If you have been to Thurso you will know what a unforgiving place it can be the dead of winter. If you haven't I am sure you can imagine. So learning to surf there is tough, training is even worse but a new initiative from the local surf club and supporters in town will give the groms and club members toilets and showers.

Jason Simpson‎ from NSSC said

"I am pleased to let everyone know that after 2 years of hard work the contract to build the new NSSC surf hut at Thurso East has been awarded to Norbloc. The work will start this week and will be completed before the end of March 2019.

"We owe a massive deal of gratitude to Lord Thurso for providing the land, Thurso Rotary Club for taking on this project and raising the funds on the clubs behalf and a special thank you to Kevin Sutherland from the Rotary Club who sourced the funding, designed the hut and managed the planning application.”

The building will consist of toilets, showers, change area, judging area/ training room, store and an office. This facility will provide a great opportunity to improve surfing in the area allowing for video analysis and training development.

Good work all involved.

Harry de Roth and Gabe Llewellyn test the new RipCurl GPS2 watch which gives you real time surf conditions, tracks your surf and seamlessly syncs to you iPhone, iPad or computer.

Win a Z-Flex, 80’s style skateboard

Founded in Santa Monica in the 1970’s, Z-Flex has become one of the longest running Skateboard companies in existence. We have partnered up to give one winner a Z-Flex 80’S style Crystal Z-Bar skateboard worth £119.

ABOUT Z-FLEX:

At first an alternative to surfing when the waves were flat, skateboarding soon took priority for a group of skate/surfers eager to prove themselves. Hitting the local schools in an attempt to mimic the big wave surf styles of their idols, the Zephyr team, or Z-Boyz as they came to be known, quickly developed into a phenomenon in their own right.

Riding low, fast and hard, the Zephyr team took the existing version of gymnastic, handstand based skateboarding, fuelled it with the aggression of the streets, and things would never be the same again.

The phenomenon continued as California found itself in the grip of record droughts, causing many residents to empty their swimming pools. The Z-Boyz saw opportunity, and dove right in to these newly exposed playgrounds, sneaking into people’s back yards, skating as long as they could, and then running to avoid the inevitable police presence.

Z-Boy Jay Adams, regarded as one of the best skateboarders ever, eventually broke away from Zephyr and started EZ-RYDER with half of the original Zephyr skaters. 6 months later EZ-RYDER changed it’s name to Z-Flex.

The Skateboard

Up for grabs is a Z-Flex 80’S style Crystal Z-Bar. Worth £119, this board is complete with dazzling blue reflective graphic on an epic 80’s shape, 31.25” x 9.75”, 7 Ply Construction, 60MM 90A Z-Pro Wheels, 6.25" Z-Flex Trucks.

A winner will be drawn at 5pm on Thursday 6th December and will be contacted via direct message on Instagram. Good luck.

For more on Z-Flex, head to www.zflex.com

BOARDMASTERS ANNOUNCES FIRST HEADLINE ACT FOR 2019

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

GIGGS, DIZZEE RASCAL, JORJA SMITH, FRANZ FERDINAND, WILKINSON B2B SUB FOCUS, DJ EZ, IDLES,
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD, LEWIS CAPALDI, PETE MURRAY, LADY LESHURR AND MORE ANNOUNCED FOR
CORNWALL’S OWN SURF AND MUSIC FESTIVAL

Fistral Beach / Watergate Bay, Newquay, Cornwall | Wednesday 7 – Sunday 11 August 2019

This morning, Watergate Bay’s sunrise brought the first wave of acts set to take the stage at Boardmasters in the summer of 2019, including Saturday’s headline act. Cornwall’s own surf and music festival is stoked to welcome Florence + the Machine alongside some of the most rousing and diverse acts in the world right now including Giggs, Franz Ferdinand, Dizzee Rascal, Jorja Smith, Wilkinson b2b Sub Focus, DJ EZ, IDLES, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lewis Capaldi, Pete Murray and Lady Leshurr. After 2018’s bigger-than-ever Boardmasters, the festival returns to the sun-soaked Cornish coastline for another year of the most exhilarating surf and music action in the UK. Boardmasters runs from Wednesday 7 – Sunday 11 August 2019 across Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay, tickets are on sale NOW via the website from £30 deposit.

Florence + the Machine’s soulful power theatrics will ensure to have spirits lifted to great heights as the sun sets across Watergate Bay. The musical heavywieght oozes credibility with three no.1 albums across the past decade including massive hits ‘You Got The Love’, ‘Dog Days Are Over’ and ‘Hunger’.

