Surphang Magazine Issue 2

Surphang Magazine Issue 2

Da Uni Coad

Champ Chats

Training Time

Surphang Magazine

Will Davey training to win as he punts in triumph at La Santa, Lanzarote Photo: Stu Gaston

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'If at first you don't succeed, train, train again' Twenty Twelve is going to be a year of striving for sporting dreams. Olympic hype will soon be upon us but for twelve British teenagers those dreams could well be realised much sooner than that. The Surfing GB Junior Team will be jetting off to Panama next month ready to take on the top junior surfers from around the globe at the World Junior Surfing Games but first comes the hard work and training. For some, it's not their first time and they have been through it all before as featured in our training trip feature in France. But for others, it's been a new opportunity to work at what they enjoy best. New or old they've all got one single solitary thing in their sights.

And so this issue is dedicated to success!

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This Issue's Features

Champ Chats - Will's Winning Form In this second issue, we catch up with the newest member of the Surfing GB Junior Team, Will Davey in 'Champ Chats'.

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Training Time – A la Plage with JG's Entourage It's time to get training over in France for our 'Surphangaway' feature.

Hot Spots

The Goss

– La Piste Parfaite

- Da Uni Coad

Staying in the 'Landes' of good surf, we focus in on that iconic French break La Piste in the 'Hot Spot' section.

And finally we pick the brains of one Sam Coad for all 'The Goss' on the Student Surf Tour down in Croyde for its latest comp.

La Piste Parfaite Photo: Stu Gaston

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Champ Chats Will's Winning Form Words and photos: stu gaston

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It's all pointing in the right direction for Will Davey at San Juan.

Eighteen months ago and the name Will Davey meant nothing. Nobody had even heard of the lad from Lanzarote. Suddenly showing up at some junior contests, he displayed some solid surfing. It was obvious this kid hadn't learnt to surf in the mushy onshore slop of the UK. Then last year, he took the UKPSA tour by storm, dominating his heats and ending up with the title of Under 16 Champion. But this kid doesn't sit back and bask in his glory. He's now worked all winter to become the newest member of the Surfing GB Under 18 team.

It's time for a chat!

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SM: Two Thousand and Eleven was a pretty good year for you, and of course finally becoming the UK Pro Tour Under 16 Champion must have been one of the highlights. Talk us through the other memorable moments of the year first though.

My year started pretty well with a trip with Carve mag to Costa Rica which was a sick trip with really good waves. Being able to surf in boardshorts at that time of year was awesome too. Peniche in Portugal was great. Went to Supertubes which was pretty good. I did the Pro Juniors in San Sebastian and Sopelana, again great waves. Thurso was a good trip as the waves were really good while we were there.

Becoming the UK Pro Tour Under 16 Champ was definitely one of your aims for the year. Talk us through the various contests and the highs and lows of the season.

Really my first result at Croyde was what influenced me to do the tour. I came 1st and I also qualified for the Nike Night Surf which I knew was going to be a really good event.

Again I managed to get 1 st place. After that the next comp was the one at Scarborough. It was a real disappointment that it was cancelled but as part of a UK Pro Surf Tour group we went to Thurso and then Wales where I came 4th.

How did you feel when you realised you could actually make it as tour champion then?

I kind of realised after the Nike Night Surf that I could possibly win the tour. It gave me a goal to work towards.

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Will loves surfing the lefts of San Juan.

Will also loves some tube time at La Santa.

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Will's backhand is solid. Foz do Lizandro, Portugal

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It's no wonder Will has a killer backhand, honed on waves like this at La Santa.

You had to overcome some solid surfing from your other contenders? How do you rate your surfing peers over in the UK at the moment?

There are some really good junior surfers in the UK. I had a couple close results with Taz (Knight).

So during the tour, which of them did you least want to be drawn up against in a heat and why?

Miles (Lee Hargreaves) is a really good surfer and always a strong competitor.

And now you're tour champion, does that go down as your best victory to date?

It's definitely a good thing to have on my CV!

Entering Twenty Twelve as a champ then, what's next? What are your goals for this year?

I hope to do well in the ISA World Games in Panama and also I am hoping to do as many Pro Junior comps as possible to raise my European ranking.

Of course, you're also part of the British squad training for the World Junior Surfing Games in Panama this year. How's that going and how are you feeling about the impending final selection?

Well I've just found out I've been selected so I'm stoked on that!!

And what about training? How do you keep on top of fitness and keep on pushing your surfing?

I have been doing circuit training and running with my Dad most days before college. I have noticed a difference with doing this. I have also been doing some training with a Brazilian trainer who lives in Lanzarote.

