DESENSITISED, is my debut surf film. This documentary-style film follows my evolution from a fearless 13-year-old to a seasoned big-wave surfer. Centered around three iconic Australian breaks that have defined my career, it showcases my path into the world of big-wave surfing.
Thrown into the deep end as a young teen, gaining confidence with every wave. At 14, I took that confidence to one of the world’s most iconic surf spots in Australia, Shipstern Bluff. Normally, it’s an unwritten rule that you have to paddle the place before towing, but that first day, I was let off the hook as it was unpaddable, witnessing surfing legends like Marty Paradisis and Tyler Homer-Cross catching 20-foot waves. Fast forward a decade, and now find myself in a position chasing down those set waves.
DESENSITISED is a tribute to 10 years of trials, triumphs, and relentless dedication. Experience the highs and lows of my surf journey as I chase the ultimate ride and push myself to see what’s possible in the realm of big-wave surfing.
Of course, this is just the beginning. Follow along as I continue living The Search. – Kipp Caddy
Directed by: Kipp Caddy Filmed: Cameron Staunton, Chris Bryan, Mark Bramley, Tim bonython Edited: Cameron Staunton Sound Design: Ahmed Natiq Colour Grade: Tim Wreyford Presented by: Rip Curl
Former World Champs Errico, Jensen Take Momentous Wins At Bells Beach
The world-renowned Bells Beach provided a dreamy platform for the world’s best longboarders to showcase their true form and they answered the call. Reigning WSL Longboard Champion Soleil Errico and three-time WSL Longboard Taylor Jensen rose above the rest with style and poise under pressure. Errico’s stunning Final performance bested Natsumi Taoka before Jensen’s experience and composure bested event standout John Michael Van Hohenstein. The frontrunners made their marks and now the race is on to become the 2024 WSL Longboard Champions with the Huntington Beach Longboard Beach Classic up next beginning August 3 through 11.
Britains Ben Skinner finished in third place. Britains first WSL Longboard elite tour competitor Emily Curry is 17th on the womens rankings.
YETI is honoured to announce its new partnership with the RNLI, providing its premium Rambler bottles and cups to the charity’s lifeguards at beaches across the UK.
In addition to providing lifeguards with its premium drinkware, YETI will also be offering RNLI Tundra coolers and Silo Water Coolers to ensure their drinking water remains icy cold throughout the warm summer days. This not only ensures lifeguards’ will have adequate hydration as they patrol the beaches, but it also helps reduce their use of single-use plastic while on duty.
YETI will also be providing support for the RNLI’s fundraising activities throughout the year.
At peak season RNLI lifeguards operate on 240 beaches across the UK and Channel Islands, in 2023 lifeguards saved 86 lives, responded to 14,213 incidents and aided 20,000 people. Some of their duties include carrying out water rescues to those in difficulty, administering first aid and reuniting lost children with their families.
One of the lifeguard’s key roles is preventing incidents from happening in the first place – lifeguards spend their patrols speaking to the public about how to enjoy a safe day at the beach and what to do if they find themselves in trouble. They will also designate an area of the beach each day using their red and yellow flags which is deemed as the safest place to swim.
Peter Dawes, RNLI Lifeguard Operations Manager, said:
‘We are excited to announce our new partnership with YETI, which will ensure our lifeguards are kept hydrated, and able to carry out their vital lifesaving role on beaches across the UK. As a charity we rely on the support of others, so we are grateful for YETI providing products for our lifeguards but also sharing our water safety messages to their audience.
“For anyone planning a trip to the coast this summer we would advise staying safe in the sun by using sun protection and staying hydrated, visiting one of our lifeguarded beaches and speaking to our lifeguards about how to enjoy a safe day at the coast.”
“Beaches are where we create some of our best outdoor memories with family and friends, and lifeguards make that possible,” said Bill Neff, Head of Marketing at YETI. “We want to support those who keep us safe with products that will help them do their jobs.”
YETI’s premium products are built for the wild and designed for any adventure. Their drinkware comes in a variety of styles and sizes, perfect for any hydration need – from your morning coffee, afternoon water break or evening cocktail.
The RNLI is urging anyone visiting the coast this summer to make sure they keep themselves and their families safe by following their beach safety advice.
• Visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. • Check the weather forecast, tide times and read local hazard signage to understand local risks. • For activities like paddleboarding or kayaking we recommend you wear a wetsuit, buoyancy aid or lifejacket and carry a means of calling for help in a waterproof pouch and keep it on you. Tell someone what you are doing, where you are going and when you expect to return. • If you are going open water swimming, use a wetsuit to keep you warm, wear a bright coloured swim hat and take a tow float to store personal items including a phone for emergencies. • If you fall into the water unexpectedly, FLOAT TO LIVE. Fight your instinct to thrash around, lean back, extend your arms and legs, and Float. • In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
“I think what brought me to Indonesia was the allure of good waves, but also the freedom that you find here. I’d only planned to be in Indonesia for two months, then a one or two-month trip turned into three years…”
Interestingly enough, you meet a lot of folks whose trips went that way around Bali. They just don’t all get as insanely tubed as Shawn Dennis. Check out the short film on this Saffa transplant, featuring a few tubes from Shawn’s “extended stay.” @driftersurf
Boardmasters – giving back to the local community . Pic Boardmasters / Hugh Hastings
Boardmasters Foundation has announced this year’s recipients as it continues its mission to give back to local charities and organisations who go above and beyond for community and culture in Cornwall. 40 local organisations will receive donations from the Foundation, which raises funds annually at Boardmasters surf and music festival. Established in 2017, Boardmasters Foundation has gone on to proudly raise almost half a million pounds,, providing funds to over 100 deserving organisations including charities, start-ups, schools, conversation organisations, emergency services, creatives, skate parks and much more.
BOARDMASTERS 2023 FUNDS | £115,000 DONATED TO…
The Wave Project
Newquay Food Bank
Safe Spaces Newquay
Newquay Business Improvement District (BID)
Black Voices Cornwall
Nansledan Community Association
Porth Residents Association
Cornwall Pride
Drop In And Share Centre (Disc) Newquay
Tr7 Skatepark
UK Pro Surf Tour Independent Film
Newquay Street Art Independent Project
Blystra Arts CIC
Clay Independent Film
Amplify (DJ Lessons + Workshops)
Auction House (Recording Studio + Exhibition Space)
Newquay Beer Festival
Adaptive Surf England
Surfing England
Newquay Marine Group
Marine Conservation Society
Newquay Boardriders Club
Newquay Surflife Association
Newquay Scout Club
Surf Lifesaving Clubs
Mawgan-In-Pyder Community School
Newquay Junior Academy
St Columb Major Ace Academy
St Columb Minor Ace Academy
The Bishops C Of E Learning Academy
Trenance Learning Academy
Treviglas Academy
Trevisker Community Primary School
Schools Consent Project
Plus Multi-Year Donations To Concrete Waves Skatepark Beginner Slope + Newquay Train Station Toilets Refurbishment
With Boardmasters returning to Watergate Bay in just three weeks time, the festival’s charitable arm is thrilled to announce the organisations who will benefit from money raised at last year’s festival, totalling over £115,000.
Andrew Topham, CEO and Founder of Boardmasters Festival said, “The Boardmasters Foundation was created as a meaningful way to give back and contribute to deserving organisations in Cornwall. We’re proud to call Cornwall our home, and we’re just as proud to be able to donate to charities, schools, businesses, and support incredible and often vital local causes. Thanks to everyone who so generously donates at Boardmasters, and we look forward to seeing this year’s funds put to good use.”
This year, the Boardmasters Foundation has donated for a second year to The Schools Consent Project, continuing its proactive work in stamping out anti-social behaviour at a societal level, engaging with schools in Newquay and wider Cornwall. Last year, workshops were hosted in Truro High School & Treviglas with The Schools Consent Project, alongside volunteer lawyers, teaching students’ the legal definition of consent, aiming to normalise conversations, safeguard young people and drive down sexual offending rates. This year this has expanded the programme to Truro High School, Treviglas plus Tretherras and reaching 210 students (up by 250% YoY), funded by the Foundation. For the first time this year, Boardmasters work with The Schools Consent Project broadened outside of Cornwall in response to national demand, with a full day of workshops at Epsom College.
Drew Creek, Mayor of Newquay said, “I am thrilled to hear that half a million in funding has been donated in the area by the Boardmasters Foundation, it really does make a difference here. Boardmasters and the Foundation have worked hard to support local community organisations and projects including funding towards our world class skatepark Concrete Waves, Newquay Foodbank and all schools in Newquay ensuring funding reaches those that need it most and helping to support children within our community.”
Carolyn Webster, CEO, CLEAR Support said,“The most welcome donation from the Boardmasters Foundation has been used to develop a whole-town approach to safe-spaces in Newquay, enabling organisations across the town to collaborate and to access CLEAR training and resources. It has had an immediate impact in the creation of a network of Safe Spaces and also a legacy in that it has inspired CLEAR to develop a blueprint to spread this approach across other towns in Cornwall. Thank-you Boardmasters!”
