Craig McLachlan, Joel Carleton and Finn Clark, decided to escape the harsh winter in Scotland in hopes to score some warmer waves. The three lads’ strike mission took them to Peniche with the company of Malcolm Anderson to capture the moments.
The 2024-2025 season of the Volcom Surf Happening series for the youth resumed on Saturday, February 22, in the beautiful town of Sagres, Portugal. Surfers who qualified through the online competitions last summer gathered for the main event to battle it out for the €4,000 prize purse. It was incredible to see a wide range of European countries represented, with up-and-coming surfers from Spain, UK, Italy, Ireland, Canary Islands, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and, of course, Portugal—hanging out like one big family.
With a solid 3.5meter, 18second northwest swell forecasted, the sheltered beach of Mareta was ideal for running the competition. The day began with rippable blue A-frames under the sunshine—a dream in the middle of winter. The event’s unique format pushes surfers to unleash their maneuvers, as each competitor surfs three heats throughout the day, with only their best wave and best maneuver considered for the overall score.
The first two rounds saw great surfing from most competitors, with plenty of fun waves on offer. However, the low-tide closeouts in round three made it more challenging to land combos. Congratulations to Mel Canhoto from Portugal and Irish surfer Joshua Karbus for sweeping the event, claiming the best wave and best maneuver titles in their respective categories!
Women Best Wave
1 – Mel Canhoto
2 – Julieta Rodriguez-Villamil
3 – Sofia Matos
Men Best Wave
1 – Joshua Karbus
2 – Theo Coathalem
3 – Samuele Agliani
Women Best Maneuver
1 – Mel Canhoto
2 – Julieta Rodriguez-Villamil
3 – Chiara Cuppone
Men Best Maneuver
1 – Joshua Karbus
2 – Theo Coathalem
3 – Daniel Roman
After the prize-giving and a classic product toss, the day ended at Three Little Birds with a surf movie night and free food for all participants. The venue later opened to the public for the premiere of young local Salvador “Sassa” Catarino’s clip, ‘Paranoid Whisper’, in collaboration with Captain Fin. The crowd was amped, and the party kicked off when Sassa’s band, Candler, ignited the chaos. It was then time for the younger ones to head to bed, while the valiant kept the night going with DJ Miso Blue. A huge thank you to Algarve Surf Clube, Vila Do Bispo Câmara, Captain Fin, Three Little Birds, and all the staff who helped make the event run smoothly!
A short film about a spontaneous trip to the freezing waters of the north. Eight friends, a loose plan, and a search for waves in cold unpredictable waters. The journey was filled with long drives, shifting conditions, and plenty of laughs along the way. Freezing mornings, unexpected detours, and moments that made us stop and take it all in. Luckily in the end, it all came together. We capture some moments along the way and wanted to share it with you.
FEATURING – McKenzie Bowden, Luis Eyre, Alessandro Piu, Tane Bowden, Joseph Harding, Ben Hay, Joel Wakeling, Jamie Hay.
Surfing England is excited to announce that the English Para Surfing Open will be returning on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd July 2025 at The Wave, Bristol. This eagerly awaited event will bring together Para surfers from around the globe for two days of thrilling competition and community spirit.
Athletes will compete on the Advanced setting at The Wave, demonstrating their talents on both the left and right breaks of the lake. Contest heats are scheduled from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM on Wednesday and 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Thursday, concluding with an awards ceremony to honour the standout performances.
Para Surfing Roadshow – Powered by Saltrock
Alongside the competition, the event will host a stop on the Para Surfing Roadshow, proudly supported by Saltrock. This inclusive initiative offers individuals with physical disabilities or visual impairments the chance to experience the joy of surfing firsthand. More details about this inspiring program will be released soon.
Entry Details
Comprehensive contest information, including registration details, will be made available closer to the event date.
Volunteer Opportunities
The success of the English Para Surfing Open relies on the incredible support of volunteers. We are actively seeking both in-water and on-land volunteers to assist with wetsuits, boards, water safety, and supporting surfers who require additional assistance.
