RAGGED TROUSERS

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell.

Very shortly after I met Roisin she gave me a copy of this book to read. First published almost 100 years ago, it remains as relevant today as it was then...

Robert Tressell was the nom de plume of Robert Noonan, a painter and decorator born in Dublin. This was his only novel published in 1914 four years after the author died of TB.

JERRY VALDEZ

Vans ad - circa late 70s.

Jerry Valdez - the clothing, the 'safety' gear, the board, the colours, the body positioning and of course the Vans… Just beautiful.

B&G [fridaypoem]

G&S FIBREFLEX

G&S Fibreflex - Steve Cathey Model

I can remember every single skateboard I've ever had.

My first was a cut-off plank nailed to some rollerskate wheels - didn't really turn. Then I saved up and bought a Pacer deck with ACS 500 trucks and Gecko Wheels, that set-up evolved slightly via a home-made wooden deck which was really heavy - it didn't last long. Then I got a G&S Fibreflex exactly like the one above, rigged up with some second-hand Bennett trucks and Road Rider wheels.

I really loved that board...

G&S Fibreflex logo

BE IN THE WAVE

~ ~ ~

I find the majority of modern surf films very boring. The music, the footage, the direction and even the personalities tend to follow the same old formulas. So it was a real breath of fresh air when a friend lent me Come Hell Or High Water recently. Along with some beautiful water photography and fantastic bodysurfing this film portrays a really interesting cast of characters and it is this as much as anything that sets the film apart. All sorts of different people having pure fun in the water without any fuss or fanfare and with very little equipment. As one particular segment highlights - it is so far under the radar (along with bellyboards, paipos, handplanes etc) that even surfers and boogers don’t pay it much attention. Keith Malloy has done a good job of focusing on the essence of what makes body surfing so simple and yet so special.

LEGACY

The Party's Over - 1982

It's My Life - 1984

The Colour of Spring - 1986

Spirit of Eden - 1988

Laughing Stock - 1991

What a journey, from early synth pop to works of genre defying genius, Mark Hollis steered Talk Talk along a path of purist musical abstraction.

There's a great article from The Quietus about the making of Laughing Stock.

You can hear Mark Hollis himself talking about Laughing Stock here:

Mark Hollis talks about Laughing Stock (1991).

BLACK&WHITE

Paul Schutzer captures the view from a bus window during a Freedom Ride from Montgomery, Alabama, to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1961.

FESTY

///

OK I'll admit it - I was dancing the other night, well when I say 'dancing' I really mean shuffling about on the spot in a vaguely rhythmic manner. Still, it's very rare that you'll see me busting my moves in public. Admittedly when I say 'in public' I really mean ‘at a festival’ which isn’t at all like being in public.

We were at Hop Farm Festival in Kent - kindly given free passes by my friend Blue who earns his living at such events. He and I first went a-festival-ing a long time ago, and when I say ‘a long time ago’ I really do mean decades ago. We watched Roy Harper & Ginger Baker having a punch-up on stage at Glastonbury in 1981. (You may never have heard of Roy Harper or Ginger Baker - ironically they were a couple of old hippies who should have known better than to start brawling at a CND concert.) I can still remember the intensely vibrant sense of excitement and discovery as we stumbled into a variety of marquees where all manner of musicians, actors and comedians were sharing their talents, often in intimate surroundings. Since then I’ve whiled away many pleasant days at all sorts of festivals over the years, and always relish the rekindling of those first magical experiences.

Anyway, where was I? That’s right - doing some ‘dad dancing’ in the early hours under a Moroccan style awning along with a few hundred equally ‘relaxed’ revellers. If you really want to experience a tiny glimpse of our long lost personal freedom, then I suggest that there aren’t many better places to do so than at a festy in the middle of the night.

Of course I’m under no illusion that today’s festivals are incredibly mainstream and more devoted to the spirit of making money than the spirit of the counter-culture revolution. They tend to be much tamer affairs these days too - it would be unlikely to see a naked guy, tripping on acid sitting cross-legged IN the speaker cabinet whilst Gong thrash out some sonic psychedelia. But I believe there are still a few strands of the original DNA remaining in even the most commercial modern festival that allows people to tune out for a couple of days and disregard normality. Hey, if you fancy cracking open a couple of beers before breakfast - go for it, why not? What’s the worst that can happen? You may feel the need to have a lie down later on - well that’s fine, in fact that’s probably a good idea anyway. Preparation for the inevitably long night ahead! Likewise, if you want to spend the whole weekend wandering around in nothing but a loincloth, I guarantee nobody will be bothered by that either.

I suppose the point I’m trying to make here is that personally I enjoy individual pursuits. I’ve never been into team sports or clubs. I get my kicks from surfing, which in essence is a solitary activity. But I was reminded again last weekend that sometimes freedom can still be found amongst a crowd of thousands.

BLACKBIRD

I quite fancy a little blackbird to keep me company on my next board.

