Frother of the Month – Luke Stewart

By Brad Malyon on March 2, 2012 in People

This month we would like to introduce Luke Stewart, an environmentally aware Frother who tries to sneak in as many early morning Bondi sessions as he can.

Name: Luke Stewart
Age: 34
Occupation: Environmental consultant
Board shaper/dimensions: 20 year-old Bennett (the lollipop) – 6’6” by 21 ¼”
Local break: Tama

You work in the area of ‘multidisciplinary environmental consultancy’; for all of the groms out there, what does that mean?

Our company, EMGA Mitchell McLennan, focuses on the management of the environmental approvals process for large- and small-scale developments, from mines and port expansions to commercial developments. We work with clients to incorporate environmental considerations into their project designs and then assess the potential environmental impacts and develop mitigation, monitoring and offsets to manage potential impacts. ‘Multidisciplinary’ refers to the environmental attributes that need to be assessed, for example ecology, water resources, noise, air quality, heritage and traffic, etc.

A large portion of your childhood was spent in Deniliquin; did your rural experiences lead to your choice of career?

I did most of my high schooling in Deni. Mum taught at the only school in town. My career choice was influenced by my dad, Big Pete. He was an environmental consultant and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Does your work in the environmental field impact your day-to-day habits? Do you shop with an enviro-bag or cultivate a worm farm?

I don’t really go for the worms, but I definitely aim to have a positive influence on the world around me.

Your job role sees you put in some big hours at the office; do you still have time for a sneaky surf?

On holidays I love it. Then I keep the momentum going for a while at home. Then I have a dry spell until I go on holidays again. If I’ve snuck a few early morning surfs in a row, life is definitely brighter. You can’t help but feel alive if you’re down at Bondi in the morning.

When you head out of town, where do you go – bush or beach?

Definitely the coast. Most of our time away is spent in Mollymook. My wife Jade’s family has a place down there. We love it.

You’ve got two little whipper-snappers; will we see this next generation of Stewarts ripping it up at Tama in the future?

Sure do – Cooper and Ava. I hope they do. To be honest, I’m a pretty average surfer so I reckon Cooper will be teaching me in couple of years.

What does 2012 have lined up for Luke Stewart?

Just going for it. I want to enjoy and get as much out of life as possible.

Any last words?

Breath.