Carve Collective

Carve Collective

Celebrating Surfing Communities Across the UK & Ireland

Introducing CARVE COLLECTIVE. Each month, we’ll be sharing clips and photographs from every corner of the Isles - from the rugged reefs of the north coast to sheltered bays, city breaks, secret slabs, and windy beachies. If it floats, flies, or falls off a wave somewhere between Cornwall and County Donegal, we want to see it.

What We’re Looking For:

Anything and everything that captures the spirit of your local scene.

  • Top-tier surfing from the standouts pushing performance

  • Unsung chargers who are out every swell, no matter what

  • Groms landing their first turn

  • Club contests and grassroots comps

  • Wipeouts that deserve a slow-mo replay

  • Dogs surfing

  • Board builds in garages

  • Post-surf pints

  • Community beach cleans

If it tells a story about your coastline and the people who call it home, it belongs here. Yes. Even a seagull surfing another seagull.

Surf culture here is in a unique place. It’s colder, often windier, quite fickle — but fiercely committed. The UK and Ireland are stitched together by small, passionate communities. Local legends aren’t always the most followed online; they’re the ones who shape boards in sheds, teach at the surf schools, organise club meets, and paddle out first when it’s overhead and howling.

Carve Collective is about giving those stories a platform.

Januaries roundup can be found below:

How to Get Involved

Send us your clips and pics to [email protected]
Or tag us in your posts with #carvecollective

Tell us about the characters. The breaks. The rivalries. The heroes. The heartbreaks. The humour.

Each month we’ll curate a snapshot of what’s happening across the Isles — a living, breathing archive of British and Irish surf culture as it unfolds.

Ride The Line

Ride The Line

Get amped up with Blak Bear's latest film 'Ride The Line'.

A stellar crew and a hell of a soundtrack, it's sure to get you waxing up your board and chomping at the bit. Filmed across the world's most intense proving grounds including: Cloudbreak, Teahupo'o, Pascuales and Pipeline.

No fluff in this one, it's non-stop freight trains. Standouts include: Balaram Stack, Seth Moniz, Billy Kemper, Clay Marzo, Matahi Drollet, and Moana James Wong.

After a year of touring parking lots and cinemas, it is now available online for public consumption.

By Tomo McPherson and Teva Dexter.

English National Surfing Champs

English National Surfing Champs

The 2026 English surfing season gets underway at Fistral Beach, as the country’s top shortboard athletes line up for the first major national event of the year. The Caravan and Motorhome Club English National Surfing Championships play a key role in shaping national rankings, drawing both established contenders and talented surfers all aiming for a national title.

With Team England implications, priority judging, and live scoring, this event delivers high-performance surfing from the opening heat to the finals, making it a must-watch for competition lovers and surfers alike.

Dates: Friday 10th – Sunday 12th April 2026 Backup Dates: Friday 24th – Sunday 26th April 2026 Location: Fistral Beach, Newquay

This is the most prestigious shortboard event on the English surfing calendar, featuring:

· Shortboard Open & Women’s Divisions

· U18 Boys and Girls shortboard Divisions

· U16 Boys and Girls shortboard Divisions

· Priority Judging Format

English surfers—this is your chance to compete for the national title and test your skills against the Nation’s best. Results from this event will help shape Team England selections for the GB Cup contest and for future contests worldwide, so the stakes are high!

Make sure you read the full event format and terms HERE before signing up.

Entry Info:

· Registration opens Monday 23rd February at 19:00pm - Entry Opens via LIVEHEATS

· Entry Fee: £45 for Open Divisions | £40 for U16 & U18

· Team England athletes will be given priority entry and semi-finalists/finalists of the 2025 Nationals should divisions be over subscribed.

Stay tuned to LiveHeats for registration, heat draws, schedules, and live scores. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this epic event!

MEMBERSHIP

You must be a Surfing England member to compete at the event. You can check the status of your membership or set up a membership HERE.

We welcome all new members to Surfing England; memberships start at just £20 - £28 a year. Included in membership is worldwide personal accident cover, including wave pools, and some great surf brand discounts!

PARTNERS This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our headline event sponsor Caravan and Motorhome Club. As well as our fantastic partners dryrobe, Kukuna, The Wave, Moulded Earplugs, Radical Wax, Surfline and Wavelength. A special thanks to Fistral Beach for allowing us to host the Caravan and Motorhome Club English National Surfing Championships for another year at their incredible surf venue.

Volcom’s Makoa Gomez & The Volcanic Mile

Volcom’s Makoa Gomez & The Volcanic Mile

A Volcom kid since birth, Makoa is now one of the leading forces of the Volcom Surf Team. And he’s only getting started...

Think curly hair, nonstop energy, sugar-rush intensity, bus-sized barrels, and gnarly waves: that’s Makoa.

At just 17, Makoa Gomez is already stacking more barrels than most surfers do in a lifetime.

Born and raised in front of one of Europe’s heaviest waves, El Quemao, he’s been charging since day one — powered by his dad, the legendary Charly Gomez, and the whole local crew who shaped him.

Meet Makoa:

Hi Makoa, tell us a bit about yourself and where you come from.
I’m from the Canary Islands, and I surf every single day. The ocean is a huge part of my life, and I’m proud to be sponsored by Volcom.

