a magazine for surfing females
FROM DAWN TIL DUSK / TEN BOARD CHALLENGE / ALTERNATIVE ANTI SURFING EXHIBITION / Enjoy...!
PERRAN DAWNY, JUNE 1013, Photo: Ellie Woodward.
ICS / THE ENDLESS SUMMER: THE EVOLUTION OF
#9 July
Photo: Gemma Chalmers
From dawn til dusk
Sometimes, everything just comes together. For a week in early June the sun finally decided to show us its summer potential, coming out of its wintery hiding and casting its rays on our pale, vitamin-D starved skin. The most vital pieces in the jigsaw of perfection were the surf and light offshore winds that graced our shores. Proper long period swell rolling its way
over the Atlantic and giving all us waveriders something to spring out of our pits at the crack of dawn for, skive off work, and eke out every ounce of daylight. Light at 4:30am and dark at 10pm allows those working folk to get their fill of the waves and earn an honest living. Racing to work after a dawnie with salty hair and sandy feet, leaving your wetsuit on the car wing mirror to dry out while you sit at your desk sneaking glances at the wave buoys, webcams, and texting your mates about an after work session. This
was one of those weeks.... the workforce of the southwest could be mainly be found in the sea. After a couple of days of pumping surf and several sessions, it dropped off to a mellow
chest high wave and Perranporth saw a bunch of girls out in the line
up getting some long rides. I saw Slideshow editor Gemma take off on a set wave on the peak turning into a peeling lefthander. She disappeared out of sight and when paddled back out all we could see was the grin on her face from ear to ear.
We surfed until our arms could paddle no more. The sun had begun its slink down to the horizon, leaving its dusky hues on a supremely marvellous few days of waves and sun. These rare moments are ones we all long and hope for and certainly make the most of. If only it would last a bit longer‌ Ellie Woodward
TEN BOARD CHA
Alexa Poppe and Sarah Bentley’s Ten Board Challenge at Godrevy had a commendable turn-out desp emphasis on style and stoke’. Entrants had a chance to ride from a pool of 10 boards of various
pite the weather Saturday morning, 16th June. A fun competition for ladies of all ages with ‘an shapes and sizes, picking numbers out of a hat to randomly select a board to ride in their heat.
Photo: Gemma Chalmers
ALLENGE
Photos: Gemma Chalmers
The Ten Board Challenge seems to be one of those contests blessed with good surf. Last year it was held in the most solid clean surf of the year, and this year’s conditions were just as epic with some decent overhead sets on the high tide banks in the morning, groomed by the stiff offshore wind. The grey conditions certainly didn’t put anyone off, as the contest was full!
Competitors nervously all eyed up the various wavecraft, from longboards, retro fish and mals, to some more unusual mini-simmons style boards, there was certainly something there for everyone! The 10 boards were all given a number and the idea was that a number was picked out of a hat. This corresponded with the board you had to surf in your heat. The first heat hit the water, with lots of hoots and cheers from the beach. The girls set a high bar from the word go. Everyone enjoyed watching as longboarders changed their style riding shorter boards, and the shortboarders were slowing down the pace on the longer lengths, with the girls having to pick up and ride a different board for each heat. The waves dropped throughout the day but the lower tide meant there were still some great waves for the final, with Charlotte Bayliss taking a well deserved first place, Jen Pendlebury in 2nd, Nicola Bunt 3rd and Megan Chapman taking 4th place. It was certainly inspiring being surrounded by girls who rip harder than
TEN BOARD CHALLENGE
Photo: Ellie Woodward.
the boys, and on pretty much every shape of board that you can imagine! Alexa and Sarah definitely pulled off an awesome event based on style and stoke rather than competition. Bring on next years challenge! by Becky Hutchens.
ONE OF TEN: Freshly finished, the 9’5 Seasaw, Otter board made with Cornish western red cedar and walnut accent strips. www.ottersurfboards. co.uk
TEN BOARD CHALLENGE
TEN BOARD CHALLENGE.
Charlotte Bayliss surfing a cracking first heat!
Photo: Gemma Chalmers
TEN BOARD CHALLENGE
Photo: Ellie Woodward.
TEN BOARD CHALLENGE
Photos: Gemma Chalmers
The Endless SUMMER: tHE EVOLUTION OF SURFING
EXHIBITION
Hot Generation Surfboards at Constantine, 1982. Alex Williams.
The Endless Summer - an exhibition currently running at the Royal Cornwall pulls together a beautiful collection of historic and vintage boards, from private collections including that of ex British and European champion, Nigel Semmens. Images and vintage magazine covers from renowned surf photographer Alex Williams, showing how the sport and culture itselfhas changed and developed since the early 1900s. The exhibition was developed by Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery and shown there last year, but has some special Cornish additions, including key surf boards from local surfer and collector Al Lindsay that represent the importance of shaping, design and manufacture in Cornwall from the 1960s to the present day. ‘Endless Summer: The Evolution of Surfing’ will be on display at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro until the 7th March 2014. Museum opening hours are 10am to 4.45pm Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays and Bank Holidays). Admission is free to RIC members and anyone aged 18 or under. Adult admission is £5 for an annual pass – pay once, visit all year. a surf photography competition will be launched, supported by the popular surf clothing brand, Finisterre and Fistral Surf School. Throughout the year there will be other special events to compliment the exhibition. Full details about the exhibition are available from www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk/exhibitions or by calling 01872 272205.
Photo: Ellie Woodward.
Empty Cornish gem, Fern Cargill.
What do you do when it’s
like this?
Photo: Gemma Chalmers
[6-8ft, HOWLING onshore, BLOWN OUT, WHITEWATER AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE...]
Photos: Ellie Woodward.
After driving aROUND Cornwall searching for a NICE sheltered spot one Sunday morning and finding very little to slide upon, we decided to head back to whence we came two hours earlier, and get amongst the grizzly white wash sweeping the north coast. A spot of bellyboarding was in order, - once we managed to find a beach that wasn’t red flagged! Perranporth it was then. Strong winds, miles of white water, strong surges producing punchy
[6-8ft, HOWLING onshore, BLOWN OUT, WHITEWATER AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE...]
little frothy double-ups on which we flung ourselves in front of and rode all the way in until we were scraping the sand. I have not laughed so hard and been dragged around in the sand by the water so much in ages. I was washing sand out of my hair and ears for days - THIS is what I will be doing next time it’s too big to surf and nowhere else seems to be working. EPIC fun. Gemma Chalmers.
Photos: Ellie Woodward/Claire Earlie.
Remember that day, at that beach, where there was that fun little wave? You’ve got a photo of it somewhere, you know you do. That stuff is gold. It’s the kind of thing you like hearing about when you read an issue of The Slideshow. It’s simple stuff - dig that cool photo out, write a sentence about it, send it to The Slideshow. It’s your chance to be part of this great new community and be published through The Slideshow magazine! Or even if you are just plain AMPED about the sea and want to tell the world. The Slideshow
NEEDS YOUR INPUT! Email: theslideshow.mag@gmail.com