The Slideshow magazine - Issue #36 - W i n t e r 2016

Photo: Kit Stokes.

R o a d t r i p!

Photo: Kit Stokes.

St Martin, il de Re France.

ON

THE

ROAD

FRANCE

AGAIN:

TRIPPIN’

/ TRUSTY OLD STEED // HOME OF SURFING :: HAWAII

SLYDER CUP / // SEPTEMBER SESSIONS: CORNWALL

/

//

/ / . . . E N J O Y ISSUE #36 WINTER 2016 Hello Sliders!

We’re heading into winter here in the UK & here at The Slideshow we have gone into a new phase. We are excited to be bringing you a quarterly volume of our FREE digital magazine. More articles, more photos ...more Stoke, spread throughout the year in four main instalments.

There will be plenty of Stoke in-between which you can get frothed upon through our Instagram, Facebook and blogsite.

Remember - we always welcome submissions for following issues - we’d love to hear from you email us: theslideshow.mag@gmail.com - Editor - Gemma Stokes.

On the Road Again { France adventuring }

My husband’s goal has always been to finally do a Euro surf road trip in the VW van (1972) he has owned for over 15 years, and this September, I was excited to be along for the ride...

On the Road Again { France adventuring }

Up until a couple of weeks before the trip, the van was still undergoing a spell off the road whilst undergoing major welding work and a full re-spray. It was sitting in Guildford, covered in primer, with no interior, windows or doors!

So, it was with some relief we chugged up the entry ramp of the overnight ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff in our freshly painted van. A convoy of two trusty VW campers (friends Oli and Sara were ready for their maiden Euro surf trip in Elsie (1971). The adventure, had begun.

We retired to our cabins and next thing we knew, we were arriving at the break of day in Roscoff.

It was a beautiful morning as we rolled down the ramp onto French soil, excited at the prospect of 2 weeks of surf exploring, with no set plan - just a map, a bunch of surfboards and nothing but the open road ahead.

Keen to get straight to the surf, a quick look at the map and the forecast showed some promise 10 minutes north of Roscoff, so we set off to see what we could find.

Le Dossen. Here we found mid tide, 2ft peelers. Straight into the water it felt amazing to get straight into some gentle waves after the overnight journey. Right behind the dunes at Le Dossen, was a great little municipal campsite where we

On the Road Again { France adventuring }

set up camp. Afternoon surf low tide for a 2nd surf on day one - not so consistent, but a couple of clean peely right handers.

On to La Torche. The surf had picked up and the boys scored some bombs. One snapped longboard later, we moved on to the Quiberon Peninsula and the 5 mile long Côte Sauvage, which lives up to it’s name - swimming is strictly forbidden along it’s wild and rocky coastline. Mostly free camping along this stretch in spots overlooking spots such as Port Blanc, so that those among us who were looking for heavier waves, good get an early surf before the crowd arrived.

The island of Il de Re was our next stop. Taking the toll bridge from La Rochelle out to this unique little island, we explored some of the spots that looked like they could be working.

Crozon Peninsula. Here we found a great campsite just round the corner from Goulien beach, and stayed for 2 nights, where we were joined by our friend in her campervan. Next day we headed to the North end of the beach where we found a great little wave. Busy, but fun plenty of waves to be had by all!

Back to Dossen for the last 2 days.

Our trusty municipal campsite had closed and so we free-camped in the main carpark behind the dune as a few people seemed to be doing. It was clear the ‘season’ was coming to an end, and we felt we had chosen the perfect fortnight to make our trip. The summer crowds had vanished, the weather was still fantastic apart from our penultimate day and a couple of heavy rain showers during the night.

For 2 weeks our vans had been our homes. We cooked on our hobs, sat

HOW TO REMAIN CONFIDENT IN

Bigger Surf

On the Road Again { France adventuring }

around our table at night to play many furious games of Uno (the game of the trip). We set up our double beds each night, hung the boards out of the way, then packed them all away each morning. Everywhere we went, the French seemed to give our vans the warmest of welcomes as we drove by in our little convoy, or pulled up in a carpark somewhere.