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Will launching off the lip at San Juan.

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Now you already live in Lanzarote with some amazing waves like La Santa right on your doorstep! But what about plans for travelling?

Well for this year I’ll be travelling now to Panama and also mainland Spain and France for the Pro Juniors but I would love to go to Indo....

Finally, where do you see yourself in five to ten years time?

I would like to see myself making a living out of surfing, being able to travel round...simple life really.

Yes sounds like a great life! Well thanks for your time Will! We wish you all the best for the World Junior Surfing Games next month in Panama and sure we'll be seeing much more of you in the future!

Yeh I certainly hope so! Cheers!

Will loving a backhand barrel at Supertubes.

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Training Time

A la Plage with JG's Entourage Words and photos: stu gaston

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surphangaway A fresh team of surfing hopefuls have just been brought together to tackle the might of the World's best junior surfers. Training over the next few weeks is going to be paramount. But the waves around our shores do not compare to what they will face in Panama. One solution perhaps take them abroad to train? Here's the story.

The perfect training ground with numerous beach breaks from Capbreton to Hossegor, France

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surphangaway

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JG's Entourage (left to right) – Zak, Paddy, Miles, Jobe and Ronan

One coach, two modes of transport, three surfing sessions per day, four forecasted days of swell and five of Britain's top junior surfers. The list added up to the perfect combination for Surf Solutions' latest trip to France. One problem however presented itself. No photographer to document the unfolding events. The solution... me! After one phone call at six on a Sunday evening, two emails and three Facebook chats over the next four nights, and no less than five days later I was off for what would prove to be an epic week of shooting. Joel Gray had whipped together a formidable team for his latest trip and as the six surfers spilled out of the people carrier, I caught up with the four fifths of the team I already knew – Jobe Harriss, Miles LeeHargreaves, Paddy Daniel and Zak Lawton – before meeting 21 year old Irishman Ronan Oertzen who as the oldest completed our crew!

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Numbed after their twenty-one hour journey, the five frothing groms were keen to check the surf. Joel had heard that Bourdaines had good banks and so with evening approaching, we raced through Hossegor to see what surf was on offer. Disappointingly, we were met by a slack 1-2ft but the atmosphere amongst our crew was electric – a number of potential packed banks could be seen and with the swell set to build, the five literally flew into the surf with the hope of better things to come!

Better things did indeed come, but it was like

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waiting for a bus. None for ages and then loads come all at once. So whilst waiting, the first full day of the trip saw two small sessions at firstly Estagnots and then Le Penon. The lads caught plenty of waves but there simply wasn't the power and punch to give them any speed for anything exciting. Ronan though became an early standout, excelling with some impressive surfing in even these meagre conditions. A suitably chilled evening followed, dining at Le Napoli before cracking into the DVD Box set of the suitably chosen sitcom 'Entourage'.

surphangaway Small but perfectly formed.

Les Estagnots.

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surphangaway

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Miles feeling quite at home in the stormy apres-surf of Capbreton.

Our very own entourage woke up on the second day to howling onshore winds and huge storm surf. Not quite the increase in swell size we'd been hoping for but by late in the afternoon, the rain stopped, the clouds parted and the sun popped out.

The waves were still messy but this didn't stop Jobe and Miles. Not surprisingly the surfer from Bournemouth suddenly

came into his own as he has spent many a surf out ripping the onshore windswell that is considered a luxury in those parts. Yet these challenging conditions have certainly shaped him as the solid surfer he has now become and so Miles tore apart the few well shaped waves that slid almost unnoticed amongst the disorganised peaks and troughs that continued to pummel the shoreline well into the evening.

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surphangaway

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Zak on the attack at Bourdaines.

Miles kicks some spray at Santocha.

By the next morning, the storm had passed, the sun was out and an organised swell had finally arrived! The day began with a dawnie at world renowned La Piste and for the first time I began to witness the true potential of these five surfers. Joel worked them hard, now that a training ground of quality waves was at his disposal. This technique session was followed by a free surf back at Santocha which Miles continued to dominate before a sunset surf at Bourdaines.

Having spent a long summer of small surf enjoying life on a longboard, Zak Lawton triumphed in this session. The Croyde lad had only just come back from a major knee injury and this week was his first on a shortboard in months. Zak recalled, “After such a long time out of performance surfing, it was feeling odd and really unnatural to be doing what I was doing. But by the middle of the week I seemed to be starting to put things back together! It felt like I was learning a whole new sport!' Certainly Zak was taking the learning process up a very steep curve and the Animal sponsored rider was showing he could still cut the mustard as the sun set on another day!

