Joel Parkinson

THE PHONE CALL

Photo: Shorty

I got the phone call in France. I was sleeping downstairs and I woke up to a dozen missed calls from Monica back at home. I’ve eventually woken up late, typical France time, grabbed my phone and there are all these missed calls. I called back and Mon goes, “Joel, are you sitting down? I’m pregnant.” I’m still half asleep at this stage and I go, “Pregnant? With a baby?” For two weeks I didn’t say anything to anyone. For two weeks. I went to Mundaka and then flew to Brazil still without telling anyone, and it was eating me up the whole time. I’m sitting with Mick in Brazil, been there a few days, and out of the blue he goes, “So when do you reckon you and Mon will have kids?” I’m like, “Well, I dunno Mick. Why do ya ask?” He looked at my face and he knew.

“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

And I go, “Yep, she’s pregnant.” He gave me a big hug and we both cracked up, even though at the time I wasn’t quite sure why I was laughing – I was 22 and it was our first child. But you look back now, years later, and you would never have it any other way. – Joel

Excerpt from Parko+Friends

NATE

Shaggadelic’s Home Movies – Teahupoo UNCUT teaser from Simon "Shagga" Saffigna on Vimeo.

HEAT OF THE CONNEST

THE DOG BLOG

Mick and Deano

[Show as slideshow]

NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN

“It’s not an easy sleep when it gets big. One year me and Mick stayed at Alain’s house in the bungalow that hangs out over the lagoon. Usually it’s flat, calm water calm in the lagoon. That night we could hear the reef detonating a mile out to sea as the swell came up, and we could hear the waves splashing up under our bungalow. We used to leave our thongs at the back door, but we woke up the next morning and they’d been washed away. We just looked at each other knowing we had to surf it in a few hours.” – Joel

Excerpt from Parko+Freinds… check it out or buy it here.