The final instalment of Masons Medieval Madness!!
After searching high and low through unfamiliar lands, Mason Ho finds exactly what he came for. A lethal yet beautiful wave breaking directly on reef with nobody around! Sit back, enjoy and find out if he makes it out safe.
Alfie and Steve England, Joel Henthorn, Chris Ingram, Jos Lawrence and Moss Thomas receive their awards presented by Shaun Sawyer, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police (left) and Rear Admiral Michale Wood CBE, Deputy Lieutenant for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – HM the Queen’s representative, (Centre) with Jonathan Davies (third left).
Seven surfers from St Agnes have been awarded prestigious national bravery and life-saving honours by the Royal Humane Society.
Alfie and Steve England, Joel Henthorn, Chris Ingram, Jos Lawrence and Jason Leger have all been awarded Testimonials on Parchment. Moss Thomas received Resuscitation Certificate and Teah Munro a Certificate of Commendation.
The awards were be presented by Shaun Sawyer, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police and Rear Admiral Michale Wood CBE, Deputy Lieutenant for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in a ceremony April 29th 2022 at the China Fleet Club, Saltash.
Press release
A lone surfer who was spotted face down and unconscious while out on his board off the North Cornish coast owes his life to seven Cornish heroes who formed an impromptu rescue team and dragged him unconscious back to the safety of the beach and then fought a life and death battle to bring him back from the brink of death.
Alfie and Steve sprint towards an unconscious Jonathan
The surfer, Jonathan Davies’ close encounter with death happened on the afternoon of 25 May 2020 at Chapel Porth Beach.
Jonathan was out on the water which was running with a 6 ft swell when he lost consciousness. However, Alfie England who was out surfing with his dad Steve from St Agnes, spotted Jonathan in the water. They fought through a gap in the waves to reach Jonathan and then managed to get his head above water.
They were then joined by Sam Russell from St Agnes and Paul Elcocks from Falmouth, Joel Henthorn of St Agnes, Chris Ingram from Porthtowan,Jos Lawrence of Redruth, Jason Ledger from Camborne. Between them they managed to administer rescue breaths to Jonathan as they pulled him back to shore through the large surf and strong rip currents.
By the time they got him on the shore he was blue, unconscious and had stopped breathing. Moss Thomas, an off-duty RNLI lifeguard then joined them and immediately began administering cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while Teah Munro from St Agnes who had also rushed to the scene ran two kilometers to alert beach wardens and collect a first aid kit.
The coastguard airlift
An air ambulance helicopter then arrived and paramedics took over, and thanks to the treatment he had already received Jonathan went on to recover from his ordeal after two days in hospital in an induced coma.
Now the seven rescue heroes have all been awarded national bravery and life-saving honours by the Royal Humane Society. Steve and Alfie England, Joel Henthorn, Chris Ingram, Jos Lawrence and Jason Leger were all awarded Testimonials on Parchment.
Moss Thomas received a Resuscitation Certificate and Teah Munro a Certificate of Commendation.
They have all, also won the praise of Andrew Chapman, Secretary of the Royal Humane Society for their “fantastic team work.”
“They all got together and formed a team to save Jonathan,” he said. “It was fantastic team work for people thrown together by an emergency and they did a superb job. Thanks to their swift action he was in the best possible condition when the paramedics arrived to take over and get him to hospital. And the reward was that his life was saved.
“They even had to give him rescue breaths as they pulled him through the heavy waves to get him back to the beach. That was an incredible fete in itself. If ever any group of people deserved the awards, they do. And of course they put themselves in harms way during the pandemic with no thought for their own safety. Their only thought was to save Jonathan. They were all true heroes.”
The roots of the Royal Humane Society stretch back more than two centuries. The Queen is its patron and its president is Princess Alexandra. It is the premier national body for honouring bravery in the saving of human life.
It was founded in 1774 by two of the day’s eminent medical men, William Hawes and Thomas Cogan. Their primary motive was to promote techniques of resuscitation. However, as it emerged that numerous people were prepared to put their own lives at risk to save others, the awards scheme evolved, and today a variety of awards are made depending on the bravery involved.
The Society also awards non health care professionals who perform a successful resuscitation. Since it was set up the Society has considered over 87,000 cases and made over 200,000 awards. The Society is a registered charity which receives no public funding and is dependent on voluntary donations.
“So happy Jonathan is alive today. I still can’t quite believe we got him back,” said Steve
Alfie England, an ex RNLI lifeguard, said “It is amazing to receive an award but it is better to see Jonathan back in the sea! It was full team effort and was well as those nominated I would also like to thank Paul Elcocks and Sam Russell for their actions in the water and Ben Skinner, Dulcie Havers, and Dominque Kent for the help on land.”