Our Walkie-Talkie system was the BEST navigational and communication apparatus - radioing between VW’s when a next turning was coming up, alerting the need to stop for fuel / toilet / Patisserie, general ridiculous road chat, and practising of French phrases to keep long stretches of driving interesting.

The hard work, time and money involved in the continuous cycle of maintaining and repairing a classic VW is neverending. But to be able to enjoy trips like this which we’ll never forget, makes it worthwhile and satisfying and of course frothing to do more!

Photos: Gemma Stokes / Kit Stokes.

Words: Gemma Stokes, Editor. Cornwall, UK.

On the Road Again { France adventuring }

Photos: Gemma Stokes.

Trusty Old Steed Here’s the happy story of how one surfing girl’s first longboard which had seen better days, was given a new lease of life at sea...

endlessly watching an old VHS copy of “ After ‘Super Slide’, I was desperate to get myself a longboard. I saved up all my pocket money, and bought my first longboard from a chap in my surf lifesaving club for £200.

”

It was the late 90’s, I was about 14, and this board was seriously cool – thin, light, pointed nose, with awesome artwork.

I took it out in everything from little peelers to low tide bombs, back then I had no fear and frothed like a true grom. It got bashed about a fair bit, but it fuelled my love of longboarding as I spent every moment I could out in the water. Cross stepping, deep fin turns, cruising, and of course, taking a load of beatings, it was a perfect first longboard.

Years later as the board got more battered, I moved on to newer boards, but still kept the trusty Custard Point in the garage for friends to use. Last year I decided it was time to clear some of the quiver out and reluctantly tried to sell my old friend. Nobody was interested, perhaps it was a sign. The months went by and then I bumped into Abi. I first met Abi in the water on a spring low tide at Perranporth, with 1ft peelers coming in and nobody out apart from the two of us and Abi’s dad. I had a 9’8” log and was just messing about, and saw this young girl spinning around on her board. She asked me if I had tried surfing backwards, so I gave it a go and we all had a laugh.

Back in April this year, Abi and I got talking about surfing and she told me she’d snapped her board.

She didn’t have anything to surf as she was saving up to buy a new longboard she’d seen. I felt her pain, and saw my 14 year old self in her, just frothing to surf. I said I had an old board that needed some TLC, so if she was keen for a project she could have my trusty steed. She was pretty pleased with the offer, and I was happy knowing the board was going to someone who would really appreciate it and put some love into patching it up.

So I passed on the board, and now all fixed up, Abi is enjoying it just as much as I once did, which makes me feel pretty stoked. Long may they continue to slide together...

Words: Ellie Woodward, Perranporth, Cornwall.

Photos: Courtesy of Ellie Woodward & Abi Pope.

Trusty Old Steed

Since it has been repaired I have been on it quite a few times in varying surf. Tonight it was about 4 foot, clean, off-shore winds pretty perfect longboard conditions.

Because it is an old school longboard it is super manoeuvrable and easy to get to the nose. Since I was about 10 I have been practicing old school tricks, anything Miki Dora did I’ll try, so this board is perfect for that.

Ellie gave me the board for free because it was in such a bad condition. I remember when I was younger I went out for a surf

with my dad and Ellie was out there, I was maybe around 7 or 8 on my mini mal. Ellie was on her longboard so I asked her if she could turn around like Miki Dora does so she gave it a go, since then I have perfected turning around and am now trying other old-school tricks.

It’s not very often you see a 14 year old girl walking down the beach with a 9’2” board, but I have fallen in love with this board and will ride it until I can’t anymore!

Words: Abi Pope, 14, Truro, Cornwall.

Photos: Courtesy of Ellie Woodward & Abi Pope.

H.o.m.e

of Surfing

Hawaii had never been on my top list of places to go, but when we heard some friends would be living out there it seemed like the logical option for a surf adventure. The more I read my Lonely Planet guide and looked at the surf forecasts the more excited I got. The anticipation of seeing epic Pipeline and surfing some of the famous breaks was coupled with fears that it wouldn’t live up to our now high expectations...

