A CONVERSATION WITH
ALLIE REYNOLDS Tell us what The Swell is about. The Swell combines aspects of three of my favorite stories: Point Break, The Beach, and And Then There Were None. Two young British women, Kenna and Mikki, best friends since childhood, share a love of surfing until Kenna’s boyfriend drowns in a big swell. Kenna blames herself and quits the sport. Mikki continues, moving to Australia in her quest for waves. When Mikki announces she’s about to marry a man she barely knows, Kenna flies out to bring her home. The story begins as Kenna arrives in Sydney. She meets Mikki’s fiancé and they take her to a remote Australian beach with perfect waves. There she gets to know the reclusive group of young surfers who live for the waves. Australian Jack is a former professional surfer who lives in constant pain from an accident. Brazilian big-wave surfer Victor has suffered from PTSD since his accident. Surfing has helped Sky heal after an abusive childhood. Californian Ryan seeks solace from anxiety and a high-pressure job. And Spaniard Clemente uses surfing as a distraction from painful events in his past. Sorrow Bay seems like a paradise at first but every paradise has a dark side. Kenna feels a duty to protect her best friend but is drawn back into the sport she left behind. The Swell explores the ties between friends and partners. It has themes of passion and addiction, and bravery vs recklessness.
PHOTO © MARCIOPHOTOGRAPHYAUS 2020
The majority of the story takes place on a beach in Australia. As an avid surfer yourself and an Australian, how much did you pull from your own experiences? I live on the Gold Coast, and my local surf spots are some of the most crowded on the planet. I’ve been on surf trips down Australia’s east coast to quieter spots, including some very remote ones which can only be accessed with a four-wheel-drive or a lengthy hike. Sorrow Bay is a fictional spot loosely based on some of these places. Surfing is incredibly addictive. As soon as I tried it, I made lifestyle changes that allowed me to surf as much as possible. Before I had kids, I used to surf ten times a week, surfing at sunrise before catching the train to work, then surfing again when I got home. I chose a job specifically because it offered a 4-day workweek allowing me to surf more. I had children relatively late in life because I knew it would interfere with my obsession. In the last few years, I’ve quit alcohol and spent a small fortune on vitamins, supplements, physiotherapy and other health treatments in my attempt to recover from injuries and continue surfing. I started wondering what other sacrifices other keen surfers might make—and how far they might go in their quest for waves. I grew up in the small English city of Lincoln, far