« October 2007 |
Main
| December 2007 »
Rumours reach me that Tony Plant has forsaken his Insane Blog thanks to a call from the editor of Pit Pilot. Greg Martin (for it is he) rang Tony, told him to pack his bags and leave the country forthwith. Being a decent sort, Greg got up at 3.00 a.m today and drove Tony to Bristol Airport, so that he could be sure that his mission was accomplished. Greg waved him off and has since been seen wandering around Newquay looking like the cat that got the cream.
But why? What has Tony ever done to make Greg force him out of the UK? Well, it's like this. Tony is just too fearless for his own good and Newquay was too small a town for the pair of them. Actually only half of that statement is true. The answer can be found from even the most cursory of glances at, say, a weather map or, if this is slightly too old school (complicated), the likes of Magic Seaweed. There you will see that a swell of some 36ft, with a 16 second wave period, is set to hit the west coast of Ireland tomorrow. It'll have some wind on it but many of Ireland's jewels will be cranking this weekend. I hear that Tony is in the never-knowingly-under-enthusiastic company of Duncan Scott, and that the likes of Al Meenie, Richie Fitzgerald (pictured) and Gabe Davies will be joining them to tow-surf some epic spots.
This swell, if it turns up as expected, could even be bigger than that which hit Aileens earlier this year, so expect some mind-blowing shots in Pit Pilot before long.
Meanwhile, here in the far west the wind is getting up, the surf is looking ropey, the rain is pouring and, most surprisingly, there's no sign of the girl from Coconut Girl Wireless. Here she is again - let me know if you see her.
Right, the inferior and superior secret spots both being blown out, I'm off to see what the Cove is doing. Good luck to Tony and the lads, and to anyone else venturing into the sea in the next few days - think before you paddle out.
I've just got in from surfing somewhere so secret that I can't remember where it is. I was alone in the water for half an hour or so, and was then joined by three blokes. There were no surf babes anywhere at all except for she who appears here courtesy of Coconut Girl Wireless. Yes, that's right, she turned up, paddled out and made a good session even better.
Bet you want to know where this secret spot is now, don't you? Naturally I can't say, because I don't remember, but afterwards I saw a friend, who'd been for a surf at another secret spot. This one is even more secret than the one I can't remember surfing.
At this second secret spot, there were 10 to 12 people in the water, and this makes me think. After a while, the word gets out about secret spots - that's just the way it is. So everyone starts surfing them, forgetting all about inferior secret spots, which can then be surfed in peace and quiet. So in a sense, there is an argument to say that one should point people in the direction of the really, really, really amazing and world-class secret spot on one's doorstep, because then the not-quite-so-good secret spot round the corner will be empty again.
Not that I would ever do that. My memory is shot to pieces and I don't even know where I was surfing today. (But you do appear to know a good reason for running a gratuitous image of beautiful woman when you see one. Ed.)
What a dismal surf we had this afternoon. I'd like to say it was like this image of Rincon but it wasn't. As is The Routine, I picked up Harry from the school bus at Sennen and drove down to the Cove with him and his surfer mate, Mark. A scene of desolation greeted us. That's putting it a bit strong but the sea wasn't a sight for (a surfer's) sore eyes. There were a few lines but actually they weren't really lines, they were more like the crumbling ramparts of a dessicated coconut masquerading as an extra in Waterworld. (What does that mean? Ed.) My suggestion to the boys that we abandon surfing today was rejected, and so out we paddled. It was dreadful. Even when a set came through it wasn't comprised of waves but a series of vaguely connected pieces of chop. There were only two other surfers out and so far as I'm aware our collective wave count for an hour or so was ... seven.
Never mind. I came home to learn of good news for the Boex brothers, Sam and Will, whom I met on a recent foray to the deep south (er, Porthleven). Their brother Jake is a well-known pro surfer and Sam and Will are no slouches in the water either. They impressed me with the articulacy and intelligence they bring to their retail and interior design company, not to mention the very cool fact that as well as working for a wide variety of people and businesses in Cornwall they've also brought their design skills to the aid of Indy Trucks. The duo have just scooped a couple of awards at last week's Cornwall Design Awards, as I found out from the following press release. Good work.
Continue reading "Onshore Hell. But Two Awards for the Boex Brothers" »
Here is another excellent Slide Cover That Never Made It. It might just be appropriate given the swell predicted for the weekend. Last night Magic Seaweed was showing a little blip way out in the Atlantic that its charts translated into 31ft for Sennen Cove, complete with thunder and lightning. This had morphed post-surf in the car park today into 40ft in some quarters (Harry and his mates), but having just checked Magic Seaweed again (nice new site design) the swell seems to have dropped to a mere 24ft for Saturday, rising to 27ft for Sunday.
Well, whether it's 31, 40 or 24ft, and albeit that that's the measurement on the buoys, there's some serious swell on the way. It'll be accompanied by a hefty onshore wind so lateral thinking will be required to work out which spots will be working.
My money's on Danger Bay, and I am just about to go and play football with one of its pioneers. Talking of betting, did anyone know that at Paddy Power you can get 40-1 for Amy Winehouse to appear in the next Bond movie? And 1-2 on for her to go to rehab? But, at 50-1 for her "to do a Britney and shave all her hair off", the price ain't right. There's more chance of being hit by lightning this weekend at Danger Bay.
