The Lengths: Will McLeay
Can you give a brief introduce to yourself and your history in boogin’?
Will, 38 soon to be 39 years old. I started booging maybe 99/00 in South Oz. I don’t surf so much anymore as I prefer to fish, but still get in some sessions around the coast a few times a year.
Where were you heading to get waves and why?
We have pretty regular trips out to the coastlines west of Adelaide, plenty of all nighters doing close to a thousand kays one way, souped up on ex Bali Ephedrine in the early days, and numerous Red Bulls more recently. Short term windows, variable forecasts always seemed to determine trips. It’s very easy to read a long range chart and fly down from east, hire a car and follow the cars, but the best trips always one car, set up camp, catch your dinner and sink tinnies.
Do you have other crew with you?
I usually roll with 2 others, 3 at a squeeze depending on the car, roof racks or towing boats over there etc. Done a couple trips with 2 cars were good, but the best memories just the boys you’re with.
What problem or issues did you encounter allow the way?
I’ve bogged a 100 series to the axles at midnight on a beach, rolled both rear tyres off the rims at 3am still 200k to destination, has numerous early sea breezes cooking the days.
One memorable one is leaving Adelaide around 10am, driving through the night with one other mate. getting out there and having fairly pumping waves the two of us for a solid 4 or 5 hours. Then we came in and had a couple beers before heading off for a fish 20k away. We bogged the car to both axles and didn’t have a compressor so just rolled out swags and slept a few hours to regroup. Eventually we dropped the PSI, dug the car out and cruised back to the camp. We scored waves the next day before 1000k drive home. 20 plus hours driving, 12 hours in the water.
How did you overcome them or did they defeat you?
Never defeated with the issues out there. You’ve only got yourself, the car and what’s with you to fix any issues when you’re 250k from the nearest town.
A wise man once told me, ‘You’ve gotta hit rock bottom before you get to the top’.
definitely rings true for South Oz.
Reflecting back now what did you learn, and what would you do differently?
I wouldnt change a thing, that coast is a diamond anyone east of here needs to respect and appreciate.
Take your rubbish, stay on the tracks and don’t hassle. It’s a long way to drive home with no valves on your tyres.
