Surfing Llangennith
I'm not sure there's anywhere I'd rather be or anything I'd rather do than surf my longboard at Llangennith beach on a summer's evening. - Ben Holbrook
We're with you there Ben, if you're lucky enough to surf some of the breaks with some of Wales' finest on the Gower, you'll agree that sessions at Llangennith are lush.
Enjoy the slide.
Noa Deane – Flipper Clip
Everything Noa Deane puts his name on is A++, so we asked him what he’s been working on lately? "Just a little Flipper Clip, basically all the B sides that are not going to be used for any major project, so we are flipping them out". Well if this is the B side, what does the A side look like...!?
Cummings Secret Surfer?
A mock up of Mr Cummings and his log.
Dominic Cummings is one of the most divisive figures in British politics. While he has been widely recognised and lauded by some for his key role in masterminding Brexit, he is also cast as a perennial bogeyman; he has been described as a ‘shapeshifter’, an ‘evil Svengali’ and a ‘master of the dark-arts’. These Hogwartsian epithets prove that Dom is a man who provokes strong opinions from people across the political spectrum.
More to the point though: is Dominic Cummings a secret surfer?
As I was reading an article about Cummings the other day, my eyes strayed to his red long sleeved top. Cummings’s fashion sense has been frequently criticised by style heavyweights such as GQ, Vogue and Esquire, but I was quietly impressed by this slightly weathered long sleeve. Indeed, as I realised with a sense of incredulity, this was a vintage garm, a 90s Billabong piece that wouldn’t look out of place on the Depop account of some minor influencer.
Dom Cummings sporting a vintage Billabong long-sleeve t. Photo: Sky News
Further research reveals Dom in yet more surf apparel: here he stands, mouth ajar, donning what appears to be a ASP Hawaiian Pro T-shirt; and if you really find yourself down the rabbit hole, you can find Dom repping other surf brands such as Quiksilver, Finisterre, Ripcurl and the mysterious ‘Los Angeles California Surf Company.’
Dom Cummings upon seeing the forecast for this weekend. Photo: Evening Standard.
Now this writer knows all too well that wearing surf clothing doesn’t make you a surfer, as much as relentless advertising campaigns try to tell you otherwise. Indeed, Surf brands have suffered in recent years from an association with being increasingly uncool and expensive; ‘Dad brands’ some might say with a sneer. Dom is not a surfer just because he wears Quiksilver when he pops into Downing Street.
Yet this is where things turn from mere speculation into downright conspiracy.
In a political career which has often flirted with infamy, there are two defining moments which have shaped Cummings’s legacy: Brexit and Barnard Castle. Cummings’s trip north to County Durham while possibly infected with Coronavirus drew howls of indignation across the country, which only intensified when PM Boris Johnson stood by his man. As the scandal unfolded, it became clear that Cummings had flagrantly broken Coronavirus restrictions, apparently due to his concern that he would be unable to care for their young son. However, was Dom Cummings’s rush north actually motivated by the arrival of a good run of swell in the North-East? Was Cummings’s infamous trip to Barnard Castle ‘to test his eyesight’ driven by an overexposure to brine? Is Cummings that aggressive, bald, indistinguishable ripper at your local break?
Cumming’s dash north coincided with a pretty decent run of swell.
I hear your snorts of derision but I’m waiting patiently for a photo of Dom on a bomb to inevitably show it.
Jasper Bains
Adaptive Surfing Open
Surfing England is so amped to announce we are returning to The Wave, Bristol, for the 2021 English Adaptive Surfing Open, to be held on Thursday 8th July. After showcasing the venue’s potential at the 2020 korev lager English Adaptive Surfing Open, we cannot wait to return for an even bigger event, as we welcome adaptive surfers from across the globe through the doors.
The Wave is the official high performance training centre for Team England, and the Adaptive crew are often found shredding on the lake’s glassy waves. The Wave have also been instrumental in developing adaptive surfing in England, supporting Surfing England for the last 4 years to establish a contest which is now highly respected at a global level.
