they have in common is their elegance. Don’t get me wrong; some guys are great to shoot, but heaps move around like an old wombat (myself included!). All I have to do to get a decent photo of these girls is point the camera at them and they do all the work. These shots are from one of the usual fun days in The Bay. Warm water, blue skies, and party waves a plenty!
Surfers
Roisin Carolan @roro.carolan wearing the Lafitenia Surfsuit
Laura Ashley @lovesundancekid wearing the Socoa Surfsuit
Stephanie Schechter @Stephanieschechter wearing the Artha One Piece
Laure Mayer @lauremyr wearing the Beltza One Piece
35mm film photos and words by Dave Thew
Mademoiselle of the Sea - Film photographer Anrielle Hunt
Byron Bay child Anrielle Hunt is that smiley face you meet in the surf and you will remember for her positive vibes. It’s clear that she’s at home & in love with the ocean and the elements as she will often tell you how much she regrets not having her camera with her when she’s surfing.
INTERVIEW BELOW
Pro surfer Roisin Carolan, photographer Fran Miller and I went on a trip to this incredible secret spot on the Australian east coast and Anrielle documented the day with some pretty classic frames.
Roisin Carolan in the Salinas One Piece
INTERVIEW
Meet Mademoiselle of the Sea and aqua film photographer Anrielle Hunt:
LORE: Is it safe to assume that growing up in Byron Bay makes you an ocean lover?
ANRIELLE: Most definitely. My clearest memory as a child is my dad taking me into the ocean on his hip at Belongil on what I felt was a ‘big’ day. He taught me to read the ocean and not be afraid. You can always dive deep, feel the sand and kick back to the surface.
Anrielle wearing the Lafitenia Surfsuit French Sailor
LORE: How long have you been surfing?
ANRIELLE: I started surfing around 12 years old, 5:30am wake ups getting my quilt ripped off me in winter. I was pretty insecure as a kid about how much of a kook I was so I mastered duck diving and became confident reading the surf in all kinds of conditions but couldn’t actually surf haha. I’ve always been in the ocean in some way but picked up longboarding about 4 years ago.
LORE: When you’re not in the ocean with your surfboard you choose flippers and camera, how did you get into photography, especially aqua photography?
ANRIELLE: I am creative in a lot of ways and have always had creative outlets and played with different mediums. I picked up film photography initially in year 10 at Byron High but due to some not-so-supportive peers ended up dropping it. I found myself watching documentaries on film photography recently and bought a camera and 20 rolls of film then and there. Majority of my friends spend a significant amount of time in the ocean so it just made sense!
Fran and Roisin enjoying the empty spot
LORE: Why choose film over digital?
ANRIELLE: To be honest given I felt I was starting all over again I thought it best to go back to basics and master analog first. At the time it was more cost effective too but not anymore, I’ve spent hundreds developing film haha, ah well…worth it.
LORE: What’s the hardest thing about shooting with film?
ANRIELLE: Surfing is fast, film is slow. While you’re trying to keep your body above water, be in the right spot and right distance from the subject at the right time making sure the settings match up with the aforementioned you’re also battling rogue boards and surfers in the shot! Shooting surf photography has made me practice patience and wait for the perfect moment. Makes it all worth it when everything lines up.
LORE: What inspires you the most and what are you still wanting to shoot?
ANRIELLE: Definitely seeing other people put themselves out there and do their thing without trepidation. Being in the ocean during sunrise or sunset and watching people dance on surf crafts using the ocean to do it is pretty inspiring!
I am also keen to get more into portraits and learning to be able to properly capture a person’s personality. I love seeing the essence of someone and who they are when they are comfortable in the ocean so I want to keep learning to translate that into my work.
Laure wearing the Lafitenia Surfsuit Metallic taupe
LORE: Any dreams for the future in surfing and photography?
ANRIELLE: I’m a nurse by trade and although I love it and it has served me well, my dream job is to travel and shoot surf and lifestyle photography. I plan to keep working with the amazing people I am lucky enough to have met around Byron and see where it takes me. Whatever will be, will be. I will be happy as long as I live a life in the ocean!
Date published 10/12/2017
How to keep surfing while pursuing your dream - Video
A short video by Keita Ikawa presenting the first Mademoiselle of the Sea and lady slider surfing in her Australian home Byron Bay.
"Testing prototypes in the water is my favorite part of the job"
Published on the 15/08/2016
Mademoiselle of the Sea - Isabelle Braly
Living the dream in the most famous Australian East Cost surf town, Isabelle Braly is the definition of what we call a styler and we’re blessed to have her as one of our Mademoiselles of the Sea.
Her surfing is the perfect combination of grace and style, combined with strong technique, and that rare sense of humbleness.
Wearing the biggest smile, Izzy is a ball of positive energy and it’s always inspiring to surf around her.
Here’s a little insight into Izzy’s busy life split between days at the beach, motherhood, and her professional life as a lawyer.
Ballerina style wearing the Lafitenia Surfsuit - Photo by @moceanmediahouse
INTERVIEW
LORE: Adopted Australian, you are originally from the US, where did you grow up and how did you get into surfing?
