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.

REMEMBER STRAIGHTEDGE?

CLOUDS OVER PERRANUTHNOE

Today the clouds were more interesting than the waves.

(((

SURF POLITICO

The sea has always been a great leveller - and this is very apparent when you go for a surf on any of Sydney's beaches.

Three things become clear as soon as you paddle out; 1. The line-up is busy. 2. The line-up is generously populated by all sorts of random people. 3. The majority of the line-up surf better than you!

After a typical dawny, that guy who was out there shredding on his 6'4 fish may get changed into an expensive suit, jump in his Merc and head into the city where he is the head of an international business. Or he could just as easily be heading straight for the bottleshop and spend the rest of the day getting wasted. In a country like Australia where the surf culture is virtually mainstream there's no such thing as a typical surfer.

Tony Abbot, Federal Leader of the Australian opposition (usually prefers going right!)

Downunder, even the Leader of the Opposition likes to go for a splash before work. Pic courtesy: Sprout Daily

WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

I really should have done this years ago. Oh well, it doesn't matter, there's a reason for everything and I'm just so glad I'm doing it now. Most days I get up early and the first thing I do is look out of the window to see which way the wind is blowing. That's important you see, the wind makes all the difference I've discovered. Then I go downstairs quietly, trying not to wake Pat and turn on the computer my grandson set up for me last year. That's another thing, I would never have dreamt about getting a computer, but all the people in the car park were talking about 'webcams' and 'online forecasts', and I wanted to find out a bit more. So, I usually make a pot of tea and log onto Magic Seaweed - what a funny name that is - to plan where exactly I'll be heading for in the Berlingo that day. It all started a few summers ago just after I retired from my job as a primary school headteacher. I was walking the dog at the beach and I was watching a chap trotting across the sand with his surfboard. What struck me about him was that he was such an ordinary looking middle-aged man - grey haired, bit overweight - yet he looked so energised as he splashed into the sea, and he also looked joyful somehow, there was a happy shine to him. It was then that I decided to try and find the old plywood belly board we used to play on with the children when they were younger. I knew it was still in the garage somewhere. Well, that was only the beginning I can tell you. I soon realised I needed a wetsuit if I wanted to stay in for longer and it wasn't long before I got bored with the belly board and got myself a boogie board. I can't begin to describe the thrill of whooshing across those waves! It was wonderful. For a whole year I'd go to the beach in the afternoons with my boogie board and catch wave after wave. I told all my friends at the social club, hoping some of them would join me, but they just shook their heads laughing, saying I'd always been a bit of a wild one. I didn't mind going on my own though, and to be perfectly honest, I think I preferred it that way - this was something I wanted to master by myself. Which of-course led to me getting a proper surfboard of my own. I was quite nervous when I went into the surfshop, but the young man was very helpful and I came home with a beautiful pale green 9ft board. I soon discovered it's not as easy as it looks - wrestling that thing out through the breakers can really be a task some days. And on more than one occasion I gave up, so relentless were the waves I couldn't even get out past the white water. I certainly felt the aches and pains on those days, but at least it helped me to sleep, I hadn't felt so exhausted in years. But it was all worth it when I did eventually make it out and managed to catch my first unbroken wave. Oh, it does make me smile seeing all the young ones turning up in their little cars, four or five of them all crammed in with boards piled up on the roof. Boys and girls together, stripping off in broad daylight - not in the least bit shy or self conscious, I envy them really. Even though no-one takes a blind bit of notice I tend to hide myself in the back of the Berlingo while I'm getting changed, it's a bit warmer too - that's my excuse. I had a lovely time today, the sun was out and the water was smooth. I caught a really nice wave and a girl on a longboard gave me a big cheer as I rode past her. I must say that did put a big smile on my face. I really love doing this now - going surfing, imagine that? Anyway I'd better get going, I told Pat I'd make him Shepherds Pie for tea, that's his favourite.

BLUE FRIDAY

Minty clear day on Friday, with no wind and a couple of feet of clean swell.

Yes, that is sheet ice on the beach in the middle of the afternoon!

Photo: Roisin

LINDA SHARP

Linda Sharp, Britain's most sucessful female surfer.

Great little clip of Linda Sharp in Port Talbot, Wales - with Rory Gallagher soundtrack too!

WOODY

Good wood at Mount Hawke.

I haven't been to a skatepark for years, but after chatting to a couple of old sk8-m8tes recently I decided to dust off the board and give it a go. It's Winter here, so the only option was an indoor park. Luckily there's one not too far from where I live, and it had just been refurbed with lots of new wood. I have to admit that even the smallest ramp looked deathly to me, but after hesitating for a while on the deck, I bit the bullet and dropped in. Yeah, I was really sketchy, but it felt so good to be rolling again and I managed NOT to break myself, so maybe I'll venture back next week for another session.

TWINZ!

Amazing portraits of twins.

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AGGIE

A walk across the cliffs...

Looking north across Blue Hills with a splash of gold.

Man and his man.

Lots of colour even in Winter...

Photos: Róisín

SEALED

A New Years Day walk at Godrevy. A closer look at those 'rocks' on the beach...

The resident seal colony sleeping off their NYE hangovers.

DOWN THE HOLE

A festive pint in the Ship Inn, Mousehole...

ORANJ

EARLY SURF WRITING

Lieutenant James King pretty much nails it, when describing Hawaiians surfing in the late 1700s. Taken from his account in the final volume of Cook's Voyage to the Pacific, 1784.

Click to embiggen...

JUST LIKE EVERYTHING

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LIVING COLOUR

Great set of images from Library of Congress archive: 1930s-40s in Color

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ROADRIDERS

Road Rider 4

Yep, it's Neil Blender, Adrian Demain, Doug 'Pineapple' Saladino and Hagop riffing!

And how about these Blender designed boardshorts for Vans...

Blender inverted.

LEAVE A MESSAGE

Not subtle.