Corduroy Lines

Corduroy Lines

ISSUE #10 | november 2009

Interviews: Alexis Deniel | skindog surfboards | Cece surfboards features: indian summers | alaia shaping | no star days | the longest day

we e ar !

10

Jimmy Lewis advert

Contents CL10 Features

28 Longest Day Three surfers, two breaks, one very long day in the back of a van.

37 No Star Days Nathan Carter is glad he didn't pay attention to the surf forecast.

52 Indian Summers Making the most of those weeks of summer in France.

78 Skindog Surfboards Simon Mitchell talks world domination with Skindog.

84 Surf in Belgium?

Tales from Belgium's surfing community.

90 Saunton in Summer Ashley Braunton waxes lyrical on the joys of the summer season.

Regulars 06 Editorial Editor Simon on the arrival of Winter.

48 Reviews The latest boards & accessories tested.

09 News All the latest news.

59 Board Porn Some tasty sticks to tempt your wallet.

12 Interview We catch up with France's Alexis Deniel.

68 And There’s Another Thing...

A little vocabulary goes a long way.

19 Shaping Gabe Steptoe on Alaias.

76 Reader’s Gallery Your photos from out and about.

44 Profile This month: CeCe Surfboards.

96 Contest round-up The latest contest results.

Editorial

‘It’s a strange game surfing. At times I’m fully stoked about it all and others I just struggle to be motivated. ‘ I’m in that phase at the moment.

Winter is coming, the warmth of the summer fast disappearing and that big summer trip a distant memory!

But with going through the photos you realise what a great summer we have had. Admittedly I was in Hossegor for most of August and that does make a world of difference. But May June & July produced some great days. Now with August finishing summer of in decent waves and some nice hot sunshine. It’s easy to fade into the cold September darkness and start dragging into the bleakness of winter that isn’t upon us yet.

A quick check of the calendar and there some meaty events to get hyped up for.

The Club champs will be happening, Norm & Hotdoggers putting on one of the key events of the year. The BLU series will be wrapped up! Who will it be this year. The Jesus Longboard Classic is not far away. I’m hoping for some killer swell for that one. I think it needs lighting up with some solid swell this year.

need to show some respect for those around me. Maybe I’m half baked by this and should have done my usual thing. But surfing new spots can have an unsettling feeling on you! One that means you never relax into the surf and do silly things.

The good thing is I didn’t upset anyone and I’m looking forward to going back there this winter. It’s also great to get some photos of you surfing. Thanks Clive, but it’s also a learning tool that can be put to great affect when you analyse the way you surf, your approach in the water and the way you go about your session. I learnt a lot that day. One is not to be too intimidated by other surfers. Be respectful yes, but also take your turns and make the most of them.

Simon Mitchell Editor

So there are still events to planned for and sneaky sessions to be had. I recently managed a sneaky session at a Cornish Secret spot. Photo attached is Nathan Carter tucking in and showing us all how to do it correctly! Not that I was able to do anything similar – I was maybe being over cautious and very respectful of the locals.

It was a first surf for me at this spot and I was a little spooked out by the place.

The surf wasn’t to heavy or anything.

I think it was just being out there for the first time, be very obvious that I wasn’t a local, on a longboard, thinking that if I want to come here again I 06 | CL10

CL10 | 07

News

Credits etc.

EDITOR Simon Mitchell noserider@corduroylines. com DESIGNER Rebecca Pepperell ADVERTISING To advertise call: 01237 475 228

CONTRIBUTORS Simon Mitchell Paul Taylor Nathan Carter Mark Sankey Alexa Poppe Martin Dorey Mario 'BellyS' Major Ashley Braunton

PLEASE NOTE: We’d love your contributions! However please contact us first incase we have already covered your story or it’s not suitable.

BREAKING NEWS Harley Ingleby wins 2009 Oxbow World Longboard Tour title

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the Editor.

All content is copyright the author / Corduroy Lines.

Photo R Pepperell

THE LEGAL BIT: All the activities featured in this publication are strenuous and contain elements of danger.

We must state for legal reasons that anyone undertaking any of these activities does so at their own risk and under no circumstances can Corduroy Lines be held responsible for any injuries or other losses.

OXBOW WLT final - MALDIVES Pasta Point – Chaaya Island Thursday 29th October 2009 Australia's Harley Ingleby came second to Hawaii's Kai Sallas to secure his place as this year's World Longboard Tour champion in some of the best contest surf in years.

Ben Skinner and Sam Bleakley both

made it through the first round, but Sam was knocked out by Eduardo Bage in round two. Ben pipped Bonga Perkins to go through to the quarter finals where he was knocked out by Ned Snow.

We'll have the full contest report from Sam plus photos in the next issue, but for now you can watch video highlights at www.oxbowpro.com CL10 | 09

News Museum of British Surfing becomes a Registered Charity The Charity Commission has approved the Museum of British Surfing’s application to become a Registered Charity (No. 1131433).

“This is wonderful news and a massive boost for the museum project, it is recognition of Britain’s surfing heritage and our status as the national body to preserve and celebrate this amazing history on behalf of the British public,” said founder Peter Robinson, a former ITV News reporter. “It is also formal backing for the work we are planning to do on education, the environment and health through surfing.”

The charity application was made possible thanks to the donation of legal fees by Thea Longley of the law firm Bates, Wells and Braithwaite in London.

Thea is a bodyboarder and proud VW camper owner who regularly holidays in North Devon.

Plans to open the surf museum in a new purpose-built home in Devon are still on track for next summer, and North Devon Plus are helping to get the core funding in place.

SAS star in Panorama sewage exposé Clean water campaigners from Surfers Against Sewage have helped the BBC Panorama team expose the shocking truth that after heavy rain, raw sewage is consistently discharging into our rivers, seas and bathing waters without warning to the public and water users.

received a disturbing amount of medical complaints from water users all over the UK and this programme will help SAS ensure that water users are aware that after periods of heavy rain, water quality can be dramatically reduced.

SAS Campaign manager Andy Cummins features heavily in the programme and captures the most outrageous footage of a Combined Sewage and Stormwater Overflow drain (CSO) discharging raw sewage into a river. This is the first time this disgusting practice has been highlighted, and was a scene that Andy Cummins captured repeatedly throughout summer 2009.

The Panorama team commissioned their own tests – carried out by Plymouth Marine Laboratory - at bathing waters impacted by these CSOs and discovered traces of the potentially deadly strains of Ecoli 0157:H7 amongst other worrying pathogens.

SAS are extremely concerned that these scandalous results were found at beaches that were achieving an excellent water quality result from the Environment Agency’s testing.

This summer especially, SAS has 10 | CL10

artist 'Chris Warner' who has written some tracks specifically for the film. The film is dedicated to Andy's sister who is fighting secondary breast cancer and all the profits for the film will be donated to charities of her choosing. Check it out and buy a copy when it’s released later in 2009. We'll keep you posted.

The Panorama team put these alarming findings to water companies and the Environment Agency and helped SAS exposes the shortcomings in our sewerage system. It makes for compelling viewing for everyone, but compulsive viewing for anyone who uses the UK’s rivers and seas.

Andy Cummins says: “These disgusting discharges of raw sewage are a major health risk to water users and Panorama has done a great job in helping SAS get the message out that after periods of heavy rain water quality can be dramatically reduced. Now this information is out there, water users can make an informed decision before exposing themselves to potentially bacteria and viruses.”

'Devon Lanes and Longboards’ This is a trailer for a new film by Andy Haworth and it is his first general release due out at the end of the year.

Andy has produced a few films for the magazine in the past but this will be a new full length DVD. It promises to be a lovely longboarding film with some great shots and great music by a new

http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=OWpSA_mRaQE

Appeal for donations from Paddle4Relief 49 year old Former Arugam Bay Surf Club Chairman, Ranjan, has died of a massive heart attack whilst surfing at Baby Point, Arugam Bay, on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. Attempts of CPR by both local people and western tourists

World Museum at Victoria, Australia.

Alex Dick-Read the editor of the British-published international surfing magazine The Surfer’s Path said, “Britain needs a centre for the collection, care, maintenance and dissemination of our rich history and the Museum of British Surfing has been the answer to our prayers. The founders have shown exemplary understanding of archiving, collecting and storing the DNA of UK surfing, but have also successfully enabled this to be spread to people across the country via education and exhibitions in which the surfing and non-surfing public can learn from this store of collective knowledge.”

Partnerships are being established with the British Surfing Association, the University of Plymouth surf science degree and campaign group Surfers Against Sewage, along with local organisations such as North Devon’s unique Biosphere Reserve.

The first Britons to have a go on a surfboard were members of Captain James Cook’s crew in 1779. The earliest references to surfing in Britain date back to the mid 1800s and film exists in the museum’s archive of a group of surfers taking to the waves in Cornwall on a homemade wooden board in 1929.

The Museum of British Surfing has won support from all over the world, including the Surfing Heritage Foundation in California and the Surf

Photo: Hobart Braddick (left) on a North Devon beach in the early 1900s (copyright Museum of British Surfing/ Braddick family)

alike, to revive him, proved fruitless as numerous locals stood helpless around him. Ranjan died doing something that was close to his heart and will be sorely missed. He was a mellow and humorous pillar of the local community, leaving behind a wife and three sons. Alan, the eldest, is a regular surfer, who uses UK surfboards donated by Paddle4Relief.

He has been a force within the charity by using his skills to repair our computer. Ranjan's death again shows the need for both Beach Life Guard and a Medical Centre in the village.

With the Civil War over, internal travel within Sri Lanka, particularly the East and North is more relaxed, so seeing increasing numbers of both Western and Sri Lankan Tourists crowding the beach and sea. It is now more apparent that there is a desperate need of qualified life savers. Regularly local

surfers are rescuing individuals from the unpredictable tropical coastline.

The young surfers of the village are demanding action to prevent further loss of life. They are willing to undergo training and man the local surf breaks in an attempt to save life and prevent injury. These young men are turning to the International Humanitarian, Medical, Surfing, Surf Life Saving and Water Sports Communities to assist them in their quest! Out of respect to Ranjan the community of Arugam Bay are focused on achieving this quest and hope that all that read this article can be generous in offering either practical or financial help.

Please either contact Fawas, present Chairman of ArugamBay Surf Club abay_surfers@yahoo.com or Tim Tanton, Paddle4Relief - tim@paddle4relief.co.uk CL10 | 11

Alexis Deniel CORDUROY LINES MEETS FRENCH SURFER ALEXIS DENIEL INTERVIEW & PHOTOS SIMON MITCHELL, TRANSLATION BY KATHERINE MITCHELL & GERALDINE BISHOP -----------------------------CORDUROY LINES RENCONTRE LE SURFER FRANÇAIS ALEXIS DENIEL ENTREVUE ET PHOTOS SIMON MITCHELL, TRADUCTION PAR KATHERINE MITCHELL & GERALDINE BISHOP

Tell us how you got into longboarding I started at the age of 9 on the coast of St. Malo (at Cap Frehel). Then I moved to Perros-Guirec with my parents. There my father pushed me to surf when I was 10-11 but I was always scared of the big waves. It was during a trip to Hawaii in ’95 (during the Pipe Masters) that I really began to enjoy it at a spot in WAIKIKI. That summer was a turning point for me. On returning to France my father pushed me to start entering surf competitions. I got some results but nothing very brilliant (Brittany under fifteens champion). Next I started surfing longboards and soon after entered competitions. I quickly saw that the spirit was totally different, and that it was more suitable for me.

What are your longboarding highlights?

It’s a great sport with a Cool atmosphere. The sport allows you to travel the world and meet very open and interesting people, in fantastic places like Noosa, California, France ….

What’s your favourite break and why?

My favourite wave is Pors-nevez in Northern Brittany at Perros-Guirec because it’s a 50m right hander that you allows you to express to the max on the tail and

_____________________ Nous dire comment vous êtes entrés dans longboarding ?

J’ai commencé en body a l âge de 9ans du côté de St Malo (au Cap Fréhel), ensuite j’ai déménagé à PerrosGuirec avec mes parents. Et là, mon père m’a poussé a faire du surf vers l’age de 10 -11ans, mais j’avais vraiment peur des grosse vagues. C’est lors d’une voyage à Hawaii en 95 (pendant le PIPE MASTER) que je me suis vraiment amusé sur le spot de WAIKIKI. Ca a été comme un déclique pour moi. En rentrant en France mon père m’a poussé a commencé les compétitions en surf, j’ai fait quelques résultats, mais rien de très brillant (champion de Bretagne minime). Ensuite, j’ai commencé a faire du longboard en free surf, puis très vite en compétition. J’ai vite vu que l’ambiance été totalement différente, et que ça me convenait beaucoup mieux.

Quel est votre résumé de longboarding ?

C est un bon sport, avec une ambiance très cool. Ce sport vous fait voyager à travers le monde, et rencontrer des personnes très ouvertes et très intéressantes, Dans des endroit magnifiques, Noosa, Californie, France, ...

Quelle est votre tache de vague préférée et pourquoi ?

Ma vague favorite est Pors-nevez en Bretagne nord a 14 | CL10

on the nose!!! It’s fast, hollow and only 500m from my house.