Boardmasters has also unveiled 17 more epic acts for 2019. Festivalgoers can expect unforgettable sets from British grime superstars Giggs and Dizzee Rascal this summer. With the 2018 Brits Critics’ Choice award, Mercury Prize nomination and critically-acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ under her belt, one of the most exciting names to emerge from the UK music scene this year, Jorja Smith joins the Boardmasters line up for 2019, along with prolific indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, having released their first single 15 years ago this year.

Also riding the wave towards Watergate Bay in August are drum and bass duo Wilkinson b2b Sub Focus, garage legend DJ EZ, Bristol punk rockers IDLES, funk and reggae outfit Michael Franti + Spearhead, hip-hop artist Ocean Wisdom and vocal powerhouse Lewis Capaldi.

Crowds can also expect unmissable sets from Australian singer-songwriter Pete Murray and grime royalty Lady Leshurr, hotly-tipped DJ Flava D, London electro DJ and producer Dimension, Rhythm Section’s own Bradley Zero, electronic-pop singer Self Esteem and recent Welsh Music Prize-winning Boy Azooga, who will join Florence + the Machine for five unforgettable days in the most breathtaking festival setting in the UK.

Boardmasters will continue its tremendous work to keep the festival and the Cornish coastline, cleaner than ever before. There will be beach cleans in partnership with Surfers Against Sewage throughout the year as well as during the festival. This year’s successful re-useable cup scheme will continue, along with the litter bond to incentivize campers to pick up their litter and recycle, Cornwall’s ‘Final Straw’ scheme and much more in place to make Boardmasters as clean, environmentally-friendly and enjoyable as possible. This is all part of the mission to have eradicated all non-essential single use plastics from Boardmasters by 2020.
 

In 2018, Boardmasters welcomed over 50,000 festival goers to Cornwall. Headliners Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Chemical Brothers and George Ezra entertained festivalgoers against the picture-perfect backdrop of Watergate Bay, while at Fistral Beach, pro surfers battled it out in UK waters over five action-packed days. NME enjoyed “stunning sea views and an eclectic mic of indie, dance, dubstep, rap and soul”, with The Sun describing it as “stellar” and the Daily Star taking in “Instagram-worthy sunsets”. The Cornish Guardian commented, “brilliant Boardmasters returns with a bang” whilst the Newquay Voice summarised it as a “stunning weekend of great music and fun”.

Inspired by the freedom, adventure and creativity of surfing and music, Boardmasters was born in 1981. Expect parties that run late into the night and a beautiful beach to recuperate on during the day. The five-day event is situated across two stunning locations in Cornwall – UK surfing mecca,Fistral Beach, where world class International Surf Competitions take place, and the most stunning location in the country to watch live music,Watergate Bay.

Click here for tickets now, and see you at the beach! 

Reef Voyage Give-Away

Win a Reef Voyage package; the apparel and footwear for your winter escape, anywhere you go, for any condition.
Carve have partnered up with Reef to give three lucky winners a complete Reef Voyage package. Containing apparel and footwear for your next winter escape, whether off to an exotic beach or the rough English coastline.
The Voyage package includes over £350 worth of top Reef product:

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.

Reef Voyage High Boots
The Reef Voyage Hi Boot is packed with new features to deliver ultimate durability and comfort, including swellular technology, ISA LITE waterproof leather upper, premium corduroy and pigskin lining, gusseted tongue, a medial side zipper for easy on and off, a cork sock-liner for premium detailing and odour management, a rubber cupsole construction, improved traction outsole for wet and dry conditions, a medium density EVA support layer, compression moulded insole with added arch support and heel cupping, and finally a cold shield lasting board.

Reef Discovery Shoe
Discover a shoe that surpasses your standards of active wear with an extra facet of style. The Reef Discovery LE has a leather upper with a 4-way stretch mesh tongue to boost your look along with a multitude of athletic support features, including Reef's free entry construction for easy on and off, cushion bounce drop in midsole and sock-liner with arch support.

Reef Voyage LE Sandal
Whether you’re hitting the open road, gearing up for a night out or chasing the perfect wave, your go-to sandals should stand up to every adventure. Packed with the comfort, support and traction of Reef’s Swellular Technology and elevated with a sleek design, the Voyage delivers the perfect blend of style and function. Its innovative construction features environmentally friendly leathers that are waterproof and durable, yet soft enough to eliminate any break-in time.

Reef Crossing Crew
This 100% cotton, novelty acid wash piece will prepare you for your adventure.

Reef Boards Tee
Celebrate the beauty of each and every surfboard. A classic 100% cotton, slim fit, tee

McClurg Beanie
Nothing beats the warmth and comfort of a good cap. The McClurg II Beanie is a men’s hat of soft, cashmere-like yarns.