Dane and Luke Dujic, Blaze and Hunter Roberts - Photo: Sam Page
Convicts NYC
Website: convicts.nyc
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CONVICTS NYC is a digital media brand. They produce and publish premium video and multimedia content across multiple platforms, in conjunction with events and a retail pop up space in New York City and elsewhere. Founded by Australians living in the USA, Convicts is a global brand with an Australian spirit.
The focus is on innovators in NYC and further afield with more than a few Australians among their stories from when they launched in 2015 up until right now. A few examples - Jack River, aka Holly Rankin, Foster-born, Sydney-based artist who recently released her debut EP Highway – or ‘Two Hands’on Giles Russell and Henry Roberts of Two Hands Coffee in Tribeca. How about a dose of Carl Barron, one of Australia’s great comedians, or Ian Strange; Perth-born, New York based artist and his new exhibit SUBURBAN, showing at Standard Practice’s New York Gallery. Peruse their website and you will find many many more -
Convicts NYC's pieces are seriously good, way beyond excellent – something for us all to aspire to!
This week they published a great Profile called ‘Avalon GROMS’ put together by former Avalon local Peter Maiden, a founder of Convicts, and one of those ‘Aussies now living in New York’. They’re allowing us to share it with you so you can get a taste of how good something can be when it’s done right – this is dynamic, fresh and unabashed celebrations of this next generation of artists in all walks of life who are clearly right here right now, using the platforms that back up that credo through text, images and high quality video.
A weekly visit to see what they’ve been up to would definitely be in the ‘do yourself a favour’ category and a must for all of us here who like to see Australians doing well anywhere and supporting them in their extending the community from local to global. Convicts communicate what others do really really well, lift them up much brighter lit for all to see, and in doing so let you see that there's some of that 'convict' ethos carried forward in these - our new dreams.
Avalon GROMS
Published February 22nd, 2017
© CONVICTS NYC: on Convicts site
Groms are small, living nodes of stoke. They are surfing at its purest. We were on the beach in Avalon recently, and caught up with a crew of bite-sized shredders with big dreams: Blaze, Hunter, Dane, and Luke.
Convicts : Let’s start with the basics. How old are you guys?
Dane Dujic : Ten.
Hunter Roberts : Thirteen.
Blaze Roberts : Fifteen tomorrow.
Luke Dujic : Twelve.
Convicts : Well happy birthday, Blaze. How long have you guys been surfing?
Dane Dujic : I been surfing since I was four.
Hunter Roberts : I’ve been surfing since I was four but only proper surfing for like two or three years.
Blaze Roberts : I been surfing since I was four.
Luke Dujic : I been surfing since I was four.
Convicts : I feel like I know the answer to this, but what’s your favorite thing to do?
Dane Dujic : Surf.
Hunter Roberts : Surf and skate, yeah.
Blaze Roberts : Eat, sleep, surf.
Luke Dujic : Explore.
Photo: Sam Page
Convicts : What are you going to be when you grow up?
Luke Dujic : A pro surfer.
Blaze Roberts : Something in the surfing world.
Hunter Roberts : I want to be a pro surfer.
Dane Dujic : Pro surfer.
Convicts : Thought that might be the case. What’s the best thing about surfing?
Dane Dujic : It feels really good.
Hunter Roberts : It’s nothing like anything else.
Blaze Roberts : It’s exciting.
Luke Dujic : Especially when you get a barrel, it’s really good.
Blaze Roberts : It’s exciting cause you don’t know cause every wave’s different you don’t know what sections are coming up every waves different.
Convicts : Tell us about North Avalon?
Blaze Roberts : I like North Av because everyone knows each other and it’s really social especially at the beach. Everyone spends all their time at the beach.
Luke Dujic : I like North Av because there are many activities to do.
Dane Dujic : I like North Av because it’s got pumping waves sometimes.
Hunter Roberts : I just like everything about North Av it’s got the beach, it’s got the skatepark.
Convicts : Do you have a big crew of groms here?
Blaze Roberts : There’s a massive group of groms.
Dane Dujic : Many many many many.
Blaze Roberts : But sometimes it’s annoying when all the groms are out because there’s so many people.
Dane Dujic : And you can’t catch a wave.
Hunter Roberts : And we all just snake each other.
Blaze Roberts : And everyone steals waves off each other.
Hunter Roberts : When it’s groms dropping in it’s a party wave. When someone’s on the inside you just scream ‘party wave’ and drop in on them and they’re like ‘Oh, ok.’