Disappointment as lavish surf retreat of Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ surfer-bass-player “Flea”, built amid secluded sand dunes on remote Australian coastline, sells for half-a-million dollars less than price guide!

"You will love spending your time just relaxing in a spot that is virtually unknown except to the very very lucky few."

The bass-player-cum-clown of funk-rock act The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, a first-class band with a savage vitality that was formed in Los Angeles in 1982 and has shifted 120 million records over thirty years, has sold his beachfront compound on NSW’s far south coast, a joint designed for the express purpose of Keeping the Master Happy At His Work; or, more bluntly, indulging the small child that lurks within every creative man.

The Australian-born Flea, lesser known as sixty-year-old Michael Balzary from Melbourne, bought the half-acre beachfront spread at 775 Congo Road, Congo, five hours drive south of Sydney and halfway to the Victorian border, almost thirty years ago in 1994.

Flea and New Zealand architect Malcolm Cheadle designed the five-bedder with the roof designed to look like a cuttlefish and with wooden floors sourced from the old Parliament House in near-ish by Canberra.

“It has a rock-star vibe to it but also a relaxed holiday feeling that is really suited to the village of Congo,” selling agent James Hamilton said.“Flea has written a lot of music at the property and has had band members, jamming in what was the music room downstairs. It has a contemporary Californian design that sprawls out towards the ocean with amazing views and really compliments the natural environment.”

(Ed’s note: A subsequent email from the architect’s daughter Paloma said “an incredible team of craftsmen came together to build that house. That stunning copper staircase was made by a Calabrian blacksmith from Sydney Francesco Petrolo.” Also RHCP-adjacent is Malcolm Cheadle’s relationship with the band’s frontman Anthony Keidis.  “Anthony seemed to have a very natural, energetic fit with New Zealand. They spent quite a bit of time searching for the perfect coastal site on the Coromandel peninsula, but Anthony ended up buying the property on the Kaipara that he wrote about in his autobiography.”)

Shoot hoops tween surfs.

If you’d peeled open the marketing brochure you’d learn the place was,

“Situated in Congo on 2946sqm (approx. half an acre) of land and bordering National Park on one side and beach on the other, you will love spending your time, just relaxing in a spot that is virtually unknown except to the very very lucky few. The custom-designed home opens to a magnificent entry with a bespoke spiral copper and steel staircase connecting two double-storey wings. Beautifully maintained, the property has undergone extensive updates over the past years. Its features include an open fireplace with stone detailing and a master retreat featuring a luxe ensuite with a mosaic-tiled plunge bath. Bi-fold doors open to an alfresco terrace with views across the property. There is also a multipurpose sports court.”

With a price guide of three-million Australian dollars, a sale figure somewhat north of that was expected despite Australia’s plunging property market.

However, you get what you get, and when you remove the rabid desperation of a housing bubble, which ended six months ago, buyers become remarkably subdued.

After a little to-ing and fro-ing, 775 Congo Road, sold for $2.475 million, Australian dollars, one point seven US.

A screaming bargain.

 

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Violent debate rages after World Surf League unveils extremely controversial Hurley Pro Sunset Beach artwork!

"Woaahhh when do we know the line up for the festival? Only djs or we also have bands?"

The Hurley Pro Sunset Beach opens its window in exactly one day and seventeen minutes, at time of writing, and the outlook is not out-looking great. Surfline, the World Surf League’s official forecast partner, is predicting double overhead surf tomorrow which fades through midweek and gets chewed up by various winds and whatnots. Kai Lenny, as you certainly know, is one of the wildcards and birthday boy Kelly Slater will be up against his nemesis Miguel Pupo in heat seven.

And while the attention of surf fans should be clearly and cleanly locked into the other heat draws, it is being spent either defending or slandering the extremely controversial artwork rolled out in celebration of the event.

@tom_rix declared, “I like the design. MR get a wildcard?”

@egas_eymael stated, “are we going psychedelic? ok then” adding three discos dancers even though the design is neither psychedelic nor disco.

@_hvoide thought, “Should have had the design show howling winds blowing the lineup to bits.”

@odigitalsurf wondered, “Woaahhh when do we know the line up for the festival? Only djs or we also have bands?”

But where do you stand re. it?

Loving the retro or… not?

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Church bells peal as world’s greatest surfer Kelly Slater turns 51!

Where would we be without him?

