Nambia Knows

Nambia Knows

Raw drone view of best Skeleton Bay in Years. Crazy last few days in Namibia to see one of the worlds best left hand barrels come to life after two silent years – Nic Von Rupp

Filmed by Mendo Dornelas

Surfers Nic Von Rupp, Pedro Boonman, Jordi Mare, Max Elkington, Adur Amatrian, and a couple of other unidentified South African rippers.

Boardmasters Countdown

Boardmasters Countdown

It’s just 50 days to go until Boardmasters 2023 and the countdown is officially on! This year is gearing up to be the biggest and best Boardmasters yet, with massive headliners: Lorde, Liam Gallgher (UK Festival Exclusive) and Florence + The Machine. PLUS, over 200 more world-class acts and so much more including new festival stages, areas to explore, after parties, wellness and the best in international surfing. Boardmasters is Cornwall’s own surf and music festival, taking place from 9 – 13 August across two stunning sites in Newquay, Cornwall. We’ll see you at the beach!

With demand at an all-time high, camping and weekend tickets for Boardmasters are sold out with limited day tickets remaining. Festivalgoers are encouraged to get theirs now to avoid disappointment. Check out the Boardmasters website for more information at boardmasters.com.

This year’s headliners are nothing short of spectacular and are not to be missed. Friday will see the incredible New Zealand, chart-topping sensation Lorde take to the main stage at Watergate Bay. Saturday is the turn of the inimitable rock’n’roll star Liam Gallagher (this is the only UK festival where you’ll see Liam this summer!) and the ethereal, sensational Florence + The Machine will close out Boardmasters 2023 on Sunday. Fans will be treated to music spanning indie, house, electro, DnB, RnB, rock, and more, across 11 stages including Main Stage, Land Of Saints, Unleashed, The Point, The View, DB90, The Cove, Keg & Pasty, Transatlantic Lounge, The Submarine and VIP.

Other massive artists on the bill include special guest Ben Howard, Cypress Hill (Performing Black Sunday), Little Simz, RAYE, Dermot Kennedy, Rudimental, Four Tet, The Vaccines, Gabrielle Aplin, Example, Bou, Bru-C, SG Lewis, Yard Act, Shygirl, Confidence Man, Cassyette, Connie Constance, Squid, The Reytons, Gretel Hänlyn, Wunderhorse, Nova Twins, Warmduscher and hundreds more. And that’s not forgetting DJ and electro line-up for the ages including Ben Hemsley, Tsha, Kanine, Belters Only, Charlie Tee and loads more.

BOARDMASTERS PRESENTS

Boardmasters Presents is the brand new series of late night parties. For the first time, Boardmasters will host an after party every day for the duration of the festival – that’s a massive five days and five nights of music entertainment. Boardmasters Presents will take place at two of Newquay’s biggest, must-attend nightspots: Berties and Sailors. Featuring Luude, Charlie Tee, Ben Hemsley, Girl’s Don’t Sync, Charlie Boon, Jodie Harsh, Belter’s Only and Danny Howard, with more still to be revealed.

Boardmasters Presents is strictly aged 18+, running from 22:30 – 04:00 from Wednesday 9 – Sunday 13 August 2023. Attendees from the festival site at Watergate Bay can make their way to and from Newquay town centre using the Boardmasters Shuttle Bus which runs until 4:30. Tickets are on sale now, sold separately to Boardmasters festival tickets, and they’re selling fast!

THE UK’S BIGGEST SILENT DISCO!

Returning bigger and better than ever – festival goers can lose themselves to dance, immerse the senses and discover hands-in-the-air happiness when running wild across Boardmasters’ hugely popular outdoor Silent Disco – the largest in the UK! Explore a smorgasbord of sound waves across every genre; from rock hits to party classics, disco dancers, pop pleasures and indie bangers on the main stage, plus all of the DnB goodness at Land of Saints on Wednesday and Thursday. Festival-goers are encouraged to pre-book their headsets here

BEYOND THE MUSIC

That’s not all, with so much more to discover around the Boardmasters site. New for 2023, and by popular demand Fatty’s Yard comes to Boardmasters. All about those sweet summer vibes, jamming in a hammock with a cocktail as the sun goes down a moment of, pure summertime goodness, and a banging view, too. The Submarine is Boardmastes’ own back-alley dive-bar, speakeasy bar, the kind that’d be hidden away in the port district of a big city and the last place open at night. Also new for 2023, head to theTransatlantic Lounge – a quintessential 80s cheesy bar, found on a cruise liner! Both can be found in Boardmasters’ Dockyard area.