Isn't there?
The picture here wasn't really used by Roger Sharp for the cover of Slide, but it raises an interesting issue - the ownership of second homes in places like Cornwall. I saw a friend in London recently who didn't agree with one proposal often heard - that of restrictions on second home ownership. "You must never interfere with the market," he said, pockets bulging with his latest City bonus. That's all well and good, said I, but what about my kids and a lot of other locals in Cornwall? The way things are going, they won't be able to afford a garden shed, let alone a house, when they grow up, thanks to blokes like you who buy holiday homes, push the prices up and then pop down here twice a year. "Tough," said my friend, "you can't interfere with the market."
It is tough, indeed. When Karen and I decided to move back to the south-west (translation: when I convinced her that not surfing regularly was No Longer An Option) we were crystal clear that if we were to come back we would do so lock, stock and barrel. No second homes for us (You couldn't afford one anyway. Ed). We made this decision because we feel that if you're going to live somewhere, especially with kids, you ought to be a tangible part of its community and economy. Otherwise villages in rural or remote coastal areas die.
Once here, we found ourselves in an idyllic village that even gets a serious wave every now and then, but which has more second homes than you could shake a stick at. This was a little disappointing. For over a year now I have been known to go round shaking my stick at empty houses and flats (usually at night, when no one is looking), but it never does any good. It's a shame, though, and I can't say I'd welcome yet another City boy with a bonus buying up the flats for sale up the road.
Sharpy's cover nails the problem nicely. But what's the solution? Is there one?
Today the wave period at Sennen Cove did not exist. In this sense, conditions were classic. Classic England in early-winter, when a lumpy swell turns up but has enough wind on it to mess everything up. But guess what? It was great. Once again, the joy of winter was abundantly obvious as the Sunday crowd was half its usual size. The waves were choppy on the take-off, closed out fairly quickly and couldn't be described as any good, really, but it was fun session that definitely beat sitting inside watching the football.
Talking of which, it is obvious to me that the England football team needs to do the opposite of what the country's surfers do. The latter embrace our maritime status and glory in the fact that we're an island. Trouble is, so do our domestic footballers. They can't seem to grasp that football has moved on from its quintessential English virtues (hard work, physicality, power and pace) to embrace a continental style that entails excellent technique, composure on the ball and an insistence on playing it on the deck. So long as our footballers retain their island mentality, we will remain a second-rate football nation. 
Bizarre note: the only instance of skill during Wednesday night's debacle came from the conjunction of David Beckham and Peter Crouch. Beckham, reportedly, loves surfing. Is this relevant? Probably not.
With huge winter swells beginning to pulverize our coastline, The British Surfing Association's surf experts are scanning the weather charts for the right swell for The Gold Rush, a speciality big-wave surfing event held at Fistral Beach and sponsored by Skinners Brewery. Last year’s inaugural event, reported here by Andy Cox, was a huge success. Spectators were treated to some of the best contest surfing the UK had ever seen as clean 8ft waves (created by the tailend of Hurricane Gordon) pounded the Cornish coastline. In a dramatic final, Jersey’s Scott Eastwood took the £1,000 winner'
s cheque with a last minute barrel that earned him a perfect 10 from the judges - not to mention some serious respect from his peers.
The event, which is supported by Restormel Borough Council and the RNLI, is called ‘on’ at two to three days' notice, allowing the near certainty of big, clean waves. For safety reasons, and to ensure a high standard of surfing, the event is invite only, with a field small enough to allow the BSA to run the event in one day, which can be any day of the week.
Karen Walton, National Director of the BSA sums up the vibe. “Last year was the first ever Gold Rush and it was just immense! With the opportunity for us to call the contest at 24 hours' notice to coincide with superb conditions, we can ensure that we’re providing the very best canvas that the ocean can provide and therefore continually raising the bar of competitive surfing in this country.”
The contest date will be announced on the BSA website as soon as it has been decided. Check out www.britsurf.co.uk for more details. The picture here - of Eastwood on his winning wave - is from Newquay local and good guy Tony Plant. See Surf Twisted for more info.
Those who have been lucky enough to witness my return to regular surfing over the past year or so have often commented on the extraordinary grace with which I have morphed from land-locked, part-time and anguished sometime weekend warrior into waterman par excellence. (That is a lie. No one has ever said that. Ed.)
OK, the Ed is right - no one has ever said that. And they never will. In fact, if truth be told I've come up with some pretty damn handy excuses for my failure to set the line-up alight. These have ranged from citing a mysterious octopus that lives in the middle of Sennen Cove and only appears when I take off on left-handers to having an obscure pain in my left nostril and, of course, blaming my wetsuit. I've also used the tried and trusted "Damn! Someone put razor blades on the deck of my board!" and have even blamed an innate lack of ability. But yesterday, in shifting surf with a lot of backwash and some size, I encountered one of the most compelling excuses yet for Not Surfing Like A Hotshot.
It was the Sennen Cove swimmer.