What’s in your quiver? And definite ‘go to’ boards?

My boards are Ponant shop, pro-models shaped by Mistic surfboards. They are Epoxy and allow me to surf on the tail and on the nose. These boards have been developed with my shaper Yann Le Her “Mystic Surfboards” during the last 3 years. They were born from my feelings and some boards that I bought back from travelling. Finally I have made 3 different models of boards which work well in all conditions.

1.

The Ponant Performer 2.

The PONANT Noserider 3.

The PONANT Pro Model << Alex Deniel promodel >> All of these boards are sold in a unique shop: PONANT SHOP at Perros-Guirec ‘My Father’s Surf Shop’.

What plans have you got for 2009/10?

My first aim is to raise my level of surf as much as I can to get the best possible results in the rounds of the WLT and LQS. For that I have been training since Dcember 2008 with Vico (my Coach), to have a good and solid work base for my physical and technical

level. We trained in California in Feb/March 2008, with Remi Arouzo and VICO. Remi is a great surfer and between us we motivate each other to try and obtain the best world level.

Next my second objective is to develop a surf school and a club ‘Seven Islands Surf Club’ in order to increase the standard of kids quicker.

And finally, I think that after 6 yrs with my girlfriend, it’s not long enough so I’d like to continue our little adventure!!!

Who in the world of surfing inspires you the most?

Who do you look to for ideas?

To be honest, I never watch surf or longboard videos.

On the other hand there are lots of longboarders and surfers who are great in the world. Now I watch lots of surfers in competitions (WLT, LQS, ETL…) and I keep the images in my head and I try to reproduce those when I’m next in the water. It doesn’t often work but trying new approaches and giving it a personal touch is interesting.

If you could go on a trip of your dreams, where would it be?

There are so many places, waves, different cultures that

_____________________________________ Perros-guirec, car c est une droite de 50mètres qui permet de s exprimer au maximum sur le tail et sur le nose!!! Elle est rapide, creuse, et elle est a 500mètre de chez moi.

Qu’est-ce qui est dans votre tremblement ? Des definte vont chez les conseils ?

Mes planches sont des pro-models PONANT SHOP shape

by Mistic surfboard. Elles sont en EPS, elles me permettent de surfer aussi bien sur le tail que sur le nose. Se sont des models boards que nous avons développé avec mon shaper Yann Le Her « Mistic Surfboard » durant ces trois dernières années. Elles sont issus de mes sensations et de quelques boards que j ai ramené de voyage. Au final, nous avons fait 3 models de boards différentes qui fonctionne très bien, dans toutes les conditions .

1° : The PONANT Performer 2° : The PONANT Noserider 3° : The MAHALO Pro-model « Alex Deniel pro-model » Toutes c est boards sont en ventes dans une seul et unique boutique : PONANT SHOP à Perros-Guirec « my father surf Shop » Que les plans font vous avez pour 2009/10 Mon projet principale et d’élever mon niveau de surf au maximum, afin de faire les meilleurs résultats possible sur

les étapes des WLT et LQS. Pour ça, je m entraîne depuis le moi de Décembre 2008 avec VICO (mon Coatch), pour me fixer une base de travail solide autant au niveau du physique que du technique. Nous avons fait un entraînement en Californie en Fev-Mars 2008, avec Rémi Arouzo et VICO, Rémi est un très bon surfeur, et a deux nous arrivons a nous motiver pour essayer d atteindre le meilleur niveau Mondial.

Ensuite, mon deuxième objectif, est de développer mon école de surf et le Club « Seven Islands Surf Club » afin que le niveau des kids augmentes plus vite.

Et pour finir, je pence que 6 ans avec ma copine, ce n est pas assez donc on va continuer notre petite aventure !!!!!!!

Qui dans le monde de vague vous inspire à faire plus?

Pour être honnête, je ne regarde jamais de vidéo de surf ou de longboard !!! Par contre, il y a beaucoup de longboardeurs et de surfeurs qui très fort dans le Monde. Maintenant, je regarde beaucoup les surfeurs en compétitions (WLT, LQS,ETL,…) et je garde quelques images en tête, que j essaye de reproduire ensuite dans l eau. Ca ne marche pas souvent, mais le fait de s en approcher et de mettre sa touche personnel, peut être intéressant.

CL10 | 15

it’s a difficult question. The trip would be too long.

I’d start in Australia, Lennox Head, next Snapper and Noosa, for the quality of waves. Then I’d leave for Indonisia – I’ve never been but would love to. Then, for lifestyle and waves I’d dash off to California, where the spirit of surfing is everywhere. Before returing to Brittany I’d have a small stop at South America to come down from the Californian lifestyle and return to the reality of life. But also for the endless waves of Peru and the madness of Montanita at the Equator.

Finally, I’d have a small session with my mates: Nico, Odile, Lulu, Yannick and my father at Pors-Nevez, at the bottom of my house.

I think that European longboarding is well placed worldwide. We have no fewer than 5 in the top 15 in the world.

I think that the publicity of longboarding isn’t important enough in Europe and in the world for the brands to really take off!!! That’s why all longboarders must work as well as competing to be able to live comfortably or survive and take part in these competitons.

Any thank yous?

A big thank you to my family, my childminder, to VICO, Schloose, my mates and golgot forever.

Have you has any scary moments? What have you learn from them?

Yes at Lafitenia, one big day after work, 3 people in the water, I was on a 6’ 4” board and I hadn’t had time to check the height of the tide (it was 115), the first 3 waves were rather good but then the next wave took me out completely and held me down. I had a series of 2 or 3 waves in front of the point at Lafitenia, with seaweed caught in my leash!!! Horrible!

How do you rate European Longboarding?

_____________________________________ Si vous pourriez planifier un voyage de rêve où vous prendrait-il ?

Il y a tellement d endroits, de vagues, de cultures différentes que cette question est difficile. Le trip serait trop long.

Je commencerais par l Australie, Lennox head, ensuite Snapper et Noosa, pour la qualité des vagues. Ensuite, je partirais pour l’Indonésie, que je n ai jamais fait, mais qui donne envie. Puis, pour le style de vie et les vagues, je filerai sur la Californie, ou l’esprit surf est présent partout. Avant de revenir en Bretagne, je ferais un petit croché en Amérique du Sud pour redescendre du lifestyle Californien, et revenir a la dure réalité qu est la vie. Mais aussi pour les vagues interminable du Peru et la folie de Montanita en Equateur. Et pour finir, je ferais une petite session avec mes potes : Nico, Odile, Lulu, Yannick, et mon Père à PORS-NEVEZ en bas de chez moi !!!

Avez-vous eu des moments angoissants ? Qu’avezvous appris ?

Oui a Lafitenia, un jour de gros après le travail, 3 personnes dans l eau j etais en 6’4” et je n avais pas pris le temps de regarder les coefficients de marée (il y avait 115 de coef), les trois premières vagues se sont plutôt bien passées, et ensuite le spot s est mi a saturé totalement.

16 | CL10

J ai pris deux ou trois séries de vagues devant la pointe de Lafitenia, avec des algues acrochées au leach!!

Horrible!!!!

Comment vous font l’européen de taux longboarding ?

Je pence que le longboard Européen est très bien placé au niveau mondiale, nous sommes pas moins de 5 dans les 15 premiers Mondiaux. Je pence que la médiatisation du longboard n est pas assez importante en Europe et dans le Monde pour que les marques s engagent vraiment!!! C est pour cela que tout les longboardeurs doivent travailler en plus des compétitions pour pouvoir vivre ou survivre correctement et participer à ces compétitions.

Un merci ?

Un grand merci à ma famille, ma NOUNOU, à VICO, Shloose, mes potes and golgot forever

Got wood?

Westward Ho! skateboard shaper Gabriel Steptoe is branching out and shaping Alaias from Roy Stewart paulownia blanks. Simon Mitchell finds out more...

SM: So, Alaias?

GS: I think there a very nice tribute to what used to be made and what used to be surfed by the common man or common indonesioan. A historical novelty come to life. Not many people can surf them.

SM: Hard to surf?

GS: Very hard. It’s very much like skim boarding. You look at an Alaia and how much displacement it has. It doesn’t really float you. It doesn’t really help you get into the wave. It’s basically a really thin flat piece of wood. So you really have to be a super strong paddler, fantastic swimmer, a good all around waterman to surf that thing. Now being all those doesn’t mean your going to be surfing fantastically on it, but your still trimming and planning down the line if you can get into the wave.

SM: How have you got into shaping Alaias?

GS: I just got shaping. I will shape out a coffee table like you wouldn’t believe. I like working with wood. It’s something that takes time and being a constant wood worker or shaper on my part. It’s hard to find a shaper that only works in wood. I found a niche a while back in the skateboarding business where I can show my talents and flex my artistic talents. I can take the time to love and nurture my designs, seeing them come from a concept to a physical entity.

SM: So now you’re just taking the skateboard design to Alaias and surfboard shaping?

GS: One of my first jobs was doing ding repair for a guy in Penscola Florida, so I’ve been around surfboards 20 | CL10

CL10 | 21

for a while. Growing up on the beach I surfed as soon as I got my driving licence. I’ve always made and built skimboards since very young.

My dad supported me with this and introduced me to hand tools to get the shaping done.

Taking the time to do things the right way. So I suppose surfing and Alaia woodworking stuff is a natural progression of what I have been doing and what I would like to do. I’d like to become a go to guy – sorta could you build me something.

SM: Shaping – will you try anything? Alaias just came along at the right time?

GS: Definitely. I never worked with Paulownia before. It an easy wood to shape but it’s not as consistent as foam. The wood grain is a lot like balsa/bamboo, other soft wood. So it’s not as consistent but it’s undulating and you have to pay attention to where you are sanding. I have been putting a lot more features into an Alaia than most people would have imagined.

I look at all the other surfing devices, I see whitewater kayaks that can do 360’s on the face of a wave, slip and tuck into a waist high barrel.

Coffins in the barrel. There is so much going on the bottom. I did the Alaias I threw in some finless type of fin system, deep concaves and contoured the rails. So you get a fin profile with minimal space to work with. But I’m not the one to surf em, too fat!

SM: When you see shapes of Alaias in shops – 22 | CL10

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I like working with wood. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that takes time and being a constant wood worker or shaper on my part...I can take the time to love and nurture my designs, seeing them come from a concept to a physical entity.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

yours are very different, why?

GS: Why not it’s still gonna surf.

SM: Any particular reason why though?

GS: I guess like any other shaper out there they got some neat thing that they can place into a niche market. I think I’m trying to develop a different style.

Maybe they’ll look good on someone’s wall!

SM: But they can be ridden?

GS: Absolutely, they are functional boards.

Downturned rails and shallow chine all the way down the length to a bevelled angled nose with a slight downturn of the top, which creates more of an algar type wing type profile, creating some lift. The paulownia being thin and flexible, with the width where you stand you should get a natural rocker, so if the rocker pearls it should automatically pop back up.

That’s theory so I’ll have to get some one to test it!

SM: Lloydy to test.

GS: Maybe he eats too many donuts!

26 | CL10

SM: The Iroko Board GS: The 8’8 Iroko. It’s a wood out of Africa. It’s supposedly Iroko is sustainable. It’s a hard wood, heavy. The piece I have 9 foot by 20 inches and weighs 70lbs. Now finished it’s at 35lbs. Still not much volume, but some float. A board that I have no idea about it yet.

If we want to ride we might need to do some laps first.

You gotta be a good swimmer to get it going SM: So where can we find your boards?

GS: Currently they are to be found at Loose Fit, but if you wanted something special I can make a custom order for you. Or the Iroko was in at Gulf Stream. I have the Foiled Concepts website www.foiledconcepts.com or you can find me on Facebook- look for the picture of the stig!!!!

Interview & photos - Simon Mitchell.

Seriously diverse surfcraft... loose-fit.co.uk

Loose-Fit Surf Shop & Café, Braunton. 01271-813-300 photo - jamesbowden.net

Longest Day

leg up to Birmingham for more like three and a half hours. Refuelled and caffeinated, James took a leg and we made good progress towards Carlisle. The plan was to camp anywhere at least as far north as Carlisle, this was in order to take the weight off Saturday’s leg (and to get a cheeky surf in). But as I took the wheel at Carlisle services we were still plenty fresh and had daylight to burn, so we ploughed on. We got all the way to Sterling in the end, in eight hours and without a hitch. The beast had surprised me. She was cruising nicely, let’s just say at ‘motorway speeds’ and had not missed a beat. The only slight blemish was that the starter solenoid had picked up an intermittent fault and thus you couldn’t always turn the engine off. No dramas though, slip her into third for a controlled stall!

Ideal! We were getting a bit ratty in the back of the box by now and had missed a camp site due to a closed road and diversions. Another site was missed due to satnav failure. We ended up in a dead end and by now we just wanted some kip. Fortunately after the sign for Gleneagles we saw our first campsite sign, lovely.

We rocked up under cover of darkness, set up camp, tucked into pot noodles and got in a good night’s sleep.