In the campsite, festival goers can find a moment of chill at Zennor Haven. Steeped in mermaid folklore and with odes to the sea, it’s a place where wellness and self care take to the fore. Zennor Haven’s new Salt of the Earth Stage will include sunrise and sunset yoga, hip-hop yoga, women’s circles, sound baths and sound healing as well as mental health talks from Mad Millennials and Mountain Men Talk. The Zen Den will feature creative workshops, pottery classes, seaglass jewellery making and more.

There’ll also be three brand new Boardmasters campsite hubs – Malibu, Cribbar and Jaws. These areas have been specially curated as destinations for weekend festival goers to enjoy throughout the day and as a perfect late-night location for entertainment, games and more. In the Jaws Campsite Village, expect high energy activations, meanwhile head to Malibu campsite for a brand new cinema, with the film schedule coming very soon. Cribbar is where the wellness happens, playing host to Zennor Haven as well as festival favourite Chai Wallah’s very own DJ Café.

Families at Boardmasters will be treated to an all-new, sustainable family area, called Junkfish. Here, families can enjoy fabulous and fun kids entertainment. There’ll be ‘make and take’ arts and crafts as well as getting everyone involved in the famous Junkball run, making the most out of those disused recycled materials!

This year, Oxfam is an official partner of Boardmasters. Look out for them on site as they’ll provide Upcycling Workshops for people to get involved with in Cribbar Campsite Village. Plus, make sure to check out The Whale; it’s visited Glastonbury and now makes its way to Boardmasters. Provided by Beach Guardian (who’ll also be getting involved in our daily beach cleans across Fistral, Porth & Watergate Bay beach clean), this huge sustainable sculpture, created to raise awareness of ocean pollution.

Rubicon RAW are returning to make another splash at Boardmasters 2023. Fostering its long-standing relationship with the surfing community, Rubicon RAW is synonymous with natural high energy, encouraging people to take on the waves and be the ultimate Force of Nature. Plus, look out for Lidl, Boardmasters’ Official Supermarket Partner. Find their Bubbles & Bangers themed bar and grab a Deluxe hot dog and a glass of fizz whilst soaking up the sun with all proceeds going to the NSPCC. Or, head down to Fistral Beach to experience the Lidl Mudder Zone for kids.

For the first time, Thatchers Cider will be at Boardmasters. From the cloudy and refreshing Thatchers Haze to the sweet and juicy Thatchers Blood Orange, fans can enjoy a pint of cider that is perfection in every drop. Head over to the Thatchers Bar throughout the festival and try a cider sample or take a swing in their hot air balloons to see what it would be like to fly over their home, Myrtle Farm. Brew Dog will be making waves at Boardmasters for the first time ever this summer. Lost Lager, Planet Pale and Hazy Jane will take centre stage, as the world’s first carbon negative brewery debuts on the South Coast. FULFIL return to Boardmasters this summer! Fans can expect exciting activities including ‘wonderfuel’ wake-up yoga sessions and fun, physical challenges running throughout the day as they bring a unique, energetic vibe to the Cornish coast.

Festival goers can share the stoke and immerse themselves in the world of learning to surf and more! Newquay is justifiably king of the UK surf scene, boasting consistent waves and a fantastic array of beaches to suit all conditions and all activities. Boardmasters attendees can book additional activities (at an extra cost) and try their hand at surfing, coasteering, paddleboarding and more here.

BOARDMASTERS OPEN SURF COMPETITION

Pro surfing is back on the Cornish coast with the 2023 edition of the Boardmasters OPEN, with the Animal Pro QS1,000 and Boardmasters Longboard Pro LQS1,000 for both men and women, along with the Boardmasters Junior OPEN, from 9 -13 August. The Boardmasters OPEN will officially launch the European Summer Leg of the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series. Fistral Beach is free to attend, so festivalgoers can hop on the shuttle bus and head down there to soak up the surf and watch some of the biggest names in international surfing take on the Cornish waves.

Talent to watch out for includes Yolanda Hopkins who’s back from injury and returning to defend her Boardmasters title. 15-year-old Lukas Skinner, who is the current junior World Grom Champion (and from Cornwall) is back and ready to compete this summer! France’s own Thomas Ledee will be taking to Cornish waters to defend his 2022 Boardmasters title, while the UK’s Jobe Harris who finished 3rd last year will also be ready and raring to compete. Boardmasters will also welcome homegrown pro talent and some of the most exciting names on a global level – Ben Skinner, Luke Dillon (who won this year’s English Championship and is vying for a spot in the 2024 Olympics) and Lucy Campbell.

