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Sessions: Irish Winter

Ahead of Friday’s global Red Bull Big Wave Awards, multiple award nominee, Red Bull athlete and Irish Surfer Conor Maguire features in this latest content drop, Sessions: Irish Winter Recap.

Watch Clem McInerney’s epic footage of Conor Maguire and his crew of surfing mates tick off his bucket list of Irish surf locations in a journey through the 2021 season. The episode finale takes a look back at THAT epic wave Conor caught at Mullaghmore last October, including a behind the scenes insight into the world class safety procedures required for such an event with the legendary Peter Conroy and his local water patrol team.

Conor is nominated in three of the four global awards at the 2021 Global Red Bull Big Wave Awards which will broadcast live on Red Bull TV from 11pm this Friday. The awards honour the athletes across the globe pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and celebrate the most death-defying surfing of the season with life-changing rewards.

2020-21 RED BULL BIG WAVE AWARD NOMINEES

RIDE OF THE YEAR

Male
Conor Maguire at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland, Oct. 28, 2020.
Grant Baker at Mavericks, Dec.11, 2020.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Peter Mel at Mavericks, Jan. 8, 2021.
Billy Kemper at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Eli Olson at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Vinicius dos Santos at Nazaré, Portugal, Feb. 22, 2021.
Kalani Chapman at Outer Reef Log Cabins, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Wilem Banks at Mavericks, Dec. 8, 2020.

Female
Paige Alms at Todos Santos, Mexico, Jan. 11, 2021.
Michelle des Bouillons at Nazaré, Portugal, Feb. 22, 2021.
Justine Dupont at Nazaré, Portugal, Jan. 16, 2021.
Maya Gabeira at Nazaré, Portugal, Feb. 5, 2021.
Izzi Gomez at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Keala Kennelly at Himalayas, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.

BIGGEST PADDLE

Male
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Kai Lenny at Mavericks, Dec. 8, 2020.
Peter Mel at Mavericks, Dec. 8, 2020.
Peter Mel at Mavericks, Jan. 8, 2021.
Grant Baker at Mavericks, Dec. 11, 2020.
Billy Kemper at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Nathan Florence at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Vinicius dos Santos at Nazaré, Portugal, Feb. 22, 2021.
Ian Walsh at Jaws, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Wilem Banks at Mavericks, Jan. 10, 2021.

Female
Bianca Valenti at Mavericks, Jan. 12, 2021.
Justine Dupont at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 17, 2021.
Keala Kennelly at Himalayas, Hawaii, Dec. 2, 2020.
Justine Dupont at Mavericks, Dec. 8, 2020.
Paige Alms at Todos Santos, Mexico, Jan. 11, 2021.
Raquel Heckert at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 17, 2021.

BIGGEST TOW

Male
Conor Maguire at Mullaghmore Head, Ireland, Oct. 28, 2020.
Kalani Chapman at Outer Reef Log Cabins, Hawaii, Jan. 1, 2021.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Kai Lenny at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Ian Walsh at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Sebastian Steudtner at Nazaré, Portugal, Oct. 29, 2020.
Sebastian Steudtner at Nazaré, Portugal, Oct. 29, 2020.
Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca at Nazaré, Portugal, Oct. 29, 2020.
Makua Rothman at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Nathan Florence at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Francisco Porcella at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.

Female
Maya Gabeira at Nazaré, Portugal, Oct. 29, 2020.
Maya Gabeira at Nazaré, Portugal, Feb. 5, 2021.
Justine Dupont at Mavericks,, Jan. 1, 2021.
Justine Dupont at Jaws, Hawaii, Jan. 16, 2021.
Justine Dupont at Nazaré, Portugal, Oct. 29, 2020.
Michelle des Bouillons at Nazaré, Portugal, Feb. 22, 2021.

PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Male
Kai Lenny
Peter Mel
Conor Maguire
Grant Baker
Sebastian Steudtner
Ian Walsh
Nathan Florence
Eli Olson
Billy Kemper
Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca
Makua Rothman
Vinicius dos Santos

Female
Justine Dupont
Keala Kennelly
Maya Gabeira
Paige Alms
Michelle des Bouillons
Raquel Heckert

Boardmasters Headliners

Boardmasters will be back next year from 10 - 14 August 2022, following a huge, sold-out festival this summer. Today, 2022’s huge headline acts are revealed as Kings of Leon who make their long-awaited Boardmasters debut, George Ezra and Disclosure, along with 10+ more world-class acts. Cornwall’s own surf and music festival is set to welcome the biggest names in music, and the most exciting surf talent to the UK’s most spectacular festival settings of Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach, Cornwall. Tickets for Boardmasters go on sale from 5pm, Friday 29 October 2021, with pre-sale on sale on Thursday 28 October via boardmasters.com.

Kings of Leon will be headlining Boardmasters Main Stage as the sun sets across Watergate Bay on Sunday 14 August. Their 8th album ‘When You See Yourself’, released in 2021, continued a run of 6 consecutive albums to debut at #1 in the UK. The multi-Grammy and BRIT Award winning group will be performing songs from all 8 of their albums. Boardmasters will be their first UK festival show since they headlined Reading & Leeds Festival in 2018.

After the chart-topping success of ‘Staying at Tamara’s’ in 2018, George Ezra will make his triumphant return to Watergate Bay, headlining on Friday at Boardmasters 2022. The multi-platinum singer-songwriter will bring his upbeat hits to the Main Stage, rousing the crowds with infectious choruses from his number one singles, ‘Shotgun’ and ‘Paradise’, as well as soulful and moving sounds like ‘Hold My Girl’.

Grammy-nominated dance duo Disclosure make their Boardmasters debut, taking the coveted Saturday Main Stage headline slot. Their new EP ‘Never Enough’ will be taken across Europe on a huge headline tour in 2022 including a stop on the Cornish coast. The house music innovators are set to make waves, delivering an electrifying performance for revellers to dance the night away at Watergate Bay.

What’s more, Boardmasters is unveiling 10+ more acts today, including Brit alt-rock four-piece Bastille. The quartet will be lighting up the Main Stage with their euphoric hits such as ‘Pompeii’ and ‘Good Grief’. Plus, reggae heavy-hitter Damian “Jr Gong” Marley heads to Boardmasters to deliver a standout performance including music from his Grammy-winning ‘Welcome to Jamrock’ and ‘Stony Hill’ albums. Singer-songwriter and indie icon Declan McKenna also joins the bill, along with ‘Lost Without You’ chart-topper Freya Ridings, and Bristol-born bandIDLES who will headline the Land of Saints stage next summer, sure to bring an electrifying, high-octane set.

Arguably the UK’s most exciting DJ and producer, the man behind huge hits including ‘Head & Heart’ and ‘BED’,Joel Corry will be headlining the Unleashed stage next summer. Plus, Brit-nominated soul sensation Joy Crookeswill be coming to Cornwall, making her Boardmasters debut.

The View will play host to Lime Cordiale, the pop-rock duo heading to Boardmasters all the way from Sydney, Australia, while over at The Point, Patrick Topping will be hitting the decks. Having risen to fame after the TikTok community began sharing and making videos of his songs, Sam Ryder has gone on to make his own songs on the viral video platform. The singer and rhythm guitarist joins the line-up for next summer’s Boardmasters.

Acclaimed producer and DJ Shy FX also joins the Boardmasters line up for DB90, with Sons of the East making a welcome return to Cornish shores. And last but by no means least, Tom Grennan, who needs no introduction, and has made a name for himself releasing charting singles like 'This is the Place' and 'Little Bit of Love', will be heading to Boardmasters next August.

Alex_Rawson_Photo_-_Boardmasters_2018_-_Dump_3_(53_of_59)

With many 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.

Fans can sign-up now for the Boardmasters pre-sale, which are available from Thursday 28 October. On Friday, General Admission, Wednesday and Thursday Camping tickets, 3 Day Non- Camping and VIP Camping tickets, plus Campervan and Car Parking will be going on sale for Boardmasters 2022. Fans will have the option of making use of the Deposit Scheme; booking their ticket with a £30 deposit and not needing to pay the balance until June 2022, or the Payment Plan with a £30 deposit and the further outstanding balance paid in fixed monthly installments, and the full amount not due until June 2022.