If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to [email protected] to express your interest and provide your contact details. Further information and an official sign-up form will be shared in due course.
Amazing footage of the rescue of makai McNamara by the North shore lifeguards and surfers has emerged. We are posting this as Makai is now recovering, and one of the most worrying things about this kind of rescue is it is more common than you think, and familiarity with the situation may actually help one of you if you are faced with a similar situation. (Some tips below)
“The most TERRIFYINGLY dramatic ocean rescue I’ve ever seen.
Big Wave Pro Surfer Makai McNamara Rescued from Banzai Pipeline this morning on Sunday, February 23rd, 2025.
“I was very scared when I was filming this. I wasn’t sure who the victim was, However, I knew he was in very critical condition. When the first responders got him back to shore they immediately started CPR.
It was like a scene out of the movies.
“As I watched the lifeguards trying to bring him back to life I was not sure if he would make it.
I was going to delete all clips I took if he did not make it.
“But I’m happy to report Makai survived thanks to the exceptional efforts of the dedicated professionals who rallied to his rescue. “
So some of you may have rescue qualifications, but in a real life drama you can see it can be pretty hectic. Be prepared for this. Stay calm, act decisively.
Sometimes people go into fight, flight or freeze. If you are freaked out by the CPR, that’s ok, stand back and see where else you can help – calling emergency services for example…
It’s important to secure the casualty, but also to act calmly and go through the process.
The most experienced member of the group should take the lead.
Survey the situation and see what is needed and where you can best help. This can be supporting the casualty, taking over, calling the emergency services or getting equipment. It’s all about team work.
Rescue techniques for surfers are here
After a rescue of this magnitude some of those involved may suffer from PTSD while awaiting news. This involves running through the scenario in your head, questioning your response and actions. It’s important you take to other involved and support each other. The main thing to remember is you did your best when no one else was there.
Garret has issued a statement thanking everyone for their support.
Cam Richards has won the 11th annual Capitulo Perfeito powered by Billabong today at Carcavelos Beach, Portugal, by defeating Noah Beschen (2nd), Balaram Stack (3rd) and Pedro Calado (4th) in the final.
Carcavelos Beach dished up a day of punchy, barreling waves for all 16 contenders, with the world’s best tuberiders and Portugal’s top tuberiding specialists pushing the limits of how deep a human can surf inside the barrel. In the end, Richards claimed the top honors, bagging the 25.000 EUR winner’s check after entering the event as an alternate.
With an 8.83 ride in his quarter final heat, Miguel Blanco was one of the event’s standouts, nabbing the Best Tube by Electrikfatbike (2500 EUR).
Despite having a shocker in the final, Pedro Calado bagged the Ricardo dos Santos Commitment Award, displaying an unmatchable fierceness and consistency throughout the competition.
Between the Semis and the Final, Yolanda Hopkins stood out as the winner of the unprecedented Special Women Heat, the first-ever all-female duel in the history of the event. Hopkins was awarded with a 10-day stay in the Mentawai aboard one of the luxurious Sibon Charters, plus 500 EUR checks from Globalis and MP Clinic.
Just a few days away from the end of the waiting period, Capitulo Perfeito powered by Billabong hit the water today in epic conditions, with 8ft sets storming across Carcavelos Beach throughout the day. A crowd of twenty thousand people gathering on the beach, as well as thousands of surf fans watching worldwide via live broadcast, were treated to some stellar tuberiding performances in heavy A-frames, attesting to why Carcavelos is considered to be one of the best beach breaks in Europe when it turns on.
Apart from the competitors mentioned above, Bruno Santos, Craig Anderson, Guilherme Fonseca, João Guedes, Joel Parkinson, Lucas Chianca, Nic von Rupp, Pedro Boonman, Santiago Graça, Tiago Stock and Victor Bernardo also took part in the competition.
