We ran a competition, in association with Dragon, to interview and have brunch with Sunset Sons when they were in Newquay for the Boardmasters last week (they also got to see the guys live and got Dragon swag (you can win some too, comp at bottom of post)).
The winners, George (sat next to Skindog in the vid) and Meg (on end of sofa with Pete) dined at the Headland Hotel with the boys, Ben Skinner and us.
After various combinations of bacon, egg, sauce, coffee and juices were consumed we sat down for possibly the most tangential, wide ranging “interview” ever. The publishable highlights are below.
There are some deep insights on tattoos, lyrics, the pressing issue of what duvets are measured in. Not to mention getting the low down on Rob’s bad ass rock star behaviour towards his equipment and Rory’s previously unknown ninja tambourine skills. Also we learn that Jed can multitask, unlike most men, and Pete is all but doomed if he ever shaved his moustache of power…
Huge thanks to the guys for being total stars and the Headland Hotel for tolerating a raucous breakfast shift, made that bit sweeter by a bonus singing of happy birthday by the guys for a young girl at the next table with her family. Oh and in case you’re wondering the grom at the start is one of the mini-Skindogs 🙂
The interview starts after the two minute mark but the duvet talk at the start was too good to bin. Being warm in a tent at a British festival being a very important topic after all.
Sunset Sons Signed Merchanise Competition
We have Dragon Alliance sunnies and tee, signed by Sunset Sons, to giveaway. To be in with a chance to win simply email [email protected] with the name of the new Sunset Sons album.
The winner will be announced via our weekly newsletter on Friday 2 September.
Love Sunset Sons? Going to be at Boardmasters? Have an inquisitive nature?
Well we’ve got a treat for you. Carve and Dragon have teamed up to give you the chance to interview Sunset Sons and Skindog next week.
Here’s the prize:
• A spot at Sunset Sons sold out Boardmasters Beach Sessions gig on Thursday 11 August.
• Brunch with the band & Ben Skinner the morning after the show on Friday 12 August.
• The chance to interview five awesome guys all in one room.
• A pair of cool Dragon H2O Floatable sunnies, perfect for a weekend by the sea!
On the Friday, post an epic Thursday night set, you’ll get to hang out with the band, eat some grinds at the Headland Hotel and interview the guys. We’ll be there to grab some shots and also put your feature online. Ben Skinner will also be in attendance so that’s a bunch of legends all in one room.
To win, all you need to do is send us three questions that you’d like to ask the guys, be it as a group or to a specific member. Get creative, as the most inventive/funny/insightful will score this ace, life-enhancing experience.
Email your three sample questions to us at [email protected] by 11am Monday 8 August and we’ll let you know by 3pm that day if you’ve won by email. You’ll obvs need to be available during the evening Thursday 11 August and first thing in the morning (9am ish) Friday 12 August. Exact time to be confirmed asap once we’ve nailed down when Ben’s competing.
The Band
Through good luck, hard work, bags of talent and constant touring its all come together for the band. This spring they released their debut album, ‘Very Rarely Say Die’ to critical acclaim and now you have a chance to interview them. Who wouldn’t love to interview the Sunset Sons? They’re such cool guys, surf and a real laugh too. For more on Sunset Sons go to www.sunsetsons.com and you can buy the album on iTunes here. Hit them up on Twitter / Insty / FaceyB.
* The tickets are non-transferable and not for re-sale.
* To enter you need to be over 18 (due to Beach Sessions being over 18).
* The competition is limited to one entry per person.
* The winning entry will be drawn from all entries received by the closing date.
* The winner will be notified on Monday 8 August.
* The winner must claim their prize within 48 hours of the notification. If the prize is unclaimed after this time, it will lapse and Orca Publications reserve the right to offer the unclaimed prize to a substitute winner selected in accordance with the competition rules.
* The dining experience with Sunset Sons & Ben Skinner will be organised with the competition winner in advance of Friday 12 August.
* The interview opportunity with Sunset Sons & Ben Skinner will take place during the dining experience on behalf of Carve & Surfgirl.
PARKDEAN Holidays is offering one lucky group of four a break at its Surfer’s Paradise Campsite on Ruda Holiday Park, Devon.
Situated within seconds of beautiful Croyde Bay, the campsite is perfectly located for surfing enthusiasts and beach lovers alike.
The winner will be entitled to a seven night pitch for up to four people at Surfer’s Paradise, one four hour surf hire voucher per person and one breakfast BBQ voucher per person.
Any problems email your entry to ‘Croyde camping comp’ ; [email protected]
Terms and conditions:
The winner is entitled to a 7 night pitch for four people at Surfer’s Paradise Campsite, Ruda Holiday Park.
