One last wave – A few good blokes helping a dying man fulfil his dream

One last wave – A few good blokes helping a dying man fulfil his dream

I had a friend who wanted one last wave. He was young with cancer, stuck in a hospital miles  from his friends and ocean. Every week I rang him up to tell him I was going to bust him out. One day the phone was answered by someone else.

If you know about dementia you know how cruel and debilitating it is. If you have been out of the water through illness or injury you will know how tortuous it is. So I love his post. A few good blokes helping a dying man fulfil his dream of one last wave. It’s a small foamie on a booger, but I bet it felt like Waimea.

“Yesterday an elderly lady came up to us at the beach and asked if we could help fulfill her husbands wish to ride a wave one last time. She said that he is suffering from dementia and most likely has a year to live. What an amazing experience and on my birthday none the less!”

 

Thanks to Derek at Beach Grit for the find. Made my day .

 

 

Quiksilver and Roxy Junior Pro 40

Quiksilver and Roxy Junior Pro 40

Plage du Santocha / Capbreton, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (Thursday, July 18, 2019) - The Quiksilver and Roxy Junior Pro 40continued in fun conditions again today in France and ran through another massive day of competition to complete 32 heats of women’s Round 2 and men’s rounds 2 and 3.
The event’s top seeds entered the show in women’s Round 2 and the opening heat nearly turned into a nightmare for current rankings leader Mafalda Lopes (PRT Above). The talented goofy foot received an interference in the opening minutes of the exchange and her performance was therefore judged on one single wave. She waited patiently in the lineup for a bomb and when the wave came, she made sure she surfed it to its full potential, racking up an 8.67 to advance in second position.

“I was so scared out there after I got the interference,” Lopes said. “I’ll definitely need to focus more on my decisions in the water but thankfully I was able to fight back and advance. I always knew I was capable to do it but honestly I was shaking with fear out there.”
Aelan Vaast (PYF) continued to impress with a dominant display to take the win in Heat 5 ahead of current European No. 2 Ellie Turner (GBR). The 14 year-old Tahitian surfer adapted perfectly to the changing conditions in her first-ever junior event in Europe.
“I’m really happy to have such a good start in my first event here,” Vaast stated. “Conditions are tough to break down with all the tides etc. but I have a coach helping me out here and my brother Kauli who gives me good tips too. We both have our own styles but I’m definitely inspired when I watch him surf and I do try to emulate his surfing.”

In the men’s field, the opening two heats of Round 3 were completed in the afternoon, with a major upset in the opening heat, current European No. 6 Lenni Jensen (DEU) eliminated in his first heat. But the day’s highest single score actually came in Round 2 from Fynnlee Miller Cooley (GBR) for a three-turn combo on his forehand to take the win into Round 3.

“I was pretty lucky to get that one actually as I was in third priority at the time,” Miller Cooley explained. “It was a pretty fast wave with three good sections so I’m happy I got that score. I’m in my last season on this tour so I’m hoping I can make a few more rounds and climb up into the Top 15 or Top 10 by the end of the year, then it’ll be the QS. Growing up in Lanzarote I haven’t got a lot of experience with beach breaks but I feel like I’m improving there.”

Surfers will be back at 7:30 a.m Friday for an early re-start of men’s Round 3 while the women will come in at 12 p.m.

The event will unfold from July 17-21, 2019 in Capbreton/Hossegor/Seignosse, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. For all photos, videos, news releases about the Quiksilver and Roxy Junior Pro 40, visit worldsurfleague.com and the WSL app.

The Quiksilver and Roxy Junior Pro 40 is supported by Quiksilver, Roxy, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council, the Département des Landes, the Communauté de Communes Marine Adour Côte-Sud, the councils of Capbreton, Hossegor and Seignosse, and Virgin Radio.

Carve x Offshore Pilsner Surf Photography Competition

Carve x Offshore Pilsner Surf Photography Competition

Win your shot exhibited at an Offshore gallery night, a framed version of your photo, an Offshore ultimate beach bag, your shot in a Carve feature and an interview for the winner!

We are extremely proud of our British and Irish surfers and photographers here at Carve. They capture once in a lifetime moments of offshore perfection, groomed offshore lines and those priceless moments of stoke that enrich our lives. In honour of this we've hooked up with Offshore Pilsner to bring an exhibition of your work to the public at Great Western, Newquay. 

We will be picking 10-15 of the best shots to be printed up to A3 size for the exhibition and picking one shot as our winner. The finalists will have their shots printed in Carve 197.