A Surf Trip From Dunnet Head to Sennen Cove: the Two Most Distant Breaks In Mainland Britain and all in the Same Day. It’s the night before our next surf related venture and this one’s throwing up a few more unknowns than previous trips, even though it’s all based on British sand and soil. We had started planning The Longest Day some six months ago but I’m filled with more nervous apprehension than usual. I have some doubt as to whether this is actually possible. The time has flown by and it’s now dawning on me that we actually have to do this.

The time for excuses and pull outs are gone. It’s happening.

Six moths ago, on New Year’s Eve, when this was planned it all seemed like such a good idea. It would be something to work towards, something to look forward to. Back then anything to pull you through those cold dark winter months was a good idea. After a few jars on the very last night of 2008 and in the warm and cosy environment of Ship Inn, it sounded like the best idea ever! I couldn’t believe we had not thought of it before. As I begin to pack some months later, the reality is that it’s all come around too quickly.

I am acutely aware of the fact that I still have a half day’s work ahead of me. I will also be back to work on Monday, I can’t get the time off work! Sound familiar?

I fling open the boot, start shoving in my gear and boards and frantically finish my packing, ‘where’s my bloody headphones?’ I’m not filled with joy. I pick up the car keys and race over to fellow ‘Longest Day-er’ Kandes’ house. It’s his wheels we’re taking and I want to throw my gear in now in order to make a clean getaway tomorrow. (This thought has obviously not occurred to anyone else on the trip.) My other reservations about the trip center around the fact that this is a newly-purchased vehicle and untested.

The new van idea was not was not run by the Longest 28 | CL10

Day Committee! A purchase that could at best be described as an eBay whim, the type of which I’ve fallen foul of many a time and walked away from a little light in the pocket. I had yet to see the new van “the beast” but on paper I guess it looks like an improvement. Problem is it’s only been in Kandes’ possession for a week, five of days of which it’s been in a garage with front end off, gear box out and bits all over the floor. They’ve frantically been trying to splice two gear boxes together to form one working unit, not an easy task. Especially as the replacement box wasn’t from the same model. Come to think of it I’m not even sure it’s from the same manufacturer! I was anxious, we had some serious mileage ahead of us and we were taking a big gamble.

On my arrival some 15 minutes later I was delighted to discover the new Ducato in the drive. ‘I’ve taken her round the block and the gears seem fine,’ faint praise indeed from Mr. Kandes, trying to raise my mood but I’m not about to start doing cartwheels. As with all prior schemes we have talked a good talk, but it’s all been a bit lacking in execution stakes. The big day

always seems to sneak up on you and we always run out of time. Today was to prove no exception. We had planned for showers, sinks, cupboards etc. in the old van, just a few scant creature comforts to make for a more relaxed weekend, but this van was new to us.

There’s no fold down beds, no six seats, nada! It is an empty box, a shell.

Now don’t get me wrong there were some upsides, plenty of space and there was a tonne of headroom, but this van was built for industry, not comfort. As I peeked inside for the first time my face dropped once again, ‘er...what you done to her then?’ I asked, knowing that Kandes has had the entire week off. ‘Well, she’s been in the garage pretty much since I got her. I managed to get a second hand gear box from Redruth the other day so fingers crossed. I’ve also done the air filter, oil and fuel.’ All very sensible before applying some serious mileage I agree but that leaves us with some serious work to do internally.

It’s the night before we kick off and I’m intent on making the forthcoming hours in the back of the box

as comfortable as possible. James arrives and we set about installing the bench seat that we had picked up last week. We made a hammock for all six boards we were taking, (an optimistic quiver for this time of year.) With the boards out of the way this left ample room for sleeping arrangements and luggage. I gaffer a large map of the British Isles to the side of the van for prosperity and stick some vinyls on the outside, ‘Longest day, surf John O’ Groats + Lands End.’ I figure that it comes across better to the masses than ‘Thurso East to Sennen Cove’. I load the beast with all my crap too; at least I was good to go, even if the others were not. I didn’t want to be the one that everyone was waiting for the next day. Night fell, Kandes got the pizza in, and we had our wagon. A bit lastminute.com but job done.

The next day I went into work as usual and as I had hoped the cover supervisor had left me alone and I was able to sneak out at lunch time under the radar.

Back home by two, Kandes and Tim were waiting for me in the beast. We were on schedule! I parked up, locked up and hopped in but we still had to collect

James and we all knew the score. James is the mate you arrange to meet down at the beach an hour before you show. That way you’ll only be stood around for 20 minutes or so. The fact that he too had been working that morning had not escaped me. He had called me 20 minutes earlier to ask if I wanted any provisions picking up from the supermarket so I wasn’t holding my breath. We swung into the cul-de-sac and to everyone’s amazement he was sat on his luggage waiting, a first! The only minor sticking point was he single handily managed to fill the sleeping quarters in the back of the van with all his crap. He also wanted to stop via his parents for a fridge! But hey, we kept schtum, it was a small price to pay for leaving on time.

The four of us were pretty comfortable in the van all told. We had our snacks and supplies and we beat the rush hour around Bristol. We got held up on the M5/M6 a little in Birmingham but no more than to be expected, we were making good time. The plan was to take two hour stints behind the wheel and comfort breaks when refuelling. However the buzz of the adventure kept Kandes going. He drove the first

Up at eight I rose and within half an hour we were back on the road. We got to Perth and had a good fry up, comfort wipe and refuelled. Back on the A9 we hit our first snag of the journey in some major road works. A dilemma, tom tom says the diversion will take twenty minutes longer but we are at least a mile back and the queue has been stationary for five minutes. We decide to take the diversion through the annoyingly narrow winding roads, who knows if it was worth our while but the beautiful backdrop of the Cairngorm National Park and River Tay make it more bearable (even from in the back of the windowless box seats). The magnificent highlands passed by, as did Inverness and various lochs and firths. We were then greeted by an amazing cliff-top coastal road that wound its way up to Wick. It was all single carriageways but virtually empty. Unspoiled panoramic views which would not be the case on this kind of track back home with our high Devon hedgerows, there were also no slow vehicles, caravans or tractors halting our progress just mile upon mile of stunning open road.

CL10 | 29

To our surprise we found a fairly large supermarket for lunch. Then we continued on, to the point at which we could go no further. John O’ Groats and its tacky central tourist traps wasn’t entirely disappointing. In fact I quite liked it up here. I had not found it to be overly drab or bleak, but then again it’s all relative. I was brought up walking Dartmoor as a kid with the dogs. Bleak I suppose depends on your perspective. I had been forewarned about this ‘utterly joyless’ spot whilst doing my research for the trip. Perhaps it was the magnificent weather, perhaps if I had seen it in the winter gloom and driving rain or perhaps if I had been stranded here for a while I would have felt differently but I wasn’t, we had been going for hours and were still smiling. ‘Fair play’ I thought, it is what it is. It is a little something of nothing but seems harmless enough. It’s got to be done if you’re up this way after all.

We cruised up to Dunnet head, the usual gags applied as cabin fever set in. We checked the surf at all main spots but there just wasn’t enough of swell running for the big names. The wind was straight onshore messing everything else up. After bumping down farm tracks and round headlands we realised the game was up.

Disappointment set in. Cold, two foot mushburgers over flat hard rock on a low tide was not my idea of fun so... to the pub.

We retreated to Thurso campsite, a good vista rewards the punters here and we could see Thurso East ‘not doing its thing’ over in the distance. ‘Shit Pipe’ as it’s affectionately named was starting to gather some white water out in front of us, the sun was dropping but the swell was building. The later it, got the more defined the lines became that were rolling into the bay. Slightly more hopeful about tomorrow’s prospects we trudged off for a pint of the black stuff before bed time.

Ten o’clock passed by and there was no way I was sleeping in this tent. The light was still midday-esque and streaming through our tent. Ok, I was familiar with the concept and all. Yes we are a long way north but I hadn’t expected it to this extreme. 11 o’clock passes and still no change. Half past eleven and eventually saw the sun disappear behind the headland but it was 30 | CL10

still light and I was up in four hours! The sun may have dipped below the horizon but it never went ‘dark’ as far as I am aware. It was a strange sensation and my body clock was haywire.

I was jolted awake by my alarm at three in the morning. Kandes was already awake in the van. We didn’t say anything, didn’t have to. What the flippin’ crikey are we doing? I felt sick in my mouth and stomach from lack of sleep. The rest of the troops rise surprisingly promptly for this ungodly hour and we check the surf. More defined lines are rolling into the bay and I get some shots. Why are we doing this again? Remind me? It’s chilly out but not biting cold and the air is still. ‘Yes!’ The wind has dropped off completely and I nod towards Tim, it just might be on after all. The one good gadget that James brings comes into its own as we pack up the pop up tent and are off in under five minutes.

As we drove off the sun had still yet to rise. Still not enough swell wrapping round to Thurso East but there was more water moving around off the pier in front of us. With the wind breathless we head back to the exposed beachbreak that was blown to hell just hours earlier.

Passing through the streets of Thurso we pass chavs in their suped up Imprezas still cruizing the streets to catch the dregs of the evening’s entertainment.

There was a riot van out with five or so PCs bundling a bottle-wielding drunk into a doorway. People were yet to finish their Saturday night but our Sunday morning had begun in earnest, we felt quite foreign.

I liked this part of the world already. A few more escapades up here would defiantly be for me. No pretentious surf mobiles, no boards on the roofs of BMWs and Ranges Rovers. No rammed carparks charging six quid a day for parking. We hadn’t seen another board on our trip and I loved that. My philosophy is that by and large, surfers don’t mix all that well. All may seem well on the surface but the ‘Alright mate’ you say to that chap paddling past you, cluttering the line-up still further on a dawn raid, may well be interchangeable with ‘go home’. But perhaps that’s just me. We’re just a selfish bunch, sure sharing

the stoke with your mates is one of the key aspects of our pastime but pop me in the lineup at Polzeath on a Bank Holiday with five million others and I think I’d probably rather be at work. I can’t be doing with today’s hustle and hassle, crowded peaks and poor behaviour, the snaking, no one ever waiting their turn on point breaks or small take-off zones. The line-ups that I know in Devon and Cornwall are busier year on year and in summer. Forget the main beaches between the hours of nine and five ‘cos the lifeguards will have yellow-flagged the main peaks due to rips elsewhere, I’m the kind of surfer who will opt for a little more volume if it’s under three feet, paddle out to the slightly smaller peak and get away from the madness, no doubt the first sign of becoming an grumpy git, anyways back to Longest Day. We pass the west end of Dunnet Bay and it’s lined up, not really breaking here, too much shelter but we head for the north east end and to Dunnet Bay Caravan Park. At this point you may well be thinking why did we not just stay there? Well we did try. The woman seemed quite receptive at first to our van

appearing with two surfers up front. She even asked how long we would be staying. However on sight of Tim and I piling out of the slide door with our great unwashed appearance and beardy faces and it was game over.

This time the reception party was far more favourable.

It was pretty close to glassy with 2ft peelers, greeting us. Knowing that time was marching on we scrambled into our wetsuits and I hate to admit it but for some of us that included boots too. Southern softies yea maybe, but it was a little nippy and only just gone 3am so could you blame us? In their haste the three others tore off and were into the line-up before I could blink.

No chance of getting some photos then? Oh well. I took some shots of them paddling out and captured Tim’s first ride and then if you can’t beat em? I stroked out on my heavy pintail 9’3 on my knees. It was one of those dry hair sessions. There was a right hander peeling quite fast towards the entrance of a little stream. While it was hard to keep up with the curl and swift takeoff was critical it was far from a closeout. I hear that the banks around here are disappointing

Below: 03:13 - Thurso Sunrise Right: 03:35 - Viewpoint Far right top: 04:01- First wave of the day Far right middle: 04:02 - Morning Glass Far right bottom: 04:28 - Post Surf

32 | CL10

CL10 | 33

on this stretch of sand and I could tell that it probably couldn’t take much more swell without folding completely but we enjoyed it. What was supposed to be a twenty minute dip turned into a playful forty five or so? Kandes or I would whoop each other into some cheater 5 action or some nice cross stepping. Tim had returned to the beach to take his turn as photog for the session. As we paddled in the sun began to rise behind the dunes so, full of stoke, we posed for a photo.

Shit! Not one of us had remembered to wear a watch in the water and it was pushing five AM! We had planned to be on the road half an hour earlier to embark on the longest drive in mainland Britain.

Dunnet Head to Lands end and Sennen. No time to absorb this chilling fact or ponder what the next fifteen hours in the back of the box would feel like.

Just hit the road.

I think Tim and Kandes were glad to get some more shut eye in the back, but I was actually glad to be on the first leg. James who is the most enthusiastic driver of the bunch could be forgiven for being a touch envious of my situation. It soon clicked that I had blagged myself far and away the sweetest leg of our journey. Long straights and open roads, vistas to die for, a perfect summer’s dawn with crisp air and a golden glow off a mackerel sky. Lochs that looked chopped up the day before glistened in the sun and projected perfect reflections of the land and sky. It was five AM and with the exception of a lucky group of bikers who overtook us, we would not pass another vehicle for over an hour.