Chris Ingram, said “It’s an honour to have received the award but the fact that Jonathon is still with us is award in itself, and a testament to the work and training that many, if not all of us, have done with SLSGB and the RNLI.”
Moss Thomas said, “I would just like to say ‘Thank you’ to everyone who was involved, who worked together on the day of rescue to save a man’s life. It was great that we all got some recognition, with the award. It’s a good thing to live in the community we do.”
“I’m very proud of Alfie.’ said Steve “If he hadn’t spotted Jonathan and immediately acted it would have been a completely different story. Alfie, Jonathan and I got pretty battered by a set, and it was pretty heavy for a while as Jonathan was unresponsive, blue in the face and had pretty much drowned. But we knew the crew were coming to back us up and no one gave up.”
Wales’ junior champions were crowned this weekend at the Welsh National Junior Surfing Championships 2022 sponsored by PuraVida, MiPost, and Power-2GO.
The contest played out over the 7th and 8th May at Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire, with all competitors putting on great surfing displays for the judges and supporters on the beach.
Saturday brought a small swell and cross-offshore winds, forcing surfers to go all-out to make the most of the challenging conditions. Helped by an incoming tide, the waves built to shoulder-to-head high through Sunday. Entrants had more canvas to work with as the battle for finals places played out.
Among the highlights, Josie Hawke continued a run of fantastic results gained in 2021 to take first in the U12 girls category. Taylor Shelmerdine topped the podium in the U14 girls and placed fourth in the U16 girls – a group eventually won by Katie Davies on the back of consistently high scores.
Eddie Waring proved that he’s a talent to watch out for in future, being presented the Paul Ryder award for best up-and-coming surfer.
U12 Boys
1. Dexter Cromwell
U12 Girls
1. Josie Hawke; 2. Taylor Shelmerdine; 3. Summer-Marie Moore; 4. Florence Curran-Hughes
U14 Girls
1. Taylor Shelmerdine; 2. Caitlin Morris; 3. Indi Lynch; 4. Poppy Owen
U14 Boys
1. Tomos O’leary; 2. Arthur Buick; 3. Elijah Jones; 4. Luca Owen
U16 Girls
1. Katie David; 2. Poppy Owen; 3. Anna-Rose Merchant; 4. Taylor Shelmerdine
U16 Boys
1. Eli Perrins Davies; 2. Euan Buick; 3. Eddie Waring; 4. Coby Williams
PSR Award for best up-and-coming surfer, in memory of Paul “Spyder” Ryder
Eddie Waring
U18 Girls Longboard
1. Anna-Rose Merchant; 2. Nell Saddler; 3. Evelyn Reed
U18 Boys Longboard
1. Blake Jones; 2. Seth Reed
U18 Boys
1. Eli Perrins Davies; 2. Blake Jones; 3. Euan Buick; 4. Arthur Buick
U18 Girls
1. Charlotte Eales; 2. Katie David; 3. Betsy Owen; 4. Indi Lynch
Huge thanks to all our competitors and spectators for being part of another great Welsh National Junior Surfing Championships. A massive thank-you also to our sponsors @puravidaboardriders #MiPost and @power_2go for their terrific support.
A big shout of appreciation also to: Christian Surfers UK; Sport Wales; and WSA (Welsh Sports Association).
Iconic surf-lifestyle brand Quiksilver is thrilled to announce its collaboration for the upcoming fourth season of the Netflix Original Series Stranger Things. The show will be released in two parts, with Volume One premiering on May 27 and Volume Two premiering on July 1. In alignment with the show’s multiple release dates, Quiksilver will drop multiple capsule collections throughout the season, delivering a nostalgic throwback to the brand’s surf-inspired ’80s era while integrating elements from the Stranger Things 4 storyline. Quiksilver has never partnered with a brand on this level, and is excited and honored to bring this Stranger Things collaboration to life. The apparel collaboration aims to seamlessly introduce both brands in a fresh and exciting way to new audiences worldwide.
Over the past three years, Quiksilver and the Netflix costume team have worked closely, diving into the Quiksilver design archives to not only take design and style inspiration for the cast wardrobe, but also to revive some of the most iconic pieces and develop collaborative apparel collections available for consumer purchase. The Stranger Things series takes place in the 1980s, and with access to classic styles from the Quiksilver archive, Netflix and Quiksilver have been able to develop truly original and era-specific collections reflective of the show’s setting and Quiksilver’s roots. The official Quiksilver x Stranger Things 4 collections will feature exclusive Quiksilver pieces worn by the cast throughout the show, fashion-forward pieces inspired by the Quiksilver 1980s archive, and Season 4 episode-specific merchandise.
To celebrate and amplify the apparel-collection launch, Quiksilver plans to hold unique consumer-facing pop-ups and larger-scale activations globally. The apparel collections will be available for purchase worldwide via Quiksilver.com.
