Images courtesy Leanne Mordue
Now be honest…
Think back to your first year in Second Life™ (SL) and remember - if you can - how you spent your time inworld. For most of us, it
was probably mostly a blur of wearing boxes, failing badly at SL surfing and
learning the ropes like your average noob. But some rare people seem to shine
from early on in their SL existence and burst forth brightly, conquering all SL
challenges with ease while unleashing their creativity on us all. Leanne Mordue
(Leanne8976) is one of those people.
Just four months into her SL journey, Leanne
discovered a personal love for the SL surf scene and diligently practised every
day to quickly become one of the most talented C-3 surfers on the grid. Her
natural curiosity and love of adventure led her to visit most surf sims where
she honed her surf skills on all types of wave. “I just love the freedom of SL
surfing,” she says with a smile, “I can do it anywhere in SL at any given time.
If I surf with friends, it’s full of laughter and joy and on my own, it’s the
perfect way to clear my mind and refocus.”
Leanne’s boundless enthusiasm for surfing has
also meant that over the past year, she has helped dozens of new surfers to get
started and her friendly nature combined with her surfing expertise make her an
ideal ambassador for the sport. Part of her time inworld is spent as a Life
Guard at Surfer’s Bay VIP where she can often be found, sat on her board giving
tips and sharing a joke with someone new to the SL surf scene to put them at
ease. Her real-life love of art quickly found an outlet in SL too and she
enjoys creating new designs for her many boards.
This love of art also transitioned into her
other SL passion – photography. An accomplished photographer in her real life,
Leanne realised early on in her SL that there were many opportunities to take
photos inworld, as her Flickr stream
illustrates. She explains: “There are no bounds in SL to how
intricate or how simple we make our photo’s. In RL, depending on what type of
photo I’ll be taking, I need several different lenses and the appropriate gear.
I must also factor in being at the right place in the right time! But this is
something I don’t have to appease with in SL, I can take any photo just how I
want it, with any kind of look, emotion or light.”
Leanne’s talent for photography - combined with her devotion to SL surfing - has made her one of the most notable photographers on the surf scene. A quick glance at her photos shows shots of her striding along windswept beaches, paddling out to hit the waves or simply relaxing on her board as the sun sets. So, it was natural for her to join the team at SurfWatch as the official photographer, an accolade which has delighted this exuberant woman. “I am happy and honoured that I’ve been asked to join SurfWatch. It’s a compliment to my skills and the time I spend on it. Never mind that it’s one amazing team of fun, soulful, social and just plain wonderful people!”
So, what does the future hold for Leanne? As
someone who has grabbed all SL opportunities and forged her own path inworld at
such a tender SL age, what is she looking forward to doing next? She reflects
for a moment before replying: “I am simply looking forward to joining SurfWatch
and gaining new experiences and inspiration for my photography. It is a chance
to further broaden my horizons. It will be a learning curve… but I’m sure because
of everyone on team, it will be an amazing experience.”
You
can find Leanne’s Flickr at:
https://www.flickr.com/people/155134230@N04/
[Editors note: you can find the link to Leanne's Flickr permanently listed in the sidebar with our partner links. We are thrilled to have Leanne on the team!]
[Editors note: you can find the link to Leanne's Flickr permanently listed in the sidebar with our partner links. We are thrilled to have Leanne on the team!]
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