Photos: Courtesy of Gen Conquest.

Oahu Our first day, and surf, was a trip up the east coast from Honolulu to Makaha, the world famous right hander. It didn’t disappoint, the wave was breaking overhead out the back but peeled down the point, the main peak was packed with locals and experts but jumping on the insiders and scraps down the line was great fun.

The water was crystal clear and looking out to the horizon we could see humpback whales breaching and jumping, we knew then that we were in surfers paradise for the next 3 weeks.

There are waves everywhere on Oahu for all abilities, from the epic north shore to the mellow waves of Waikiki and Diamond Head. It never seemed too busy in the line up because of the vast amount of breaks and options available, everyone we came across in the water was friendly and respectful with none of the localism we had heard about before the trip.

The North Shore Driving along the highway to the North Shore through the pineapple plantations and sugarcane fields you get a glimpse of the waves peaking out to sea, realising you’re going see some of the biggest waves you’ve ever seen. You can’t beat turning up at pipeline and seeing John John Florence out there on his own, pulling into perfect tubes.

When we realised the Volcom Pipe Pro was going to run on our last day on Oahu we booked a yurt in the hills overlooking pipeline on an organic farm. We hired bikes and rode along the north shore watching massive waves crashing over the highway and surfers pulling into huge bombs at the famous Waimea Bay. Safe to say I didn’t surf the North Shore, watching it was enough for me on those days!

Maui Each island has a different feel, Maui feels more relaxed than Oahu and is such a diverse island. From sandy dusty hills on one side to lush rainforests and waterfalls on the other, all being towered over by the old Haleakala volcanic crater standing at 3080m above sea level.

The surfing highlight for us on Maui was a 3 hour session at Honolua Bay. Seeing the waves wrap around the point with the

H.o.m.e

of Surfing

Photos: Courtesy of Gen Conquest.

reef visible below was magical. The surf wasn’t big by Hawaiin standards but that also meant it was quiet, we shared the lineup with a few old locals. My only regret was not taking one of the bombs and attempting to get barrelled but when you’re taking off in front of the rocky cliff it’s pretty daunting, instead I settled for some insiders that peeled right along until the water was only ankle deep on the reef, sharing the waves with the giant sea turtles.

Maui also hosts many surf spots and depending on the time of year you get waves all around the island. The surf town of Paia is a great place to visit and hosts gift shops, yoga studios, organic food and great coffee shops. One of the top surf beaches Hoekipa just a mile out of town, provides some epic right and left peaks.

Kauai Smaller than Maui and Oahu, Kauai is nicknamed the garden island due to its lush landscape and green hills.

Surf on Kauai was harder to find being novices to the island, the winds and swell direction play a huge role for the surf on the island. We had an experience of a sketchy shore dump surf and some small reef breaks but one surf made up for the failed attempts.

Hanalei bay at the northern end of the island is the most beautiful picturesque place I have ever visited, surrounded by green fields and white sand beaches it also hosts some great surf. We paddled for 10 minutes out to a right hand reef break from the pier to find perfect waves and sea turtle havens. The thought of sharks creeping into the back of your mind was a bit unsettling however, knowing Bethany Hamilton had her arm bitten off just around the point.

After our surf in Hanalei bay the swell picked up to mega size and all we could do was watch from shore as the skis towed guys around looking for a wave to pull into. It was the perfect opportunity to hike part of the Napoli coast trail where we caught glimpses of tow in surfers a mile or so out to sea and witnessed the giant waves crashing into the steep high cliffs around us.

Hawaii certainly lived up to our high expectations, you can escape the crowds and typical American façade easily to find amazing landscapes, untouched pockets of nature and perfect waves in crystal clear waters surrounded by sea turtles, Dolphins, fish and humpback whales playing on the horizon.

Words: Gen Conquest, UK.