34 | CL10

carriage way. It was early, there was little traffic and I was on a mission. The ETA on our satnav had dropped from seven fifty to around twenty past six by the time I handed over the keys in Perth. The others couldn’t believe where we were or what time it was. We were doing well. It was my turn to hit the hay in the back now and I did just that, I crashed out until Birmingham, superb!

drop in, a glide off the shoulder and hey presto, we will have completed our goal. We saddle up and hike down the cliff. I have gone from my 4/3 spring suit and boots to my summer shortie. Not to take the piss or anything but I just didn’t fancy donning the crusty wet wetsuit again. I had trialled the shortie last week and knew it would be fine.

I loved my leg of the journey despite the fact everyone was sleeping around me. I’m a bit of a morning person anyways and once I’m up, I’m up. I am also certainly the only one in our crew that will get up at half six in the morning to hit Bantham or some other south Devon rivermouth for a dawnie.

We see Land’s End before seven thirty and get out taking some snaps. ‘The bar-stewards!’ They’ve taken down the sign that would nicely match our John O’ Groats snaps. We scope out Sennen but it’s no good, the tide is high and it’s a shorebreak. Around the corner we can see some figures bobbing about and sure enough it’s a tad better.

As the tide drops things improve for a short while. No killer moments to report but we had a good couple of hours. There is still only one peak for the whole session but it jacks up a bit at mid tide. It’s a bit of a bowl, there’s no shoulder to play with as it frizzles out quickly. There are a few smiles and odd glances in the line up as we’re wearing our Land’s End to John O’Groats t-shirts in the surf. Kooky as hell! But it gets the conversation going. The water feels warm on my skin, it’s a good sunset, there’s no agro, so happy days.

Soon we are joined by a basking shark, it’s about twenty yards out back. A nice ending to our long day. One girl paddles out to inspect but not me. I get spooked by the occasional inquisitive seal. As a rule; anything over half the length of a shortboard that comes out of the blue brine and swims better that I do, I tend to give a wide birth.

The Cairngorms were a highlight, the peaks above Aviemore still glistened with snow and I enjoyed far superior views than on the way up when I was in the back of the box. The roads around the A9 are all limited to 60mph even though a lot of it is dual

I won’t go overboard but there was one peak working ok to the south end of the beach. There’s a few on it even though it’s barely a couple of feet and late on a Sunday evening. Normally this would be time to beat the crowds but hey, it’s a wave. All we need now is one

So we did it. We achieved our goal. Nothing much is said or celebrated. Tiredness and fatigue set in as has the realisation that I’ll have to get up in about eight hours and go back to work. At that moment I’m thinking never again, I think we all are. This is not

Boring mile after boring mile on the motorways passed us by but eventually we joined the A30. My turn again and it’s not a road that I have driven in its entirety before despite it being a major artery in our neck of the woods. South Devon surfers will be more familiar with the busier more stop-start A38 west. I prefer the A30 despite its bad rep as an accident black spot.

so however for this was just a test run. Next year we hope for bigger and better things. I am glad to have done the trip, we proved it is within the range of most vehicles and at legal speeds! We met some nice folks and the camaraderie of the group was superb as always, good friends, good banter, good times. Next year who knows? Could it evolve into a rally? Will more groups join us? Could we get a party of live bands and a few drinks at the end? Dunnet and Sennen can be surfed under the same day’s sun its official.

We would like to open the longest day to everyone and raise some money for the charity The British Heart Foundation and in memory of Derek Salmon.

Visit our British Heart Foundation charity page to sponsor us or our facebook profile page The Longest Day for more info.

Words & photos Paul Taylor.

CL10 | 35

No Star Days

I guess you could say I have a love / hate relationship with surf forecast websites. On the one hand they are great for getting a basic idea of what to expect swell and wind wise (essential if planning a long weekend in Ireland or a quick trip up to Scotland to score some “proper” waves).

On the other hand I have also on more than one occasion been stood on a cliff or sand dune after many hours of travel watching swell march off down the coast passing by all the choice spots, despite the more famous forecast sites predicting a 5 solid star day and completely different swell angle.

Obviously the major issue with the availability of seven day swell forecasting is the crowd factor. Gone are the days of surfing your favourite wave (with a few exceptions we won’t go into) with just a handful of people. I don’t think a single rideable day has gone by at our classic little point near Bude without a minimum of say 15 people on it, and I’m talking onshore, barely breaking. I’m also talking during the working day, midweek!!! When it’s good it’s obscene. The last decent swell / wind combination saw, at the peak of madness, forty surfers battling it out for the four wave sets. On a Wednesday!!

So, generally if I’m asked about my opinion of surf forecast sites I tend to lean towards the grumpy old man response (well I am turning 30 next month). Grumble about how bad the crowds are, how disrespectful the kids are and how we don’t get swell like we used to. Quite often I would then head off on some tangent about how surfing in the UK is the most frustrating thing I have ever done and how I might pack it in and take up stand up paddleboarding or kayaking (sorry Simon).

38 | CL10

But do you know what? I have found a soft spot for these websites. I have learned to put my animosity behind me and now actually find myself occasionally thanking these guys. The simple reason being, they get it wrong every so often!!! I know, I know, I said in the third paragraph that the reason I hate them is the unreliable nature of the forecasting, but before you call bullshit on me hear me out!

We all get angry when we are expecting a classic 12 second wave period with light southerlies and its actually 6 seconds and howling North Westerly. But what about when they are predicting flat conditions with a stiff soul destroying northerly, and you check your local on the off chance to find 2 – 3 foot with a crisp South Easter grooming the faces. Ok so I accept that this doesn’t happen all that often but consider for a second that aforementioned websites have made this scenario all the more sweet and fulfilling.

I can remember as a teenager when the most technical surf forecasting was probably Teletext and Ceefax (crap). The cycle to the beach for pre-school surf check was met by at least a dozen surfers hanging around the car park, coffees in hand. The merest hint of a wave was pounced upon by these guys and torn apart with vigour as who knew if there was a flat spell just round the corner. On the mornings where no waves were to be had these guys would slowly head off to their respective daily routines. In other words if there was a wave, there would be people surfing it, these guys were keen and hungry to surf.

The internet has made us lazy. Are we all guilty of checking the surf remotely through one webcam or the other? Are any of you guilty of directly quoting the numbers you have seen on the LCD screen CL10 | 39

40 | CL10

CL10 | 41

of your laptop when describing the surf to a friend or loved one, without even leaving the house or let alone venturing to the beach?

Have you heard of the term Cyber Surfer? Well that’s what we have become, literally! Whilst I swear frantically at the guys who book their work around the merest sniff of a wave at my favourite point and arrive in their droves, to be honest I have surfed there for enough years to know the subtle nuances of the place enough to snatch a couple of set waves. Also whilst they are booking their time off around “four and five star days”, they write off the days the websites say will be small and below par. More often than not they won’t even check it first hand. As I said earlier is there anything sweeter than rocking up at your local beach or reef and seeing a clean little wave peeling with no one on it and not a soul in sight. How extra sweet is that feeling of elation when you realise that 99% of the guys who would usually be swarming all over it have arranged to go on picnics with their girlfriends or fix the fence in the back garden.

So there you go. I guess what I’m trying to say is although surf forecasting websites are easy, quick and pretty efficient; it’s still worth a quick check with your own eyes. Sometimes even the smallest and most insignificant of swells will peak on a little bank at the right stage of tide and winds drop and even change direction. Myself and two other guys did this on this particular no stars Saturday with 1 foot swell at 5 second period with a brisk cross onshore and as you can see, although it wasn’t ground breaking and there were no stand up barrels or massive turns, we had a damn good time. As we sipped the first cold beer after that session we each toasted the surf forecast sites. Long may they continue.

Words Nathan Carter Photos Simon Mitchell

42 | CL10

CL10 | 43

Corduroy Lines speaks to Carlos Clavero of Cadisbased CeCe Surfboards.

What is the concept of CeCe Surfboards?

CeCe Surfboards is a modern longboarding company born in Santa Barbara, California and now established in El Palmar, Southern Spain. We make longboards that offer performance, manoeuvrability and versatility. Searching Roots is our mission meaning that everything we do is created in the Ocean and we present it with what we understand as Soul. We believe in modern longboards, but always with a touch of traditional design.

How are the boards designed and the shapers chosen?

We started learning about surfboard design during the long hours that we spent in the water during our years in the area of Santa Barbara, California.

Surrounded by a mix of modern and traditional longboards we took what we thought would work best for us as surfers and started talking to shapers in the area who believed in our project.

Our initial budget was so limited that it was hard to find shapers that would commit to the idea. John Birges from Parole Surfboards in Ventura, California

agreed to shape some designs that we had in mind.

He was a traditional longboard shaper so we both had to do some adjustments to understand what kind of surfboard we wanted. We worked with John for one year. A positive experience where we created a winner model, The Performent Model (performance+development). Soon after our work with John Birges we started working with a long time friend from Santa Barbara, California, Bruce Wood. I knew Bruce from our daily sessions at the Cove in Rincon and we had clear ideas of what we wanted. We created the Improlopment Model (improvement+development), a high performance longboard based on a board made by Bruce during the 60´s, just before the shortboard transition. We also received advice and support from shapers like Wayne Rich in Santa Barbara and Steve Coletta in Santa Cruz, California.

Carlos you spent some time California, can you tell us about that time, how it influenced your surfing and design ideas?

I spent 12 years in California between San Diego and

Santa Barbara. Mostly Santa Barbara where I mainly surfed the Cove at Rincon. The shape of the coast in that area is ideal for regular footers due to the quantity of perfect shaped point breaks having Rincon as its ultimate exponent.

At Rincon I came into contact with all kinds of people linked to the surfing industry, surfed with them, observed them, and learned from them. Saw how their businesses grew and the way they represented themselves in the water and outside. Special influences from the area were people like Wayne Rich, Lauran Yater, Steve Walden, Cole and Brett Robbins, Steve Bigler, Oliver Parker, Bruce Wood and many other people that showed me how to give my life to wave searching. I also learned from other people what not to do, and how not to be because in a place like Santa Barbara where surf is well extended you find good and bad examples.

My main surfing design influences were Steve Walden in Ventura California with his Magic Models and Wayne Rich in Santa Barbara with his down to earth mentality and his constant new designs and models that everyone was riding.

Where is your local testing break?

We live in El Palmar, Cadiz, the most consistent break in Southern Spain. This is our main testing break since we know it well and it is easy to access from home. Since it is a beachbreak our testing is somehow limited to certain shapes, but we complement it well with the pointbreaks around the area in Caños de Meca, Yerbabuena and Tarifa.

What’s the best place to test - as you live in a place that gives you access not only to Spain but Portugal and Morocco?

The best place to test is a combination of all of the above. We mainly test and surf our area from September through to April. In April when the waves start decreasing we spend long seasons in the Portugal area until the beginning of the summer. Then we normally travel abroad and attend the contests up in the North of Spain. This year we have travelled to the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Panama, and all 3 destinations offered different waves regarding power, speed, and length, making it perfect for testing our CL10 | 45

different models and to determine the strengths and weaknesses of them.

What are the boards that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re selling the most of at the moment?

We are a longboard company so the boards that we sell the most are longboards. We make retros and mini longs as well, but our main sales are 9 footers.

The model of longboards we sell varies depending on the area of Spain. Here in the South and in the Mediterranean we sell our Performent Model because is pretty flat, wide and an excellent noserider. Up North where the waves are bigger and hollower we sell our Competitor Model where it has a bit more rocker and less volume in general.

Any board recommendations?

Our 9.0 Square Tail Performent Model, in single fin, flat as can be, wide, manoeuvrable and with lots of drive and grip for turns.

Interview by SImon Mitchell

Photo credits, clockwise from top left.

Page 44 / 45 CeCe boards by Tom Riedel RubĂŠn Fuente by Hector Barrero Waxing up by Manuel Trujillano This page: Juan Villasante by Tom Riedel Carlos Clavero by Manuel Trujillano Jorge Madrigal by Manuel Trujillano

CL10 | 47

Reviews Santa Cruz Charger

Royal Surfboards 6’6 Traditional Fish

About the board: Length - 9’0 Nose - 17.2” Width - 22” Tail - 13.5” Thickness - 2.75”

About the board: Length- 6’6 Nose- 17 1/8” Width- 22 1/2” Tail- 17 3/4” Thickness- 2 15/16”

Demo Conditions & Location: Heavy 4 ft peaks with light cross shore wind Spot T, Cornwall, UK The Test: The Santa Cruz Charger series of boards is available in three sizes 9’0”, 9’6” and 10’2”. I was fortunate to lay my greedy hands on the 9’0” model and having seen the word “Performance” used in every description I had seen on the net I was excited to see if it would live up to it’s name. The board utilizes PowerLyte epoxy technology and an ultra progressive shape featuring a really pronounced bottom contour that shouts “speed”.

Designed by shaping legend Doug Haut this board has obviously been bred from pedigree.

Spot T was pumping! Chunky 4 foot sets swinging in and breaking heavily on a shallow bank. Lots of closeouts but the odd gem. Not a wave I would be tempted to ride on my conventional longboards.

The first thing I noticed upon taking this board out of the bag was the lightness. Even with a 2 plus 1 fin set up (on that note I have to say the fins are absolutely stunning, like a semi transparent polished black with inset Santa Cruz logo) the board was easy to pick up with one hand and to be honest felt like a shortboard under my arm.