There he was, again. It's mid-November but this bloke was out there merrily swimming back and forth in just a pair of Speedos and goggles. I went to take off on the first decent wave that came my way, a pleasing right, but before I could leap like a two-legged gazelle to my feet I looked and saw him. He wasn't bodysurfing this particular wave but he was there, swimming. Yes, I know the water is still warm (around 11-12 degrees C, I'd say, yesterday) but come on, who on earth GOES FOR A SWIM at this time of year? Plenty of people won't even take to the water sans wetsuit in the summer, but this guy DOES NOT CARE.
Needless to say the sight of the hardest bloke in Cornwall sent me over the falls and into oblivion.
Another 25 minutes or so passed, during which I failed comprehensively to catch a single wave and started to get angry. Angry with myself. Angry with my board. Angry with the octopus. Angry with the sea. Angry with manufacturers of Hawaiian Tropic, angry with those who play the Grunfeld defence in chess, angry with Roget's Thesaurus and really, really angry with my bicycle pump. Angry. Very angry. So angry that when Harry caught a gem of a wave I pretended I hadn't seen it and, with a pout, bobbed on my board, staring resolutely at the horizon.
"Dad! Did you see that wave? Did you see the spray when I came off the lip?"
He'd paddled back out in less time than it takes to shake a stick (at what, I don't know) and was typically stoked.
"No, I didn't."
Harry knew this was a lie. "Dad," he said, "are you getting stressy because you're having a bad surf? Now now."
"No," I said, "I've just been a bit distracted by that bloke swimming."
Harry didn't believe this, made a mocking gesture - almost, it seemed, as if he didn't believe the swimmer was there - and paddled for a set wave. So did I. Reader, it was a left. I dropped in on Harry, made the wave and all was transformed. An hour or so later, as night fell, we walked up the beach and debated the session. As ever, Harry was encouraging and sensitive.
"Dad," he said, "that excuse about being distracted by a swimmer has to be the worst you've ever come up with. Not only that, but you dropped in on me."
He and his friend Mark agreed that they hadn't seen the swimmer. They said I was making it up, that he didn't exist. But I know he does.
Kids. No respect these days. How different it was in my day.
(And talking of my day, check out Exmouth's surf shop, The Tad Shop. Exmouth is where I grew up, mostly windsurfing and skateboarding it has to be said, but these days there is a hardcore surfing community there and a top-quality shop run by Tad, who's giving 20% off whatever you buy for the rest of November. By the way, Tad, I've figured out ITS whereabouts. I like the name "ITS". The Bra Boys have "Ours" but in Exmouth we have "ITS". Don't worry, my lips are sealed...)
Sam Lamiroy's latest victory (in the UK Pro Surf Tour 2007) has got me thinking. It follows hot on the heels of Sam Smart's appearance - thanks to scoring a rare but perfect East Anglian swell recently - in a newspaper Whose Name I Dare Not Speak, and prefigures the long-awaited Orca publication of Roger Mansfield's history of British surfing, a book edited by Sam Bleakley (I believe this is on its way soon). Add to this my recent meeting with the Boex Brothers, Sam and Will, from Porthleven (more on them soon) as well as the existence of The Other Sam who works in the surf shop at Sennen Cove, Chapel Idne, not forgetting The Other Other Sam who works for Dave Muir and the Sennen Surfing Centre, and it seems - just - as if a pattern is emerging.
But conspiracy theorists take note: the website Surfer Sam has nothing to do with surfing.
PS: The shots here are from Russ Pierre's blog. The style-master on a skateboard is not called Sam, and nor is the Sennen shredder. The skate bowl was skated by someone called Sam at some stage in 2007. Check Russ's blog to find out more.
PPS: A while back I posted briefly on Joe Calzaghe's unification bout against Mikkel Kessler. Calzaghe fought superbly to win the fight. Also on the card that night was Jamie Cox, formerly of Walcot ABC in Swindon, a club I trained at for four years. This lad, also on Frank Warren's books, is a future champion at welterweight, and I'm delighted to say that he notched up his third pro win.
Congratulations to the man from Tynemouth, Sam Lamiroy, who wrapped up this year's British Professional Surfing Association UK Tour at last weekend's Gul Newquay Open. Sam defeated Llewellyn Whittaker by only 12 points, the narrowest margin for victory in tour history. The title on the final day of the Gul Newquay Open could have gone either way, but because of Sam's marginal lead going into the final event on the tour he had the advantage - and used all his experience to achieve his goal.
This is the second time Sam has won the tour title. The amiable Geordie proved he's still on top of his game on a domestic Tour that draws more and more of the World's top surfers.
Gwen Spurlock from Swansea won the Women's division to add to the U16 Girls Grommet Title that she also won earlier in the day. Jayce Robinson of St Ives won the Pro Junior Title, Alex Baker of Croyde won the U16 Boys from a very strong field of up and coming surfers. However, one of the future stars of surfing Harry Timson (Newquay) retained his Under 12 Open title by winning all five of the competitions he entered this year. The UK PST would like to thank 2007 Tour sponsors, Skinners Brewery, G Shock and Relentless for all their support and assistance throughout the year and the individual title sponsors for each of the eight tour events. Also to all the staff and competitors who have all come together to make 2007 a very successful year.
The tour will now be on a break until Easter 08 when the first event will be the Saltrock Open in Croyde. For more info, including all competitors' rankings, see www.bpsauktour.com. Photo courtesy of Lucia Griggi and the BPSA.
