18 Seconds: Future Men – profiling groms of tomorrow

Chris Zaffis

 Chris Zaffis today: white-blonde quiff, piercing blues, academic smarts, and an athletic ability well beyond his 14 years. Tomoz: you decide, but I betcha 100 skins he'll be scratching around the lineup somewhere. Growing up on Angourie Point, New South Wales Chris' surfing oozes style. His foundation comes from rain-to-rail surfing, drawn out turns, easy-on-the-eye flow and plenty of linkage. Throw in a coupla airs and you’ve got some earth shattering sizzle. As you might expect, the highly shredable waves in Augourie have certainly made their mark on his surfing. “It helps a lot I think, y'know, I get to surf a world class point break every day.” And comp surfing: it's Chris' mature understanding of maximising the scoring potential of a wave through linked and committed turns, which has bagging him a gamut of accolade and pegged him as one of Australia's rising stars. Not that he shows it, or knows it. For Chris, surfing just is. Recently Chris was selected, along with a bunch of other grommets and past Young Dudes, to partake in Red Bull's Future Surfing Camp. “[It was] An experience of a life time. I'll never forget it,” says Chris. The camp involved a bunch of handpicked groms. They travelled up the east coast of Australia with specialised coaches and Chris' idol, Mick Fanning. “We were working on future surfing –they were making us go bigger,” says Chris. “I was also working on my carves, getting my body stronger and lerning more about aerials.” “It was really good working with Mick. I probably look up to Mick the most,” says Chris. “I really like his surfing – fast and strong.” And this is reflected in the brine. So much does Chris' surfing resemble Mick's that on camp he was coined 'Little MF'. So what do y'reckon it's like growing up a stone's throw from one of Australia's most prestigious right-hand point breaks? “You froth!” Chris almost shouts. “Y'get out there as quickly as you can and don't come in for school.” His ol' man (Bill) don't mind too much either, as long as the surf's pumping. But Chris ain't no slacker. He tops most of his classes, fitting in a surf before and after school. His goal? “I want to be on the CT and make a living out of surfing,” Chris declares. “At the moment I'm just doing the under 16 events. Eventually I'll go into the Pro Juniors and then break through to the QS.” With surfers entering the tour at 18, it mightn't be long before Chris is toe-to-toe with the pro's. Watch this space.

Time Out: Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse

4 1/2
Frank Moorhouse's 'Edith Berry' trilogy is among the finest of Australian literature – poetic, philosophic and hugely interesting. The books are biographical novels tracing the life of Edith Campbell Berry, first as an ambitious young woman entering the League of Nations with Grand Days (1993), then disillusioned after the collapse and disgrace of both the League and her marriage at the onset of World War II in Dark Palace (2001), which received the Miles Franklin award. Cold Light finds Edith back in Australia rebuilding her life in a sapling Canberra with husband Ambrose Westwood. She continues her unrelenting passion for politics but fails to secure a position at the External Affairs, as she so feverishly desires. The rekindling of a relationship with her long-lost brother Fredrick, and her subsequent friendship with his girlfriend Janice – both active Communists – allows us to witness an exciting period of the Communist Party in Australia. Her marriage of convenience to closet ‘Nancyboy’, British diplomat, and best friend, Ambrose, and her abandonment of him for something more conventional, explores the grounds of sexuality, love and companionship. When Edith finally securers a menial position within the government she encounters plans for the city by Walter Burley Griffin and becomes fixated by them, determined to have them realised. Close to her death Edith secures a meaningful position in the government and becomes involved with a campaign for the safe use of uranium, during the apprehensive period of the Cold War. Moorhouse's use of dialogue is fluid and its relationship with thought creates dynamic and textured characters. Edith is sage and contemplative yet flawed, fumbling through some of her greatest life decisions; but it is this fallibility which has us to relating to and captivated by her. Through Edith, Moorhouse ponders existential questions of purpose, aging and the fulfillment of ones potential. By the end we feel we have accompanied her on this grand journey. And what a pleasure it was. Cold Light is at once whimsical and philosophical, decorous and cheeky, lyrical and profound, scholastic and funny, articulate without affectation. It is a deeply satisfying read.

Time Out: Meet the patissiere - Jonny Pisanelli, From Scratch

The chemistry of a pastry-making couple has resulted in some of Adelaide’s sweetest treats. By Simon Nicholas
From Scratch Patisserie has hit the drool button for the city’s pastry fiends with its attention-seeking seasonal cakes, macarons and croissants. You’ll find the French- and Italian-inspired treats in cafés around town and at the From Scratch stall at the Adelaide Showground Farmer’s Markets every Sunday. But it is From Scratch’s own pop-up store on Leigh Street on Fridays that has Time Out intrigued and frankly a little teary it isn’t open every day.
The love child of Edwina Peoples, 32, and Jonny Pisanelli, 24, From Scratch was a beautiful accident following an international love affair. Eddie, as her friends call her, had worked as a pastry chef at major hotels in Singapore, before moving out of resorts and into the city’s Central Markets. Jonny was a talented barista, competing throughout the world – sixth at the World Cup Tasters competition in 2009 – and studying Pastry at TAFE. They first encountered one another when they were both working stalls at the Adelaide Showground Farmers Markets. Knowing that Jonny harboured a passion to become a pastry chef, a friend suggested he go talk to Eddie. “We went out for coffee and the rest is history.”
When the opportunity arose for Jonny to work in pastry shop near Naples, he quickly accepted. Eddie met him in Italy and together they travelled to Paris for more work experience. “We wanted to open a little shop on the side of the road, like we’d seen in Italy and France, but the Council didn’t want to know about it,” Jonny explains. “Then we discovered that there was a loophole where, as long as you had the right accreditations, you could set up on someone’s private property and not have Council approval.” The owner of Coffee Branch was amenable, so they set up shop next door.
Now, having quit their day jobs, they work through the wee hours crafting flaky morsels for our delight. Jonny describes his cooking philosophy like this: “For us it was always about no compromise: We’re not taking shortcuts; sometimes you have to stay back later or make things ‘from scratch’. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. To have tradition as a foundation is really important to us but we also have our own unique style.”
With their backgrounds and recent success, surely a café of their own is not too far off? “There aren’t a lot of places where you can get a well prepared espresso and a well made pastry, and that’s the direction we want to go.”

You can get your hands on From Scratch's delicious treats at the Adelaide Showground Farmers Markets, Leader St, Adelaide 6000. Sun 9am–1pm, Leigh St Pop-Up Patisserie, 9am every Friday, and from Paddy's Lantern and Coffee Branch cafes in Adelaide.