Cornwall Pride, Adaptive Surfing, The Wave Project, Newquay Food bank, Newquay Safe Spaces, Black Voices Cornwall and a host of other exceptional organisations and businesses have also gone on to receive donations this year, along with over 10 schools in the region who will receive combined funds totalling £20,000. This year’s donations are being used to fund independent creatives in Cornwall, develop community spaces, add facilities at Newquay train station, support community outreach programs, provide surf therapy courses, and support trainers and teachers, among other initiatives.
Steven Mildenhall of Treviglas Academy said, “Being part of a school that is geographically so close to the one of the largest music festivals in the country feels very special, and the support that the Boardmasters Foundation has given the school is of huge value and benefit to our students. Not only does Boardmasters enable our school bands to perform at the festival, but the donation from the Boardmasters Foundation this year will go towards enhancing our sound and lighting facilities in the performing arts, and in doing so will inspire and widen opportunities for all students. Thank you Boardmasters!”
Fred Andrews, Cornwall Team Leader at Wave Project said, “On behalf of my team here at the Wave Project, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the Boardmasters Foundation for this incredible donation. The money we have been awarded will be used to fund our award winning Surf Therapy sessions here in Newquay and across Cornwall, helping young people from across the county who are struggling with their mental health to access the sea and enjoy the waves in a safe, supportive environment.”
Liam Jolly, Director of Auction House added, “Auction House is delighted to have received support from the Boardmasters Foundation. Since 2018, Auction House has evolved from an unfunded studio project into a public-facing exhibition and project space showing exhibitions of Contemporary Art in the heart of Redruth. This summer, after two years of major renovations carried out by our landlords, we are excited to move back into our building. These improvements bring increased overheads and pressures, and we couldn’t be considering making this move back without the Boardmasters Foundation’s invaluable support. We are extremely grateful for their generosity.”
Zoe Nixon, Strategic Manager at Newquay Foodbank said, “Like other foodbanks, we’ve seen a massive increase in people coming to us. We’re up 37% on last year for the number of people using our services. The reasons people are coming to foodbanks are far more complex than they have been in the past. A large proportion of the issues are related to financial inclusion, and we have been able to provide full-time citizens advice support to those who use us. This very generous donation will enable us to support in the region of 400 households over a three month period. Donations of this type make our ongoing issue of raising capital far easier and for that, we are very generous.”
Mark Warren, Manager of Newquay BID said, “We are thrilled to have received funding from Boardmasters Foundation to purchase staging infrastructure that can support events for the community through the year and also the funding to provide training to launch the first town centre wide Safe Spaces project.”
The Boardmasters Foundation was created out of a desire to give back and support the culture and surrounding communities that are at the heart of the festival. The Boardmasters Foundation aims to build on and grow the annual fundraising and charitable donations that the festival has made year-on-year. Each year, Boardmasters raises funds for the foundation and then reviews which projects and charities it will support with one-off donations while continuing to work with long-term partners including The Schools Consent Project. Applications for 2024 funds will open in Autumn – sign up to the BM newsletter to find out more at boardmasters.com.
This September, The Wave Project is calling on supporters across the UK to Get On Board for an exciting new challenge. Registrations open today for the month-long event that aims to collectively cover the entire length of the UK coastline – 18,000 kilometres – while raising funds for their evidence-based Surf Therapy programmes.
Participants from every corner of the UK can choose any type of board – from surfboards to paddleboards, skateboards to bodyboards, or even board games – to complete their personal challenges.
Ramon Van de Velde, Chief Executive Officer of The Wave Project said: “This event not only supports the charity’s vital work but also promotes physical and mental wellbeing for all participants. It’s a win-win, and a fantastic opportunity for people to challenge themselves, connect with others, as well as contribute to a great cause.
“Our amazing team of staff and volunteers work so hard all year round, all around the UK, to help improve children’s mental health through Surf Therapy and the healing powers of the ocean. With the funds raised by this event we’ll be able to help more young people facing mental health challenges or social isolation, and this is very much needed!”
Former participant turned The Wave Project volunteer, Elsy said: “The Wave Project’s Surf Therapy transformed my life as a young person. It broke through my isolation, introduced me to the joy of surfing, and helped me forge lifelong friendships. It gave me a genuine sense of connection.
“Now, for the Get On Board challenge, I’m committing to catch a wave every day, rain or shine. I hope friends, family, and people everywhere will join in to support this incredible cause that changes lives like it changed mine.”
The challenge offers flexibility in how people participate. Individuals can set personal targets or join with friends, colleagues, or classmates to reach collective goals. Every pound raised equates to one kilometre towards the overall target.
Registrations are now open. Participants will receive a digital resource pack to assist with their fundraising efforts. To join the Get On Board challenge or for more information, click here:
Track your progress, share your journey and connect with fellow participants across the country by using #GetOnBoardWithTWP on socials!
