February 1972, MP Cut Back

It’s 1972 and Michael Peterson is at the zenith of his abilities, his surfing a beguiling mix of power and grace. In the issue Albe Falzon writes, “He lives at Kirra and knows exactly what each wave is going to do. He doesn’t fight it but seems to fit into its curves and flow with its energy. He has a beautiful feeling for the wave and the wave for him.” When MP swings into a stretched Kirra line, Albe is on hand, filming for the project that will become ‘Morning of The Earth’. As the wave briefly slackens its pace, MP tilts his board to full rail and bends his sinewy frame through a blistering cutback, leaving a trail of spray and a whip of hair behind. Going through the footage later, Falzon senses he might have something special and lifts the frame-grab for the Feb’ 1972 Tracks cover.  The issue’s release coincides with the launch of ‘Morning of the Earth’, a film that will always be synonymous with Tracks.  The cutback, which also features in the movie, ultimately immortalises Michael Peterson. The image becomes Tracks’ most famous cover and an iconic reference-point for ‘Morning of the Earth’. Meanwhile, Falzon’s film is credited with elevating surfing to a new level. Or as Albe Thoms writes inside the issue. “The surf film maker became more than a sports film maker, he became an artist capable of revealing truths about life we otherwise overlook.”