There I was, surfing late yesterday afternoon, with Harry and Mark, a friend of his from Cape Cornwall School, when we saw a most remarkable sight.
It was a man of perhaps 30, swimming. The remarkable thing was that he wasn't wearing a wetsuit.
The question of surfing in the UK in the winter has come up on this blog before. With an O'Neill Mutant wetsuit it wasn't too cold yesterday, but I can't deny that after 90 minutes' in the water my hands (sans gloves) were a bit chilly. But I'm not even vaguely hardcore compared with the character merrily swimming across the Cove yesterday afternoon.
Who is this man of iron?
Despite worldwide opposition to its recently imposed ban on the transportation of surfboards - on account of the great complexity entailed by placing them in aircraft holds - British "It is too complex for us" Airways refuses to reverse its decision. The British Surfing Association petition against the ban now has some 8,000 signatures and has been delivered to BA's head office by Karen Walton, the BSA's National Director. Duncan Scott, with whom I surfed the Severn Bore a while ago, has even lobbied Parliament in his guise as BSA Chairman. The result was an Early Day Motion posted by David Davies, MP for Monmouth and surfer, as follows:
"This House supports the role which surfing, windsurfing and canoeing plays in encouraging active, healthy lifestyles and in creating jobs in seaside areas and beyond; recognises that those who participate in the sport often need to travel abroad in order to improve their standard of surfing; further recognises the huge economic boost that these sports have given to developing countries across the world; notes with concern that British Airways’ decision to ban surfboards, windsurfers and canoes from its flights will vastly increase the costs and difficulties of travelling to such locations outside of the UK as well as acting as a barrier to tourists wishing to travel to the UK to surf, windsurf and canoe; notes that the sporting equipment used are usually no heavier or cumbersome than musical instruments or golf club sets; and calls on British Airways to urgently reconsider its decision to ban surfboards, windsurfers and canoes from all flights."
For BA, though, the position is simple. As BA spokesman Richard Goodfellow put it: "If you look at it as a percentage, the numbers of surfers that are traveling is tiny, miniscule."
In contrast, Quantas have publicly stated - along with other airlines such as Air Southwest and Virgin - that surfers and their boards are still welcome. And South African Airways, in also stating that it would continue to carry surfboards, uttered worlds that don't seem to be part of BA's programme: "For us, every passenger is essential."
There are a couple of firsts in all this. I can claim to be the first journalist to break this story nationally. It's probably Duncan's first trip to the Houses of Parliament. And it is almost certainly the first Early Day Motion ever lodged in Parliament connected to surfing. But it's a great shame that such surfing firsts appear to have met with nothing but boorish intransigence on behalf of BA (Memo to BA's press department if you're reading this: do you ever have the courtesy to answer questions, or do internal complexities prevent you from doing so?).
 Surf Solutions' groms Dane Hall, Lyndon Wake and Stuart Campbell check out a fine wave fresh from from the plane following their arrival for the Hawaii Project. Looks familiar (even though I've never been there), and is, I admit, slightly better than Sennen Cove of late which has been resolutely flat or blown out.
But Sennen is, of course, a cracking wave. Why else would Sunny Garcia's real name be Vincent Sennen Garcia?
I'm pleased to put another note up from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), who last week engaged in some classic direct action campaigning to make Northumbrian Water do some serious thinking. Check out what happened (as well as the most excellent new look pioneered by SAS). Meanwhile, to see how green a surf warrior you are, have a look at www.sas.org.uk - there's a fun, and educative, carbon footprint test there.
SAS made a dramatic on stage protest against Northumbrian Water during the prestigious British Environment and Media Awards (BEMAS), hosted by the green fingered comedian Alistair McGowan in London’s Canary Wharf last week. SAS have been objecting to the water company’s plans to reduce the level of sewage treatment they apply at six coastal sewage treatment works in the North East as soon as the summer bathing season finishes (September 30th).
We chose this event, which Northumbrian Water was sponsoring, to make the UK’s environmental media fully aware of the water company's intentions. In what turned out to be a short but lively interruption to the night’s proceedings, SAS campaigners complete in board shorts and dinner jackets were able to present their own ‘Golden Loo Brush’ Award to the company’s Communications Director, for showing a disregard to the heath of the marine environment.
Northumbrian Water has applied to the Environment Agency to turn-off the UV disinfection (full) sewage treatment process outside the ‘bathing season’ at six sewage treatment works in the North East (Howdon, Hendon, Seaton Carew, Billingham, Bran Sands and Marske). SAS are objecting on the grounds that water quality will be reduced, therefore increasing the risk of contracting a sewage related illness in a region highly popular with recreational water users. 
The plans currently being assessed by the Environment Agency (EA) have caused SAS and the surf community huge concern, as many surf breaks would see a reduction in water quality if the UV disinfection process is turned off from September to May. Reducing the level of sewage treatment in this way will increase the risk of contracting a waterborne disease for recreational water users such as surfers.
If Northumbrian Water are successful, the affected stretch of coast would include a large number of popular surf breaks, from Hartley reef in the North to Saltburn in the South. The breaks are also home to a significant number of surf related business, university surf clubs, surf schools and also includes a national surf contest site.