Surfers Not Street Children was founded in 1998 by activist and surfer, Tom Hewitt MBE. Originally under the name Durban Street Team (DST), it was run by a maverick crew of social workers, carers and activists scouting the streets of downtown Durban to identify and assist homeless street children. The organisation fused mentorship and care with arts and sports programs—including surfing, which the children totally embraced, leading to the organisation to be renamed Surfers Not Street Children. The organisation has played a major role in the response to the street children phenomenon in Durban, and empowered many children to leave street life. Many have gone on to engage in global advocacy and fight a frontline battle for the rights of local street children, and they’ve had a great impact on changing how society perceived and treated street children in South Africa. Through it all, surfing has been the heart and identity of the organisation, and the model of fusing surfing with mentorship and care became the backbone of the work that continues today in Durban and Tofo.
O’Neill is proud to announce a new chapter in our decade-long partnership with Africa’s transformative, community-based surf mentorship program, Surfers Not Street Children (SNSC).
Surfing can transform lives, and nobody understands that better than the incredible crew of young surfers and mentors over at SNSC. For more than 20 years, the organisation has helped street children in South Africa and Mozambique find safety and stability on land, and pure joy in the water. That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with SNSC through financial support and product for the organisation and the children they work with.
O’Neill and Jordy Smith have been allies of ours for many years,” Says Sandlie Mqadi, the Country Director for SNSC South Africa. “This next chapter in our partnership could not have arrived at a more important time. Now is when the most vulnerable children need even more support. Thank you to O’Neill and Jordy Smith for standing with us at this time, and for journeying with us in the past. Together we can transform more lives. Siyabonga Kakhulu!”
For more info on the SNSC organisation and to donate, follow this link: surfnotstreets.org/support
Producer: O’Neill
Directed by: Timothy Hay
Assistant Director: Kyle Judd Smith
Sound: Ryan Hall
Camera operators: Kyle Judd Smith, Gregg Kitto, Timothy Hay
Water Camera: Timothy Hay
Drone pilot: Simon Mulholland
Edit: Timothy Hay
Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Callum Robson won the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl, the first stop of the World Surf League 2022 Challenger Series. After 4 days straight of flawless waves at Snapper Rocks, the front edge of a massive East Coast Low began to show its face off the Gold Coast which caused wild and wooly conditions for Finals Day with competitors battling in strong-onshore winds and three-to-five foot waves. The conditions never detracted from the action with massive scores being dropped throughout the day.
16-year-old Caitlin Simmers Wins Opening Challenger Series Competition of the Season
Today’s victory marked the second Challenger Series win for 16-year-old Caitlin Simmers (USA). Simmers won the US Open of Surfing last year and also earned the final spot for the elite Championship Tour (CT). After Simmers declined the spot on the CT for 2021, Molly Picklum (AUS) received entry as the next on the qualification list. Given how close they were on the 2021 Challenger Series rankings, it was no surprise to see the two matched up in the first Final of the Challenger season here at Snapper Rocks.
“I’m so happy to win the first Challenger Series event of the year,” said Simmers. “It was really tough out there and I didn’t even know where I was for half of the heat. I was kind of just guessing on that last one and I guess I got the score, but Molly is my favorite surfer. She’s so gnarly so it’s so fun to share the Final with her. My goals for the season are definitely to try and win the Challenger Series, I’d love to do that.”
“I’m so happy to win the first Challenger Series event of the year,” said Simmers. “This has been an incredible event with amazing waves even though today, it was extremely tough out there. The wind and rain was howling and it was victory at sea out there. I really had no idea what my situation was in that final minute but I felt I needed a good second wave score – I got that last wave and just surfed it as best I could and managed to get the score – A goal for the season is definitely to try and win the Challenger Series – I’d love to do that.”
The Final between Simmers and Picklum witnessed an intense matchup as the two battled the stormy conditions for the first Challenger Series win of the season. Picklum stayed busy throughout the heat, locking in a 6.50 and 4.77 (each out of a possible 10). Although Simmers had a strong opening ride, she was left chasing a back-up score to overcome the Australian. In the final minute of the heat, Simmers utilized her priority for one last opportunity. Only needing a 5.45, Simmers overcame the requirement with a 6.03 to take the win away from Picklum.
“I’m a little disappointed,” said Picklum. “It is always nice to take the win, but I am so stoked for Caity. She’s an incredible surfer and an incredible competitor, and not everyone has those two things. I can’t wait for our year together and hopefully, we will be in a bunch of Finals together. Of course, hopefully, I get her one of these Finals. I’m ready for Manly next week. That will be a different event surf wise but I’m looking forward to the next stop on the Challenger and this entire series.”
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