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Ronan rips apart the lip at Casernes.

Every surf trip has a lull and the middle of the week was just that when the planned dawnie back at Bourdaines produced nothing more than half a foot mush. Still this meant it was time for a table tennis tournament that Paddy was quickly dominating. I'd known him the longest of them all, since soon after he'd been talent spotted by RipCurl, who've supported him very well for the past few years. Paddy hasn't disappointed either with some competition wins recently. As we went for an afternoon session, hoping the pushing tide might add a foot to the morning's surf, Paddy now also dominated in the 1-2ft conditions on offer, clearly showing why he was one of our three who'd been picked for the British Junior Surf Team to go to the World Junior Surfing Games in Panama next month.

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Next morning, it may have been bitterly cold in the fresh offshore breeze but finally the surf was pumping with our crew met by consistent lines of swell creating a decent 3-4ft peak at Casernes. The five frothed and were soon picking out the best of a perfect peeling right hander. Regular footer of the trip Ronan stood out in this session, once again surfing with a style way beyond his years.

surphangaway Ronan pulled out all the stops and performed.

Les Casernes.

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After a warming brew back at the house, everybody was in the mood for a little road trip up the coast to Messanges. Head high barrels greeted the Grey entourage and the man himself needed no excuse to get out there and score a few French bazzas for himself! With perfect light and surf, we hot footed it back to La Piste. By now everybody was surfing the best I'd seen all week.

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surphangaway Joel Gray in the green room at Messanges.

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surphangaway

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Miles starting off a mixed session at La Piste.

Miles was certainly getting off to a good start. 'I was having one of my best surfs of the whole trip! The surf was pumping and everyone was ripping, one of those evening surfs that you will always remember! I can recall having a few really good turns and a nice air.

But that surf changed in an instant. I went for a punt but landed on my arse. Looking at my favourite board as I came back up, I found a nice crease in it. Great! Well I carried on surfing it but it wouldn't be the same again knowing my favourite board was off to a watery grave.'

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Yet on the next peak Jobe was having a more successful session. 'My favourite surf was at the end of that day just as the sun was setting with no wind and perfect little 3ft French peaks. La Piste had the funnest bank I've surfed in a long time. I’d tried a few airs throughout the trip but not landed many, but something clicked in that surf and somehow I was landing airs all over the shot. Weirdly, I was absolutely nackered from the solid day of surfing, but I guess the conditions and me being in a bit of a froth made it to be the best surf I had on the trip.' As ever, Jobe, the unassuming lad from Bude, let his surfing speak for itself. He literally spent most of this session out of the water and the skill with which he landed his airs was truly remarkable. Never one to blow his own trumpet, his consistent and powerful style has not gone unnoticed with the British brand CSkins and DC Shoes having picked him up over the past years.

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Jobe's surfing speaking for itself at La Piste.

surphangaway

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Not surprisingly, Jobe has been recently selected to represent our country alongside Miles and Paddy in the 2012 World Junior Surfing Games in Panama and it was clear to me that these were all more than ready to take on this major step in their surfing careers. But for now, the only step needed was onto the bunker for a post surf chat with Joel after what they almost all felt had been the best surf so far.

Joel, Paddy and Zak look back on an epic session at La Piste

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Joel Gray in the green room once more at Gravieres.

Paddy in an early morning green room at Les Oceanides.

The end of the week was fast creeping up on us, and for me all too soon as my flight back was half a day earlier than the crew's crossing. Fortunately, the swell had continued to build and so my last full day began with a dawnie at VVF. Here Zak attacked the waves with the renewed vigour of someone rediscovering the joy of surfing. Next came Les Culs Nuls with consistent overhead barrels! Once again Joel was in there like swimwear, Jobe and Miles joining him and the rest of us simply watching in amazement as the three of them charged and shared some tube time alongside French surf star Charly Martin.

Inspired, the day ended with another sunset surf at La Piste where all of them surfed with the flair and finesse that epitamised why they are currently five of Britain's top junior surfers.

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surphangaway

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Jobe rounds up a perfect session at Les Oceanides.

So one week passed, with less than two hours of my time left on the third day of a building swell now offering solid four foot waves, the five frothing groms once again checked La Piste.