Whilst SAS are hugely concerned about the world’s energy consumption and its impact on climate change, turning off a vital sewage treatment process to conserve energy could have devastating effects on not just the marine environment but also the health of those using it for recreation. Such a move would be a significant step backwards in protecting our marine environment from pollution and SAS believe there are other energy saving steps the company should be making first and foremost.
For instance treating water to a portable level and supplying it to customers is also an energy intensive process. Treated water that escapes through leaks is a huge waste of energy. If Northumbrian Water fixed all of its leaks, it could reduce its CO2 emissions by up to an estimated 23,000 tonnes. That’s a CO2 saving ten times greater than the CO2 emissions they’d save by turning off UV for the winter. The water company could also be doing more to create its own renewable energy from the sewage treatment process.
SAS believe that all water companies can become more energy efficient whilst maintaining the high water quality the UK requires to protect our coastline and those using it for recreation.
Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Director says: "It's easy to turn off a switch for seven months of the year in a sewage treatment works when you can't see the impact it will have on the beach for the thousands of recreational water users using this stretch of coastline week in, week out. SAS are concerned that by turning off the UV treatment, Northumbrian Water will be able to reduce its obligations and running costs under the guise of being environmentally responsible and the only people to benefit will be the shareholders through increased profits. This would be a huge step backwards for the environment, the surfers and the local businesses who have all helped pay for UV disinfection to be added to the treatment works through past water bills and since benefited from a cleaner, safer coastline all year round."
In what proved to be a doubly successful night for Surfers Against Sewage, SAS also won the ‘Best Website’ award, beating off strong competition from Green TV and The Daily Telegraph’s Earth websites. We’re pretty ‘stoked’ about that!
So ran the tagline for one of the best skate zines ever produced, the magnificent Skate Muties from the 5th Dimension. If only it was still going - the world would be a happier place. And a wiser one, too. I recall that one of the issues, possibly this one, contained an invaluable piece of advice, as follows:
If you love someone, set them free.
If they don't come back, hunt them down and kill them.
A few days ago, I played 5-a-side with Greg Martin, the recently installed editor of core Brit surf mag PIT PILOT. Greg made a few strange sounds, and not all of them were connected to his left-foot volley. He vouchsafed (great word) that there would be swell in... East Anglia. Lo and behold, Greg's in East Anglia, and guess who's with him? None other than the Smart Surfer himself, young Sam. Sam has a decent left-foot volley too, better than Greg's, and almost as good as mine, but now we're getting surreal. Fact is: the boys scored. Way ahead of the worthy old authorities, a couple of Kernow surfers checked the charts, and saw it right. And by another of surfing's most excellent miracles, there was someone there to record, witness and capture. Step forward, Neil Watson - long-time surfer, long-time writer/snapper, all-time decent and honourable bloke. Here's Neil's (short and sweet) account of what went down.
When Greg Martin, newly installed editor/photographer of Pit Pilot magazine, saw the charts, he knew swell would be heading down the North Sea. He knew that might give him a chance to cover the often-ignored breaks of East Anglia, and he knew if he took Sennen pro Sam Smart along (just in case) there'd be high-performance surfing to shoot. 
What Greg didn't know was that spring tides and a storm surge would add up to the area's worst flood threat for 50 years. By the time the enterprising pair reached Suffolk roads were flooding, diversions were taking them nowhere - and the local crew at Gorleston had already been surfing since daybreak against police advice.
Sightseers hoping for high drama lined the seafront as Sam paddled out into leftovers from a rough 4ft rebounding from the pier. Greg fired away, unaware that his Pit Pilot exclusive - and his surf star - were about to be hijacked. A discreet word to one of the media pack in search of flood stories had alerted them to Sam's status. (Sorry, Greg.) Before he left the water, news and pics of Sam's east coast experience were heading back to the west country. The Daily Mail scored a beach interview and Sky News, who had a helicopter overhead, grabbed him for a live chat which failed to happen despite an hour's wait.
Sam was still fielding press calls as the pair headed south to Lowestoft, where cleaner 3ft lines gave him an almost empty canvas.
As far as I know, Sam was the first pro surfer to paddle out at Lowestoft in the town's 40 year surfing history. No surprise then, that one local leaving the sea after what he thought had been a good session, glanced back at the Sennen star popping airs, spraying cutbacks, landing floaters and getting covered. "He's a bit good, isn't he !" he said.
I had to agree.
Footnote for Pit Pilot readers.
While Greg was diligently shooting away on the beach, a clearly embarassed lady inquired "Excuse me, is that your tripod over there?"
"Yes, why?" replied the editor of the least politically-correct surf mag in Britain.
"Because my dog has just relieved himself all over it".
Give him his due, the editor was as amused as I was.
That East Coast storm surge proved too tricky for three surfers at Joss Bay, Kent this morning. See The Big Chill for more later; the story is on www.whitehallpages.net. It seems, at first blush, that there might have been a degree of misjudgement in opting to paddle out in force six winds that made the sea too rough even for the lifeboat to effect a rescue. The surfers became stranded on rocks; a member of the public dialled 999; two were rescued by Deal and Margate Cliff Coatsguard Rescue Teams while the other was ultimately able to walk around the cliffs back to the shore.