The holiday is to be taken between 22nd July and 4th September, subject to availability.
Exclusions include bank holidays.
1 x 4 hour surf hire voucher per person is included in the prize.
1 x Breakfast BBQ voucher per person. Breakfast BBQs are held on Saturday and Sunday mornings at Surfer’s Paradise between 22nd July and 4th September.
Any extras not specifically included in the prize will be chargeable.
The winner is responsible for any expenses and arrangements not specifically included in the prize.
Only one entry per person per household is permitted.
The prize cannot be transferred to another person and the winner of the break must be the lead booker.
The lead booker must be at least 18 years of age.
The prize is non-changeable and non-refundable and no cash alternative will be offered.
Booking terms and conditions apply – see website for details.
By entering this competition you accept Parkdean terms and conditions and opt in to receive marketing communications via post, email and SMS.
The Promoter is Parkdean Holidays Limited, One Gosforth Park Way, Gosforth Business Park, NE12 8ET.
Looking to ‘out-snap’ your smartphone, and take your holiday photos to the next level? This is your chance to win the EOS M10, Canon’s perfect travel camera.
Wherever your next adventure takes you, nail your shots with the power of a DSLR in a lightweight compact body.
With the EF-M 15-45mm kit lens in tow, capture everything you want– from the gritty, fast paced surfing shots to those awesome holiday snaps that’ll be perfect for your insta-feed.
Pair it with the SELPHY CP1200, Canon compact and portable photo printer, and you’re set up for summer!
Grant “Twiggy” Baker (ZAF) claimed victory today at the Puerto Escondido Challenge, besting a field of 24 of the world’s best big wave surfers in towering 20-to-35 foot surf off the coast of Mainland Mexico’s Puerto Escondido.
The first event of the 2016/17 World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Tour (BWT), the Puerto Escondido Challenge, tested the top big wave chargers with enormous and difficult beachbreak conditions. A solid swell from the South Pacific delivered massive surf over two days for the inaugural BWT event at the exceptionally powerful beachbreak known as “The Mexican Pipeline.”
Baker, 2013/14 BWT Champion, put on a stunning performance in Mexico, storming to victory in the Semifinals before his impressive showing in the Final.
“Yesterday was pretty difficult out there so I didn’t have a great heat but I made it through,” said Baker. “This morning when I woke up and saw it was my favorite size for Puerto and I was so happy.”
The South African showcased technical and precise surfing throughout the Final. Baker captured early control over the field and continued to solidify his lead with incredible rides. Baker locked in multiple excellent-range scores, but it was the perfect 10.00 awarded for escaping a massive tube that cemented his victory. Baker’s final combined score was an impressive 27.50 out of a possible 30.
“I’ve been coming here for 20 years and I love it,” continued Baker. “The waves are amazing and I want to thank all the locals for being so hospitable and making us feel so welcome. To my wife and baby at home, this one’s for you.”
Baker came into the event as an injury wildcard and his winning performance will kick off his 2016/17 BWT Title campaign with 12,500 points and first place on the BWT rankings.
Baker’s fellow finalists represented elite competitors of the big wave community, including Greg Long (USA), Pedro Calado (BRA), Carlos Burle (BRA), Will Skudin (USA) andMakuakai Rothman (HAW).
Greg Long (USA), two-time BWT Champion, captured second place at the event. Long’s chances were in doubt during the Semifinals when he had yet to catch a wave with five minutes left in the hour-long heat, but his experience at Puerto Escondido let him catch a single excellent-range wave at the last minute which was enough to put him through to the Final over other competitors with two lesser rides. Long’s runner up finish in the Final puts him in 2nd on the leaderboard and in position to defend his existing WSL Big Wave Title.
“I am happy with my result here in Puerto Escondido,” Long said. “I had a couple of really fun waves. I had to work hard for them, but it was worth it. I have a special place in my heart for Puerto Escondido. I came down here for the first time when I was 17-years-old and I am 33 now and I have literally not missed a big swell. This event was pretty spectacular by all accounts and one of the top days I’ve ever surfed.”
Pedro Calado (BRA) charged throughout the contest to capture the third place position. The young Brazilian cemented his reputation as the best teenage big wave surfer in the world, demonstrating commitment and fearlessness as he charged through heavy barrels and dispatched top-seeded competitors.
2009/10 BWT Champion Carlos Burle (BRA) rode three waves in the Final for a 16.87 heat total and fourth place.
Will Skudin (USA) finished in fifth place with a 12.97 heat total in the Final. Skudin, a native of Long Beach, New York, carries the torch for America’s East Coast onto the top ranks of the Big Wave Tour in 5th place on the leaderboard.
