An honest, fun and tender travelogue that ran away with the Best Film award.

For the 14th Edition London Surf / Film Festival there was one movie that united judges and made their challenging job just that little bit easier. That film was Kingdom of the Evening directed by Clint Davis staring the ever-stoked Basque charger Kepa Acero and Morocco’s style-master Snoopy.

The South West premieres of Kingdom of the Evening take place as part of LS/FF’s Best of the Fest nights at the Lighthouse Cinema in Newquay on the 5th March and at Outside Devon on the 7th March.

https://londonsurffilmfestival.com/best-of-the-fest-a-very-special-evening

We caught up with award winning director Clint Davis to find out more.

Hi Clint, I’m curious to know when and how you and Kepa first met?

I met Kepa through a mutual friend of ours, Ali Elamine. When Kepa was traveling around Lebanon for his project Arcadia couple years ago, Ali was his guide and he’s pretty much the guy who started the surf scene in Lebanon. Around that same time, I was in pre-production for my first short film, VONA, in Türkiye. I was talking to Ali about the project, and he mentioned that Kepa Acero would be perfect for it. So he put us in touch and vouched for me.

I grew up watching Kepa during the era when he was one of the first surfers documenting his travels around the world. So of course, he was the right person. He’s someone who genuinely appreciates being in a new place, who doesn’t panic at the high possibility of getting skunked, and who understands that sometimes the real reward is just the experience itself… especially in a place, at the time, where hardly anyone surfs.

Luckily for us, we scored.

We loved VONA – it was a huge hit and screened at festivals across the world including LS/FF , but where did the idea for Kingdom of the Evening come from?

One day Kepa and I were talking about what to do next, throwing around places, stories, possibilities. Somewhere in that conversation, Morocco came up. I grew up there and in the Middle East, and still live in Morocco today, so it’s always close to home for me.

That’s when Kepa told me about a road trip he once did down the west coast of Africa. Along the way, somewhere in southern Morocco, he met a 15-year-old local kid named Yassine, the same Yassine who would later become the infamous SnoopyStyle everyone knows today. Kepa admired his surfing, his raw stoke, and the way he carried himself. They shared waves and moments that stayed with him long after the trip ended.

Kepa said he’d always wondered what became of him. He even had archive footage from when they first met. And right there, it felt like we had all the ingredients for something special, a reunion story almost two decades in the making. So we decided to go for it.

The film has a slightly irreverent style and humour. Who decided on the creative style?

Haha, I guess I’m just turning into a grumpy old guy.

But honestly, while the film is about a reunion, it’s also about change and what it feels like to watch a place you love transform over decades. I grew up around that coastline, and I’ve seen it shift in ways that are beautiful, chaotic, and sometimes hard to accept. So yeah… that slightly irreverent tone probably snuck into the narration without me even realizing it, or maybe I did... I suppose that’s what happens when you care about something for a long time, you can’t help but have opinions.

Getting film projects off the ground, let alone made, is tough endeavour. How long did the film take to make and what were the challenges along the way?

Pre-production lasted about a year. Then we had 14 intense days on the ground, all together, shooting on location. Post-production stretched another five months after that. Most of the challenges we faced are actually in the film, that was kind of the point. The chaos, the missed swells, the tension, the waiting… it’s all real.

If I had to name the biggest challenge? Probably just making sure everyone showed up on time. (Still working on that one.) But honestly, those small frustrations, the delays, the unpredictability, they’re what shaped the story. Without them, it wouldn’t have been the same film.

You can really feel the energy in relationship and in the search and that’s reflected in the film. What, for you, were the highlights of the project?

I don’t think there was one single moment that stands out above everything else. The whole trip, the process, the ups and downs, was special. Just having that crew together meant a lot.

Seeing Kepa reunite with Yassine after all those years was powerful, but it was also really meaningful having Ayoub Abouizza there. Ayoub and Kepa have their own history going back nearly two decades as well, so it wasn’t just one reunion, it was layers of reconnection. Old friendships, new friendships, different generations all in the same lineup. That kind of energy doesn’t happen every day.

There were plenty of memorable moments, some that made it into the film and some that didn’t. A few scenes I really loved ended up on the cutting room floor, which is always tough, but maybe I’ll share those later so people can see a bit more of what we experienced together.

Kingdom of the Evening screens as part of Best of the Fest Thursday 5th March at the Newquay’s Lighthouse Cinema, Cornwall and Saturday 7th March at Outside, Devon. See you there!

www.londonsurffilmfestival.com/best-of-the-fest-a-very-special-evening/

The East Coast surf community is coming together to celebrate the life of Chatchawan Thongpia — known to everyone simply as Champ.

Champ, who passed away in 2025, was born in Thailand and moved to the UK before he was seven years old. He came to live with his dad, Evan — known affectionately as Tilly — who raised him here. His mum later returned to Thailand, but Champ built his life on these shores, growing into one of the most recognisable and loved characters in the lineup.

Before many even knew his name, people remember seeing a Thai lad ripping alongside his dad, Tilly whistling from the channel when sets approached and shouting directions on where to paddle. It became a familiar sight.

As a grom, Champ entered the East Coast Classic. With a strong northerly swell, the contest was relocated to Cayton Point by Secretspot. The surf was big, chaotic and shifting. Champ stood out immediately. He took off on anything. Full commitment, zero hesitation. Pulling into barrels few would attempt and rarely coming out — but always paddling back with the same grin. He had no fear in the water. Whether he made it or not never seemed to matter. He was unbelievably agile, making take-offs no one should make.