The next thing I noticed was how easily the board paddled. For a thin board it floats really high in the water and doesn’t bog at all when paddling.

Then I caught a wave…… I have to say that if I was on any of my own boards I would not have made the drop! I would’ve struggled on a short board. The thing sucked up on the bank and fired off down the line. I kept up; in fact I was outrunning the wave! From the drop to when the wave closed out at the end I was absolutely flying! I haven’t had that feeling of speed on a longboard before and I was amazed how easily the board changed direction. I had about 4 or 5 more waves to similar effect. It was like if you put the board anywhere near the sweet spot of the wave it would tap into the power and start accelerating rapidly.

Towards the end of the session I paddled to the northern end of the beach where the waves were nowhere near as critical and there was a nice little righthander peeling off at the base of the cliff. With a bit more shoulder I was able to test the boards turning capabilities! Have you heard the phrase “on a sixpence”, well that’s the best description I can think of. This thing 48 | CL10

Demo Conditions & Location: Les Estagnots, 3-4ft, sunny as you like.

whips through turns, however with the high tuned performance nature of the shape I did get bucked off a couple of times when I didn’t quite set my turn properly! I managed to get to the nose a couple of times and was actually quite surprised at how the board accelerated as I stepped forward. This board is not a noserider by any means, it doesn’t pretend to be, but I still snagged a couple of nice ones, however it was definitely a case of up and back rather then logging up the tip time! Where the charger stood out to me though was the way it dealt with the fast waves and quick turns.

Pros: Does what it says on the tin…… “Hitting the lip, barrels, floaters and big turns in waist high to double overhead waves”. I would really say that Santa Cruz are setting out their stall in the performance longboarding market. This is the fastest board I have surfed and definitely one of the most progressive.

Quite possibly this board will enable a surfer to ride a longboard in waves where they may have previously opted for a shorter board.

The Test: I still haven’t got to grips with how much float this board has. It’s easy to paddle out (a major concern when Westward Ho! is my local break), duck dive with relative ease. The paddle into a wave takes a little more power but is still relatively easy and certainly not as hard as I expected stepping down from a mal.

The conditions at Les Estagnots were perfect, shoulder high, steep faced waves. Could a barrel be the order of the day!!! The first thing that really strikes you about the board is the speed that you can gain and generate.

It kept catching me out all session. Once accustomed you are literally flying. Another surprise was how much speed you could take into a set of turns without loosing any. At times I was just blown away by it all.

Other times I just looked like a kook who had no idea.

But I think the key to it all was that I was having a total blast. I was riding a board that on the whole is 3ft shorter than anything else I own and only a couple of inches taller than I am.

Pros: First of all the paint job. STUNNING. I am constantly drawn to how good the resin tiger stripes are. Just love it. This board is just something else. I never knew I could ride something so small and have so much fun. The process of ordering, design and delivery was smooth as can be! I totally recommend anyone trying a fish – and totally endorse getting Rob at Royal to make it for you Cons: The rider wasn’t good enough to do justice to this board. But I’m having loads of fun trying!!!

The Verdict: Get one as soon as you can!

Cons: The performance design of this board means that all but the more advanced longboarders may be a bit limited in terms of noseriding. Also the speed the board generates means that small mistakes in turns are amplified more than you would experience on slower more forgiving boards The Verdict: What I really like about this board is that this is the exact board that Santa Cruz supply to their team riders! In other words the public are getting the refinements that the pro guys are demanding and the durability of the technology Santa Cruz have developed is such that you are not compromising the durability of your surfboard by boosting the performance. Overall this is a fantastic board that I think will be a real weapon in the hands of an advanced longboarder. Where I also see this board being popular is with beginner / intermediate surfers looking to get into the increasingly popular progressive aspect of longboarding.

CL10 | 49

Reviews Nine Plus Retro Fullsuit 3/2 It took a while for me to actually test this suit. Missed the end of last summer so had to wait until Easter in Hossoger. The first thing to say is how easy it was to get on, how stretchy it felt and how good it felt. I was worried by the materials that I might put a thumb through the arm in one of those cold, difficult to move moments when getting out of the suit but it has held up well to a summer of use and abuse.

The fit of the suit was very good apart from in the calf area – which seems a weakness on my part as I always get calf cramps – in that it often felt like water was flushing in that area alone. The movement through the shoulders was probably the best I have experienced in a wetsuit. Not once have I felt that wetsuit fatigue that can kick in after 3 hours in the water.

For me the flexibility that this suit allows makes it a very good suit. One worth checking out next time you are after a summer suit.

Check out: http://www.nineplus.com/shop/3_2_ Retro_Fullsuit.html for further details

Dafin Swim Fins Fins were some thing that I had had little experience with until I started shooting from the water. Now they are an essential piece of kit that I use not just for taking photos but also for swimming in the sea and for times where a good old body surf is needed.

The Dafin fins come up very small in size and I had to go for ones sized 11-12 (XL) even though I’m a 9/10 really. The key thing about these is the softness of the rubber where the foot sits. The rubber is very elastic and moulds well to the shape of your foot. I have worn these with socks and bare feet without any rubbing or blisters which I had experienced with other fins.

The shape of the fin allows you to easy develop the power you need to move around in the surf. They allow you to move around without always feeling as though you are banging them together.

I think the comfort and the power they allow you to develop the best fins I have used yet.

To find your local stockists please check http://www.satorial.com/ 50 | CL10

Matunas Wax It was a bit of a surprise to get some wax to test. But with a new board it came at just the right moment. First of the smell was not quite like the brand I was currently using! I always like to have a good sniff of the wax. Not sure I can pin the smell down on this one. I had two bars, the base coat and the cold water. The base coat went on really easily, making that first coat a real pleasure rather than the pain it can often be. The top coat felt quite soft and again adhered well. I was able to get good coverage that made nice bumps across the area that I waxed.

Under foot in the surf it felt really good, no problems at all. Good traction all round.

The only weakness I really found was that you needed to top up more regularly that with other brands. But as an organic eco-friendly wax I was impressed and will probably switch to this brand more regularly!

Custom Alaias & Longboard Skateboards www.foiledconcepts.com gabe@foiledconcepts.com

INDIAN SUMMERS

Southwest France is famous for its late Indian Summers, with long hot days, surfing in boardies, morning offshores, early autumn swells, and evenings spent sipping red wine; making it a perfect camping trip. There is also much more to this region than surfing with lots of local culture and cuisine to explore.

The Pyrenees, only a short drive inland, offer great hiking or mountain biking in the summer, and classic snowboarding in the winter.

Cote des Basque is the cradle of surfing in Europe. The introduction of surfing here is credited to the American novelist, screen writer and surfing pioneer Peter Viertel, who in 1956 was staying in Biarritz to work on the screenplay of The Sun Also Rise. Once he witnessed the amazing waves of Biarritz, he had a surfboard sent over which he kindly shared with locals and later left behind for them.

As the Atlantic coast of France curves into Spain you will find the French region of the Basque Country. Crossing the river Ardour from the Landes region to the north, the landscape begins to transform from flat land dense with the famous pine tress to verdant hills, rolling inland across the hinterland towards the Pyrenees which rise steeply in the distance as if they are watching over this region. Cliffs, reefs, points and rocky headlands intersperse the coast creating a breathtaking coastline with a myriad of waves and offering options in a variety conditions.

Surf culture is now an integrated part of life here. Most beaches have surf shops and surf schools. Also Quiksilver have their gigantic European headquarters near St Jean De Luz. The standard of surfing on any kind of board is high and local longboarders such a Antoine Delpero, Thibault Dussarrat, Romain Maurin and TimothĂŠe Creignou can be found making their mark on the World and European longboard tours. There is also a purely French longboard movie called Come On Baby. History and tradition are important in France and is reflected in the open-minded approach of many surfers here.

The Basque Country is a place where the local people have a strong sense of belonging, even ownership. The culture and language here pre-date all others in Europe, and the Basque Country was for a long time its own kingdom.

The language is famously difficult to learn, totally unique, and the only remaining non Indo-European language in Europe. A legend claims that the original Basque people were refugees from the lost city of Atlantis. There is a strong connection with the ocean here even if the legend isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t true. So it comes as no surprise that the Basque people have a lot of pride in a place of such history and beauty.

Traditions are important here, and the villages keep their original style. Sports unique to the Basques are also practised often, such as Pelota - a form of extreme squash.

Just over the river Ardour is the world-class beach breaks of Anglet. Home to La Barre, the former jewel in the crown of French surfing. Formerly a lefthand rivermouth wave at the mouth of the Ardour, this wave attracted surfers such as Wayne Lynch, Nat Young, Ted Spencer and many other international surfers here in the sixties and seventies until it was destroyed by the expansion of the groynes.

Today it can offer waves only during storms but is a shadow of its former self. Today the best spot is Les Cavalier which can offer A-frame barrels to match Hossegor and has been a stop on the World Longboard Tour. Rock groynes help sandbanks to build up so good waves litter the rest of the beach stretching back towards Biarritz.

54 | CL10

Biarritz, a town created by Napoleon as a place for his wife to have a summer residence due to the temperate climate. He built a grand chateau over looking Grand Plage where a crowd can always be found riding the wedging peaks in medium size swells and south or south westerly winds.

On the south side of town is the beach, Cote du Basque. A site for the World Longboard Championships a couple of times and home to the annual Roxy Women’s Longboard Championships, it is ground zero for longboarding in Europe. Always packed during summer, there are many different peaks here, breaking on different tides and swells including a classic righthander in the corner of the beach. This is where the beautiful people of Biarritz like to hang out in the sun. Also found here overlooking the beach, is the restaurant Le Surfing, which seems to also double as a museum. There is the most amazing collection of vintage surfboards hung up in the restaurant many of which originally belonged to surfing legends. Plus lots of memorabilia and signed photo’s of the who’s who in surfing’s history which have visited here for dinner over the years.

Stretching further south are other beach breaks broken up by patches of rock and reef. Whilst there are no classic secret spots, there are some good rides to be had and less crowd pressure.

After passing the picturesque village of Bidart with its beach break and somewhat fickle reefs, you arrive at Guethury. More than just another picture postcard Basque village, it was long time home to Miki Dora and has hosted the World Longboard Championships, where the big Welshman Chris ’Guts’ Griffiths stormed to the quarter finals in big surf. Locals here have a particular affinity with history and a hint of Hawaii as they can often be seen out stand up paddle boarding or riding big old single fins and on flat or small days paddling, kayaking and riding outrigger canoes.

56 | CL10

The waves here are reef bottom setups. The most consistent wave is Parlmentia, a deep water Sunset Beach like peak, breaking 500m from shore and holding the biggest of swells. Definitely a wave for longer boards and gets better with size, hard charging older surfers who have surfed here for decades dominate the peak, jostling for position on there big boards before negotiating the steep drops. In front of the harbour wall is Alcyons a sucky, hollow and shallow left. Outside of Alcyons is Avalanche, a big wave left, only coming to life in the biggest swells. Also keep your eyes open for Plage De Cenitz, a small cove nearby with a number of mellow rolling reef waves.

The title of Queen of the Coast goes to Lafentenia, a right point break wrapping into a secluded and beautiful cove overlooked by a campsite set into the hillside. When small it is a mellow cutback wave but as it increases in size an heavy peak subsides into some carveable sections before the beautiful inside barrel section. Facing the point is another big wave spot called Peyo’s left. Named after Peyo Lizarazu a local big wave surfer and cousin of France’s football world cup winner Bixente Lizarazou. Peyo can often be seen paddling on his stand up paddleboard during huge swells all the way from Guethary to ride the left alone.

Heading towards Spain, further coves can be found with some rocky rights and lefts in bigger swells plus more protection from the wind. Arriving in St Jean De Luz you will find a rather upmarket holiday town. Built around a very protected and busy working harbour, it is not surprising many of the restaurants serve excellent fresh seafood. Moules avec frites followed by Gateau Basque and an espresso is a lunch not to be missed. Surf isn’t too bad either with a righthander wrapping around the rocks at the mouth of the harbour. And 2km offshore is Belharra, which recently shot to fame with pictures of guys being towed into giant waves.

Hendaye sits right on the border of Spain and his home to a fairly average beach break but it can offer waves when everywhere else is blown out and sometimes a fun right can be found after a walk up the beach to the north.

After Hendaye you enter Spain and that’s a whole new adventure................

Words Mark Sankey Photos Alexa Poppe

58 | CL10

CL10 | 63

CL10 | 65

Pages 60 - 63 Fishes by Gulfstream Surfboards www.gulfstreamsurfboards.co.uk Page 64 / 65 Corona & Lonsdale from Loose Fit www.loose-fit.co.uk Page 66 / 67 8'x21"x3" retro single fin pintailed gun by Richard Scott thirdshade@hotmail.co.uk

66 | CL10

and there’s another thing...

…at least make an effort to learn the lingo gringo.

Oh how I love travelling. I don’t do so much of it nowadays but I used to do plenty. France in the autumn, Canaries in the winter, maybe even Indo come January. It was good. But kids, mortgage, job, making a living, all that stuff got so much in the way that I found myself looking back at an eight year stretch without leaving the UK (with the exception of the annual mother in law trip to Ireland).