Steeped in heritage, Fistral Beach is the world-famous home of British surfing, and the place where Boardmasters began back in 1981. During the festival, Fistral Beach transforms into a vibrant surf festival complete with pro surf competitions, art installations, workshops, DJs and a bustling surf village.

TICKETS

This is the FINAL CHANCE to get hold of tickets for this year’s Boardmasters. Wednesday and Thursday Camping, and 3 Day No Camping Tickets have SOLD OUT in record time. If you are looking to get hold of one, head to official Resale Partner Tixel to pick one up! Day tickets are remaining and in limited supply, with Saturday general admission tickets already sold out, so fans are encouraged to head to  boardmasters.com NOW for their tickets, to avoid missing out any further.

GETTING TO BOARDMASTERS

As part of Boardmasters’ ongoing commitment to the environment and sustainability, Big Green Coach is back once again as Official Travel Partner to Boardmasters 2023, with all of its 2023 coach services to the festival operating as carbon neutral. On sale now for arrivals on Wednesday and Thursday, returning on Monday. Plus, day return coaches will be running on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

For those arriving into Newquay train station, or wishing to travel between Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay, Boardmasters’ shuttle bus service will be in operation. Stopping at Manor Road Bus Station (for access to Fistral Beach), Newquay Train Station, and Boardmasters Festival Site (blue car park) at Watergate Bay, the Shuttle Bus will run from Wednesday – Monday from 07:30 – 04:30. Customers are advised to use the shuttle bus service to move between sites rather than driving their own car. The shuttle bus is the quickest way to reach Fistral Beach. It uses closed roads, it’s considerably quicker plus parking in Newquay is very limited.

Customers driving to Boardmasters are advised to book car parking in advance. Those travelling down in their own vehicles, can buy parking passes, to leave cars safely on site (available for both day and weekend ticket holders). Parking passes are available to book in advance from £29.50. Parking passes will also be available to buy on the door at £45. There is a £40 re-entry charge for vehicles at the festival to support Boardmasters in reducing the amount of traffic around the site at Watergate Bay and the carbon footprint of the festival.

There are signposted walking routes and shuttle buses available for a greener way to travel during the festival. Money charged to re-enter the festival contributes to the Boardmasters Foundation. The Foundation aims to support individuals, groups, charities and organisations that fall under one of our three key pillars of focus – Culture, Force for Good and Community. Every year the Foundation supports a range of local charities & projects with donations.

Don’t miss out on Boardmasters 2023. With limited day tickets remaining, snap them up now at boardmasters.com!

Malibu Madness

Malibu Madness

If you’ve surfed Malibu, these scenes will be as no suprise to you. I remember having a full conversation about my road-trip dow the Cali coast whilst surfing a fun-sized Malibu with some of the locals on the same wave. Seemed totally normal at the time to be chatting away to peeps who’ve just dropped in on you and each other. Click into the chaos and crusing with one of California’s most iconic waves.

Filming @BradJacobson

Music (in order of appearance): Ruiqu Zhao, Laurence Lee Murphy, Belka and Strelka and Par Hagstrom

Whipsiderry Cliffs Still Need Our Help!

Whipsiderry Cliffs Still Need Our Help!

Please see below the latest from @save_whipsiderry_cliffs campaign below, if you can help, please, please do. Mother Nature needs our help, fight the good fight.

We have already taken legal advice from specialist planning & environmental solicitors Richard Buxton Solicitors and now need to fund the next phase of legal action, which will involve INSTRUCTING A BARRISTER and raising legal matters with Cornwall Council and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in correspondence before bringing legal proceedings.

Our Crowd Justice campaign has an INITIAL FUNDING TARGET of £10,000 which must be raised in the NEXT 30 DAYS, and we are asking for the support of all those that love Whipsiderry, to donate to the campaign to help us protect its wildlife & beauty 🙏🏼

Without this funding we will be unable to stop this destruction.

Now is the time to act

For more information and to pledge a donation, please visit the link here.

We can’t do this on our own and need the support from everyone. This is our time to pull together as a community and protect the areas of beauty we love.

Destroying a natural habitat and community asset to feed the greed of a handful of immoral people is not acceptable to us.

We appeal to all of you who love Whipsiderry and its beautiful coastline to help us.

‼️Please donate whatever you can afford. Any amount, no matter how small, will help us towards our target and directly supports our fight to keep Whipsy wild ‼️

And please SHARE this post and tag your friends.

Crowd Justice is an international crowd funding platform, specifically focused on raising funds to allow communities and small groups to take legal action. The funds raised through this platform go directly to the solicitors involved in the case.

