The Log Blog

Legend

Dear Danielle....

....you sure were a lot of fun. Please come back while the water is still warm and the evenings are light(ish), we all miss you terribly.

Fang snapped this just before we headed out last Thursday morning. It was the first proper showing of a beauty swell that hung around for a good few days.

Seemed like everyone knew it was coming, 6.45am and already about 50 people in the water. I didn't realise it was going to be quite so chunky, a good 4-5ft at Perran meant the log was a bit of a beast, luckily, however, long lulls meant the paddle out wasn't too traumatic.

The wind picked up a little by about 8.00 but it was bang offshore so not affecting the form. The 16 sec period meant the lulls were so long at one point I convinced myself it'd dropped off, went for a few smaller ones further in...got caught on the inside as a set rained down. Schoolboy.

Gutted I didn't take my camera on any of those surfs, every now and then I'd catch myself just watching it, it was so perfect. Well nearly perfect....minus the couple hundred or so black forms dotted around.

New toy...

I feel a winter project coming on.
Something to keep those long dark waveless nights interesting.
Not bought by me or for me, but I shall have a dabble, why not.

Shedding the prejudices...

I'm guilty, as many of you probably are, of having the odd whinge about the waves getting more crowded, about learners getting in the way and old farts fishing on sit on top kayaks.

Well this summer has shifted my perspectives.

I've just returned to my 'proper job' after six weeks out of the office helping run our new fledgling company, West Cornwall Adventure, and it's taught me a few things.
WCA is an ocean based adventure activities company that runs coasteering, sea and surf kayaking and surf school sessions.

As we were setting up the company I'd get the odd comment about 'why do you want to encourage even more people to start surfing?'

My answer, 'it's fun, why shouldn't more people get to experience that?'

For the vast majority of 'learners', they come down to the coast for their annual holiday, have a surf lesson, maybe stand up, and go away stoked if they do. End of story. These guys crowd the white water, so what? If you really can't stand the sight of blue and yellow foam boards floating around the nearshore, just go and surf somewhere else, there's plenty of surf school free waves.

For me though, seeing the supreme joy on kids faces as they get to their feet for the first time never ceases to bring a smile to my face, to think I've helped in that process is cool.

As for sit on tops, don't knock it til you try it, I've explored far more of the coast this year than I have in all my previous years combined. I've found new caves, coves, plunge pools and watery routes around the rocks that I would never have seen had I just stuck to surfing.

On a flat, suuny day nothing beats a cruise round the coast, after all, it's just another excuse to get in the water.

It's been hard work, tiring, sometimes stressful but on the whole, very rewarding.

Fun times.

And now that I'm back at my desk, as predicted, the wind has swung around, there's a south easterly blowing, there's a swell on the way and the sun is shining.

Told you so.

Pic 1 thanks to Ben Selway, video Mr Boogtique and pic 2 Studiograff

Oooh yay, it's that time again...

Plus live music AND a surf jumble thrown into the mix, looks like it'll be a fun night out.

This used to be a blog about surfing....

...but it seems we're in the midst of a severe swell drought. My source of inspiration has dried up. I'm feeling a little starved.

So I digress.

Few shots from the weekend's festival.

But fear not chaps, I'm coming to the end of my six weeks out of the office. As soon as I get back behind that computer screen it will be pumping, it'll be September after all. The persistent stiff northwesterly will swing around and you'll be greeted with light offshores and corduroy lines.

Home is where you tow it

Just spent the first weekend away in our new home away from home.

FUN TIMES.

Where better than at Vintage at Goodwood, a new festival this year celebrating 5 decades years of Britishness, including design, music, art and fashion from the 40s to the 80s, it was brilliant. Ok, so the Airstream isn't by any means British, but as far as old classics go, for me it ticks the box.

I seem to be developing a bit of a 'thing' for caravanning again. Just the smell of the propane burning on the stove takes me right back to my childhood when I'd go on big adventures with my granparents, all of 6 miles down the road to Gwithian for the whole 8 weeks of summer, back when we'd have heat waves and no rain. Golden days.