Last year’s BWT runner-up and 2014/15 BWT Champion, Makuakai Rothman (HAW), suffered an injury twenty minutes into the Final and was not able to come back to the competition. Rothman charged through a deep, heavy barrel, but was wiped out by a powerful wall of water. Rothman was in fine form in Mexico for this event, winning both his Round 1 and Semifinal heats. Rothman will walk away with a 6th place finish and takes 6th on the BWT rankings.
“I just want to apologize for not being able to put on a show for all the folks at home,” Rothman said. “I did my best and I was trying to represent Hawaii. I just went up and over the falls, and my ten-foot-board hit me in the ribs. Thank you to the WSL, this was a great call. Thank you to all the fans out there who make this possible for us and make it possible for us to live our dreams.”
Local wildcards Jimel Corzo and Rogercin Ramirez (MEX) suffered Semifinal eliminations today after a strong performances yesterday. Corzo put up a hard fight until the dying minutes of the heat, but could not close the 2.44 point gap required to advance. Ramirez caught two massive rides in the opening Semifinal heat, but his effort was not enough to make it through to the Final.
Jamie Mitchell (AUS), who gained entry into the 2016/17 BWT as a WSL Big Wave Awards Performer of the Year nominee, suffered a Semifinal elimination today after a stunning Round 1 performance. Mitchell, who posted the best heat score of the event in Round 1 Heat 4, a near-perfect 29.03, but was eliminated in his Semifinal against Rothman, Calado and Burle.
Two events, the Quiksilver Punta de Lobos Challenge in Chile and the Billabong Pico Alto Challenge Peru remain in the Southern Hemisphere window with potential to run, conditions permitting, before the August 31st close of the window.
Puerto Escondido Challenge Final Results:
1 – Grant Baker (ZAF) 27.50 2 – Greg Long (USA) 25.03 3 – Pedro Calado (BRA) 24.77 4 – Carlos Burle (BRA) 16.87 5 – Will Skudin (USA) 12.97 6 – Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 7.66
Puerto Escondido Challenge Semifinal Results:
Semifinal 1: Grant Baker (ZAF) 26.34, Will Skudin (USA) 16.07, Greg Long (USA) 16.00, Kai Lenny (HAW) 14.74, Albee Layer (HAW) 13.41, Rogercin Ramirez (MEX) 10.83
Semifinal 2: Makuakai Rothman (HAW) 22.33, Pedro Calado (BRA) 21.01, Carlos Burle (BRA) 13.63, Jimel Corzo (MEX) 14.83, Jamie Mitchell (AUS) 13.74, Rusty Long (USA) 11.46
The 2016/17 BWT season is divided into Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere components hosting three possible events within each. The Southern Hemisphere window runs from April 27 to August 31, 2016 with event options in Mexico, Chile and Peru. The Northern Hemisphere window runs from October 15, 2016 to February 27, 2017 with event options in Portugal, Hawaii and Mexico.
2016/2017 WSL Big Wave Tour Schedule:
Southern Hemisphere: April 27 – August 31, 2016
Puerto Escondido Challenge: Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Quiksilver Punta de Lobos Challenge: Punta de Lobos, Chile
Billabong Pico Alto Challenge: Pico Alto, Peru
Northern Hemisphere: October 15, 2016 – February 28, 2017
Pe’ahi Challenge: Haiku, Hawaii
Todos Santos Challenge: Todos Santos, Mexico
Nazaré Challenge: Nazaré, Portugal
No doubt you have seen shots like the one above, or video of Andrew Cotton taking on huge waves in Portugal and Ireland, but would you like to go and witness it for yourself, and take friend along too?
Cotty has teamed up with Sharp’s Brewery for a second year running to give 12 people the chance to win a trip of a lifetime and accompany him on a big wave surf adventure.
The award winning brewery based in Rock, North Cornwall is offering a money can’t buy experience as part of its ‘There’s an Adventure Brewing’ competition.
The competition places 12 winners at the heart of the adventure chasing a swell with Andrew in search of the biggest and best waves the world can offer.
Come the autumn, when tide, wind and swell come together, Andrew and six winners, with a guest each, will be whisked away to experience some of the most terrifying waves ever surfed. Winners will experience first-hand the painstaking build-up, the epic wipeouts and the amazing rescues that only big waves can offer.
The two-night, all expenses-paid trip will offer a no holds barred look into the life of a fearless big wave surfer, as Cotty and his team prepare to take on the elements.
To win the chance to feel the thunder of mountainous seas rattling the cliffs of Nazare and watch one of the world’s best big wave surfers take on the world’s biggest waves just enter your details at:
