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Matthew Banks

@captainbanks_

4.1K

followers

2774

following

FOUNDER + director @merchantsofthesun

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

OMBAK BAGUS 🫶

@lost9193

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I’ve been back a week now from a 10-day surf trip on the remote islands of Sumatra. This trip was so much of what I needed and more...

It helped me reflect a lot on myself, some of my choices, and the identity I think I’ve formed at times in my life.

I turned my phone off for the trip and fully allowed myself to switch off.

I just had this film camera, my board, and shorts... I didn’t even use AI (probably the longest since chatGPT came out).

I let myself go, surfed my brains out, read, played games, laughed a tonne, and just enjoyed being present.

Spending this time away from work, away from Instagram, AI, and away from the world out there helped me to realise that you’ve got to remember what life is really about for you...

Whilst I love what I do, and am fortunate to have created a working-life that allows me to do largely what I want, when and where I want to, I also see how I’ve been “living to work” in many ways...

I moved to Bali for the lifestyle, for the surf, and for everything that comes with living in a tropical paradise away from home, and yet have found myself spending most of the time working, thinking about work, or talking about work.

The thing is, we, or at least I have noticed I’m often doing the thing “for” the next thing... in this case, you go on a holiday to recharge so you can come back better for work.

No, you go on holiday to simply, go on holiday... enjoy the reward for the hard-work, not use it as a tool to come back better (it’s just a happy result that it helps to rest).

Basically, we shouldn’t do things to chase the next thing, but to just experience them and live them fully, be present, and in the moment.

Cheers to the absolute bunch of legends I met on this trip...can’t wait to do another on the Jiwa x

-

#founderlife #slowdown #indonesia

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Barrels, beers, and the boys, the magic trio. Another amazing trip full of fun, laughs and amazing waves.

Thank you to all who come out on great adventures with us 🤙🏼

#surfcharter #surfindonesia #banyaks #telos #mentawai

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Another one for Matthew. 🖤

A dagger added to this torso. Can’t wait to have him back and keep filling the gaps.

Done by @cmpll_ttt

📍 Uluwatu, Bali
📩 Bookings open — DM to book
Walk-ins welcome
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#DaggerTattoo #BlackTattoo #BaliTattoo #UluwatuTattoo #BarbarianDaysBali

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1

Trance Atlantic

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Seeing @tracksmag Issue 606 on the shelves this week was a pretty cool moment. To think that @beyondborderspatagonia has now played to 15 sold-out screenings across Australia and Indo, and is about to head out on a new 20-stop film tour across Australia and New Zealand with @garagefilms and @madmanfilms ... it’s hard to put into words what that means.

A couple of years ago this was just an idea, a film about chasing waves, mountains and the unknown. Today it’s become something so much bigger than I ever imagined.

Making independent films is so hard. There are countless moments where I’ve question whether it’s all worth it. But every packed cinema, every message, every person who’s got around it, shared the film or told a friend has made this dream come true.

To everyone who has supported this journey from day one, thank you. We have more things loading…

BIG LOVE 💜

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RC17 - work in progress. Dropping tomorrow, 5pm.

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Home is where the heart is 🤍 love

NYC, San Diego, Paris, London & Berlin 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇩🇪

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BUILDING 7 : EP 001

ni hao guangzhou

boys on a mission

forgot I spoke chinese for a sec

stew loves his materials

touch it feel it see it

f**k fast fashion

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Long and disastrous event for most but these lads came out on top picking gems like Yago, Tia and Sawyer. Bit of a break now before Tahiti and the back half of the CT season. Will a few of favorite surfers get their act together and get back in the title fight? We’ll find out.
Good luck out there!

#surf #fantasy

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felt like life had something missing, had to get out of home. hard to leave, my friends are here. told myself long ago that I won’t get comfortable. LETS GOOOO! travel to a remote island, go to that dive bar instead of the super club, drink the local alcohol, meet friends in south east Asia, go somewhere you feel small (tiny in fact), feel a part of something bigger. two and a half months across thailand, bali and USA. you’ll come home and realise you had it here all along. finding the answer was just somewhere else.

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