Newquay surfer Josh Piper drops into a chunky wave at the Cribbar. Photo: Geoff Tydeman
A party to celebrate 50 years of big-wave surfing in Britain will be held at the Carnmarth Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, on Friday (11 September). The event marks the 50th anniversary of the first session at the Cribbar, the town’s infamous big-wave break, which was conquered in September 1965. A crowdfunding campaign will be launched at the party with the aim of raising £15,000 for a bronze surfboard to be installed on Pentire Head overlooking the Cribbar. It would commemorate the ’65 pioneers and honour all the surfers who’ve ridden the wave in the decades since.
It was back in September 1965 that Newquay-based lifeguards and surfers Bob Head, Rod Sumpter and Jack Lydgate waxed up and paddled out to the Cribbar. The waves were huge – triple overhead, with 15 to 20 foot faces. Bob and Jack were experienced lifeguards who’d ridden solid waves in Australia and Hawaii. Rod was the new kid in town, a Jay Moriarity of the era, fired-up and eager to impress. Ignoring the chilly southeasterly wind, the three surfers paddled out to the lineup in boardshorts. Their ten-foot boards had no leashes, as leashes hadn’t been invented yet. Bob and Rod both caught waves during the short session that followed, Rod getting the best one, a big right-hander. But Jack was caught inside by a huge clean-up set and lost his board, which was washed into the rocks and smashed. That signalled the end of the session and the three surfers headed back to shore, Jack ‘doubling up’ on Bob’s board. Although the session was short and only witnessed by a handful of the surfers’ mates on the headland, it was nevertheless a significant milestone for British surfing.
A year later, in September 1966, Australian lifeguards Pete Russell, Rick Friar and Johnny McIlroy took up the challenge, accompanied (for a second attempt) by Hawaiian Jack Lydgate.
In recent years the Cribbar has been ridden by a steadily growing number of surfers, including Josh Hughes, Rob Small, Dom Moore, Spencer Hargraves, Gareth Llewellyn, Leon Mansfield, Matt Rodwell, Simon Greenwood, Russ Winter, Nick Healy, Sam Lamiroy, Marcus Lascelles and Ben Granata. Some surfers still choose to paddle into the Cribbar’s difficult and shifty peaks, while others go for the tow-in approach. Chris Bertish, Ben Skinner and Richard Dodds have notched up some of the all-time rides of the last two decades.
The party kicks off at 6.30pm; entry is free and all surfers are welcome.
Bona fide waterman slash crash test dummy Brad Domke on THAT* Puerto session…
Brad Domke takes us through his controversial wave (ridden on a finless skimboard) that earned an unprecedented nomination in the Billabong Ride of the Year category of the 2015 WSL Big Wave Awards. Domke rode the wave at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on July 5, 2014. He finished in fifth place. Dylan Palmer was the nominated videographer. For more information, see the event website at www.WorldSurfLeague.com/XXL.
This was written as the editorial for Carve issue 158… Now the XXL Award ceremony has been and gone makes sense to give it a run with Nazare winning biggest wave and wipeout categories.
Here’s a question.
You know the XXL Awards, the worldwide annual contest for the biggest wave ridden and the ride of the year and all that?
Hasn’t Nazare kind of buggered it?
It’s a simple fact that the wedging lumps of Atlantic armageddon that unload on the unassuming stretch of sand are way bigger, way crazier and on a whole other messed up scale than anything Pe’ahi, Mavericks, Mullaghmore and co can muster. Sancho’s wave from this winter was so off the chain it’s hard to imagine how he didn’t drown when he fell off. Thankfully he didn’t. You know a wave is mega-huge when you struggle to make out the dot that is the surfer on the face (vid of his winning beating below).
But it renders the ‘Biggest Wave’ aspect of the event pointless. The category needs to be renamed ‘Biggest Nazare Wave’. Plus side the odds of a Brit or, the next best thing, one of our Euro brethren winning it is that much stronger. So Cotty, Butters, Seb and Sancho are in with a good shout (psychic me: Seb won).
As for ride of the year that might as well just be renamed the Dorian Being Dorian Gong. Can anyone top his effortless, paddle in mastery of mahoosive Jaws barrels?
It’s weird how the dynamic has shifted. Big wave surfing was totally Pacific-centric before. All Mavericks, Pe’ahi and stuff. Now Nazare, Belharra and the vicious pit-bull in the corner: Mullaghmore, garner as much, if not more, coverage.
Mullaghmore is genuinely one of the most terrifying waves in the world. Being that rarest of beasts: a legit big wave slab. A boil afflicted, ledgey, barrel of doom that one day is going to deliver the craziest wave ever ridden. Fact.
It’s about time Dorian* came and gave it a shot to prove once and for all if it is really paddleable at its biggest, because whilst Ferg, Lowey, Butters and co have paddled it big and mad no one has managed to paddled it when the dial is cranked up to 11. It’s humbled all that have tried including some official international ’big wave’ men. As much as arm power is back in vogue, and we think this is a good thing, our Euro big wave megastars: Naz and Mully both defy the basic physics of paddling. Naz is just too ruddy big, too shifty and Mullaghmore, like Teahupo’o is just too fricking nuts once it goes code red. With persistence, perfect conditions and big slice of luck maybe they can be paddled at max size. We look forward to whatever our homegrown superhuman heroes like Cotty and the Toms do … however they propel themselves over the ledge.
Anyhoose. The thought that was burning a hole in my grey matter is now off my chest. On that biologically confused note I’ll sign off. Enjoy the issue pards.
Sharpy, Editor.
*Dorian did make it to Ireland recently but not for a Mully swell…