“Est ce que un pipe ici?” (pronounced peep: is there a pipe here) “Quoi?” (what?)

“Une pipe. De merde. Ici?” (A pipe. Of shit. Here?)

“Quoi?” (what?)

“Sur la plage. Une pipe. Merde. Dans l’ocean. Ici?” (on the beach. A pipe. Shit. In the sea. Here?)

“Quoi?” (you get it)

Christ almighty, how on earth did that happen? Well I guess I started a business (so I could stay living near the beach), changed jobs (so I could stay living near the beach) and got to learn an awful lot more about my home turf. Somehow though, life in the muddy brown water of Bidefornia, with the awful North Westerly winter always just a whisper away, never quite cut it.

And so on and so forth for some time until the French bloke paddled off looking bemused. Had I said something to upset the frog boy? Who knows? All I wanted to know was if there was a shit pipe on the beach. Never mind. I carried on surfing.

Thankfully, just a few weeks later I found myself sitting out the back at a beach break just south of Hossegor, a stroll away from my old friend Nick’s house. The surf was good. Not like home at all. There were booming six foot sets breaking in about two feet of water about ten feet away from the beach. Classic French beachbreak stuff.

Two days later I broke two leashes and snapped my favourite board in one day’s surfing. It was proper.

Anyway, there I was, sitting out the back, minding my own business, taking a few waves, leaving a lot more to roll under me. There wasn’t a soul around. It was bliss. Then some French bloke appeared out of the dunes and paddled out to the peak I was sitting on.

He sat right next to me. I could have touched him.

(Why do they do that?) I didn’t want to be unsociable so I said bonjour, as you do. We started talking. Now my French is ok (so I thought) so we started gassing on about this and that in pidgin franglais. The waves, the day, the price of fish. We had a good session. After a while I noticed a slick of something not so pleasant in the water. It looked like it could have come from an outfall. It seemed like a good time to start expanding the boundaries of our conversation. We needed to go beyond the hellos and how’s yer aunties. I thought for a while and then asked him if there was a sewer pipe nearby, hoping to engage him on a more environmental and intellectual level. The conversation went like this: 68 | CL10

Later on that day I was chilling at Nick’s house when he started talking about the extension he was hoping to build on to his house. He started talking about the drains. Nick is a brilliant French speaker and his conversation is often peppered with English and French words. Whichever comes quickest. He mentioned a word. My ears pricked.

“Nick. Stop. Go back. What was that word you said then?”

“Which word?”

“You were talking about the drains right?”

“Yes.” “What was the word you used?”

“What, tuyau d’égout?”

“Yes. That’s it. What does it mean exactly?”

“Sewer pipe.”

“Oh. I thought it was pipe.”

“Nah. That’s a blow job.”

“Oh sweet Jesus.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I can’t tell you what I have done. What does ‘pipe de merde’ mean’?”

“Er, shitty blow job. Why?” “Bollocks.”

Needless to say a few beers later the whole thing came out.

Which leads me on to the reason for this essay on foreign travel. And that’s about respect. In my experience learning even a few words of a foreign language has made all the difference to my surf trips.

I’ve had evenings in restaurants in Indonesia trying

to order in Indonesian. The kitchen staff came out to listen. They roared with laughter at my pronunciation, corrected me and gave me a really good dinner.

Barriers were broken, good times were had. All because I had a go at their language, in their country.

I was something different. A gwailo speaking Indo. It shouldn’t be like that. We should all make an effort to learn the language and customs of the places we visit.

That way people will like us more. It is a very sincere form of respect.

Speaking the language makes trips so much better.

From my travels in Panama and Costa Rica I know how much it can help to speak Spanish. But it’s not until you get there that you realise it. You think you’ll get by. In the English speaking world we’ve become so self absorbed that we’ve lost the ability to adapt and consider other cultures. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be an ignorant gringo. So if I had my time again I’d go to night school before I stepped on the plane. I’d make more effort and in that way I’d make more friends. It’s the right thing to do. Otherwise all I’ll end up doing is pointing in shops and eating the same thing every night. Rice and refried beans it was, sometimes with chicken (pollo), sometimes with fish (pescado). The other option would have been to go to the English speaking place and eat chips and watch premiership football. No thanks.

I like to think that I am a reasonably respectful tourist.

In France I make an effort to speak French. It stands to reason. But there’s another side to it. Another lesson to be learned. It’s easy to make friends with a few words of a language. You can play dumb. But get too clever and it’ll come back and bite you. Or suck you.

So what’s the moral of the story? If you don’t know what you’re talking about, keep your head down and shut the fuck up. Respect the locals. Or you might just get lucky and find yourself with a pipe de merde.

"And there’s another thing…” is written by Martin Dorey; a writer and surfer based in North Devon. In coming issues he’s hoping to either piss you off with his opinions or open your mind to a different point of view. How you take what he says is up to you but indifference isn’t good enough. What’s annoying you right now? This column or something else? Localism? Internet forecasting?

Overcrowding? Commercialism? Let us know.

Corduroy Lines needs you!

Got a minute to spare? Help us by answering ten quick questions. >> Take the survey

Interview: Skindog Surfboards Formed in 2008, Skindog Surfboards is run by a team of three - Ben Skinner (currently the highestranked British surfer in the world) designing the boards, laminator Jason Grey, and Chris Harris doing the artwork and finishing. Corduroy Lines went to find out more...

Why Skindog boards?

What the name?

No why not a Stewart? Hobie?

We did all that and started off working for other surf brands. Jason has been one of the main people in my career that has really helped me with my surfing really, surfs, shapes everything. I’ve worked with Jason for a long time and we got to a point where we felt like we wanted to do a lot more than we were allowed so we kind of said, look lets do it ourselves.

So is it about creativity, rather than brand?

Absolutely yeah, that’s where it all came from.

So what we’re talking about is that you now have the freedom to design the boards.

Exactly, putting our boards out, the way that we

CL10 | 71

“We believe in British longboarding, and are a longboard company. We have diversified into making other boards and the feedback is positive. That’s why our board range has expanded, but longboarding is at our heart.”

want to. One of the main reasons was that we were exploring new technology for longboard design that we were really interested in and we weren’t being allowed to use it. By setting up Skindog Surf Boards we could do it our own way, stick together and follow our passion to make the best longboards around. That is a passion of both of ours and that is where companies come from. The way it has gone so far, it’s the passion that has driven it.

from that. Slowly and surely we are working with some really cool people who believe in what we’re doing.

We have been given a bit of belief that has given the drive to develop. With Lufi being behind us, being one of the best shapers in the world - we get a lot of input from the right people. Lufi is now producing a Skindog board that is available in Portugal and we are returning the favour by producing a Lufi model in the UK.

Good move Ben? Yeah, definitely. 100% We’re not making loads of money by any means but we’re having a lot of fun and building slowly.

So does that put pressure on you because you have to compete and sell the brand?

Not at all, that’s partly why we’re such a good team because that’s what I do and Jason well, Bill Stewart said to me whilst I was out there in America that Jason’s one of the best laminators in the world . He’s been doing it all his life. He does what he does really well, and Chris Harris does what he does really well and as a team we gel and have all corners covered. We are close friends and generally like the same things. It’s a team effort.

Are we talking a British brand or a global brand?

Global. Bring it on.

So where are we looking at first? Europe?

Everywhere? Where are we going with Skindog?

We’re already in Portugal. Hopefully Australia, it’s all in the pipeline. Then we’ve got America after that. I think generally what I do with my surfing career anyway takes me to different places that other companies might not get the opportunities to do. I am with people all the time and travelling with people who are involved with the industry. I think we’ve learnt a lot 72 | CL10

So what’s gonna happen this year with Skindog?

What can we expect from you guys? Is there anything in particular?

We have a surf school and a new technology coming out called Bufo Hydroflex.

Can you tell me about that?

It’s a German thing. It’s made in the VW factory. It’s epoxy resin and EPS. It’s stronger, more flexible and one of the things is you can control the flex pattern.

You can add and take away flex.

Is that a good thing in a longboard?

This is what we’re trying to help them with. They have come to us because they don’t make any longboards necessarily yet. They have made a couple I think for Michael Schmidtz the Dutch Longboard champion.

They have come to us because we can help them with developing longboarding as well. We really want to be involved in their technology. I’ve ridden all their boards. We like what they do. All the boards I’ve ridden I absolutely loved. We’re doing this because we love it. I love the feel of the boards. The boards are 100% machine made 100% recyclable.

So is technology a big part of Skindog boards?

100%. We are trying to innovate, play with different things all the time.

So with this use of technology and innovation, say I wanted a classic Volan board are you the guys to come to?

We want to make the ideal board for anybody.

This point is we are at the moment pushing the performance side of things but we can do absolutely 74 | CL10

anything. From classics to high performance that’s why we are using people like James Parry with his style, to help to develop the traditional side of longboarding.

We are an open-minded company and if somebody comes to us with an idea of something they want making. We’ll do it.

You’ve mentioned James Parry, What input does he have into the boards?

Well as a team rider for Skindog Boards he has a major input to the boards that are made for him. But as James is a more traditional rider, possibly one of the best noseriders in the world, he has worked with us on the shape of the noserider model. Having the team riders helps the development of the brand, the results of the riders. We are all starting to surf together so we can push each other. It’s all part of being in the Skindog family.

We believe in British longboarding, and are a longboard company. We have diversified into making other boards and the feedback is positive. That’s why our board range has expanded, but longboarding is at our heart.

Interview & photos Simon Mitchell.

CL10 | 75

GALLERY

Ben Skinner somewhere secret

by Simon Mitchell

Ben Howey Saunton Sands

by Simon Mitchell

'Mad Steve' Gwenvor, September 2009

by Rebecca Pepperell

Paul Titterington Les Estagnots

by Simon Mitchell

Surf in BELGIUM?

After seeing a picture in the August edition of Surfer magazine of Kelly Slater being called off for interference by a small girl at her local break, I could only think of what happened to me mid-July; but I’m not Kelly and the girl wasn’t a 25 year old kook.

This started me thinking again of the good old days in the early ’90’s when surfing in Belgium was still in its baby-shoes and practiced by the odd guy in the water and although being laughed at by the windsurfers at their local spot we kept a brave face and went for it.

At that time we had one genuine surfshop in Belgium called ‘Wavewarriors dept. store’ located in Ostend and the shop-owner gave it a 100% to get the sport noticed by everybody. He organized the very first Wave-warriors surf contest near the pier of Blankenberge, which still has one of the sweetest peaks in Belgium on any good day but it didn’t work out for the guy as no-one saw the future for surfing in Belgium as he and a couple of others did. The spots were getting named like Ollies Point in Oostende (not to be compared with the one in Costa Rica but we had 2 friends called Ollie living nearby).

I remember the days when teams like the Oxbow Pro surf team came to Ostend for a visit with the big names: Joel Tudor, Duane Desoto, Nat and Beau Young who, as I need to find the right words here, tried to get to know me a lot better. He even tried to punch me when his dad and I laughed with him. Also days surfing with Jay Moriarity at Surfers Paradise in Knokke when Wingnut and Pat O’Connell came over on their Endless Summer II promo tour (that day changed truly me). When I saw the award winning Surfer Magazine cover with Jay Moriarity taking off at Maverick’s, I was so glad to have surfed and swapped boards with him during several days.

In the years that followed the scene grew and I know you guys in the UK complain about Ireland taking away all of your good surf. Do not forget that you guys totally block our 63km of coastline and take all our swell. So this meant we needed to travel for something decent. First we went south to France, to the land of baguettes and battered cars, fast waves at Le Pénon and hollow waves at Hosségor. However, 84 | CL10

when it came too crowded with guys you see all winter at home we went deeper south to Zarautz near San Sébastian, Spain where you can find a good 150 Belgian Kids (weekly) at the moment who learn to surf.

Of course there’s also the north and our neighbouring country Holland, the land of the worst beer in the world and nicest coffee shops, but also a genuine surf scene and decent surf.

A 45 minute drive from Antwerp takes you to Domburg, which is a good surf spot although packed with Dutch people (to any Dutch surfer reading this I’m just kidding...barely) and If you go further North you’ll find good surf in the Maasvlakte and Scheveningen.

Since a couple of years ago the surf scene in Belgium has boomed. The groms are getting better, especially the ones who started surfing at the TWINS surf club in Bredene near Oostende, as they push each other so hard in local competitions. We have 2 brothers (Niels and Lars Musschoot) who together with their buddy Alexander De Bruycker are the best guys in the water at the moment. They compete in European events and have taken up tow-in surfing. Then there’s the single ALAIA- recidivist who has a surf spot named after him. It started off as a joke but now he wants to see the name spot ‘BellyS’ getting mentioned in the Stormrider guide and also some magazines starting with this one, … but my favourite surfer since the beginning still is Gilles DeMunter who still rips even though he’s getting old ;) surf shops are being opened, surf teams have been started, people who live 200km from the sea are getting into their cars and are heading to the beach after seeing the odd surf contest

86 | CL10

CL10 | 87

on telly...everything has evolved so much since the early ‘90s.

