Photos: Jamie Elliott
Joey Gray caught up with Gee Piper ahead of this year’s Single Fin Shoot Out.
You’ve been part of the Newquay surf scene for so long, what makes the town such a fitting home for the Single Fin Shoot Out?
Newquay is really the home of British surfing for me. It’s got so much history from the early days when the Aussie lifeguards arrived. They passed their boards onto the first locals, which spawned the birth of Bilbo. From that, surfers like the late Chris Jones and Roger Mansfield started surfing and became the best in the water, and that tradition has continued till this day with the likes of Lucas Skinner.
What was it about Single Fins that struck a chord, and what has kept it going?
I learnt to surf on a single fin, but as I got older, I moved through twin fins, quads, and eventually ended up on a thruster for many years. When I spent a year in Australia, I lived with this guy in Manly, and he used to buy boards from the cash converters and the op shops. He would bring all sorts back to the pad, and we would take them out and have a right laugh, and what stuck me was riding these old boards was so much fun. You didn’t care if you were just going straight or not. When I got back to the UK, I started getting my own stash together and visit them whenever I need to reset my surfing or want a different feeling.
So, you’ve ridden a lot of different boards over the years… What is it about a good single fin that still gets you?
For me, it’s the language of the board. They seem to dictate the speed and tightness of arc and are not particularly forgiving. In truth, they are a challenge to ride well, so when you see the good surfers at the event, you have a deeper understanding of just how good these guys and girls are surfing.
When you pick up an old board, what are you looking at? The outline, the rails, the foil, the fin, the craftsmanship?
For me, the first thing that grabs me is the plane shape. I will then pick it up and feel the balance under the arm whilst examining the foil and rocker. If you watch Freeride and the section where Rabbit is in his room in Hawaii, it’s kinda like that. It’s the sum of all the parts that complement each other, but they have to flow into one another.
Are there particular shapes or shapers that have influenced the event / you guys?
We’ve had a few magic boards over the years. I think for me personally, there have been three boards. I have a Nichols Lightning Bolt I brought back from Hawaii, a 5'8" Ken Bradshaw that my mate Simon sold me, and the latest favourite is another 5'8" Local Knowledge I brought back from Aus on my last trip. The best surfing I have seen was Jay Quinn riding a 6'6" Nirvana, which I think he rode to victory twice or three times. That is owned by a local but spends most of the time between events in my loft.
Do you think riding these older boards teaches you something that can get lost on modern equipment?
Definitely. I touched upon it earlier. Modern equipment is very forgiving, which allows a surfer’s ability to progress very quickly but without a solid foundation. A single fin will humble you and make you re-asses the way you surf. You can’t rush them, and you have to feel the board under your feet.
The Shoot Out is so important to Newquay’s surf culture. Tell us why you think that is?
Thats quite a tricky one. I guess it was born through a passion and the determination to do something different. It’s really developed into a grassroots community event, and people often tell us, "This is how a surf contest should be". Nick (Holden) makes most of the trophies, and we spray paint the gazebos; it’s very back yard, but Nick puts a huge amount of effort into every little detail, and it shows. There’s also beer; it’s gentleman’s rules in the water, and we only run it in waves. Newquay can be quite busy most of the time, and it’s one weekend when we can claim back a part of the coast and all come together.
The Single Fin Shoot Out will take place at Little Fistral, Newquay, 26th/27th September.
Follow the Shoot Out on Instagram @single_fin_shootout for updates.