The prize:

The prize for the best shots:
  • An Offshore ‘ultimate beach bag’ containing an Offshore branded cap, t-shirt, jacket, towel, lanyard and 12 x cans of Offshore, and a Dick Pearce bellyboard. 
  • A signed copy of our book Incredible Waves
  • A Carve or SurfGirl subscription and  T-shirt
The photographer judged to have taken the best shot by some of Sharps’s top ambassadors will also win:
  • Your shot included in an interview in Carve 198
  • A framed version of your photo

The deal:

Anyone can enter a shot as long as:
  • You’re a British or Irish photographer, although the location of photos does not matter.
  • You can supply us with your best action or lifestyle shots which have been taken in the last year and are unpublished.
  • Finalists will need to send original files, provide proof of ownership and date taken using the RAW file information. Uncropped full frame files with your colour corrected/edited version.
  • The photos will need to be printed A3 with no loss of quality, so please do not crop the image.
  • No under 25s entering or to be featured in the shots
  • No alcohol with the surfers or to be featured in the water
The closing date for entry is August 1, 2019.
The Carve editorial team will select top 10-15 photos and a final winner will be selected by a panel of Sharps Ambassadors - and the Carve editors.

to enter:

SEND A MAXIMUM OF 5 LOW RES PHOTOS TO  [email protected]

Check out some of the winners from last year...

QUIKSILVER YOUNG GUNS 2019

QUIKSILVER YOUNG GUNS 2019

One post and one chance for surfers from all over the world to make their dreams come true! From August 1st, young surfers from all around the world are invited to take part in the Young Guns Surf 2019 This unique contest, organized by Quiksilver has one goal: to find the future icons of tomorrow. Back in the days called King of the Groms, this competition exclusively reserved for under-18s, has acted as a springboard for surfers for more than 20 years. Jérémy Flores, Gabriel Medina and Mikey Wright, legends of the CT, forged their reputations here. More recently, Rio Waida, winner in 2016, and Samuel Pupo, won the 2017 and 2018 editions, have become legendary Young Guns. Now, we are giving surfers all around the world a chance to take part!

QUIKSILVER YOUNG GUNS, IT ALL STARTS ON INSTAGRAM!
Those Young Guns who now want to make their mark on this prestigious event, are invited to post a video of their best waves on Instagram and tag @Quiksilver followed by the hashtag #YGSurfContest. Selected by the public and a prestigious jury made up of Mikey Wright, Zekke Lau and Kanoa Igarashi, the four best surfers will qualify for the final, which will take place from November 1 to 8, 2019, at the legendary surfing location of Ericeira in Portugal. Kanoa Igarashi and Tiago Pires will then take over to decide on the winner. The 2019 Young Gun Surf will receive a prize of $10,000.

PHASE 1 - OPENING OF APPLICATIONS ON AUGUST
1 August 1 - August 29, 2019
The Young Guns Surf is open to all surfers under 18 years of age (and over 13 on August, 1st). To take part, simply post your best clip on Instagram and tag @quiksilver along with the hashtag #YGSurfContest. All applications will be analyzed and dissected by an international jury made up of Mikey Wright, Zekke Lau and Kanoa Igarashi. Their selection will be based on three criteria: technique, creativity and flow.
At the end of this first step, eight young surfers will be picked. The names of the lucky eight will be posted on September 5 on Quiksilver's website and social platforms. https://quiksilver.com/surf/events/young-guns-surf/?geopopup=false Each video posted may contain a single wave or an edit of several tricks. The only rule is that the total duration must not exceed 60 seconds! The author of the most creative video will receive $1,000.

PHASE 2 - THE PUBLIC VOTE!
September 5 to 10
From September 5 to 10, the eight finalists will be featured on @quiksilver's Insta stories. The public will vote for its favorite surfer via a poll built into Instagram. The Grom with the most votes will qualify for the final. The other three candidates will be selected by Mikey Wright, Zekke Lau and Kanoa Igarashi.

PHASE 3 - THE FINAL
The four young Guns selected will fly to Portugal. The final will take place from November 1 to 8, 2019 at Ericeira, Portugal. Quiksilver will broadcast the final on social and post a recap video so that you can enjoy the experience as if you were right there in Portugal with us.

THE JUDGES
Tiago Pires
The first Portuguese man to join the world elite, Tiago Pires is a legend. The 39-year-old Lisbon-born surfer ended his professional career in 2015 after spending eight years on the CT. Despite of that, "Saca", as he is nicknamed, tirelessly continues to surf, with a special affection for the waves of Ericeira, a place that he loves more than any other.

Kanoa Igarashi
Kanoa Igarashi is a phenomenon. Thrust onto the CT at 18 years old, he made an impression when he caused problems for the highly experienced Michel Bourez at the Billabong Pipe Masters 2016 where he finished in second place. When he won the Corona Bali Protected last May aged 21, Kanoa became the first Japanese man to win an event on the Tour.

