Surfing Events

Our Junior Surf Club has had an excellent year. This is the first year that we have gone right through the winter with it and this commitment is really beginning to pay dividends. The hardest thing for the British surfer is the long cold winter but if you have a few keen mates to surf with then it makes it all a little easier.
We are now regularly getting 30+ kids every Saturday morning which is really pleasing to see. This coming Saturday we will be spreading our wings and heading over to Sennen Surf Club (the oldest surf club in Britain) for a day of waves, competition and bbq’s.

Its easy to overlook but surfing different waves is what really accelerates the learning curve in surfing. Just being in a different line-up dealing with waves that break a little bit harder or softer than the ones you are used to teaches you more than a surf coach ever could no matter how hard you are listening.
In September we will be returning the favour and hosting Sennen Surf Club when they come over to us for the rematch. I’ll let you know how it goes.
By the way the photo above isn’t Sennen but a beach very close by. It doesn’t break like that too often but when it does I reckon I need to make the effort, get over there and get working on my own surfing!

It’s been a great week for the Stand Up Paddle surfers! We’ve been doing loads of SUP lessons lately but a new swell is on the horizon and it looks like it’s going to be fairly consistent for the rest of the month. Which is good as the surf has been a little on the small side for May so far.
This is pretty much how I remember May as a kid. There was always a 2 week flat spell so hopefully we are just coming to the end of that now.

At least there are other options if the surf goes these days. There is the aforementioned SUP lesson or you can fire up the Rio Surf comp webcast and watch the worlds best surfers ripping some decent waves in Brazil. That’s what I’m planning on anyway.
The webcast has revolutionised surf comp viewing for the British surfer. You used to have to wait 3-4 months to find out who had won the ASP World Title, now you can watch it unfold before your eyes. There is even a Fantasy Surfer league (just like the Fantasy Football leagues that you get in the papers). It’s great fun but it’s clear that I can’t tell a good surfer from a bad one as I am currently ranked 4170 out of 21,000. Top half of the table I spose.
Get your team in quick, great flat day fun!

England have achieved a creditable fourth position in the European Surfing Championships and for the first time in a while have a European Champion. Sarah Beardmore smashed the opposition in a fantastic display at Bundoran (Donegal, Ireland) this afternoon and is one of those rare moments that I can proudly say ‘I was there when…’ Good on you.

Stokesy put in a spirited performance in the Open and got a third place finish and Ben Howarth got second in the Longboards. I feel genuinely stoked to have somehow got in this team, so much quality in every division and all of my team mates were top blokes (and ladies) too.
As for me I got sixth overall. In the end I couldn’t quite get into the final which was the goal I set myself. Can’t have everything my own way I guess.
Tonight its time for a little celebration however. I’ve been in Ireland for ten days and haven’t touched a drop of the black stuff. Thats all gonna change in about 10 minutes.

The long summer days are slowly blending into Autumn so naturally ones thoughts turn to the No Pro. The comp is now in its 17th year and we are proud to have Hurley as our event sponsor so the prizes this year are going to be amazing.

The event is a grass roots competition for surfers who don’t fancy the dog eat dog world of pro surfing but wouldn’t mind having a crack at surfing against their mates while hopefully having an enjoyable day at the beach.
This year the event is on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of September at Godrevy Beach and their are Open, Women’s and 16 and Under categories.

Under normal circumstances I would never let a joke go by without endlessly repeating it until it just isn’t funny anymore or murdering the punchline …..
And today is no different.

Last Sunday as the one day heatwave reached its zenith the GAS team were slaving away, clipboards in hands, stopwatch running and gazing out to sea through sun ravaged eyes as they focused on the cream of the surfing crop from Cornwall’s schools.

We had been asked to run a one day surfing extravaganza – a stand alone event of the Cornwall School Games. Schools from all over the county had entered teams in several different disciplines such as netball, beach volleyball, sailing and, of course, the king of sports – surfing. Each school competed for team points to be declared the official top Cornish school sports team. Judging by the surfing Wadebridge has one hell of a good school for sports – even better than the traditional powerhouse of Newquay.
It must be great to walk into school on a Monday morning as a Cornwall School Surfing champ. It certainly puts my 1987 victory in the 3rd year egg & spoon race into perspective.
And the joke?
Well, once again the comp was powered by GAS. By GAS. Geddit?
Hello. Hello, are you still there? Anyone?
Just me then.