IZZY: I grew up on the beach in St Augustine, Florida. My dad owned the local surf shop. I had the luxury of being able to roll over in my bed an check the waves.
LORE: How long have you been surfing, and what types of boards do you ride?
IZZY: I started surfing on surfboards when I was about 7 years old. Prior to that I stood up and "surfed" on bodyboards. I mostly ride longboards but you can also catch me on the odd fat little shortboard as well. The last few years, I have been privileged with riding surfboards made by Thomas Bexon. Tom's boards have been magic for me.
LORE: How did you end up in Australia? What made you decide to call Byron Bay home?
IZZY: I first came to Australia to surf and to study. I surfed a lot and studied a little. But then I ended up getting a professional job, falling in love, having a baby and now it's been 13 years!
LORE: You’ve been competing for years, on the LQS, the WSL’s Longboard tour, and at the Noosa Festival; which event was the most memorable for you?
IZZY: I find this a difficult question to answer because I am not sure if I love any of the comps... anymore. Longboarding is easy for me to love but the professional women's longboarding tour is difficult for me to love. There are only a few competitions annually, the prize money is limited, the location of the competitions, like China, are often obscure and the waves generally are not dreamy.
Critical section in the Parede Surf Tee - Photos by @moceanmediahouse
LORE: What events are you planning to enter this year?
IZZY: This year I don't have any plans to enter any big events. I entered the Noosa Logger, which was a nice weekend escape; and I will most likely enter the Evans Head Invitational in October. These are more family events which are more fun than professional.
LORE: How do you manage to train, keep surfing everyday while being a mom and having such an important job as being a lawyer?
IZZY: I juggle and do not prioritise sleep as much as I probably should. The baby/work life balance is a lie.
LORE: What’s your best surfing memory?
IZZY: Surfing Witch's Rock in Costa Rica with my long-time school Kristin. We thought we were the female versions of Pat and Wingnut from Endless Summer II. haha
LORE: Which surfing destination are you dreaming of going, or returning to?
IZZY: Awww the Telo Islands or Fiji look pretty good.
LORE: Who inspires you most in surfing?
IZZY: Eric Walker. He is a local guy that absolutely loves to surf. He is in his sixties, hangs 10 everyday and reads waves with the utmost skill.
LORE: We love seeing you in Lore of the Sea; how do our pieces make you feel? what’s your favorite suit?
IZZY: I love the Lafitenia surfsuit. I've been wearing it to death. Its just so easy to wear. It's designed beautifully: good boob support, the long sleeves are great for sun protection and it stays on without having to readjust after every wave or whitewash.
Rocking the Lafitenia Surfsuit - Photo by Michael Spazz
Date published 05/05/2016
Mademoiselle of the Sea - Sierra Lerback
Sierra Lerback, 19 years old was lucky to be born in the beautiful island of Maui in Hawaii.
We caught her surfing in one of our fist surfsuit designs the LOIA SURFSUIT.
Read her story below.
INTERVIEW
LORE: Tell us a bit about you, how long have you been surfing for, how did you get hooked?
SIERRA: My fortunate upbringing on the island of Maui has given me the opportunity to have world class waves not even 10 minutes from my house, like Honolua bay. I have been surfing since i can remember- my dad put me on a board at the age of 3 & around the age of 7 I got my own board... And I was hooked! There are so many great waves on this little island, it's the perfect place for a surfer.
LORE: What do you love most about surfing?
SIERRA: Being on a wave is the most invigorating feeling- almost like flying. I can never quite pin point what I love so much about surfing, it could be the countless hours of being in the ocean and washing all of my worries away, or just the lifestyle that goes with it. Surfing has brought so much happiness & experience to my life and it's my favorite thing in this world!
LORE: How do you feel about being a female in the line up?
SIERRA: Being a female in the line up can be challenging at times, especially when you aren't at your local spots. I love it either way! Surfing with the boys always motivates me to go big.
LORE: What’s your are favorite spot?
SIERRA: My favorite place to surf on Maui is Honolua bay- it's a dream. There are 5 different peaks there that are all absolutely perfect barreling waves in crystal clear water.
My favorite wave to travel to would have to be in Noosa. Going to the Noosa Fest every year is the best excuse to score great waves and get to enjoy the atmosphere.
LORE: Where are you dreaming to go surfing?
SIERRA: I'm dreaming about going to West Java! By the looks of it, there's perfect waves for any board.
LORE: How is life on such a beautiful Island like Maui ?
SIERRA: Being born and raised on an island has truly been a blessing. Surrounded by beautiful waterfalls, incredible beaches, and breathtaking views it's difficult to get bored here. It's a small island with a big family vibe- there's so much aloha and love for one another. The ocean is apart of most people's every day life and it brings us all together, whether it be surfing or just beach BBQs, everyone gets together and has a good time.
LORE: Your favorite surf suit of Lore of The Sea?
SIERRA: My favorite surf suit is the Loia! It's the perfect suit to surf in & not to mention adorable.
LORE: Who is your biggest inspiration in surfing?
SIERRA: My biggest surfing inspiration is Leah Dawson. She rips at everything she does with one of the most unreal styles I have ever witnessed!
Date published 03/12/2015