Mikey Wright
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! The brother of Owen and Tyler - world champion in 2016 and 2017 - it's now the turn of Australian Mikey Wright to make his mark on the pro circuit. On the podium last year both in Bali and at Margaret River, he is confidently following in the footsteps of his illustrious older brothers. Currently out with a back injury after a spectacular fall at Pipeline, he is hoping to be able to get back to competiting very soon and once again get people talking about his explosive style.

Zekke Lau
Although his route to the top has been full of pitfalls, Zekke Lau has always confronted these head on. On the podium at Bells Beach in 2017 and Rio in 2018, he tirelessly continues to demonstrate his powerful surfing style on some of the most beautiful waves in the world with one and only goal in mind: to become world champion!

Click Here FOR MORE INFO
The Wave Bristol launch “Early rider” passes

The Wave Bristol launch “Early rider” passes

The Wave - a unique inland surfing destination being built on the edge of Bristol -has today released a limited edition Early Rider Membership Pass. It is perfect for super-keen surferslooking to secure the coveted first surf of the day or the end-of-day slots, or to book for popular weekend sessions, before they go on general sale.

The pass gives priority booking for a week before tickets go on general release, plus one free surf with optional lesson, invites to pre-launch opening events, limited edition Early Rider t-shirt and insulated water bottle, and annual pass to The Wave site so you can enjoy the surf shop and café.

There are a limited number of Early Rider Membership Passes available and they will be sold on a first come, first served basis. They cost £149 and last for 12 months from the date the first surf sessions go on sale.

The Wave will be releasing tickets in batches, three times a year. The first surf sessions will be on sale in August and will cost £40-45 for an adult and £30-35 for a child depending on the time of year and day of the week. A two-hour surf session with coaching will cost £55-60 for an adult and £45-50 for a child. All prices always include everything you need, including wetsuit, wetsuit boots and surfboards.

The inland surfing destination is set to open its doors this autumnand will bring the joy of surfing to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. There will be waves to suit all levels, whether it’s a child stepping on a board for the first time, or a professional training for the Olympics.

The wave-making technology provides up 1,000 waves of varying sizes and shapes an hour – around a wave every 10 seconds. Heights  start at 50cm and peak at 1.8m. Every aspect of the surfing experience, from perfect waves and supportive coaching, to tried and tested wetsuits and boards, has been designed to ensure that surfing really is fun for all. It will be the first destination in the northern hemisphere to offer the Wavegarden Cove wave-making technology.

Founder Nick Hounsfield comments: “Surfing makes you feel alive. No matter what level you are at, being in the water and having fun is rejuvenating. We are all so busy in our day-to-day lives that we don’t take that time out to step back, reset and simply ‘be’. I found that surfing and being close to nature really worked for me and I wondered if there was a way of giving more people access to this feeling of wellbeing.

“I wanted to create a place where anyone and everyone can surf and bodyboard on safe waves, all year round, and experience the many mental and physical health benefits it offers.”

The 200m long surfing lake is at its heart, but The Wave is not just about surfing. It’s about sharing incredible experiences with anyone who wants to enjoy them, in a naturally healthy space. It’s about improving health and wellbeing, helping people feel like the best version of themselves and having a shedload of fun in the process! As well as the surfing lake, there will be wonderful food and drink, a surf shop, beautiful gardens, meadowland and woodland, peaceful hideaways and family-friendly camping.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Fabrizio Passetti, Italian adaptive surfer.

Fabrizio Passetti, Italian adaptive surfer.

Fabrizio Passetti began surfing when he was 13, shortly after moving to Varazze, one of the best surf spots in Italy. A motorbike accident a few months before National Championships years later in Italy would change his world forever. The day of his 18th birthday, on September 9, he was told his leg had to be amputated. Years in hospital ensued, infections, painful rehabilitation. For a year and a half he couldn’t even wear a prosthetic limb, but the most painful part was that he couldn’t get back in the sea.

Finally, in Switzerland, thanks to a great professor, Sebastiano Martinoli, the infection healed. They managed to thoroughly clean the bone and treated him with sea water. Thanks to Martinoli, the part of joint he had left was intact (his amputation ends in the middle of the kneecap, which allows him only about 60% of movement). He started walking again, rather well, and a normal life resumed. I travelled and started a rewarding career as chef, working in Italy, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

In the meantime, one way or the other, I was trying to get back at sea with any kind of device: He practiced bodyboarding, using a resin prosthetic leg with a fixed foot which allowed no movement, and which he would lose every time I was at sea. The bigger the waves and harder the conditions, the more stubborn he became, but sometimes the frustration was unbearable.

You can see by the edit of Fabrizio at Padang Padang, he’s well on his way. Nothing is impossible, we salute you Fabrizio, long may you pull in.

Edit: Federico Vanno
@liquidbarrel