The Boardmasters OPEN announces its return for 2022. Festival goers can head to the stunning Fistral Beach where the Boardmasters OPEN will play host to the biggest names in pro surfing as they take to the waves to battle it out for the coveted Boardmasters top spots across five exhilarating days. Competitions include the Boardmasters OPEN mens and womens division, Boardmasters Longboard OPEN mens and womens division, and the Boardmasters Junior OPEN boys and girls division.

Beyond the music, festival goers can also 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.

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.

Plus, Cornish surfers Luke Dillon, Tassy Swallow and Lukas Skinner headed to Snowdonia Adventure Parc this week to film a new Boardmasters video which will be released tomorrow. Check it out and see what they got up to, tomorrow via Boardmasters social channels.

Returning this year after a two-year hiatus, 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. This year’s sold-out Boardmasters played host to headliners Foals, Gorillaz and Jorja Smith, along with other huge names including Dizzee Rascal, Becky Hill, The Kooks, Kano, Mahalia and more. Plus, the Boardmasters OPEN made a thrilling welcome return to Cornish shores down at Fistral Beach. Check out the Boardmasters photo gallery here.

Tickets for Boardmasters 2022 go on sale at 5pm, Thursday 29 October 2021, with pre-sale tickets from Thursday 28 October. Visit boardmasters.com for more information.

UK MPs published misinformation on sewage clean up claim experts

A constituent yesterday.

Government claims that the reduction of raw sewage being discharged into rivers and seas by water companies would cost up to £660bn are misleading and part of a misinformation campaign according to experts.

Conservative MPs released the figures as part of explanations to constituents as to why they voted down the original amendment which caused up uproar nationally.

All said it would be irresponsible for any government to make the discharges illegal while remedy would cost £150bn and £650bn to transform the entire sewage system. All blamed antiquidated systems despite the industry being privatised since 1990.

However leaked documents from the “storm overflows taskforce” ( Environment Agency, the water industry and Ofwat) which is yet to be published detail a range of lower-cost options for dealing with the worst and most damaging sewage discharges range from £3.9bn to £62.7bn, with an impact on average water bills of between £19 and £58 a year. Well within industry reach.

Sources say the figure of £660bn appears nowhere in the report!

Hugo Tagholm of the campaign group Surfers Against Sewage said putting a figure of £660bn into the public domain was misinformation designed to scare the public.

“The figures are somewhere in the region of between £3.7bn and £62.bn to deal with the worst of the sewage pollution. This is well within the profits and dividends of these companies and if it were to be passed on to the bill-payer, it could be done at an affordable level.”

⚠️BREAKING ⚠️- an update on the #SewageScandal from @HugoSAS #Sewage #EndSewagePollution pic.twitter.com/hHA9SXHPCg

— Surfers Against Sewage (@sascampaigns) October 27, 2021

The report also contains a plan to reduce spills from storm overflows to an average of 10 a year in sensitive areas costing between £13.5bn and £21.7bn.

Christine Colvin, from the Rivers Trust also dismissed the claim that tackling problem required the complete separation of the sewerage systems.

“Nobody is proposing digging up our entire sewerage network and starting from scratch.”

“We know that nature based solutions are more difficult to cost, but in some places can be cheaper. They also bring multiple benefits – they help nature’s recovery, can provide new green and blue spaces and take up rather than emit carbon.

A wide range of coastal MPs used the misleading figures and claims of digging up the infrastructure in statements to their constituents while ignoring the other lower cost analysis.

Steve Double, Newquay posted this. The expert body claimed an impact on average water bills of between £19 and £58 a year was well within industry reach.

London Surf Film Festival

Swell is on the horizon, the wind is threatening to go offshore, Autumn is here. To coincide with this, the most glorious time of year, London Surf / Film Festival x Vans has just dropped the longlist for the 10th Edition of The Shorties short film contest presented by Surfdome. Settle in for some 60 minutes of surf movie magic over on the LS/FF site. This is just what lunch breaks were made for!