These photos are courtesy of Pete Knowles of The Big Chill. I'll be checking the site later for more info but meanwhile here's a thought: you don't have to surf when it's big and gnarly...
The storm surge in East Anglia has not been good news for everyone - but the area's surfers must be stoked. Calling Neil Watson, Mark Southgate, Mark T and David Berry among others - how good has it been? Meanwhile, here are two pictures - windy and murky, nice and Anglian.
See the forum at East Coast Surf for more on the storm in the east.
The world’s coldest professional surfing contest returns to Scotland in spring 2008. Leading international surfing company O'Neill has confirmed that the Highland Open, its signature event, will be staged on Scotland’s frigid North Shore for the third year running. O’Neill’s first two, pioneering contests have revolutionised European surfing, putting the icy barrels of Scotland on the world surfing map, but next April’s event looks set to be even bigger and better than its predecessors.
Plans for the Highland Open 2008 are already well advanced, with O’Neill determined to consolidate the status of Highland Open as the must-see surfing contest in Europe. This is a contest with a difference: it’s run by surfers, for surfers, at the world-class breaks that lie along Scotland’s North Shore. It’s based at the legendary reef of Thurso East, where the water temperature is a mind-and-body numbing 4 degrees Celsius. At 59 degrees north, Thurso East is more hospitable to polar bears than humans, but for a growing number of top-quality surfers, the cold is an irrelevance. What matters is the awesome quality of the waves delivered by Artic swells onto Thurso’s reef – long, clean, immense right-handers that rival the perfection of Hawaii’s own, rather warmer North Shore. Here, in Scotland, boardshorts aren’t an option. Only the serious need apply.
Continue reading "Only the serious need apply: O'Neill Highland Open set for Thurso Return" »
A fine option for tonight's entertainment - provided that you're not too far from West Cornwall - looks to be the Board Shorts shindig at the Sandsifter in Godrevy. After the roaring success of last year, Board Shorts - in association with Stranger - is back as part of the Cornwall Film Festival 2007. But what's on offer?
Profiling some of Cornwall's best surf film and image makers, Board Shorts will showcase work from Greg Martin, Chris Mannell, Christiaan Bailey, John Isaac, SAS and Shark Bay Films, plus live music from Rosie and the Goldbug. Music Evolution's Dave Spenceley will keep your ears well fed too.
It's £4 on the door and the screenings start at 8pm.
More news from Cassandra Murnieks, who alerts me to the world's first "sushi roll." Well, the first one in a surfing context. Australian Julian Wilson goes down in history as the first surfer to make a move that owes more to Motocross than surfing as we know it. I'll be giving it a go at Sennen Cove later...
Regular readers will know that I don't usually recycle press releases, but this one is irresistible. It's from Air Southwest, whose flights to London I've previously found smooth, cost-effective and reliable. You can accuse me of local bias if you want, but at a time when British Handling Complexities have banned the transportation of surfboards, it's great to see the South West's local airline making such a positive stance in favour of surfing. Here's the deal - short, sweet and very good news.
Air Southwest, the low fare airline serving Newquay, the surf capital of the UK, has reassured surfers that it will continue to carry surfboards on its flights following the decision by British Airways to cease carrying boards from 6 November. BA’s move has been roundly condemned by the British Surfing Association (BSA), which has 10,000 members.
Mike Coombes, deputy chief executive of Air Southwest, said: “Cornwall is a mecca for surfers and we are quite happy to carry boards for a modest fixed fee because we know that South West England has some of the best surfing beaches in the UK.
“With four flights a day, seven days a week between Gatwick and Newquay, and regular scheduled flights to Newquay from Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Glasgow, Newcastle, Dublin, Cork and Bristol, we are the surfers’ favourite airline.
“Air Southwest would like to extend a warm invitation to the hundreds of concerned surfers who have contacted the BSA about the ban and we look forward to seeing them in Cornwall.”
Here's Cassandra Murnieks with the lowdown on Mick Fanning's ascension to the summit of World Surfing.
Mick Fanning was a relieved man after clinching the 2007 World Title in Brazil today. The last Australian World Champion was Mark Occhilupo back in 1999, with the tour being dominated by American Kelly Slater and Hawaiian Andy Irons for the past five years. Fanning wrapped up the honours as he was about to compete in the semi-final of the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro against his long-time friend Joel Parkinson. With compatriot and possible contender for the World Title Taj Burrow being eliminated by Tom Whitaker, Fanning was rewarded with the World Title.
“I woke up this morning and I just had a good feeling that it was going to happen today,” Fanning said. “It was so amazing to be out there with Joel. When I realised I’d won I went, ‘What do we do Joel?’ and he was like, ‘I don’t know!’ I was just so stoked to share my first ever heat as the World Champion with him. It was amazing.”
With Occhilupo expected to retire at the end of the year, Fanning was still in awe of him and was happy to take the reins from the seasoned campaigner. “To take the reins over from Oc is incredible,” Fanning said. “He is pretty much the legend of the sport. He’s such a character and such a cool guy. Even when I’ve been on tour with Andy, he’s such a determined guy as well and I was there for his first world title. And there’s Kelly – the guy who gave inspiration to every kid who surfs today, he’s amazing.”