I used to have a sticker of a dog on the nose of one of my early surfboards, just always liked seeing him there - and if things ever got a bit hairy out in the surf it was always reassuring having 'Ken' there. Made me feel safer somehow...

Lately I've been fascinated by a blackbird that lives in our garden - seems like a plucky little guy. So I might get him on my next board.

While I'm at it I might break with my usual tradition of custard yellow and go for a pale avocado instead.

HARBOUR WALL

AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE

Dearly beloved...

For us, any Saturday could be the best day or it could also be the worst!

The best; because it’s the day when we’re in the spotlight, the centre of attention, when everybody wants to see us, when we might get a new partner, the start of a new life.

The worst; because anyone and everyone wants a feel, sliding their clumsy hands all over us, squeezing a bit too hard, even knocking us about sometimes. It can also be the worst day because although we may meet a new partner - there are no guarantees we’ll get along. Very much like an arranged marriage it could very easily go pear-shaped!

INERTIA

Those nice people over at The Inertia let me do some waffling...

Clicky piccy 4 linky

SUMMER WIND

A few days ago the 'Birthday Bush' (Azalea) looked like this.

A harsh Summer wind...

Now it looks like this :(

THE HUNCHBACK

Summer - makes me wanna watch Jean de Florette & Manon des Sources again.

PYRAMID!

Standing on the shoulders of giants.

Photo courtesy: Joe Cox

PARENTAL ADVISORY

"Do as I say, not as I do" is not sustainable.

LIVING THE DREAM

What you want is not always what you need.

Cornwall had always wanted to be Australia, actually it had always wanted to be a mixture of Australia and California. With a little bit of Hawaii thrown in for good measure.

To be fair, on a few occasions it almost was. Sometimes, one of those all-too-rare Indian Summer late September days would dawn with a clean swell running under a warm blue sky drawing everyone to the beach. The local surfers would happily proclaim to one another that all those cold, miserably wet days in thick rubber were worth it to enjoy a proper Aussie-style beach day now and then.

Towards the end of the year 2040 a combination of factors heralded a change that finally turned decades of Cornish daydreaming into reality.

THE KK TOP 10 SURF BOOKS

Books about surfing are a small but burgeoning genre, originally consisting of mainly instructional and location guides, it has now expanded to include autobiographies, fiction, historical record and even encyclopedia. I love to read and really love reading about surfing, here are the current Top 10 surf books from my little surf library.

1. MP, The life of Michael Peterson by Sean Doherty

MP.

MP recently passed and was honoured around the world, nowhere more so than in Australia, where he has long been regarded as a surfing legend. Former Tracks editor and proud Australian, Sean Doherty used his trusted access to friends and family of MP, along with many interviews with the man himself to produce a detailed and cohesive account of MP's life. Pulling no punches he describes Peterson's dazzling superiority in the famed Gold Coast breaks of Kirra and Snapper, but doesn't gloss over some of his less exemplary behaviour either. Good writing is always easy to read and this biography flows free and easy to reveal the man behind the legend. Easily a contender for best surf book.

2. Eddie would go by Stuart Holmes Coleman

Eddie would go.

The story of Eddie Aikau is a richly coloured account not only of the Aikau family, but of a time when Hawaiian surfers were being forced to adjust to the worldwide commercial interest being focused on the North Shore. Recognised for his cool command of the huge waves at Waimea, and also for his aloha spirit, this book tells the tale of Eddie’s rise through the pro surfing ranks and his ultimate sacrifice and the subsequent coining of the legendary phrase - Eddie would go. A great read if you’re interested in Hawaiian surf history as well as being a vibrant biography of an enduringly soulful character.

3. All for a few perfect waves by David Rensin

All for a few perfect waves.

Mickey Dora is surely regarded as the ultimate rebel icon of surfing, a role he seemed to relish and despise all at the same time. With direct access to Dora and along with many supporting interviews from friends and family, Rensin does an heroic job of chronicling the events that created the myth. Dora himself is as slippery and elusive with the facts as he was when he was cutting a line through the crowds at Malibu. But in recalling a prolonged odyssey that took him around the world searching for the perfect wave he drops his guard occasionally allowing Rensin to paint possibly the truest portrait of Miklos Dora we could expect.

IS SURFING THE ANSWER?

Depends on the question...

I often come across people describing how they have found themselves through surfing, of how riding the waves has given them spiritual nourishment.

I like their positive spin and the attempt to align the physical with the metaphysical. Actually, I'm pretty sure I might have found myself saying something similar not long after I first started surfing.

But I don't feel like that anymore. Let's face it, surfing is a fool's game in many ways, it's pointless, selfish and anti-social. It doesn't achieve anything in particular, it's erratic at best, sometimes frustrating and increasingly over-subscribed.

Surfing certainly doesn't give me any answers, in fact quite the opposite, I find it asks a lot of questions of me.

FRANCE 2012

Camp.