Today, February 11, is Kelly Slater’s 51st birthday. Last year, on his 50th, he was fresh off a Pro Pipeline win, wearing the yellow jersey and feted by World Surf League executives across multiple blue checked Instagram accounts. This year, he is equal 17th heading into Sunset and there appears to be no official love or recognition, leaving the door wide open for this community, here, to show that we are with the Florida born legend through thick and thin.

Do you have plans on how you will celebrate the milestone?

A nice cold Michelob Ultra and contraband burrito?

Some special time online getting cooked?

Gathering the family around the high definition television to watch Kelly Slater in Kolor?

Let me make that easy for you.

However you decide to honor the day, please share in the comments below so that we can do a better job on his 52nd.

Here’s to you, Kelly.

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Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer (rear) and Chief of Executives Erik Logan (fore) being silly. (Bethany Hamilton insert). Photo: What's Up Doc?
Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer (rear) and Chief of Executives Erik Logan (fore) being silly. (Bethany Hamilton insert). Photo: What's Up Doc?

World Surf League appears to troll Bethany Hamilton, posts official “men’s championship tour rankings” after Pro Pipeline as 1) Carissa Moore, 2) Tyler Wright, 3) Lakey Peterson and so on!

You can't script this!

The World Surf League is known for many things included, but not limited to, hosting professional surfing competitions, employing Joe Turpel, being owned by Harvey Weinstein pal Dirk Ziff, having a “Chief of Sport” etc. Generally not included in that list is “having a sense of humor” though it appears one might be blossoming in the aftermath of Bethany Hamilton-gate.

As you know, the world’s best known surfer took to Instagram, less than a week ago, to decry a change in World Surf League policy allowing for transgender women to compete at the very highest level. Hamilton’s impassioned questioning about why the move was done in secrecy, if any of the tour’s current surfers have been consulted etc. has since gone viral with mainstream headlines picking it up and progressive TikTokers fighting back by enlisting sharks as allies.

Culture World War III.

The League, though, has been deathly silent and I took that as rabid petrification amongst proudly awake executives who didn’t know if they should sacrifice women or other women. But could I have been wrong?

Might Santa Monica have been stealthily crafting the most subtle joke ever?

For hours ago, 22 at time of writing, the official WSL Twitter account tweeted the “Men’s Championship Tour Rankings after the #BillabongProPipeline” as 1) Carissa Moore, 2) Tyler Wright, 3) Lakey Peterson etc. etc. etc.

Ha!

No?

David Lee Scales and I discussed the Hamilton v. WSL business, anyhow, on our weekly chat that went on for a surprisingly long time. I think you just might find as humorous as Jessi Miley-Dyer, Erik Logan and gang.

I don’t know who that gang is and also take it back.

Nothing is as funny.

Listen here.

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Progressive TikTokers recruit shark as “ally” in war against Bethany Hamilton after one-armed soul surfer vocalizes frustration over World Surf League trans-inclusive policy shift!

Surf and TERF.

Bethany Hamilton may well be the best known surfer in the world. The Kauai local, who burst on the scene as a 13-year-old after a nightmare shark attack took her arm, inspired all with her courage, tenacity, unwillingness to quit. She re-learned how to surf at a tip-top level, wrote an inspiring book which became an inspiring movie and is impossible for all not to appreciate.

Or, I suppose, was impossible for all not to appreciate for progressive TikTokers have gone to war against the icon, recruiting the aforementioned shark as an “ally.”

Less than one week ago, you’ll recall, Hamilton took to Instagram in order to question the quietly changed World Surf League policy that allows for transgendered women to surf competitively. According to BuzzFeed News, “The WSL’s new policy requires transgender women to maintain testosterone levels lower than 5 nanomoles per liter for at least a year, in addition to having a “female” or “X” gender marker on a passport or national identity card.For transgender men, the WSL does not state any hormone threshold and only requires athletes to have a “male” gender marker on official identification documents.”

Citing fairness, Hamilton sided with Kelly Slater and other notable surfers in calling for a trans division.

Back to the progressive TikTokers. They are rage-filled at the Soul Surfer’s “TERF” or “trans-exclusive radical feminist” stance and are lobbing many micro-videos featuring the shark saying things like “nom nom” on the popular Chinese spying platform.

@trashohr

🦈♥️🏳️‍⚧

♬ original sound – Genius

@smudge.it.up #greenscreen crazy how people expose themselves #soulsurfer #ally #shark #fyp ♬ original sound – blue

What makes matters worse, TikTok is the most popular World Surf League application leading some to wonder if Santa Monica is quietly behind the attacks or, at least, tacitly approving.

More as the story develops.

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