Occhilupo was only too happy to hand the title to Fanning. “I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” Occhilupo said. “Yesterday I wanted to go home, but when Mick won the title today, I was straight in my car and then jumping over every single heat to give him a cuddle. It’s been eight years and we’ve got it back to Australia.”
Occhilupo then finished with a bold prediction. “I don’t want to say too much, but I think it might stay there a long time.” Fanning’s six-year professional career has seen him make a steady ascent to the No.1 position he held for the entirety of the 2007 season. After a 5th place debut in 2002, Fanning finished World No. 4 in 2003, World No. 3 in 2005 and 2006 and World No. 1 today.
Just as the British Surfing Association was today delivering its petition against British Airways' ban on surfboards to both BA's head office and Parliament, a press release from Virgin Atlantic wended its way to me from Pete Robinson at The Surfing Museum. Here it is. Could it be the answer Vicki found, too?
Virgin Atlantic, one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines, has come to the aid of sports travellers by announcing that they can take one piece of sporting equipment in addition to their checked baggage allowance. The announcement comes after rival carrier, British Airways, decided to ban surfboards and other sporting equipment, such as pole vaults and javelins, in the cargo hold on its flights from 6th November 2007.
This means that, as long as the equipment complies with size and weight allowances, Virgin Atlantic travellers can check in to the hold of the aircraft their diving equipment, golf equipment, fishing equipment, hang gliders, snow skis, surfboards, windsurfing boards, booms and sails, bicycles, paragliders, canoes and kayaks – all free of charge. Sporting wheelchairs are also considered sports equipment.
Paul Dickinson, Sales and Marketing Director, Virgin Atlantic, said:
“Virgin Atlantic continues to be the airline for sports enthusiasts unlike others who are doing everything they can to prevent the gold medallists of the future transporting their equipment. Our new sports equipment policy enables all sports travellers, whether Olympic teams or not, to enjoy their journey throughout.”
The sporting equipment can weigh no more than 32kg, unless with prior consent, and must not exceed overall dimensions of 62” (width + height + length). If the sports equipment weighs more than 32kg, the item will be treated as two pieces of checked baggage, excess baggage charges will then apply. Sporting equipment weighing more than 45kg will need to be transported as cargo and cannot be accepted as checked baggage.
The good: great to see that Carlos Burle is one of the 28 invitees to the Quiksilver Big Wave International, In Memory of Eddie Aikau. Aikau was an extraordinary waterman whose life story is brilliantly recounted in Eddie Would Go, by Stuart Holmes Coleman. Following his tragic death in March 1978, "The Eddie" has been held in Aikau's honour each year - though whether it takes place is swell dependent and another matter. I haven't met Burle but Andy Cox, who writes here from time to time, interviewed him some time ago and couldn't speak highly enough of the ambassador for Finisterre. For the full list of invitees - only four of whom are non-Hawaiian surfers - see www.quiksilver.com/bigwave. The waiting period is from 1 December to 29 February 2008.
The bad: no news from the world's least intelligent airline (NB: not its real name - but click the link and sign the BSA petition) about its imminent surfboard ban. I guess its press office finds answering questions as complex as its baggage handlers find surfboards. I hear also that most of Surf Solutions' groms have returned from Hawaii stoked but boardless. Yes, British Airways has, reportedly, contrived to lose their boards even before introducing the ban. Nice work.
The ugly: the slaughter of dolphins in Japan is disgraceful but, remarkably, barely even known about in Japan itself. I learn this from Richard, a surfer based in Japan. Richard runs Storm From The East and tells me that 99% of the Japanese people he spoke to upon seeing the footage had no idea that this sort of thing was going on in their country. They were as shocked as we are. Let's hope we can make a difference. Keep checking Save Japan Dolphins for news.
This footage, from Sky News' Asia correspondent, Peter Sharp, makes for disturbing viewing. Watch it, take your hat off to Dave Rastovich and the other surfers, then check out Save Japan Dolphins and get in touch to help. Post comments here, there and anywhere you can think of to help make the world sit up and say "No" to the repetition of this kind of slaughter. And act quickly: between now and mid-December, thousands of dolphins and porpoises will be killed in Japan.
Every surfer knows that this practice cannot be defended as a quirk of local custom or tradition, or on economic grounds. We know this because we see dolphins in the water, surfing waves with more grace than we will ever have. We see them playing with us, interacting with us, communicating with us. This isn't the stoned lyricism of a diehard hippie, it's a reality that we know and experience as people who frequent the ocean.
There isn't, to my knowledge, A Surfer's Manifesto, and there is, I know, a fair bit of disagreement on this and that in contemporary surfing, but on this issue we can all agree. The slaughter of a few days ago in Taiji, Japan is an outrage. It must not go unacknowledged. Surfers of the world, unite: help stop the slaughter.
For the past couple of days I've been absent from the Wild West. My younger son, Elliot, has a birthday looming and was keen on a trip to Lyme Regis in search of fossils. So we headed across not one but two county lines, forsaking some nice enough swell for a trip to Dorset and thereafter my old stamping grounds of Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton. Surf-free zones, all - you'd think. But after a beautiful day in Lyme - complete with fossils - we found ourselves skating the Path 37 on Exmouth seafront and then, lo and behold, at Tids' surf shop in Tower Street, Exmouth.