It got big and it’s even bigger with people starting up a forum dedicated to surfing, which takes me to the beginning of this article as they are the main reason of crowded peaks.

The once empty breaks are now packed with people who started surfing last year or the year before and who say they will never drop in on a local (that is when they surf CapBreton in France or somewhere in the Peniche area in Portugal) and will always respect the local surfer (again not here). We still have heaps of fun and when the swell comes from the south-west we can head off to France and when it comes in from the North we head over to Holland.

So In fact we only have 63km of coastline but the possibilities for a very young surf scene are enormous. A 6 hour drive in 2 directions can give us what we want and need. Good surf, good food, good competition, and last but not least loads of FUN. That’s why I still surf after 19 years. That’s why hundreds of new surfers arrive at our breaks from deep inside Belgium just to learn how to surf and this will keep on growing as the true Waterman spirit truly exists, and we can get good surf somewhere else :) So don’t forget to spread the word. Belgium does have a surf scene and community and we have found surfable peaks nearby and far and we’ll be in contention of an ASP top 44 spot in about 25 years...

Mario ‘BellyS’ Major Photos © Twins Club Photoshoot www.twinsclub.be/ http://patrickkindt.zenfolio.com/

88 | CL10

CL10 | 89

Saunton in Summer

Saunton in Summer Words Ashley Braunton Photos Simon Mitchell

Although I have grown up surfing all of the beaches in north Devon, Saunton is where I would regard as my ‘home break.’ I followed in my family’s footsteps by learning to surf there and still surf there regularly; my nan and granddad sowed the seed back in the 60’s as some of the first surfers in north Devon.

Saunton has something that no other beach I have visited in this country has which is a real community, there are a large amount of surfers who surf, socialise and work together, many surfers who come from outside the area to visit Saunton just to surf or to compete always comment on how the situation doesn’t exist where they come from, surfers at other breaks turn up, go surfing then go home. Partly responsible for this ‘community’ is the Hotdoggers longboard club who have for years brought surfers together to compete and socialize together.

Although the Hotdoggers have had a lot to do with the community at Saunton it’s the work towards British longboarding that is so rare, the club offers surfers the chance to work up the ladder from underdog contests for people who haven’t or don’t normally compete all the way to the BLU tour to decide the British longboard champ and potentially onto the ETL and WLT tours. Saunton is the only place in the country where this direct progression into competition exists, the other area where the club has an input is to surfing etiquette, they have signs on your entry to the beach showing the correct surfing etiquette, this is something which is not seen by any other organization or business at Saunton.

Although over the years the surf community has grown and the friendly and slightly competitive lineup has become the perfect place for people to learn and improve the same old problems exist to occasionally spoils the atmosphere, I don’t wish to gripe but feel that unless certain things change we could lose some of this community spirit. The worst thing has come to the forefront this summer in the shape of ‘puts like’ car parking charges, just recently they were charging 5 quid at 6pm, for someone who wants to walk the dog, watch the sunset or just have a brief surf after work this takes away the appeal of the place, maybe if CL10 | 93

the local people saw something back for their money such as improved amenities they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t begrudge paying so much. Another issue unfortunately is the lack of general respect and thought for the safety of others by some water users including members of the surf lifesaving club, once again this year rescue boards have been seen flying through a busy lineup unmanned. Maybe the people who take so much from the beach users in the way of enjoyment and money should club together and put something back to the community such as lifeguards! How a beach which makes a phenomenal amount of money can be so tight as to not justify the safety of the beach users is beyond me.

Despite the few downsides the general attitude and banter between the local surfers is unrivalled and on any day on the cave or big onshore high tide session you will find people enjoying themselves and pushing each other to surf better.

So if you want to get into surfing or improve your surfing in a fun, relaxed and generally enjoyable atmosphere you would be hard pushed to find somewhere more ideal than Saunton, but maybe Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just biased!

94 | CL10

contest reports Photo: Aquashots

contest reports

Harley Ingleby wins the Oxbow WLT event 1 in Tahara, Japan Akabane Beach - Tahara, Aichi 27 July – 2 August 2009 Report by Sam Bleakley, photos WLT / Oxbow The Japanese have a great belief in the transience of the world, in impermanence and renewal. Surfing sits beautifully in a place that values the importance of both nature and innovation, of the given forces of life and of cultural change in dialogue. As a result, there are two million surfers in Japan blending tradition and experimentation. Akabane Beach, Tahara, was an excellent location for the first event of the Oxbow World Longboard Tour, presented by Yumeya. This beautiful stretch of Aichi prefecture, on the south coast of central Honshu, is lined with glasshouses growing watermelons, fringed by bamboo groves and offering sweet beachbreak waves.

A fresh four foot swell was ringing out a melody against a bottom bass for the main day of action. A 98 | CL10

winner would be sealed in the long raking lefts – back to back heats offering a gruelling day for surfers, organisers and judges. Brazilians Eduardo Bage and Phil Rajzman, Hawaiians Duane DeSoto, Keegan Edwards and Bonga Perkins, Frenchman Antoine Delpero, Australian Harley Ingleby and Californian Colin McPhillips hit the right notes to join the band in the quarter finals. The audience was wringing out sweat for the quarters and semis under a heron-blue sky on a hot, sultry day. The long, sinuous waves picked up in size with the tide and the beat intensified. Duane and Bonga drummed out Eduardo and Keegan to meet in the first semi final. A solid opening pennantshaped wall swept in, pulled on a green skin that split at its ridge, and Duane took off to savour the wave’s raw meat. He landed two huge off-the-lips as if at the eye of a storm, in a still patch of ocean, the movie reel flicking over, the screen gone white, and advanced to the final in spectacular form. Despite their excellence, Antoine and Colin lost in the quarters, as Phil and Harley progressed to the second semi. Harley’s long rides were filled by snappy moves that left the faces with watermarks. His cat-like agility showing exquisite

timing and torque would reach perfect pitch in the final.

The sea was veined with greens and pale blues for the deciding final between Harley and Duane. Harley smacked rim-shots as the lip cracked down the line, like a drummer suddenly moving into double time.

Duane charged back into centre stage, racing up the faces in honking solos, cutting back and hitting the nose with poise. Harley unpacked his cymbals once more, splashing them with rapid footwork, a hang ten, cracks to fraying lips, hooking back and finally hitting the sand as a final flourish on the snare drum and first place. The solos were over. Both Harley and Duane played the waves rail to rail, footstep to footstep, and pulled off explosive, committed surfing and improvised brilliant music against the Japanese seascore. Harley treated the waves like a good sushi chef, with sharp, decisive moves, cutting the water into tasty morsels, leaving a sweet aftertaste. $10,000 richer, he now leads the 2009 Oxbow WLT heading to the final event in the Maldives in October.

Domo arigato Tahara, Japan.

Clockwise from top left: Akabane Beach.

Harley collecting his cheque Harley Ingleby and Duane DeSoto after the final Ben Skinner gets Nat Young's support for the Precious Lives Appeal.

CL10 | 99

contest reports

OXBOW WLT event 1 - JAPAN RESULTS Final: 1 – Harley Ingleby (AUS) 14.75 2 – Duane de Soto (HAW) 11.75 Semifinals: Heat 1: Duane de Soto (HAW) 15.60 def. Bonga Perkins (HAW) 12.75 Heat 2: Harley Ingleby (AUS) 16.50 def. Phil Rajzman (BRA) 13.50 Quarterfinals: Heat 1: Duane de Soto (HAW) 13.50 def. Eduardo Bage (BRA) 10.50 Heat 2: Bonga Perkins (HAW) 15.10 def. Keegan Edwards (HAW) 11.35 Heat 3: Phil Rajzman (BRA) 14.25 def. Antoine Delpero (FRA) 12.40 Heat 4: Harley Ingleby (AUS) 15.35 def. Colin McPhillips (USA) 12.00 Round 2: Heat 1: Eduardo Bage (BRA) 12.25 def. Amaro Matos (BRA) 5.65 Heat 2: Duane de Soto (HAW) 10.75 def. Matthew Moir (ZAF) 10.65 Heat 3: Keegan Edwards (HAW) 12.00 def. Ned Snow (HAW) 9.90 Heat 4: Bonga Perkins (HAW) 13.75 def. Carlos Bahia (BRA) 12.70 Heat 5: Antoine Delpero (FRA) 14.00 def. Ben Skinner (GBR) 12.50 Heat 6: Phil Rajzman (BRA) 16.10 def. Taylor Jensen (USA) 15.40 Heat 7: Harley Ingleby (AUS) 12.50 def. Bryce Young (AUS) 10.25 Heat 8: Colin McPhillips (USA) 15.25 def. Alexis Deniel (FRA) 9.45 Round 1: Heat 1: Eduardo Bage (BRA) 14.25 def. Dane Pioli (AUS) 7.15 Heat 2: Amaro Matos (BRA) 10.00 def. Jeremias da Silva (BRA) 8.50 Heat 3: Duane de Soto (HAW) 12.40 def. Kai Sallas (HAW) 10.25 Heat 4: Matthew Moir (ZAF) 11.35 def. Remi Arauzo (FRA) 8.00 Heat 5: Ned Snow (HAW) 14.25 def. David Kinoshita (JPN) 6.80 Heat 6: Keegan Edwards (HAW) 12.30 def. Alex (Picuruta) Salazar (BRA) 11.55 Heat 7: Carlos Bahia (BRA) 14.30 def. Josh Constable (AUS) 8.20 Heat 8: Bonga Perkins (HAW) 14.35 def. Taki Mori (JPN) 6.50 Heat 9: Antoine Delpero (FRA) 17.75 def. Nobuhiro Ogashira (JPN) 6.50 Heat 10: Ben Skinner (GBR) 11.75 def. Jared Neal (AUS) 9.15 Heat 11: Phil Rajzman (BRA) 13.60 def. Noah Shimabukuro (HAW) 10.10 Heat 12: Taylor Jensen (USA) 15.75 def. Eugene Teal (JPN) 9.00 Heat 13: Harley Ingleby (AUS) 13.65 def. Dylan Macleod (ZAF) 8.00 Heat 14: Bryce Young (AUS) 12.25 def. Sam Bleakley (GBR) 9.25 Heat 15: Colin McPhillips (USA) 14.25 def. Tony Silvagni (USA) 9.80 Heat 16: Alexis Deniel (FRA) 12.85 def. Romain Maurin (FRA) 9.00

Left - Winner Harley Ingleby

100 | CL10

CL10 | 101

WLT Japan From left to right Top row: Bonga Perkins, Collin McPhillips, Sam Bleakley Middle row: Duane De Soto, Eduardo Bago, Jeremias da Silva Bottom row: Harley Ingleby, Carlos Bahia

102 | CL10

contest reports

Jennifer Smith wins 2009 Roxy Jam Roxy ASP Women’s World Longboard Title Decider La Côte des Basques, Biarritz – France July 10-14, 2009 Jennifer Smith (California, USA), 23, won the Roxy Jam in Biarritz to claim the second ASP Women’s World Longboard title of her brilliant career after defeating fellow finalist and outsider Coline Menard (Reunion Island, FRA), 21, in the final exchange of the 2009 edition. Smith, who dominated the final bout from the beginning until the end, confirmed her stellar Semifinal run where she managed to score a 9.25 point ride, the highest wave score of the event, defeating Menard confidently.

“To win a second world title is just unbelievable,” Smith said. “That heat against Chelsea (Williams)… I was ready to bow out in the semis and I had no idea I was going to get that wave and this score down. I was feeling pretty confident after that and when once I 104 | CL10

made the final I was definitely looking for the second title, for sure.”

Smith, who raised her world title trophy in front of a cheering crowd at La Côtes des Basques, signed an unexpected stellar come-back on top of the international hierarchy today, after several months without a win.

“I had no expectations this year as I had not won an event in months, maybe a year,” Smith said. “I came over here to give my best and see what happens, and I made the final and won it. It’s just so good to get a second one. I am going to celebrate with all my best friends that are here tonight and fly back home tomorrow.”

With three favorites and one outsider in the Semifinals, the 2009 Roxy Jam witnessed spectacular levels of surfing through the four-day waiting period, the new 32-woman format bringing more intensity into the ASP Women’s World Longboard title race. Menard’s final berth showed again how strong the French female longboarders were getting with a second

representative making the final in three years.

“The level of surfing has gone so high these days,” Smith said. “Everytime I see Coline (Menard) at an event, she has improved since the last time and it shows that the talent in Europe and worldwide is huge. The European girls are ripping with Justine (Dupont), Coline and the other Justine (Mauvin) who will soon come up. I think Coline will be better next year.”

At 21-years-old, Reunion Island resident Coline Menard became the second French representative to reach the final of the international event after Justine Dupont in 2007 who lost to Smith as well, Menard confirming her status of best up and coming competitor on tour.

“Making the final is a dream coming true for me,” Menard said. “Everything went my way except for the final where I didn’t really get the waves but Jennifer (Smith) was the best and she deserves to win. I had no pressure before the final, I knew it would be very tough and I tried to stay relaxed.”

Menard, who has been improving fast in the last couple of years, came to Biarritz hoping to better her equal 9th place result from 2007 and ended runner-up in the most prestigious event.

