Australian natural-footer joins the Surfing Doctors
Nationality?
Australian
Current Position?
Resident Medical Officer (PGY2) at Gold Coast Uni Hospital
Education and work experience?
From Newcastle and studied between Armidale and Newcastle through the JMP.
Now in my second year working on the Goldy.
Completed rotations in the ED, Anaesthetics, ICU, Rural, and a brief exposure to medicine and surgery.
Medical interests? Have you found your niche?
I have always been interested in Critical Care and have enjoyed recent rotations in anaesthetics and the ICU.
I also have an interest in retrieval medicine and Global health, so I would love to have a mix of these in the future.
Local surf spot?
Can’t say I’m much of a local on the Goldy, but I mostly head down across the border and surf Cabarita/Kingscliff.
Grew up surfing Newcastle Beach/Flatrock.
What is your favourite surf destination?
Would have to be the Mentawais… endless options for waves, and the place is paradise!
Travel experience?
Travelled a lot in my van along the East Coast of Aus and down to Torquay/Bells.
Countless trips throughout Indonesia, including the Mentawais, South Sumatra, Nias (where I spent a month volunteering with Friends of Nias), Bali, and Lombok.
Papua New Guinea
Mexico
New Zealand
Japan
Fiji
Best surf trip ever?
Mentawais Boat trip in 2015… Incredible surf for 2 weeks straight, and then extended the trip for a swell – Scariest but most perfect Greenbush I’ve seen. Got the barrel of my life (So far).
Worst surf trip ever?
Spent 2 weeks in Papua New Guinea, and it didn’t get above 1ft the entire trip. Luckily, there are plenty of diving spots to make up the time.
Best thing about surfing?
Getting barrelled with your mates, late arvo glass offs and surf trips.
Best advice you were ever given with regards to surfing?
Keep your head up in the barrel and look where you want to go.
Favourite surfer in the world and why?
Favourite surfer of all time is Mick Fanning, but I can’t go past Ethan Ewing currently. He’s super fast and technical and is bringing style back to the tour.
Current go-to surfboards? (make and dims)
All 3P Surfboards (Local Newcastle Shaper)
Twinny: 5’7 x 19’ 2/3 x 2’ 1/3
Shortboard: 5’11, 19 ½, 2 3/8
Instagram?
@Olihamilton
Further reading: Tomas Moore joins the crew