The core contest heats of the 2021 English Adaptive Surfing Open will take place on the Advanced setting at The Wave, and surfers will be scored on their rides on both the left and right side of the lake. Competition will take place between 9am and 7pm, with presentations to follow and a relaxed social gathering to end the day.
New to 2021, we are hugely excited to introduce a new Participation Session. This is where we welcome adaptive surfers who are above beginner level, but may not yet be confident enough to compete, to come along, surf and experience the day at the event and become familiar with the workings of surf competitions. This will take place on The Wave’s Waikiki setting – a gentle, spilling green wave. Volunteers will be on hand to support with water safety. This is a fantastic opportunity to start learning to ride green waves and also check out the contest and inspire the future of adaptive surfers. This session will take place 12-1pm on Thursday 8th July.
For full Event Information, please visit the Surfing England website here:
Rip Curl Grom Search goes off in perfect conditions
Saturday saw competition kick off under slightly grey skies and bumpy 3-4ft surf, but soon the sun burst through and the keen grommets put on a show in front of a packed beach.
With a dropping tide and the occasional bigger set, wave choice was key. With the highlight for many being the Under 12’s boys and girls fighting through the white water and the tricky conditions with a smile on their face.
Finals days saw cleaner and slightly smaller 2-3ft waves and the groms responded by raising performance levels through the roof.
The Under 12 girls saw Lila Skinner continue the family tradition of success by taking out the win in her very first contest and a closely fought Under 12 boys final saw Harvey Waters come out victorious.
Not to be outdone by his younger sister Lila, Lukas Skinner lived up to his tag of pre-event favourite and came out of the blocks firing to secure the Under 14’s boys title. A standout all weekend long, Lukas used his full repertoire of airs and turns to take the win.
A low scoring Under 14’s girls final saw Betsy Owen take a nail-biting win, holding off a late fightback from Eva Blackford.
For many the heat of the contest was the Under 16’s girls final and it was Belle Betteridge who took the victory courtesy of the event’s highest single wave score. A series of huge hacks was rewarded with a 7.5 and the first step on the podium.
The Under 16’s boys rounded off the event in hollow conditions on the low tide, with Tom Hook coming on strong in the back half of the heat to take the win.
“Surfing England did a great job of organising the event under difficult conditions and you could see how excited the parents and surfers were to be back competing again. We couldn’t have asked for more perfect waves and weather to showcase the talent of the UK’s best junior surfers and it’s safe to say the 2021 Rip Curl Grom Search will live long in the memory of those that were there!” Jay Vilarrubi-Smith, Rip Curl UK.
“What a truly incredible weekend for our first contest of the 2021 season, the Rip Curl Grom Search is always a pleasure and honour to run. The sunshine and endless waves on tap really did align to make a stellar event. The standard of surfing at this weekend’s Grom Search has been astounding – the grom’s put on a spectacle for the amphitheatre setting at Fistral Beach and we loved welcoming grom’s from all over UK, including the Channel Islands to compete. The atmosphere was electric all weekend and the froth level was high, friendships have been made, rivalries set, and new targets and goals for every Grom as they charge onward in their surfing journeys.” Hannah Brand, Operations Manager, Surfing England.
RESULTS
U16 BOYS:
1. Tom Hook 2. Arthur Randell 3. Gabe Llewellyn 4. Otis Perry
U16 GIRLS:
1. Belle Betteridge 2. Lauren Sandland 3. Tegan Blackford 4. Eva Marie Moorcraft-Holland
U14 BOYS:
1. Lukas Skinner 2. Finley Donovan 3. Reen Bowden-Inoue 4. Fynn Gillespie
U14 GIRLS:
1. Betsy Owen 2. Eva Blackford 3. Indi Rose Lynch 4. Boe Howell
U12 BOYS:
1. Harvey Waters 2. Joshi James 3. Sebastian Connolly 4. Wilbur Prisk
U12 GIRLS:
1. Lila Skinner 2. Josie Farrell Hawke 3. Willow Smith 4. Bethan Davies
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