“I spent four months in Australia this year competing at all events to get experience and improve,” Menard said. “I didn’t get any big result but it definitely helped me build my confidence and by the time I got here, I was able to put everything behind me and surf relaxed through the event which worked out pretty well.”

Placing 3rd after a dominating run from Round 1 up to the Semifinals was event favorite and last year’s ASP Women’s World Longboard No. 2 Chelsea Williams (Gold Coast, AUS), 23, the renowned powersurfer losing to Smith despite a solid performance and a 13.25 point heat score (out of a possible 20).

“It is very disappointing not to make it through,” Williams said. “I just couldn’t find the better waves and Jennifer (Smith) got that 9.25 and I knew it was going to be hard to catch-up by then. I just sat out there waiting and nothing came.”

Williams, the event’s best scorer with an impressive 16.50 point score (out of a possible 20) on Day 1 of competition, was much awaited on the highest step of the podium today but failed to counter Smith’s flawless attack and will wait another year before she can chase a first ASP World title in her division.

“I was feeling good before the heat and went out there with the same approach,” Williams said. “I didn’t get the opportunity to score and that 9 pointer was the turning point. I didn’t feel like it was going to happen for me.”

Justine Dupont (Lacanau, FRA), 17, was not able to advance to her second Roxy ASP Women’s World Longboard Championships’ final going down to fellow French surfer Menard in the first semifinal. Dupont, who was considered a favorite in her Semifinal duel, could not score any better than a 5.25 point ride (out of a possible 10) throughout the 30-minute semifinal.

“I am very disappointed with my performance and I didn’t enjoy my time out there,” Dupont said. “I made

a first mistake and let the bomb go while Coline (Menard) was paddling into it. Then I waited for a good wave which came but I fell on the second turn and that was it.”

Dupont’s equal 3rd place finish makes her one of the most consistent female longboarders in the world after a runner-up in 2007 at 15-years-old only and an equal 5th last year.

ROXY ASP WWLC FINAL 1st, Jennifer Smith (USA) 12.25 pts 2nd, Coline Menard (REU) 9.55 pts ROXY ASP WWLC SEMIFINALS Heat 1: Coline Menard (REU) 11.75 pts Def. Justine Dupont (FRA) 9.15 pts Heat 2: Jennifer Smith (USA) 15.25 pts Def. Chelsea Williams (AUS) 13.25 pts

Photos & report Roxy / ASP CL10 | 105

Roxy Jam 2009 From left to right Top row: Kassia Meador, Joy Monahan, Justine Dupont Middle row: Leah Dawson, Kelia Moniz Bottom row: Coline Menard, Justine Dupont Previous page: Jennifer Smith Coline Menard and Chelsea Williams on the podium.

Winner Jennifer Smith in action

Photos all by Aquashots except previous page Roxy / ASP / Aquashots and this page Leah Dawson by S. Cazenave and Coline Menard Roxy / ASP / Aquashots CL10 | 107

contest reports

Stylemasters 2009 Report Guy Maddocks, photos Simon Mitchell What a day; horizontal rain, Saunton was 4ft, messy, and onshore. 1960’s surfboards and NO leashes, no, this wasn’t a nightmare, this is the English summer at its best, and the yearly homage to 60’s surfing that is the Stylemasters.

Stylemasters 2009 was underway, sponsored by Corduroy Lines and Mike Dudley. We had a bunch of 60’s boards to choose from, and a gathering of top surfers from all over the UK, British Champions, Multiple European Champions, surfers from Jersey to Wales, down to Devon and on to Sennen had turned up to compete. We did have surf though, all that was missing was a 9’ performance board, instead we had a bunch of Bilbos, a Dewey Webber of obscene weight, a Harbour and some other 60’s creations of heavy fibreglass construction, and dubious handling.

So the rules, NO leashes, try and surf as stylishly as 108 | CL10

possible, Ok, and if you want to avoid a huge amount of piss-taking, DON’T lose your board; crap!!

The Open went in first, with guys such as Elliot Dudley, Ashley Braunton, Ben Skinner, Ben Haworth and James Parry throwing these boards around like modern lightweights, 5’s & 10’s all over the place, young guys like Matt Travis ensuring that style still has a place in longboarding and off the lips for Christ sake, on 60’s boards!!! Not until you try to surf one of these boards yourself do you realise just how talented these guys are, it was a wonderful thing to see and made all the better by the appearance of that rare sight, sunshine!

The Masters category was as hotly-contested as ever, Richard Emmerson from Sennen was on form and as always loving every minute of it, keen to improve on his 2nd place of last year. Eric Davies was hungry for the title, Shaun Marlow, last year’s winner was there to defend his title, with Keano, Andre, Rob and myself there to try and put the cat amongst the pigeons.

The open was very strongly contested and we were treated to a nice display of surfing, Gary Woodward got a screamer of a ride in his heat but had trouble matching that ride, and after early casualties had fallen we were left with North Devon’s Ben Haworth, Skindog, James Parry and Elliot Dudley to show what they could do and they did just that, incredible section making, insane 10’s, slick drop-knees and Skindog pulling off a sick off the lip, great surfing and great spectating.

In the Masters we had a final made up of Shaun Marlow, Richard Emerson, Eric Davies and myself Guy Maddocks. I have never been in a line up and heard grown men scream when a big set came through like I heard in this comp, just the mere thought of losing your board was enough to send panic through the line up. Fantastic, what a ball. Rich was on it from the off, as if he had booked the set waves. He’d paddle in, whooping and hollering like a mad man, surf the wave to the shore, paddle back out only to paddle straight into another, unreal. I was struggling along with the

others to even catch a good one, Eric had a couple inside, Shaun was snaffling the odd one and I was having a shocker, didn’t matter where I was, the peak was elsewhere, usually where Rich was!!!

This comp is without doubt one of the best, with lots of mickey taking and good humour, it’s open to anyone; so if you own a 60’s longboard, bring it along and enter next year. If you don’t own one, no problem, we draw numbers out the hat and you get to choose your ride. Be there, it’s a blast.

A special thank you to all who helped, The judges and thanks again to Corduroy Lines for sponsoring this great event and long may it continue, rarely do you have as much fun as this at a comp, sorry if I forgot to namecheck you, but I’m old and drank a little too much wine with friends Sunday evening to celebrate, so the grey cells are a little fuzzy. Stylemasters 2010 can’t wait; put it in your diary.

RESULTS Open 1st Elliot Dudley 2nd Ben Skinner 3rd James Parry 4th Ben Haworth Masters 1st Richard Emerson 2nd Eric Davies 3rd Shaun Marlow 4th Guy Maddocks

CL10 | 109

contest reports

Jesus Longboard Classic ends in style With a great swell forecast and a full line up of competitors including some of the best longboarders in the country the third ‘Jesus Longboard Classic’, run

by Christian Surfers UK, was all set to be the most exciting and competitive to date. Surfers had travelled from a far a field as Yorkshire, Wales and Kent to enter the event. The weekend did not disappoint in any way with fantastic two to four feet waves, a really high standard of longboard surfing, and the all-round good vibrations and family atmosphere the Jesus Surf Series is now becoming renowned for.

As in previous years the event was supported by Cornish longboard specialists “Nineplus”, and Polzeath’s community charity “Tubestation”, who provided a first rate contest hospitality venue. This year the event was also supported by “Surfs Up! Board riders” and “Wave hunters”, based in Polzeath, giving some great Polzeath community input into the competition.

110 | CL10

The two-day event saw over eighty competitors battling it out in four categories: Women’s Open, Juniors, Masters, and Open divisions. There were also two special trophies added this year: the “Wavehunters Longest Noseride”, which was won by Sennen’s Sam Bleakley with a ten second noseride, and the “Surf’s up! Most Progressive Manoeuvre”, which was taken by current European Longboard champion Ben Skinner.

With the largest number of women surfers competing in this year’s event it made for a really competitive division, but it was Porthtowan's Dominique Kent that dominated from the start, adding to her 2007 title by winning again this year. Juliet Marlow (Braunton) also surfed well throughout the event and came second, with Karma Worthington (Croyde) and Alexa Poppe (St. Newlyn East) taking third and fourth.

It was great to see such a high quality of surfing from the younger surfers, with the clear stand out in the Junior division being Mike Lay, who went all the way to take the title. Bude’s Lewis Stritch took second with

Trev Garland only 0.1 point behind in third. With great performances in earlier rounds Zac Lawton took a well-earned fourth place.

his second trophy of the weekend by taking third and Trev Garland came in fourth, both with some really impressive surfing.

The Masters was dominated by Mark Goodright, with some impressive surfing all weekend he took the Masters title in fine style. With less than a point separating the rest of the finalists it was a close call for the remaining places. Colin Bright came out second closely followed by South African Richard “Bongo” Hall and Plymouths Gary Calladine.

Throughout the weekend at both of the “Jesus Surf Series” events, held simultaneously in Polzeath and in Croyde, funds were being raised to support the work of ‘Shelterbox’ and ‘Holidays with a Purpose’ as they continue to assist the areas so desperately affected by the recent Tsunami in Samoa, and earthquake in Sumatra, leaving hundreds dead and tens of thousands in need of shelter and medical assistance.

With the majority of the top UK longboarders entering this year we were in for a real treat in the Open division. Right from the start the standard was high and with stacked heats all through Sunday there were several close results, especially the first semi-final where first to fourth were separated by just 1 point. It was World number three Ben Skinner who eventually took the title, but it was a close call with Adam Griffiths ( Newquay ) pushing him all the way in the final and eventually coming in second. Michael Lay picked up

Christian Surfers UK would like to thank in particular all the competitors who took part, Christian Surfers volunteers from around the country, Nineplus, Tubestation, Surf’s Up and Wavehunters, The Doom Bar who provided free coffee for the judges, Cornwall Council, the RNLI, BLU and Hotdoggers for helping promote the event, the surfers of Polzeath for sharing the waves during the weekend, and of course God for again providing great surf and a fantastic atmosphere.

RESULTS Open 1st Ben Skinner (Newquay) 2nd Adam Griffiths (Newquay) 3rd Michael Lay (Penzance) 4th Trev Garland (St Agnes)

Womens 1st Dominique Kent (Porthtowan) 2nd Juliet Marlow (Braunton) 3rd Karma Worthington (Croyde) 4th Alexa Poppe (St Newlyn East)

Masters 1st Mark Goodright (Callington) 2nd Colin Bright (Llantwit Major) 3rd Bongo Hall (Northampton) 4th Gary Calladine (Plymouth)

Most Progressive Manoeuvre Ben Skinner - carving 360 Longest Noseride Sam Bleakley - 10 seconds+

Juniors 1st Michael Lay (Penzance) 2nd Lewis Stritch (Bude) 3rd Trev Garland (St Agnes) 4th Zak Lawton (Croyde)

CL10 | 111

contest reports

Retro Board Challenge A day of sun, fun and partying The 10th of October saw yet another hugely successful charity Retro Board Challenge take place in East Wittering, with 50 fancy dressed surfers competing and hundreds of spectators watching on the beach.

The A1Surf.com Retro Board Challenge in association with Wittering Surf Shop was held in small waves and sunshine, with a record turn-out of competitors.

Despite the small conditions, the surfers literally threw themselves into the spirit of the event, taking to the water on 9ft swell boards which allowed some new school moves you won’t even see on the ASP Dream Tour, including the ‘Ninja Chop’ , ‘the Cartwheel’ and the ‘Gun Show’.

A weird and wonderful collection of fancy dress costumes were on display during the day, including Bart Simpson, a scarecrow, Pamela Anderson, James Bond and even Laird Hamilton.

112 | CL10

The final was hotly competed on the rising tide, with some of the best waves of the day being ridden right to the beach in front of the huge crowd of spectators.

The finalists were the Silver Surfer (Olly Smith), the Ninja (Cliff Cox), Elton John (Peter Engelfield) and a Soldier (Matt Reed).

In the end it was the Silver Surfer who was triumphant, with the Ninja in second place, Elton John in third and the Soldier taking the fourth spot. A groms comp was also run, with local groms from the Witterings and Brighton competing in fancy dress also, which was won by Kieran Munroe.

The event raised hundreds of pounds which is donated to the RNLI Selsey Lifeboat Station and Surfers Against Sewage.

And this year saw the day rounded off with a ‘retro party’, held at the nearby Shore Inn in a huge marquee.

Brighton band Cover Note played an awesome three hour set and a Hawaiian Buffet kept everyone in the

party mood.

David Somerville from A1Surf.com said: “We were so pleased with this year’s event and stoked to have raised this money for the charities.

Although the surf was small, the guys proved that surf competitions can be a lot of fun.

I would like to thanks everyone who made it such a special day, in particular our sponsors – Lightning Bolt, Xcel Wetsuits, Ocean & Earth, Chilled Turtle, Santa Cruz – and also Shore Surf Club for their fantastic judges, beach marshals and tabulators.”

Nick Cheshire from Wittering Surf Shop said: “Each year people are starting to realise that this event isn’t about the waves, but about getting the surfing community together, having fun and having a party. “This year a lot of the original Witterings surf crew entered the comp and it was the first time they had surfed together since the 70’s.”

Photos Carole Gengler / Chilled Turtle

See you next issue!