Just finished reading TC - Tom Carroll, authored by his older brother, Nick Carroll.

I highly recommend it, a top story, very candid.

Here's an excerpt from part 4 in the book.

"All of it was frightening, and I had no idea how I was going to do it, I really didn't.
My response was to get outta there and try to figure myself out.

About that time I started to switch again. I hated the feeling of ecstasy and its aftermath.
It was really depressing. I'd try to manage the supply, and it was really hard to get a good one.
It was also really dangerous. A lot of e had a cocktail of other stuff mixed into it:-
it coulda had heroin in it, that sort of stuff. It became a really nasty experience, and really dicey mentally.
I felt up and down, not knowing if I would feel happy or sad or really angry.
I was hanging on by a thin thread.

"I'll quit it , I thought. I'm not going to be involved in this.
My ecstacy dealer wasn't using e; he was just putting a little amphetamine in water and drinking it.
So one day I said, just give me a bit of that.
I thought I wasn't into the idea of speed or anything of that nature.
But in fact it was a perfect combo for where I was at in my hectic life.
It sharpened my mind and kept me going.
It felt like it lifted my capacity to deal with reality.

"So it wasn't long before I was totally addicted to it. I never liked alcohol - it didn't fit my pathology.
I'd probably have a couple of drinks with Lisa at night and that was about it.
Even that wasn't where I wanted to be.
I didn't like smoking pot anymore - it was really confusing and mentally damaging at that point.
I could really feel the effects and was scared, because I was already hanging by a thread.
I can imagine people who smoke a lot of that and are on the dicey edge ...
I've seen people coming out of that state, and it's horrible.

"At the time I felt like I had to lift my capacity to pull my end of the bargain somehow.
My perception was that I didn't have the energy.
My perception was that I needed to be able to do more.
I thought, how am I going to keep up with all this ?
It takes so much energy with a young family, to try to hold it together.
And amphetamine is perfect. It's like an extended cup of coffee.
It can sharpen your concentration like caffeine.
And this discovery seemed to sit with my pathology better than anything else.
I was able to pull the amphetamines off for awhile without too much damage.
I don't know what the Newport crew saw in me at the time. They probably just thought I was full of energy."

Watched a bit of that last Quiksilver Pro heat of the day, Parko vs Dion Atkinson. Yep, Parko deserved the win, but Dion had this one long, beautiful wave with such great flowing powerful moves, about 27 of em, that got something like a 6.3. If he'd done just two fins-out snaps he probably would have got a 7. I get what the judges want, but geez . . . Still, a great comp and more fun to come.

Chapter 1
The past
I seen it and commented to the missus. That is a sick board.

Chapter 2
The present
Today is my birthday I was given the board
Occy signature rusty/billabong

Chapter 3
The future
I am going to mentawais next week with the board.

About the author,
The author wrote this story as a constant reminder of the importance of past present and future all bearing relevance to one another.
The author anticipates riding the new board in mentawai, whilst uncertain of the magical properties of said board one can only ascertain that due to its design and structure glossy stickers and well defined rails it should all things considered equal be an absolute joy to ride.

Notes section:
It has glassed in fins yeah glass. No plugs you know there's fair cause for ranting about not getting fins with a board.
Glass fins its real