“It’d be nice to have perfect waves every day, but that’s not always going to happen.” Dave Rastovich knows that in summer, you make your own fun.
“I love the challenge of days like these, the lack of structure and the bending of rules. Surfing those waves is what I’d imagine playing jazz would be like. The waves were chaotic and wobbly, if they had a time signature it’d be all odd numbers. It wouldn’t be four to the floor; it’d be threes and fives and sevens. It made for an interesting challenge, but occasionally it all came together and hit a note perfectly.”
He laughs, recalling time spent on a sandbank close to home putting the Hydrolock boardshort through its paces.
”I thought I was Howard Moon, the jazz cat from The Mighty Boosh.” Video : Liam O’Brien
The second wave of acts for Boardmasters 2022 is announced today, as Day Tickets for this summer’s festival go on sale this week. The Lathums, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Wombats, Self Esteem, Mimi Webb and 60+ more join the line-up for Cornwall’s own surf and music festival which will be headlined this year by George Ezra, Disclosure and Kings of Leon. Taking place from 10-14 August 2022 across two stunning sites on the Cornish coast, Boardmasters’ sought after Day Tickets go on pre-sale on Thursday 4 February, and general on sale Friday 5 February (Wednesday and Thursday Entry Camping, VIP Camping, and 3 Day No Camping tickets have all sold out in record time). Fans can sign up for the Boardmasters Day Tickets pre-sale at boardmasters.com – we’ll see you at the beach.
Bombay Bicycle Club are set to make a welcome return to Cornish shores. The London indie-rock four-piece released their acclaimed fifth studio album ‘Everything Else Has Gone Wrong’ in 2020, with the first single released from the album, Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You), hailed as a triumphant return to form for the band, marking the return of the band after a three-year hiatus. One of Britain’s very best live bands, Bombay Bicycle Club are sure to deliver an unmissable set at Boardmasters this summer.
The Wombats will be bringing all of the festival feels to Boardmasters 2022. The Liverpool trio have an arsenal of bangers from a career spanning 15 years, including Let’s Dance To Joy Division, If You Ever Leave I’m Coming With You, Greek Tragedy and Moving To New York. Scoring their first number 1 album just last month with ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’, 2022 is looking like a huge year for The Wombats.
Wigan’s very own indie 4-piece, The Lathums join the Boardmasters line up for 2022. This follows a huge 2021 for the boys, whose debut album ‘How Beautiful Can Life Be’, released last November, immediately hit the top spot in the UK charts. They’re heading out on tour this year, including a stop off at Watergate Bay for Boardmasters.
Also joining the line-up for Boardmasters 2022, I Do This All The Time hitmaker, one of the most exciting experimental popstars of the moment, and BBC Introducing Artist of the Year 2021 – Self Esteem, along with neo-soul songstress Greentea Peng, the emerging London rapper behind Peng Black Girls – Enny, and 21-year-old popstar and nothing short of TikTok sensation Mimi Webb. Plus also for Boardmasters, there’s West London’s Kurupt FM – stars of People Just Do Nothing and Kurupt FM: Big In Japan, as well as Holy Goof who’ll be taking to the decks with hits including Down For You, and alt-rockersPalace whose new album ‘Shoals’ is due for release this year. JC Stewart will be heading to Boardmasters, too, along with singer-songwriter and So My Darling hitmaker Rachel Chinouriri. A man needing no introduction – Jax Jones – who comes armed with a catalogue of festival floor fillers joins the Boardmasters line up alongside, Franky Wah, 220 Kid, Mall Grab and Flava D presents 3 Flavas. Find the full line-up here.
With more acts set to be announced, Boardmasters 2022 will be an incredible 5 day celebration of music and surfing with the backdrop of the stunning Cornwall coastline. And this week, fans can purchase Day Tickets for this year’s Boardmasters, with pre-sale from 10am, Thursday 4 February, and remaining tickets on sale from 10am, Friday 5 February. Boardmasters encourages fans not to miss out, and to sign up for the pre-sale now at www.boardmasters.com. With demand at an all-time high, Wednesday and Thursday Entry Camping, VIP Camping and 3 Day No Camping tickets have all sold out in record time.
WSL (World Surf League) returns this year for the Boardmasters OPEN surf competition, taking place over five days at the stunning Fistral Beach. The biggest names in international, pro surfing will take to the waves to battle it out for the coveted Boardmasters top spots. Competitions include the Boardmasters OPEN (QS1000) mens and womens division and Boardmasters Longboard Pro (LQS1000) mens and womens division. In addition to the WSL QS and LQS events, the Boardmasters Junior OPEN boys and girls division will also take place at Fistral Beach.
Beyond the music, festival goers can sign up for Surf and Adventure packages to make the most of their time soaking up the best of what Cornwall has to offer. Surf packages cater for all abilities, with lessons available from Thursday – Sunday. Boardmasters works alongside established local surf schools and expert instructors including Fistral Beach Surf School, Escape Surf School, Westcountry Surf School and Blue Surf School to provide these lessons and get attendees in the water. Surf packages are priced at £35 pp for 2 hours.