Brew of choice.

The amazing Adrenalin Parc near Moliets. Highly recommended.

Iconic Biarritz. This was like a magic spot for us, even when the forecast was flat, there would be a ripple here that would turn into a decent loggable right as the tide filled in.

BRTZ right. Fun waves here that would peel for ages.

Gothic.

EN VACANCES

??? - there could be a mellow righthander breaking just around that corner...

We're off on holiday tomorrow - heading South.

(Google maps is awesome, n'est ce pas?)

BIRDY EYE?

???

Anyone recognise this famous right point break?

Clue: First exposure was in 1966 via a rather famous surf film.

SMILE

Smiling - an antidote to tussery.

Today there was a situation that mirrored the recent tussage incident but the outcome could not have been more different.

With the advantage of some flexi-time I had a couple of free hours and really wanted to get wet. I hooked up with D and we hit Godrevy for a quick sesh.

With only a handful out on the middle peak we opted to try the rights in the north corner, but a big tide was draining fast and dragging a rip through the waves. So we decided to paddle 100 metres across to the middle peak where some tasty waves were jacking up and peeling perfectly both left and right. The tide had dropped to expose the mid-tide banks and a fresh swell was just starting to fill in. The always-friendly Dave Barnwell was out getting a few and it was starting to look really good!

We got out to the peak during a lull between sets with 3 other guys already sitting outside. Almost immediately an overhead set started pulsing through. D found himself right in the perfect spot under the peak. Dave was already on the shoulder with D being slightly deeper, but as we were last to arrive in the line-up and not wanting to be seen as a snake he offered the wave to Dave.

‘No you go, there’ll be plenty more’ said Dave with his customary grin, and D dropped down into an absolute screamer that had him flying across the beach. As predicted we all got a wave each from the rest of the set. And when we’d all paddled back out to the peak, Dave was equally as stoked to see one of the ‘waves of the day’ being enjoyed, as D was to have caught it!

And sure enough there were plenty more waves on offer...

What a contrast to the same position I’d been in a week ago when Tuss had glared bitterly as I caught a set wave. Yet today D and Dave had doubled their stoke factor by simply acknowledging and respecting each other and sharing the waves.

BANKSY

Sorry! The lifestyle you ordered is currently out of stock.

CRAZY CONTROL

Gou Miyagi.

DON'T BE JEALOUS

Old fave.

A tee that my friend Patrick Best gave to me many years ago - still a fave!

IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT

END OF THE LINE

Went west to Penzance for lunch and a browse...

Shimmery.

DJ Humph on the mix. (He invented the Davy Lamp)

Reflected.

The Admiral Benbow stalking seagulls.

View through.

TNLS.

Curves and angles.

BIRDSEYE?

???

Anyone recognise this world class setup?

Home to one of the best lefts in the Northern hemisphere.

And possibly due to host some major tubage quite soon...

TUSS!

TUSS - good old Cornish insult, all the better for not being used very often.

I had a fantastic surf today and I really wasn't expecting to.

I finished work an hour early and on an impulse decided to go to Gwith, knowing the tide was dropping and the wind was picking up, but thought I'd give it a punt anyway.

For the hour that I was in the water it just all came together, the sun came out, the wind dropped and the banks were absolutely flawless. Waves kept pouring through and peeling off for a hundred yards across the beach. Chest to shoulder high clean green walls, one after another. I took a left that stayed fast and open while I tucked into the pocket and the lip rained down on my shoulder.

Bissful, but as can often happen with these golden moments, it was marred…

There's a guy who surfs this spot all the time, he's fit and he's a good surfer, gets lots of waves. But he gives off a weird vibe I've noticed and despite being in the water regularly he's not one for sharing stoke, avoids eye contact, never smiles. And he's greedy. Wants every wave and will paddle all over the line-up to get them.

At one point I was right on the peak, in perfect position for a nice left, he was sitting directly under me and could see the wave was mine. But he didn't move and instead just watched me as I paddled for it, then he turned his back to me, but still made no effort to move away. Because the waves were walling up, angled take-offs were in order and as the wave lifted under me I took my final stroke into it and he was right in my path, no intention of giving me any space. I just missed the tail of his board by less than an inch and felt his legrope scrape across the underside of my board as I took off, in fact I felt a little tug as it briefly snagged my fins. But I had plenty of inertia and the wave flexed its muscle and squirted me out and onto the face for another beautifully fast carvey glide.

I tend not to get hung up with other people's trips in the water - 'Don't rent out space in your head' is one of the mottos I try to hold fast. But that little act of arrogance ticked me off! It was unnecessary - I can understand an attitude of being cool and in control and being experienced enough to behave nonchalantly out in the waves. That's fine, but if you're going to claim that position then you should also take the responsibility that goes with it. But underlying his refusal to budge even one inch was a total lack of respect for others.

So, regardless of your level of ability and experience, you can still be a kook when it comes to common courtesy.