Date of Birth: 9th December, 1978

Best Known For: Scaring us

Local Spot: Macs Point, Sydney, Australia

My Crew: Matt Wilkinson, Andrew Mooney, Adrian Buchan

Board of Choice: 6'0" with a solid glass job for endurance?

Dream Wave: If Honky Tonks in the Maldives had a slab at the start, it would be amazing?

My Top Five:

1.) facebook.com 2.) ohhodom.com 3.) redtube.com
4.) YouTube 5.) myspace.com

Damien "Dom" Wills' wild ride. Video: Tom Aiello

Damien Wills weaves through traffic at Pipe.

Dom Wills is up for anything. Thirty-foot closeouts. Too-big Off The Wall. And disease-riddled river waves. Here's the latest. Video: PK

A whirlwind week for the Hurley Ohana. All Photos: Michael Lallande

If you don't write things down on the North Shore, it's easy for the details to get away from you. And a lot has happened since our own Joel Centeio's big win at Haleiwa. We have a new women's world champion (Congrats on No. 3, Steph.) We had Rell Sunn's Menehune event this weekend (good on ya, Kaulana and Elijah.) We had a solid swell hit the Outer Reefs and Waimea on Wednesday (welcome back, Aamion.) We winced as Dillon Perillo took a board to the eye, got five stitches, but is back in the water a few days later. And we've welcomed the arrival of Phantom Man, Damien "Dom" Wills to the seven-mile miracle. Fortunately, we have Michael Lallande and Tom Aiello on hand to document all this action, and there's been plenty. Next up: Joel looks to continue his winning streak at Sunset. Brett looks to end his stellar competitive season on a high note. And Dom is looking for anything — and we mean anything — to pull into. Until then, enjoy the latest batch of images from Lallande and stay tuned for more Waves of the Day from the Hurley Ohana.

After four solid days of work outs at the Hurley True Performance Training Camp, we have finished things up...

This was a camp that Hurley Oz put on to help out its athletes in all areas from heat drills, strength and conditioning, fitness, stretching and so much more. Lead by former World Champ Barton Lynch, the camp took place at Whale Beach on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. With Ace and Yadin both having competitive commitments at the time of the camp that left us with Damien 'Dom' Wills, Mitch Crews, Cooper Chapman( Current under 16 Oz Champ), Max Weston and Harrison Vann to work on their A game.

To kick things off, we rented an absolute mansion on the hill at Whale Beach... The first day was jam packed with training, we got up early and went and visited the Narrabeen Sports Academy so the boys could get evaluated. Cooper was a local at the training facility so he felt comfortable but that didn't mean he would stand out the most, with Dom's big wave fitness he was at the elite level showing the grommets how it's done.

Straight from there it was off to the beach for a whole lot of heat drills... Obviously this is where Barton Lynch really comes in to play, this guy is awesome, to have a former world champ on the beach is so beneficial for the guys. Excluding Dom all these guys want to be competitive surfers and Barton is there for them in any way at all. After our surf session we would always go back to the house and the boys we pick Barton's competitive mind whilst watching the days footage.

Over the next few days we would tick all the boxes, video analysis, media training, swimming session, we even brought in one of the best surfboard shapers going around, Lee Stacey to chat about boards, the importance of having the correct equipment for you. Lee was great and answered all of the boys questions...

Over the 4 days we had a filmer capturing all of the action and soon as we have got a clip together i will get it up on the site!

Aussie Ray Collins wins the $5,000 upcoming photographer grant in the name of Flame

For more than 30 years in the surf world, the name "Flame" meant only one thing: a fiery, red-haired photo editor who controlled our sport's imagery with an iron trigger finger. Demanding? Yes. Meticulous? Absolutely. Fiercely competitive? You bet. But beyond his intimidating reputation was a man who loved to see young talent develop. During his long tenure at SURFING Magazine, Larry "Flame" Moore was never too busy to give a rookie photographer advice, feedback or encouragement. And during that time, everyone from Dan Merkel to Aaron Chang to Jeff Hornbaker to Jeff Flindt to Pete Taras have Flame to thank for helping them develop their vision.

When Flame succumbed to a brain tumor in October 2005, his friends and loved ones decided to keep this legacy alive by creating the Follow The Light Foundation. Now in its fourth year, Follow The Light awards a $5,000 grant to a deserving, up-and-coming photographer. In years past it's gone to names like Chris Burkard and Todd Glaser, two of the most respected young lensmen in the field right now.

This past Thursday at the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente, we honored the fourth recipient of the Follow The Light Foundation grant. All five finalists had incredible portfolios and were deserving in their own right: Patrick Ruddy and his ability to make the East Coast look world class; Myles McGuinness and his striking lineups, Brian Nevins' mastery of the mood photo; Karl Steindler's frames of fun.

But when master photographer Aaron Chang opened the envelope, it was former coal miner (yes, coal miner) Ray Collins, whose incredible water imagery blew away the judging panel. Collins, who lives on the South Coast of New South Wales in Australia, is getting plenty of experience in the wide-open slabs around his home. But it's his command of light, his variety and his pure passion for chasing that "perfect image" that will propel this photographer for many years to come. "Whether it’s a shot of a candid line-up, a pulled back water shot of an empty, distant peak or a wide-angle liquid explosion detonating into the reef a few feet away," says Collins. "I believe that part of me is woven through each photo."

Collins plans on using the grant to enroll at the Institute of Photography. "I feel that studying the craft will take me to the next level," he says. "The best things haven't been shown yet."

Spoken like a true student of Flame.

For more, go to www.followthelightfoundation.org.

It's been a busy month...now I'm chilling Euro-style

Yo!

Had fun surf in Spain but it was pretty small. Was just good to get a wave, been flat mostly, did heaps sight-seeing with the gf. I'm giong to surf the river in Munich in a couple days, frothing.

I have attached a few pics to check out...

Ray collins nailed this one for ASL, lurking with the long lense in wollongong.

New computer for me, which is exciting, old one died. Thats why posts have been slow of recent, so much has happened.

Back in cali for the Hurley US open was pretty amazing, got to jump off the pier and whip into a couple waves and watch the comp, drive the skis then hit vegas.

Wilko and I hanging with the euro boys in vegas, Marlon, Melvin, Alan.

Talk soon, Dom.

Damien Wills recounts his bodysurfing stunt in an upcoming film by Jack McCoy. For more on A Deeper Shade of Blue, go to www.adeepershadeofblue.com.

Fun times in PE! So many good waves in Mexico it was amazing. When it's small there's sick air waves and when it's big the barrels are round.

Fun times in Mexico, so many fun waves and parties every night if you want! We had a sick hotel called Hotel Ines with pool overlooking the beach! Can't wait to go back. In Cali for a week now hanging out with Pat O and the Hurley crew. -- Dom

Searching for that perfect stationary wave with Dom Wills

Riding stationary waves would have to be one of my favourite pastimes. We came so close a couple days ago when the tractor dug it out but it didn't happen due to the big surf and massive high tides. After an hour of being dug out, it started to come back in!

Here a couple pics from Ace's house in Avoca of the tractor digging it out.

and here is video from a few years back of how it should have looked!

Dom surf lake opening from Damien Wills on Vimeo.