Champ lived simply and fully. For a time, he lived out of a Vauxhall Combo van — improbably small for someone carrying plumbing tools, wetsuits and boards — yet somehow perfectly organised in his own chaotic way. Built from scrap materials collected from jobs, it looked like carnage inside, but it worked.

He was nomadic. Scotland one month. Devon the next. Wherever there were waves and work.

Every summer, he returned to the south of France with Tilly. One year they even slept on the front seats of the van, using a lilo as a mattress. It never mattered. If there were waves, he was home.

He would never wear shoes. In winter, in the Lake District, climbing mountains — flip flops. It was just Champ.

On a trip to Japan that wasn’t meant to involve surfing, he arrived without any gear. When it turned out to be pumping, he made friends with locals, borrowed a board and surfed in his pants.

He was always up for a surf, or any random adventure someone suggested. A pure soul, as cliché as it sounds. No badness in him.

He was, above all else, fun.

25th April: Champ Fest

To honour Champ’s life, friends and family are hosting a day to surf, remember and celebrate, in true Champ style.

Morning: Tribute Paddle Out

The day will begin with a tribute paddle out. The aim is to gather as many people as possible in the water, forming a large circle and throwing flowers in his memory.

Those unable to paddle out are encouraged to take part from the beach — creating sand art, painting rocks, or simply being present. It’s about starting the day together, paying respect in the ocean he loved.

Afternoon: The Fun Comp

After the tribute, the focus shifts to a surf competition.

This will be a no-ego, expression-session-style event. Loose judging. Mixed heats. Pure fun.

Competitors are encouraged to bring the strangest, most forgotten, most ridiculous board they own. All boards will be piled together and numbered. Before each heat, surfers will draw a number from a hat, and that’s the board they ride.

Expect chaos. Expect wipeouts. Expect creativity.

There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes, along with sub-categories such as:

• Best wipeout

• Most unique manoeuvre

• And more to be announced

Prizes and hopefully trophies are in the works, with potential sponsors currently being confirmed. Any brands interested in supporting the day and contributing prizes are warmly welcomed.

Food & Evening Celebrations

A Thai food truck will be serving cuisine throughout the day in honour of Champ’s roots, alongside a BBQ running into the evening.

After the prize giving, the band Deep Sea Daggers will play, turning the beach into a full celebration. There will be drinks, music and camping available in a nearby field for those wanting to stay the night.

The devastating loss of a 39 year old surfer named Martin 'Mantega' Cirko.

Leaving behind his wife Sophia and daughter Violetta, fundraisers have been set up to help his family.

At Praia do Canal on the 23rd February, Martin 'Mantega' Cirko, the German-Brazilian drowned after getting into difficulties in the surf. The friend he was surfing with pulled him from the water however, resuscitation was unsuccessful.

His wife Sophia said:

"He passed away doing what he loved - in a moment of happiness, surrounded by dreams for the future. This is how we will remember him: smiling fearless, and full of life."

Anyone who knew Mantega remembers his warmth, energy,and how he lit up a room. His motto was "without fear", and he truly lived by it.

Please help support his family as he supported others. Donations will help bring him home and support his wife Sophia and daughter Violetta:

Go fund me

Paypal

Olympic Surfing Shake-Up Sparks Backlash Ahead of LA 2028

The pathway to competing in surfing at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles has been significantly restructured — and many elite surfers are voicing strong opposition.

The governing body for Olympic surfing, the International Surfing Association, recently released updated qualification criteria for LA 2028. The revisions reduce the number of direct qualification spots available through the World Surf League Championship Tour (CT), shifting more weight toward results at the ISA World Surfing Games.

Fewer Championship Tour Spots

Under the revised structure, 24 men and 24 women will still compete at the Games. However, only 10 total athletes — five men and five women — will now qualify via the 2028 CT rankings. In previous Olympic cycles, CT surfers held significantly more places. At Paris 2024, for example, 10 men and eight women advanced through the Championship Tour.

Another key change increases the maximum number of surfers per gender, per country, from two to three.

The surfing competition at the 2028 Summer Olympics is scheduled to take place at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.

Greater Emphasis on ISA Events

The updated framework places stronger emphasis on the 2028 ISA World Surfing Games, where 10 athletes per gender will qualify, with a maximum of one per nation.

Additional qualification opportunities will be allocated through:

• 2026 Asian Games – One slot per gender

• 2027 Pan American Games – One slot per gender

• 2027 European Surfing Championship – One slot per gender

• 2027 ISA World Surfing Games – One African and one Oceania slot per gender (athletes must finish inside the top 25 overall)

• 2026 & 2027 ISA World Surfing Games (Team Ranking) – The highest-ranked national team per gender earns one place

• Host Nation Allocation – One guaranteed place per gender for the United States, if not already qualified

• Universality Places – One slot per gender for developing nations (athletes must place within the top 40 at the 2027 or 2028 ISA World Surfing Games)

Division Within the Sport

The reduction of CT qualification spots has prompted criticism from a number of professional surfers, who argue that performance across a full Championship Tour season represents the highest competitive standard in the sport.

ISA leadership, however, has defended the restructuring as a transparent and globally balanced system designed to broaden international representation.

With LA 2028 still two years away, the debate highlights a growing tension between professional tour prestige and the Olympic movement’s emphasis on worldwide inclusion.