However the crew were keen for their last full day to offer something new. As I headed north back to Bordeaux, the six surfers went south in search of a surf spot gem. And they found it at Lafitania where Paddy, who'd been wrestling with his brand new Tomas boards all week finally had his most memorable surf. 'There weren't that many people in and it was really easy to get waves. It was a perfect glassy 2-3ft which I was loving though what made it even more fun for me was that Jobe was getting in a massive stress because it wasn't the 60ft Jaws he'd been hoping for all week!' The surf may not have reached more than five feet but at least four of our surfers were happy with three days of perfect waves and with two of them destined for bigger things to come in Panama next month, there only remains one thing left to say... the boys are back in town!

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La Piste Parfaite Words and photos: stu gaston

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Jobe Harriss flies high with a perfect punt at La Piste.

Hot Spots What's in a name? Well quite often the name of a surf spot captures the sheer essence of that break.

Take the world renowned Portuguese spot Supertubos which translates to 'super-tubes', and in effect is a beach break with the best barrels in Europe. Makes sense then! Even the most infamous surf spot in the world seems suitably named. Lieing on Oahu's North Shore, the name Pipeline suggests a never ending line of perfectly pipe-shaped waves marching in from the ocean towards the shore at Banzai Beach. Well not so, as funnily enough it earnt its name from a certain California surfer Mike Diffenderfer who noted the pipeline being put in on the Kamehameha Highway and suggested they call the break Pipeline. And so to the world famous beach break in South West France, known simply as La Piste which means nothing more than 'the trail'! But perhaps having walked that trail out from Capbreton to find what awaits you explains the name perfectly!

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La Piste. Courtesy of Michael Hagen

It may well not be the longest trail you'll ever have to follow to reach that endless blue picture of perfection, but somehow that uphill struggle over the dune in the searing heat of a French summer can make what lies at the end of it all the more rewarding if it looks as good as this perfect lines all set up to form some of the best barreling waves to be found anywhere in France!

La Piste. Courtesy of Michael Hagen

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La Piste. Courtesy of Michael Hagen

La Piste itself is simply the name given to but one of the peaks littered along this stretch of sand. That is after all one of the beauties of France - the endless stretches of golden beach that lie for miles and miles along the south west coast, edging down towards the Atlantic Ocean at such an angle so as to produce some consistently enticing waves almost all year round.

La Piste. Courtesy of Michael Hagen

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But of course this one long endless beach in the Landes region needs some kind of segregation and so at this point along the western flank of the fishing port of Capbreton it is made up of three different beaches - Plage Centrale beside the harbour entrance itself, Plage du Prevent further along the main seafront and then where the numerous cafes and hotels give way to the typical sand dunes, it is known as Plage de la Savane. And it is here that everyone instantly recognises the scene, not solely for the near perfect barrels on offer but also for the what initially look like giant boulders dropped from a great height!

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They are actually World War Two bunkers that were dynamited off the sand dunes and now make for some stunning foreground, especially as they have been more recently adorned with some artistic graffiti. However, they do serve another purpose of marking the distinction between La Piste to the south and the break of La Santocha to the north. Here a wedgy right hand peak forms off the boulders, though it gets immensely crowded if the conditions further down the beach are getting a bit too big to handle.

Hot Spots

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Hot Spots

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Paddy Daniel goes vert at La Piste.

Jobe Harriss enjoys an early morning green room at La Piste.

La Piste works well in anything from 3ft up to a good 6ft swell, offering both well rounded overhead barrels at its best to fun puntable sections at the smaller times, though don't under estimate its power - even when it looks small it still packs a hefty punch.

Ronan Oertzen mid air reverse at La Piste.

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Zak Lawton punts at La Piste.

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Paddy Daniel kicking up some sunset session spray.

Hot Spots That just leaves VVF which is the next peak along the beach. This is almost as good as La Piste but lacking the bunkers and so the channels and currents they cause, it doesn't have quite the same 'joie de vivre' of its neighbour. That said, VVF, lieing beneath the caravan park of the same name, also lacks one other thing, much to its advantage - localism! After all, why else do you think the French give this epic break such a drab name as 'The Trail'? To try and keep it quiet of course! But you'd never keep such a hot spot quiet for very long!

Ronan Oertzen in the balance at VVF.

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T H E G A L L E R Y

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Impressed? Alex Baker airing at VVF. Photo: Stu Gaston

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T H E G A L L E R Y

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Sam Scoble chucks some spray at VVF. Photo: Stu Gaston

Ronan Oertzen kicks out the tail at Casernes.

Photo: Stu Gaston

Paddy Daniel flashing out both suit and spray.

Photo: Stu Gaston

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T H E

G A L L E R Y Shooting the sunset session. La Piste, France Photo: Joel Gray

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Miles Lee-Hargreaves enjoying a sunset surf.