Plus, adventure packages are available to book too, including coasteering, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and snorkel SUP safari, perfect for anyone who loves the great outdoors. Leading local activity providers Newquay Activity Centre and Bare Feet Coasteer partner with Boardmasters to put these packages on. Priced at £50 pp, activities range from 2-3 hours total.
Following Boardmasters 2021, NME wrote that Boardmasters 2021 “oozes togetherness and inspires a genuine camaraderie amongst the legions of music fans who walk in as strangers, but leave as friends”. Earmilk described it as “ the UK’s blissful beach haven for music”, and Vocal Girls Club enjoyed “arguably the best weekend of 2021”. Cornwall Live added it was “the perfect salvation” following a tough few years for young people. Check out the Boardmasters 2021 photo gallery here.
Day Tickets for Boardmasters 2022 go on sale via pre-sale at 10am, Thursday 4 February and remaining Day Tickets go on sale from 10am, Friday 5 February. Visit boardmasters.com for more information, and to sign up for the pre-sale.
Photography aficionado, shaper and wave slider James Parry rebirths a 70s classic single that was originally shaped by Kevin Cross. Throwing a modern template into the mix, from shaping to sea, follow the birth of this cosmic craft.
• WSL Champions Kelly Slater and John John Florence Put to the Test • Upsets Shock Men’s Draw at Billabong Pro Pipeline • More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com
The Billabong Pro Pipeline, the first stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT), saw another epic day of conditions with a building swell into eight-to-twelve foot surf at the world-famous Banzai Pipeline. The men’s field is now down to eight competitors after finishing the Round of 32 and Round of 16 with the overlapping format. Today’s competition saw no shortage of near-perfect rides, upsets, and buzzer-beaters to set the stakes for the men’s Quarterfinals. The next call will be tomorrow, Wednesday, February 2, at 7:50 a.m. HST.
WSL Champions Kelly Slater and John John Florence Put to the Test at Billabong Pro Pipeline
Round of 32 action started off in slowly building conditions and saw event wildcard Barron Mamiya (HAW) win Heat 1 against World No. 4 Conner Coffin (USA). Mamiya advanced to Round of 16 to fulfil his dream of surfing against 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), who dominated Heat 2 against rookie Jake Marshall (USA).
“I love Barron! He is a really great guy and an awesome surfer,” said Slater ahead of the matchup. “He is that kind of wildcard that you have no idea what he’s going to do out there. I think everyone recognises him as one of the guys to beat. He’d be sitting at the top 10 of people you expect to do well at Pipeline.”
Mamiya applied pressure to the seven-time Pipeline victor throughout the first heat of the Round of 16 and was able to keep the lead on the scoreboard until the final seconds when Slater was gifted a buzzer-beater wave to take the win with a 9.23 (out of a possible 10).
“There was less than twenty [seconds] when I saw that wave. That’s why we do it, that’s what it’s all about. Just having a moment like that,” continued Slater after advancing to the Quarterfinals. “I know it’s early in the contest, but Barron’s the next generation out here and it’s just a pleasure to surf against him. I was trying to process the heat. I made a few errors on waves maybe in the first half, and he really capitalised. He was sitting really deep, [taking a] really aggressive line and I was sitting where I was lining up earlier because I thought there’d be some rights that would sneak wide. I just wasn’t feeling it and then I just calmed down and thought either a wave’s going to come through or it’s not, and I’d be happy for Barron. It’s just crazy thinking back on 30 years, how many times it’s happened to me and gone my way.”
Two-time WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) also advanced to Round of 16 with ease after winning against rookie Jackson Baker (AUS). Florence then battled Brazilian rookie Joao Chianca, who defeated event favourite Jack Robinson (AUS) in the Round of 32 and put Florence to work on improved conditions. Shortly after Florence found Pipeline magic of his own to garner a 9.77, Chianca found near-perfection in a 9.87. Florence defeated the rookie with a 1.03 point difference and advanced to the Quarterfinals, where he will face Seth Moniz (HAW).
“It was a hard heat,” said Florence. “Joao’s wave was incredible. I was in the front seat watching it, and I was just happy and not happy at the same time. We had a good heat the other day, where we both got some good scores. So I was a bit nervous facing him again because he’s been charging out here. It looks like he really knows this kind of wave. So when the waves started coming I knew he was gonna be on the good ones too.”
Upsets Shock Men’s Draw at Billabong Pro Pipeline
Besides Coffin’s and Robinson’s eliminations in the Round of 32, three other upsets shook the competition this morning. World No. 6 Griffin Colapinto (USA) lost his heat to WSL Replacement Caio Ibelli (BRA); Kolohe Andino (USA) could not overcome rookie Lucca Mesinas (PER); and Kanoa Igarashi (JPN, above) eliminated Owen Wright (AUS), a favorite in heavy barrels. Ibelli, Mesinas and Igarashi also won their Round of 16 heats and advanced to the Quarterfinals.
