Go fish, free fish
When the wave wizard Machado isn't sliding and gliding with style he's giving out free surfboards, we love you Rob, can we have one. Please, pretty please?
The Great Dane
Watch as Dane threads, throws tail and rotates through this sweet little edit, it makes me wanna go surfing and give up in equal measures. Mr Reynolds and his wave wizardry are a joy to watch, sit back and hit play.
Record number of dolphin deaths in the Bay of Biscay
In what can only be called a catastrophe 1,100 badly mutilated bodies of dolphins have been washed up on the French coast since January.
“There’s never been a number this high,” said Willy Daubin, a member of La Rochelle University’s National Center for Scientific Research. “Already in three months, we have beaten last year’s record, which was up from 2017 and even that was the highest in 40 years.”
Autopsies carried out on the dolphins this year at La Rochelle University show extreme levels of mutilation. Daubin said 90 percent of the fatalities resulted from the dolphins being accidentally captured in industrial fishing nets. ( fishermen cut body parts off the dead dolphins to save the nets.)
Acoustic repellent devices are in place in 26 two-vessel trawlers off the Bay of Biscay, but campaigners claim they are often switched off as fishermen think they also scare fish. They also claim they create intolerable noise pollution for all mammals and fish in the ocean.
Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France cited scientists who predict that the current rates of fishing will likely drive the dolphin population to extinction.
“The spotlight has been put on the trawlers that fish for sea bass …, which is a scandal. But they were not the only ones responsible,” she said.
She suggested that aggressive hake fishing, which was given the green light three years ago after a long ban, was a major factor. The spike in dolphin deaths also began three years ago.
Trawlers are facing unprecedented demand for low-cost fish, which has made fishing for catches like sea bass and hake a vital operation for those in the trade.
Last year, Bank of England governor Mark Carney told Sky News that oceans around the world were facing a “market failure” that risks triggering the extinction of fish species.
Cleary another indication of the human impact on the environment is at present unsustainable. An impact that will eventually rebound on it’s instigators.
Game Of Kook
The latest episode drop of #GameOfKook features Irish shredder Gearoid McDaid taking on Australia’s Louie Hynd in the less than stellar conditions of Newquay, England during the WSL Boardmasters QS event.
This Is Livin’
Some late season action recently struck the North Shore awakening monster Waimea and bringing the big guns into action . Check out Koa’s drop at around 5:00, if you’re gonna go, go, commitment is key. Hit play.
A DAY IN THE LIFE: FREDERICO MORAIS
Surfers have various routines depending on their situation in life. An elite few have a day which most of us can’t imagine. Days loaded with pressure, tension, joy and misery. Otherwise known as being a CT surfer…
Photos: Alan van Gysen
Frederico…
I wake up early in the morning and have a little stretch and a roll. Then breakfast with Dog before coming to the contest site before the call. I like to have a quick surf before they call it on or off or on hold. Then play with it and see what they are going to do. My free surfs I’m just trying to prepare on the banks, get to know them and increase my knowledge on where to sit. Especially this year as in Portugal as the banks weren’t so good. It’s imperative to be on the good ones as there are not that many good ones in a heat. If I have a big gap before my heat, I will try to go home and relax a little bit and always come back and try to have a little surf before my heat.
Richard ‘Dog’ Marsh, Fred’s coach
Frederico’s normal day is pretty much up at 6 am in the dark. Roll and little activation and for breakfast just a light bite. Down at the event site about 15 minutes before first light. We then wait for the sun to come up and then he’ll surf and try to find some intel on the bank. How it’s breaking, maybe a board change and prepare some more. In the free surfs around the comp we don’t do any specific heat drills or anything like that. It’s normally really crowded, and so it’s just an opportunity to see what the waves are doing. We try to put zero pressure on that first surf. The real job is done before that first surf. It’s just about trying to get into a rhythm and understanding the conditions. If there’s a big gap, Fred will go back home and chill. Watches a load of Netflix and drifts off. Trying to relax away from the spotlight and the pressure a little. Non-surf stuff. There’s a lot of attention on Fred in Portugal obviously, and this is a massive event, but pressure is only a realisation of the situation that you are in. And if you’ve done everything you can to prepare for that situation, then you shouldn’t feel that pressure. You are ready to go. Once we’re into a game day, he’s ready to go, and it’s just about connecting the dots.
Subscriptions
Latest Issue
Digital Version
