Imagine waking up every morning with the sound of the ocean waves crashing outside your window… delightful isn’t it? That’s the dream-like reality for surfer Murray Frazer being a beachside photographer. Residing right next to the beach, Murray likes to get up bright and early at the first light of dawn every morning. He likes to cycle to the beach suited up in his wetsuit with a camera hanging on the handlebars, to catch the first light of sunrise across the ocean waves, inviting you to see what daybreak is like through the lens of a surfer.
Apart from living his surfer lifestyle, Murray has turned his hobby of photography into a business, creating an online subscription service known as “Sprout Daily”. He has been capturing the transition from dawn to daylight along Manly to Queenscliff for over 10 years. With over 10,000 people subscribed to his mail system, locals and Manly fans alike wait each day in anticipation for the mail containing Murray’s daily photo edits. Through his photography and local commentary, it has allowed Sprout Daily to be embedded in the Manly community.
Having a LEKKER has not only helped Murray get from one end of the beach to the other – in a record of 2 mins! It has also come in handy in terms of resolving common transport issues: “parking in Sydney is kind of a pain sometimes. The wider wheels suit my kind of riding (urban streets, in parks, etc) plus the Carbon-drive makes riding smooth, fast and efficient. When I first rode the M2, I just wanted to ride fast… like a kid again! It felt so good!”
A day in the life of Murray starts off 30mins before sunrise every morning, backing out of this driveway with this Amsterdam M2 Nuvinci with the help of the carbon belt silently rolling the bike back, not breaking any of the morning tranquillity. He heads to the beach to shoot for 1 or 2 hours and the rest of the morning would usually consist of him working on his photos, then sending them to his list subscribers. In the afternoons he’d hit the surfs and sometimes would ride down to Manly, get himself a piccolo and visit some friends.
“My bike is my transport and getting around Manly Village on two wheels gives you the sense that you’re part of it. The best part about the Amsterdam M2 is that it’s the perfect mix of a stylish commuter and an easy beach cruiser, you can ride it with a surfboard under your arm one moment and to a cafe to meet a client the next.”
