Joe ‘Fish’ Haddon
A few words about a good mate
Usually I like to sit and write about the environmental or political issue that has gotten under my skin that day, some people seem to like what I have to say on the matter, others either let it pass them by indifferently on the social media jet stream or don’t like it and are unable to show it because Facebook doesn’t have a button for it.
Politics and the environment are my passions and I make no apology for it.
But today I just want to write about a mate.
I want to write about this mate because I count him as one of my longest and best mates, and because I think he deserves more credit for some of the good things he does…. mate.
My mate’s name is Joe ‘Fish’ Haddon, and if you haven’t heard of him, then bloody pull ya head outta ya bum and get to know him… mate!
The first time I met Joe he beat me…. Not physically…. Well it was physical, but it wasn’t violent…. He beat me in a board-paddling race at nippers (for those who don’t know what a ‘nipper’ is, they are the bits of a crab that pinch your fingers if you let ‘em get too close, or in this context, they are those little aussie kids wearing funny hats and togs down at the beach on a sunday all across Australia). He beat me fair and square and I didn’t like it, but I couldn’t help but like him.
I was leading the pack in this, my first ever paddling race, easily 10 metres ahead (it was 25 years ago now, and I may be exaggerating…. but I was in the lead).
The shoreline was fast approaching and I was beginning to enjoy the taste of my impending victory. Visions of my triumphant run up the beach; the salt water dripping from my lean 5 year old body; under-developed, bronzed abs refracting the summer sunlight. My status as an ‘ocean-man’ firmly etched in the sands of time. Oh yeah, my life was beginning with this win.
As these visions floated across my mind little did I know that Joe had caught a wave behind me and to my right. It was a choppy nor’easter swell that day meaning that waves like dolphins’ fins criss-crossed the sea without any form or predictable pattern. This meant that the wave Joe had caught was his alone.
I saw him flying along ahead of me, bouncing in the wash like a bull-rider on the meanest bull in town, towards the victory that was only mine a split-second before. His little legs ran up the beach ahead of me as I was only reaching the shore. He won and I lost that day, but we both met a new friend.
After many waves, beers and good times Joe and I are either in our 30’s (me) or fast approaching them (him) these days and in this time he has managed to get exceptionally good at surfing and has proven himself to be a great addition to the surfing world in general, and a great ambassador for indigenous people in particular.
I am not the only person who thinks that he rides a wave with a style that is beautiful and uniquely his own, neither am I alone in saying that he is underrated for this style and the competitive achievements that he has recently racked up.
In 2013 Joe was the Australian Indigenous Surfing Champion, an achievement that made myself and many others who know him very proud. He had come close before in being champion and 2013 was the year when he finally finished on top.
That same year, one of his main sponsors Oakley, hosted probably one of the best WCT Surfing events in recent memory in Bali. The location was epic, the waves were exceptional, and some of the best surfing in the sport’s history was witnessed (Jon Jon’s Alley-Oop in particular). The only thing that Oakley got wrong was not putting my mate Joe ‘Fish’ Haddon in the event as a wildcard.
This is not to say that Oakley does not provide a great deal of support to Joe in his professional surfing career - They do and they should be acknowledged for it. But, when you have the recently crowned Indigenous Champion of Australia on your team and a WCT event on just up the road (in Bali), you give credit where it is due, and give him a shot at showing the world what he can do.
I was upset about Joe being overlooked at the time, but when I asked him about how he felt about it, he only offered that golden smile (that he is probably most famous for) and said that it was ok, and that the wildcards they put in were worthy people too.
You see, he is a top bloke my mate Joe.
I was inspired to write about Joe today because I saw a photo of him on Facebook smiling and holding up another award for making the final of another competition in Australia. It is a regular sight and it is one that makes me happy, but it also makes me think how he has been overlooked in the past.
I am unsure if Oakley is the official sponsor of the Bali Pro this year, the ASP website doesn’t communicate at this point if they will be the event sponsor. If they are, then I want to ask them to consider making up for the mistake they made last year and put my good mate Joe ’Fish’ Haddon in the event this year.