If you could surf one wave from any time in history (past or future), where and when would it be?
El Quemao in the 2000s, when my dad was surfing it almost by himself.

What’s a lesson the ocean taught you that you didn’t expect to learn?
The biggest lesson the ocean has taught me is patience. Even when I don’t have it, I understand that if you wait, at the right moment, the best wave will come to you.

If your surfing style had a soundtrack, what song would play when you paddle out?
“Gin and Juice” by Snoop Dogg.

What wave scared you the most, and how did it change the way you surf?
Pipeline, for sure. But it didn’t change anything, because it still scares me.

If you could design the “perfect” wave just for you, what would it look and feel like?
El Quemao, in front of my house — but with the size that Pipeline can hold.

How is it to be part of the Volcom family?
Being part of the Volcom family is a dream come true. Having the opportunity to stay at the Volcom house in Hawaii and to be supported by them has definitely made me push myself harder. I’m enjoying where I am with the brand that first believed in me.

How is it to be part of the Volcom family?
Being part of the Volcom family is a dream come true. Having the opportunity to stay at the Volcom house in Hawaii and to be supported by them has definitely made me push myself harder. I’m enjoying where I am with the brand that first believed in me.

Who or what inspires you in surfing?
My dad was definitely the first person who inspired me in surfing, probably because he taught me. I can see things in my surfing that could only come from him.

Punts or pits?
Both.

Guess the Number of Barrels & WIN a Bundle with Volcom

***THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED***

We’ve teamed up with Volcom and Makoa to give you the chance to WIN a barrel-safe bundle for when you’re catching the swell this spring.

All you need to do is: Guess the number of barrels Makoa charges

  • Follow @carvemag & @volcom_eu 
  • Like & save the competition post on Instagram
  • Tag your ride or die and the number of barrels 
  • Bonus: Share to your story and give us a tag

Cheat code* — If you watch the whole YouTube clip, you won’t need to guess 

Film Credits

Starring Makoa Gomez Vidal
Edited by Oscar Valencia

Music: “Hitching To Mullim” by Blistar (Noa Deane)

Women of the Sea Film Fund 2026

Women of the Sea Film Fund 2026

If you had £10,000 to make your next surf film, what story would you tell?

Now’s the time to get planning because Finisterre x London Surf / Film Festival have just opened submissions for the fourth Edition Women Of The Sea Film Fund. The  winning entry will receive a £10,000 grant to bring their story to life and the finished film will have its world premiere on the big screen as part of the line up at London Surf / Film Festival 2026.

Open exclusively to emerging and established women filmmakers resident in UK, Ireland, USA & Canada, the Women Of The Sea Film Fund is about celebrating and elevating women on both sides of the lens. Until 8th March 2026, filmmakers are invited to submit their pitch for a short film of 10-15 minutes in duration, exploring any aspect of surfing or surf culture that brings to the fore untold tales of women making waves.

“The Finisterre x LS/FF Women of the Sea Film Fund has championed extraordinary filmmakers who celebrate the determination, joy and resilience of women in the water, and who challenge the traditional male-dominated surf culture,” says Bronwen Foster-Butler, CMO of Finisterre. “We’re proud to partner with LS/FF for a fourth year, opening doors for female-led storytelling. Finisterre was born from cold-water surfing, so we’re especially eager to see stories from cooler climes or rugged coastlines.”

The previous funded projects Granny Grommets Dir. Leah Rustomjee, Salt Dir. Alice Ward and the 2025 winner Surf, Eat, Repeat Dir. Karen Song explored wide ranging themes around community, identity and diversity but all were united by the common thread – these stand out tales celebrate the strength and fortitude of women in the line up.

“Since 2011 we’ve been privileged to premiere some 300 films, showcasing those creatives who bring fresh perspectives and new lines of storytelling to wavering and surf culture,” says LS/FF Director Demi Taylor. “We’re delighted to be working with our friends at Finisterre to bring this incredible opportunity for women in filmmaking to life and elevate these untold tales on a global platform. A recent study revealed that, at the current rate of progress, it will be decades before gender parity is reached across key creative positions in filmmaking, which is why a fund like this is so important in helping to change the narrative.”

Submissions are open until International Women’s Day -  8th March 2026. 

Kai McKenzie, All The Good Vibes.

Kai McKenzie, All The Good Vibes.

In a world that often feels oversubscribed with negative news, take a moment to soak this one in — a story of resilience and perseverance.

Aussie surfer Kai McKenzie has returned to the waves (not for the first time) after a shark attack claimed his right leg.

Kai McKenzie’s story has become one of extraordinary resilience and hope. After surviving a brutal shark attack that cost him his leg, Kai refused to let the ocean become a place of fear. Months into his recovery, he made the powerful decision to return to the water — paddling out again at the very break where his life changed forever. His return to surfing wasn’t about denying what happened, but about reclaiming what he loves, proving that trauma doesn’t get the final word. Through grit, humour, and an unbreakable spirit, Kai has shown that resilience isn’t just surviving the worst moments, but choosing to move forward anyway, offering inspiration to surfers and non-surfers alike.

Check out the recent clip of him shredding — in his own words, “I lost my leg, but I didn’t lose surfing.”

More from @kai_mckenzie here