Photo: Stu Gaston

Lewis Clinton releases the fins at VVF. Photo: Stu Gaston

Paddy Daniel drives through the barrel at La Piste.

Photo: Stu Gaston

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Lewis Clinton kicks out the tail at VVF. Photo: Stu Gaston

T H E

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G A L L E R Y Jobe Harriss finds an early morning barrel at VVF. Photo: Stu Gaston

Alex Baker up in the air again at VVF. Photo: Stu Gaston

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T H E

G A L L E R Y La Piste, France Photo: Stu Gaston

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Ronan Oertzen ripping at La Piste.

Photo: Stu Gaston

Lewis Clinton mid air reverse at VVF. Photo: Stu Gaston

A sunset slash for Jobe Harriss La Piste.

Photo: Stu Gaston

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The Goss

Da Uni Coad

SAM COAD GIVES US HIS TAKE FROM THE TOP OF THE STUDENT SURF TOUR 55 -

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Words and photos: stu gaston

Sam Coad has been on top form lately. Here he is aiming high at Gwenver.

SM: You've had a pretty good start to Twenty Twelve, positioned at the top of the SST leader board.

Talk us through how you managed to claim that envied spot.

SC: Yeh it's been not bad so far!

I've had a few solid results, making all the fnals off the tour.

I clinched 4th at the Porthcawl event, having the worst heat of my life, and it had to be the fnal.

Then got 2nd at the Watergate contest. So that 1st place is awaiting me still and hopefully its this event!

So now ahead of you lies the third contest in Croyde. What have you been doing to prepare for this and hopefully ensure it's 'third time lucky'?

Croyde should be a good event and looking forward to it a lot. I have just been down there for a week seeing what the wave was like and getting used to it a bit hopefully giving me a little advantage. And yeah course I'm hoping it's third time lucky indeed!

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And what about training? How do you keep on top of ftness and keep on pushing your surfng?

Well to be honest, I haven't been training outside of my surfng, I've just been trying to get in as much as I can!

You're going to be up against some serious contenders. Who do you least want to be drawn against in a heat and why?

And what about the rest of the pack? How do you rate your surfng peers in the student community?

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There are some solid competitors on the tour! Obviously the ones I'd least like to be drawn against would be Gordon Fontaine and also Matt Rodwell, although if I do get drawn againt them it will just get me more focused and more eager to surf better in my heat to make sure I get through to the next round!

All the surfers on the Plymouth team are solid surfers – Plymouth Uni is leading the table which shows that we put in good performances because we do have the talent in the team.

Sam smacks out a floater at Crantock.

Of course, not all the competition weekend action happens in the water! Anything juicy you'd care to share with us from the tour after parties?

half fresh for the contest on Sunday, although after the Croyde event there might be some shenanigans, who knows!

on the North Coast. I will hopefully be beach lifeguarding through the summer months then I'm thinking about going to Australia in November for the winter, which obviously is dependant on money situation.

If I don't have enough, I'm defnately heading off somewhere like Morocco or the Canary Islands.

Finally, where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Back to reality then, after the Have to say I dont have any! tour's over, what are your plans The big night is usually the for the rest of the year? saturday but I usually keep it a quiet-ish night so I feel Well I'm off to South France at the start of May which will still be after the Scarbourgh event

Well to be fair I would like to be sponsored by a big and respected company and also be a recognised and talked about surfer, competing in the all the Open contests around the UK and hopefully even Europe!

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What's to see in issue number 3?

Surphang Magazine

As the third issue of Surphang Magazine hits your screens, we decided it was time for a bit of a special and so this one is all on airs, focusing on the highs and lows of surfing.

In our Champ Chats series, we catch up with one of the most exciting of the new generation of aerialists, Gabriel Medina as he talks to us about his recent rise to fame and fortune.

For this issue, Surphangaway addresses the all too unpredictable nature of surfing when it tells the tale of two trips which suffered at the hand of Mother Nature as a swell starved Atlantic did its worst and turned epic reef breaks into nothing more than mere millponds. Sometimes you just have to accept there are highs and lows to everything but thankfully there's always a surfer around who seems to be able to take a punt off of anything!

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And finally, thanks to Christian McLeod, this issue's Hot Spot gives you an insight into some seriously pumping reef breaks over in Eire with some stunning shots from Pampa round to The Peak, showcasing the epic waves all within walking distance of Bundoran.

Champ Chats

A Tale of Two Trips

From Pampa to the Peak

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Thanks for reading the second issue of

Surphang Magazine

Cain Kilcullen going big at Easky.

Photo: Christian McLeod

'Bigger, Further, Higher, Happier & Sunnier'