If you are one of the millions that has been enjoying the charge of Britain’s big wave riders then at some point you are sure to have wished you were there to witness the action. Well here’s a question for you: fancy a trip to an XXL session at either Nazare or Mullaghmore for a mega swell with Cotty?
Yes, thought so… read on!
So Sharp’s Adventure: what’s it about?
Cotty: Being from the South West, adventure has naturally been in my blood since I was young, and I’ve always loved getting out on my board and facing the elements. I’m a big fan of Sharp’s Brewery’s beers so when they came to me with the idea of the ‘There’s an Adventure Brewing’ campaign, I jumped at the chance to get involved. The Sharp’s adventure campaign is on a major mission to get people across the UK to live life with a little more of their contagious Cornish energy and with our similar willingness to push boundaries, this was a totally natural fit.
Surfing, and especially big wave surfing, is evidently what drives my biggest adventures and I’m excited to be sharing one of my 2015 trips with the rest of the UK. Britain isn’t known for its ongoing big waves, and people may not often get the chance to witness the raw power and awe of these massive monster waves, so I’m excited to be onboard to be opening this up for someone.
Through Sharp’s, people will have the opportunity to witness this epic force of nature for themselves. People don’t even need to be surfers. They just need to have that itch to join myself and my crew, at short notice, when the surf is going big at either Mullaghmore or Nazare.
Six initial winners will be invited to join me on my home turf in Croyde for a weekend of prep and training, and I’ll be selecting the final crew member to be ready for that call, and to be ready to drop everything and fly out with us, when these waves are throwing down their charge.
What will winners get up to on the training day?
The weekend is an all expenses paid trip to Croyde which is my home break. Sharp’s Brewery will cover the costs for six people to travel down on the Friday, and we’ll hang out and head out into the water for a surf on the Saturday and I’ll share with the guys what my training programme is and how we prep all year round for the winter swells. It’ll be a great chance to get to know everyone and I’m looking forward to it.
How will you choose a travel companion?
I’m looking for someone who’s up for a laugh and willing to push their personal boundaries and be outside their comfort zone. They also have to be able to adapt to last minute travel plans … and enjoying a beer definitely helps.
What will they win?
They will win flights and accommodation with myself and the crew in either Mullaghmore or Nazare, depending on where the swell goes off first.
What will the trip entail?
Even when you’ve done this hundreds of times, nothing beats that anticipation of getting to the airport and then travelling, often throughout the night, and then getting to the beach or the cliffs and seeing the waves for the first time. Hearing, feeling and witnessing that raw power is like nothing else. The ground literally shakes and the waves are mammoth giants approaching mountains of water. Any photos or film footage doesn’t come close to you actually seeing and feeling it, right there, for real.
Our winner will be there to witness it all with us: the fear, the tension and then, I hope, the glory. This will be a serious swell and the build-up amongst whatever surfers are there, and ready to charge it, is immense and and our winner will be right there with us as part of the team.
They’ll then be there with us as we prep, psyche ourselves up and then they’ll be watching us take to the waves in one of nature’s scariest and most dangerous amphitheatres. Then (hopefully!) we’ll nail them time and time again, and I’m sure Sharp’s Brewery will throw us a few beers to celebrate afterwards!
When does season kick off?
Late September to Early October.
To enter the competition, simply visit www.sharpsadventure.co.uk, and upload a captioned photo of you experiencing your biggest adventure.
It’s the trip of lifetime. Good luck!