“I have so much respect for Owen, he is one of the best ones out there,” said Igarashi. “In days with a short lineup like today, you have to think about your competitor and keep a close eye on him to know where they are. Two feet can make a big difference when positioning yourself there.”
The swell picked up into the afternoon as the Round of 16 match-ups got underway with more surprising results. WSL Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA) faced fellow Brazilian Miguel Pupo in Heat 3 and Pupo, at the 12-minute mark, found a Pipeline gem of which he re-emerged after being deep inside the barrel to earn a 7.33 and eliminate the 2019 WSL Champion.
Rookie Samuel Pupo (BRA) followed his brother’s footsteps and also managed to eliminate a CT veteran from the competition, Jordy Smith (ZAF) in the last heat of the day.
Mesinas got to walk through the Round of 16 to the Quarterfinals as Carlos Munoz (CRI) was unable to finish the heat due to injury. Munoz dislocated his shoulder during the Round of 32 and tried to recover in time for his heat. After receiving clearance from the doctors on-site to compete, Munoz started the heat but felt his injury while in the water and had to leave the competition.
Billabong Pro Pipeline Men’s Round of 16 Results: HEAT 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.23 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 15.17 HEAT 2: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 11.70 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 10.50 HEAT 3: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.40 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.73 HEAT 4: Lucca Mesinas (PER) 3.07 DEF. Carlos Munoz (CRI) INJ HEAT 5: Seth Moniz (HAW) 8.00 DEF. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 3.50 HEAT 6: John John Florence (HAW) 17.77 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 16.74 HEAT 7: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.83 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 5.23 HEAT 8: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 15.16 DEF. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.20
Billabong Pro Pipeline Men’s Quarterfinals Matchups: HEAT 1: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) HEAT 2: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Lucca Mesinas (PER) HEAT 3: Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. John John Florence (HAW) HEAT 4: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)
Billabong Pro Pipeline Women’s Round of 16 Matchups: HEAT 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW) HEAT 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. India Robinson (AUS) HEAT 3: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Moana Jones Wong (HAW) HEAT 4: Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) HEAT 5: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Bethany Hamilton (HAW) HEAT 6: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Brisa Hennessy (CRI) HEAT 7: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Molly Picklum (AUS) HEAT 8: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Luana Silva (HAW)
Think we have all had enough… Guy Penwarden speaking for Dorset surfers and swimmers.
A water company’s environmental director has been criticised for warning sea bathers about “swimming with your mouth open”.
Wessex Water’s environmental director Ruth Barden has said people getting ill sewage discharges could be due to them swimming with their mouths open.
“The only way you will not get ill from consuming water is if you consume tap water; if you go swimming with your mouth open it is not free from bacteria, so that is something to be aware of”, she said
She was speaking to the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s overview and scrutiny board discussing recent pollution incidents.
Untreated sewage was discharged into rivers and the sea 28,994 times over 237,035 hours by Wessex Water in 2020, and 14,000, 107,731 hours between 1 January and 31 August 2021.
Apparently this had been “misrepresented” in the media.
Other notable comments included “Not all discharges are pollution.” and claim that discharges ‘often have no adverse environmental impact.’
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Committee member Ann Stribley said discharges, of sewage with other untreated water, while not illegal under UK law, were “totally unacceptable”.
“If we are going to say the water’s reasonably ok but keep your mouth shut… that’s unreasonable, I’ve never heard anything like it,” she added.
Another committee member Vikki Slade added: “I have to say how disappointing it is to hear … [Wessex Water] telling us that if we go along with our mouths open we should expect to get infected – I’m mortified to hear that in a public meeting and it shouldn’t be acceptable.”
Committee members also said the outdated bathing water season testing of seawater quality was needed all year round rather than the current May-September period.
Ms Barden said volunteers were being used to take out-of-season water quality samples. Wessex made £68m profit in 2020/21.
Plans to build a Wavegarden Cove wave park in California´s Coachella Valley received unanimous approval from the City of Palm Desert.
This project is the first of many new Wavegardens planned for the Americas, consolidating Wavegarden´s leadership in the surf park sector. Promoters Desert Wave Ventures and Beach Street Development are behind this innovative surf resort featuring North America’s first Wavegarden Cove, a 4 Diamond hotel, villas with views of the waves, restaurants, and beach club.
DSRT Surfis slated to be the first Wavegarden Cove surf park built in the United States of America after plans were unanimously approved by the City of Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley. Wavegarden´s technology will comprise a 52-module wave generator and a fully integrated surfing lagoon.
DSRT Surf is implementing a unique “turf for surf” program to offset all surf lagoon water use by converting 20 acres of turf on the adjacent golf courses to drought tolerant landscaping. The surf program will use the same amount of water as the golf course area being removed, making it a “net zero” water consumption operation.
On top of world-class waves, the resort will also feature a 92 room hotel, 83 residential villas with water views, a beach club and spa, together with pickleball courts, a pump track, restaurants and bars.
According to the development plans, construction on the surfing lagoon will soon commence and completion is scheduled for the end of 2023.