Brazil Baby

Brazil Baby

Championship Tour Heads to Brazil for VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona
• Carissa Moore (above) and Griffin Colapinto Lead Rankings Going into Brazil 
• Top 5 Brazilians Ready to Perform in Front of Home Crowd
• Silvana Lima and Samuel Pupo Announced as Event Wildcards 
• More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com

The world’s best surfers are gearing up for Stop No. 8 on the 2023 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona. The competition will be held in Saquarema at the beachbreak called Praia de Itaúna. Brazil is home to some of the world’s most passionate surf fans, and competitors are ready to put on a show for the crowd. The event holds a waiting period from June 23 through July 1, 2023.

After Brazil, there will be only two events left to decide the Final 5 men and Final 5 women who will compete for the World Titles at the Rip Curl WSL Finals. No one has clinched a spot yet, and Brazil will play an important role in deciding who could be the first. Stop No. 8 will also be crucial in determining provisional qualifications for Olympic Games Paris 2024. 

About the Venue: Brazil’s High-Performance Beachbreak

During the VIVO Rio Pro, the small town of Saquarema transforms into the largest event site on the Championship Tour and becomes completely focused on surfing at Praia de Itaúna. The powerful beachbreak is capable of being a platform for high-performance surfing as well as technical barrels. Most of the big airs seen on Tour are often here in Saquarema. Competitors will have to dig deep into their bag of tricks to earn a win at Praia de Itaúna.

Carissa Moore and Griffin Colapinto Lead Rankings Going into Brazil 
Five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) will once again wear the yellow Leader jersey in Saquarema. Colapinto made his fourth Finals appearance of the season in El Salvador, earning a runner-up finish to Filipe Toledo (BRA). Moore had another solid result in El Salvador as well, finishing equal 3rd. As the defending event winner, Moore will have plenty of confidence going into Rio. On the other hand, Colapinto will be looking to improve on his 17th-place finish here last year. 

Top 5 Brazilians Ready to Perform in Front of Home Crowd
Reigning World Champion Filipe Toledo (BRA) arrives at the VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona as the one to beat, as he has won the last three events here. Toledo is currently sitting at No. 2 on the rankings after his win in El Salvador. He now hopes to earn a fourth-consecutive event win here to overtake the rankings lead from Colapinto. 

Local Saquarema surfer João Chianca (BRA) is looking forward to being cheered on by his friends and family. He competed here as the event wildcard last year but lost out early to Ethan Ewing (AUS). Now in his sophomore year on Tour, Chianca is No. 3 on the rankings and is close to clinching a spot in the Final 5. 

Three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) both climbed into the Top 5 on the rankings after solid performances in El Salvador. They both are in need of a big result here to further secure their spots in the Rip Curl WSL Finals. 

Silvana Lima and Samuel Pupo Announced as Event Wildcards 
Former CT surfers Silvana Lima (BRA) and Samuel Pupo (BRA) have been announced as the event wildcards for the VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona. Lima is a CT veteran and finished in equal 5th the last time she competed at this event in 2019. Pupo recently fell off Tour after missing the Mid-season Cut but bounced back quickly, winning the first event of the Challenger Series, the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro. Both will be dangerous competitors to watch here in Rio. 

VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Women’s Opening Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Gabriela Bryan (HAW)
HEAT 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Silvana Lima (BRA)
HEAT 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA)
HEAT 4: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)

VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Men’s Opening Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Rio Waida (INA)
HEAT 2: Joao Chianca (BRA) vs. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
HEAT 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Callum Robson (AUS) vs .Kelly Slater (USA)
HEAT 4: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Liam O’Brien (AUS) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW)
HEAT 6: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Barron Mamiya (HAW)
HEAT 7: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Connor O’Leary (AUS) vs. Jordy Smith (RSA)
HEAT 8: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

‘Fun’ boards contained 500 kgs of coke

‘Fun’ boards contained 500 kgs of coke

Uruguay police say they have broken up an international drugs ring which smuggled cocaine from South America to Europe hidden inside surfboards.
The six “Salty’ ‘fun’ board shapes with a distinctive line down the middle, were found to contain up to 500kgs of coke after being scanned.
One board was allowed to be despatched to Europe and subsequently three Italians were arrested, two picking up the board in Portugal, and one in Italy.
Police think the Italian smugglers entered Uruguay across the land border with Brazil and then travelled on to Argentina after posting the surfboards.

Hollowed out surfboards have long been used to smuggle hash and coke across borders worldwide.