H.o.m.e

of Surfing

Photos: Courtesy of Gen Conquest.

H.o.m.e

of Surfing

Photos: Courtesy of Gen Conquest.

This one-day surf competition and social gathering celebrates the art of wavesliding from a ‘finless’ perspective and as always, the emphasis is on good vibes, good rides and good times.

“November has been a tricky month and we’ve been monitoring conditions during the official ‘Holden Period’. As this month draws to a close, we’re stoked to be able to bring together the Slyder-hood once again,” says Approaching Lines Director Chris Nelson.

The Slyder Cup is broken into 4 classes: body surf / handplane; paipo / bellyboard; surf mat and alaia with a winner in eachwith some awesome prizes up fro grabs from Reef, Da Fins, Slyde handboards and Mullet surfboards.

The Grand Final will see the winners go head to head in a surf-off and the 3rd Slyder Cup Champion crowned. In this event it’s all about the style of your glide and your skill on your slyde…

The only event of its kind in the UK, places are limited and sign up is available at approachinglines.com on a first come first serve basis approachinglines.com/ slyder-2016-entry Celebrating those at the heart of the scene, shapers and makers from across the waveriding spectrum - from backyard builders to established names ­– are invited showcase their alternative surf craft. If you’d like to get involved, drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you: hello@approachinglines.com To sign up and for full event information: www.approachinglines.com/slydercup The Slyder Cup is an Approaching Lines production.

Words & images courtesy of Approaching Lines.

September Sessions

Cornwall

Photo: Courtesy of Seasoul Shelter & Friends.

Seasoul Shelter organise surf tour trips to a number of places and returned again in September to bring a new group of girls for an awesome week of surfing adventure...

The recipe of a fabulous surf week: All you need is a bunch of happy people, good waves and stoke. We certainly had all of that venturing onto another Seasoul Shelter trip to Cornwall back in September.

Although surfing was the main focus of the trip, our week was filled with great activities alongside the shooting of a Seasoul promo movie by Hans Peter Schepp, our dutch Filmmaker companion.

Besides daily surf sessions wherever a wave could be found along the stunning and varied Cornish coastline, the Seasoul founders Killa & Concha organised a visit to the Orca Publications office for an insight on how they create their surf magazines. Loaded with goodie’s from there we continued on to a wicked pitstop at the Mount Hawke Skatepark, the UK’s largest indoor skatepark. Suddenly embarking onto concrete waves was definitely was an adventure and a challenge! A treat for our aching muscles afterwards was a yoga session from the beautiful Lauren (Yoga with Lauren) at the Lime House Yoga Space.

The lady surf trippers topped it up with a visit to Ben Skinner (European Longboard Champion) at his Board Factory where he shapes his Skindog Surfboards, for an in-depth tour and insight into board shaping.

We certainly had the best week and experience one can have in Cornwall. Plenty of surf, accompanied by good food, (pies & ale!), silliness, walks & talks and good friendship.

Thank you Cornwall, and to Matt from Bathsheba Surf, Ciaran Ryder, Ben Skinner, Louise, Jock & Emma (Lime House Yoga) & Lauren for making all of that possible.

See you next time and look out for seasoul surf teaser.

Words: Concha Rossler.

Images courtesy of Seasoul Shelter & Friends.

www.seasoulshelter.com www.instagram.com/seasoulshelter Facebook: Seasoul Shelter

Photo: Courtesy of Seasoul Shelter & Friends.

September Sessions

Cornwall

September Sessions

Cornwall

Photo: Courtesy of Seasoul Shelter & Friends.

RNLI :: Punching Through the Surf.

Photo flashback to last Autumn - snapshot of the RNLI out on patrol down at Godrevy, Cornwall, on a day of pumping surf.

Photo: by Gemma Stokes. ©

“STOKE”

SEND US

YOURS...

Be a part of our community of surfing females - a FREE digital magazine full of YOUR stories, photos and general surfing stoke.

theslideshow.mag@gmail.com

Photo: Courtesy of Seasoul Shelter & Friends.