London Surf / Film Festival needs your help in selecting The Shorties to be premiered on the big screen at this year’s festival. They are asking you – the esteemed surfing community – to support your favourite films by watching and voting for them. And this year, marking the 10th anniversary LS/FF has announced that a £1000 filmmaking fund will be awarded to the winning short.

The hotly contested ‘homegrown filmmaking’ category at the heart of the international festival has longlisted 13 outstanding films from some of the best British & Irish creatives.

“LS/FF is a reliable gold mine of surf culture and talent and The Shorties is one of its richest veins, always packed with unexpected nuggets,” says Surfdome. “It’s a fantastic space for new and established filmmakers to express themselves in shorter form, and we’re stoked to be supporting it – we can’t wait to see what this edition has in store.”

Voting is open now and will run until midday 6th November. Check out the longlisted entries at londonsurffilmfestival.com and support your favourites.

The shortlist is decided by a combination of votes cast by the surf community and the screening panel. The selected films will be shown on the big screen as part of the 10th Annual London Surf / Film Festival x Vans hosted 2-4 December at the iconic Genesis Cinema in East London.

London Surf / Film Festival presented by Vans is a celebration of the cream of international surf culture. Bringing to the UK the best surf films from around the globe – documentaries to inspire, travelogues to stir up the wanderlust and cutting edge action to blow minds, all accompanied by talks, live music, good times and more it is a must attend for saltwater aficionados.

Head to londonsurffilmfestival.com to vote.

You can watch, enjoy, share, support and stoke out on all The Shorties here:

VOTE HERE

Huge public backlash and landslide Lords vote forces UK government sewage U turn

Following a huge public backlash against MP’s voting against placing legal obligations on water companies to stop pumping sewage into the environment including holding them responsible for their votes, demonstrations, news coverage and two landslide votes in the House of Lords, the Government apparently shifted course and announced that it would enshrine into law a duty on water companies to progressively reduce adverse impacts of sewage discharges.

This is appears to be a huge step forward to #EndSewagePollution but the full details are yet to be announced and as we all know this government are at best economical with truths.

It is vital that the measures announced by the government put a legal duty on water companies to drastically reduce sewage discharges into our precious rivers and coastal waters are followed through. So keep on to your local MP and make sure they know their decision will be remembered.

Government MPs named for failing to support the call for water companies to be bound by legal duties quickly issued poorly thought through excuses for their vote, most of which had been debunked since 1990, and played victim cards. But it was too late. The public had made their voice heard.

SAS said

“We hope that the Government amendment to the Environment Bill reflects that which has been put forward by the Duke of Wellington and supported emphatically by his fellow Peers.

“This issue is back in the House of Commons this week and we urge MP’s to support enshrining an end to sewage pollution in law.

Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage says:

“Over the past week, Ocean Activists across the country have raised their voices to declare that the continued destruction of our rivers and coastline is not an option. A huge thank you to everyone who has spoken out and forced the government to realise that we won’t accept the status quo of polluted water and profiteering water companies any longer. People power can force positive change.

“We look forward to scrutinising the government’s new proposals to make sure they will legally oblige water companies to invest to end sewage pollution – anything less will be unacceptable to the millions across the country demanding the protection of our precious blue spaces.

“We welcome the Environment Bill’s amendments on data, reports and presenting plans for improvement, but the crucial piece of the puzzle is the legal driver for water companies to act. The devil is in the detail and we demand an Environment Bill which seeks to end sewage pollution.

“After decades of raking in billions in profit, the water industry must now plough investment into protecting and restoring our amazing rivers and coastline. This landmark Bill must ensure that happens.”

Surfers of Bournemouth made their feelings well how with a great paddle out. This is legend Guy Penwarden.

It is vital to remember that water users have already paid for improvements promised at privatisation in 1990 it’s just that the water companies chose to spend £57 billion on shareholder dividends over the last 30 years.

Stay tuned to see how your MP votes.