For the uninitiated (and I was one of them, despite having grown up in Exmouth), The Tad Shop is a core establishment run by ex-lawyer, impassioned surfer and all-round-heart-on-his-sleeve character Tids. Yes, I know that's not his real name but that's what everyone calls him. I can't believe that in all the years I've lived away from Exmouth that I'd not wandered along Tower Street and found Tids' and his shop, but better late than never. And, as Sharpy has previously confirmed, there are some sweet spots in South-East Devon, though no one is letting on where they are (least of all Tids).
More on Tids and the Exmouth surf scene soon. Meanwhile, Joe Calzaghe is about to do battle against Mikkel Kessler - and Pat from Chapel Idne will be gearing up for the New York Marathon. Having run a marathon and had a few fights, I know what I'd rather be doing: getting in the water with Harry late this afternoon, as soon as we got back from Devon. A 40-minute surf is better than No Surf At All, every time. And is much more fun than fighting or running 26 miles. But good luck to Pat - and total respect to Joe Calzaghe, who, whatever happens in the next hour or so, is pound for pound one of the greatest boxers in the world of the last 25 years.
Rumour has it that in about nine hours (it's late here in the UK right now) the British Surfing Association (BSA) will be announcing a new five year sponsorship
deal with children’s healthy drinks specialist, Calypso. This makes for some welcome good news for Britain’s best young surfers, who have struggled with perennial lack of funding and recently discovered that their boards would be too complex as freight on the world's favourite airline. The new £75,000 five year deal will provide crucial investment and help fund an
invaluable new training programme.
Meanwhile, in the more immediate future, this weekend sees the Thule British Kneeboarding Championships at Fistral Beach in Newquay. Britain’s kneeboarding team made a name for itself at the Kneeboard World Championships in Santa Cruz, California earlier this year. Newquay’s Jody Winter claimed the Ladies World Champion title, Natalie Silverthorne from Polzeath consolidated British success by taking second place and the International Surfing Association crowned Richard Smith, also from Polzeath, as the Pro Junior World Champion.
Highly ranked kneeboarders are expected to attend from Australia, South Africa and Portugal as well as from across the UK and although Karl Ward of St Ives finished 7th in the Men’s Open at the World Championships - thanks to a wave drought during the semi-finals - he is widely tipped as a future champion. Karl and the other competitors will be looking to prove themselves at the British Nationals and put kneeboarding firmly on the map with its stand-up surfing and bodyboarding cousins.
Karen Walton, National Director of the BSA, said: “The British team really set the standard out in California and have gone from strength to strength. Kneeboarding as a sport is growing year-on-year across the UK and these British Championships give everyone involved a chance to pit themselves against the best from across the UK and further afield. The kneeboarders are such a friendly, fun bunch so with a mix of awesome riding and a great vibe, the Championships are set to be a spectacular event.”
The contest is jointly run by the BSA and the BKC (British Kneelo Club). Chris Cockett and Tony Bonner at Kneeboard Surfing UK, the leading suppliers of kneeboards and accessories, have joined forces with top sponsor Thule to provide the prizes.
To find out more about kneeboarding check out www.kneeboardsurfing.co.uk and www.kneelo.org. Entrants should log on to the BSA site to fill in the entry forms or call 01637 876474
Here's a poster that says it all.
I sent a few questions into Handling Complexities Are Us yesterday. As yet, they have proved too complex for its press office to answer. But I am hoping for a response soon.
 Alex Wade is a freelance writer who lives and surfs in the far west of Cornwall. Alex's blog will bring
you up-to-date news of our surf scene, what's on and where to surf, as well
as the best of contemporary surfing writing from around Britain. The aim is
to get you stoked and into the water as often as possible, because, as the
old saying goes: "Surfing is life. The rest is details."
About Surf Nation
|
Rumours reach me that Tony Plant has forsaken his Insane Blog thanks to a call from the editor of Pit Pilot. Greg Martin (for it is he) rang Tony, told him to pack his bags and leave the country forthwith. Being a decent sort, Greg got up at 3.00 a.m today and drove Tony to Bristol Airport, so that he could be sure that his mission was accomplished. Greg waved him off and has since been seen wandering around Newquay looking like the cat that got the cream.
But why? What has Tony ever done to make Greg force him out of the UK? Well, it's like this. Tony is just too fearless for his own good and Newquay was too small a town for the pair of them. Actually only half of that statement is true. The answer can be found from even the most cursory of glances at, say, a weather map or, if this is slightly too old school (complicated), the likes of Magic Seaweed. There you will see that a swell of some 36ft, with a 16 second wave period, is set to hit the west coast of Ireland tomorrow. It'll have some wind on it but many of Ireland's jewels will be cranking this weekend. I hear that Tony is in the never-knowingly-under-enthusiastic company of Duncan Scott, and that the likes of Al Meenie, Richie Fitzgerald (pictured) and Gabe Davies will be joining them to tow-surf some epic spots.
Meanwhile, here in the far west the wind is getting up, the surf is looking ropey, the rain is pouring and, most surprisingly, there's no sign of the girl from Coconut Girl Wireless. Here she is again - let me know if you see her. 
