Off Grid With A Kid
The continuing ocean adventures of former super grom turned salty sea dog, Ry Craike and his surfing/family lifestyle in WA’s glorious north-west
Remember Ry Craike?
If you were a surf fan back in the ’90s and early 2000s, you’d know Ry as a super grom, sponsored by Quiksilver, starring in their Young Guns videos with the likes of Dane Reynolds, Julian Wilson and Clay Marzo. Like Dane and Clay, Ry never really took to the contest scene, despite a stunning and creative wave-riding talent.
These days, Ry can be found living an idyllic surfing and fishing lifestyle in the northern WA coastal town of Kalbarri, with his partner Mish and young son, River. His evocative video series “Off Grid With a Kid” has gained a broad audience, as he and his young family fully indulge in the ocean-based delights of the north-west – surfing, foiling, fishing, making the run north to the Bluff and Gnaraloo.
A typical day for Ry’s young family goes something like this: “Wake up and get the grom fed, chuck him in the car, check the surf, play rock, paper, scissors to see who surfs,” says Ry. Fortunately for family harmony, Mish is happy to surf when its small and let Ry surf when the swell’s up. “If it’s nice weather and no waves, we go have an adventure out on the boat. The grom loves the boat.”
Ry met Mish while she was travelling around Australia in her van with her dog. “We did a bit of a road trip, she fell pregnant, and we thought, this is the lifestyle we both love, let’s include River in this,” says Ry.
But while the videos make their coastal, family lifestyle look pretty enviable, he says it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. “I don’t put the screaming baby in the videos,” he chuckles. “It’s been a lot harder than we both thought. It’s not as easy as just throwing your swag in. You have to take so much stuff now.”
When he’s not cruising with the family, Ry works in Shark Bay cockling, collecting small shell fish that are known as pippies on the east coast, which allows plenty of time for surf exploration. “It blows my mind, there’s 1000 km of unexplored coastline … and out on the islands there’s some waves too.”
These days, Ry is sponsored by the Mad Hueys, the fishing and surfing label started by the colourful Coolangatta surfing twins Dean and Shaun Harrington, and The Surfboard Warehouse, developing his own surfboard models under the Island label. Ry has two signature models, the Lord and the Control Freak, with a third model in the works for summer.
“I got to know them through Ordy (photographer Russell Ord), and I started talking to Sean and all the crew, and got excited to come up with a few Craikey models. Basically, they’re what we’ve been working on and refining for a long time. They’re a great company to be a part of, a good crew, really cruisy.”
Anyone who’s witnessed Ry casually dominating his local point with his deft tube threading and committed hacks will know these boards have been comprehensively put through their paces. While he might not be travelling too far afield these days, like the rest of us due to COVID travel restrictions, he’s more than content for the time being exploring his own aquatic playground in the north-west. “I’ve always loved the ocean and surfing and fishing. We’re not going away too much but that’s not too bad.”
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