Cali calling

Unintentionally, two of my latest music purchases have a distinctly Californian feel, Best Coast self entitled album and Admiral Radley's 'I Heart California.'

Maybe my purchases are telling me something, maybe I need to go back over there and find out.

Sadly not to be, work commitments means it's only a slim possibility I'll even leave the country this year. On a positive note my carbon footprint is tiny, so I can be a smug greeny. Just for this year though. I'm getting the itch to wander.

Oh well, my own little piece of Americana will be taking residence soon, froth froth.

Standby for further details...

Let's go surfing...

Sketchboard, legend that he is, not only hooked me up with the new Drums album, but also tickets to their gig in Brizzol this November, sweeeet. A little something to put the summer blues to rest.

Talking about surfing, it's been distinctly absent for too long, a little cough of clean swell yesterday has all but disappeared again, boo...

Literary Fantastique

Had another fab outing to the Port Eliot Festival this weekend. This year our travelling menagerie grew to some five folk and a splendid time was had by all. I didn't think the lineup was quite as strong as last year, but neither that nor the mizzle dampened the enthusiasm. The festival had certainly grown a little larger but it still retained all of it's magic.

Highlights summed up as follows: Cider, Kathryn Williams, cider, Fionn Regan, dance set DJ'd by Jarvis Cocker, cider, 1 minute disco, yummy falaffel, old felt hat, boogeying on down to some hideous pop, 3am chips, walking the plank, rum and ginger ale.

Sunday morning....not a highlight.

Tarp Surfing

Check out the tarp SUP, GOLD

Bourgeois?

Oui.

So, I found this blog last year where some funny, slightly bizarre chaps (who am I to judge?!) were heading off down the west coast of France on a cycling/surfing tour. It made for good reading for a few weeks, but like all good things, it came to an end...

But not quite, some months later I see a little newspaper in production, brillo! Oh I do love the feel of paper in my hands and print before my eyes rather than the characterless 'puter screen. The paper is a compendium of anecdotes and funky pics, good stuff. Check out their trip here

Here it comes...

Tonight was either the prelude to something mahoosive or it peaked early. The 17ft @11 sec is supposed to be arriving early tomorrow but my guess is it'll have come early as it often does.

I got down the beach just before it got on the high tide bank and it was cranking. Every man and his dog had descended, the other beaches must not have been holding it too well.

Looked good but I had no board with me, not a problem, Greenstick said he had one for me.

Opened the back of the van...oh shit, it was a UV tinted dark orange triple stringer longboard he'd shaped well over a decade ago, it'd spent a least the last five years abandoned in the undergrowth down the bottom of the garden somewhere. It weighs a ton and doesn't float very well. Hey ho, it was that or sit on the beach and watch.

Tricky conditions, with bigger sets tending to close out and a shifting shoulder, I was sat there on that old turd of a board on the edge of my comfort zone. It was a good fun wave though with a nice steep drop. The hardest part was making it back through the shore-dump, fighting the backwash to scrabble up the beach before the next one got ya.

Just wish I had more than the crappy iphone camera with me. Will be going for a nose in the morning.

Learner driver

After an epic couple of days surf last week to fuel the fire it's back to millpondish flatness, at least for a day or so. Why does the wind swing easterly just as the swell fizzles out? Anyway, in a bid to get on the water I went outrigging last night. Calm conditions, seemed like an ideal night to start learning to steer. For anyone who saw us from up the cliff, no I hadn't spent the best part of the afternoon supping betty's finest tucked away in a dark corner of the Sloop, I was perfectly sober, it's just damn hard to control! The size of the thing means every steering stroke needs to be anticipating what the boat is going to do before it happens, you've got to keep things subtle. One slight over-correction has you zig zagging all over the place. Add three more people and holding a line on a wave into the mix and it's quite tough. Fun though, and a great feeling when you pull on to a runner way out, up the rate as it peaks up into a wave then trim along whooping with three of your buddies. That's in 1-2ft, looking forward to getting out in some bigger stuff, but might just leave the steering to someone else for that.

Mother dear, she made me a sock.

A bit like your granny knitting you socks but better....

Ma is a bit of a whiz on the old singer, thought I better get her to whip up something extra special for my new log.

I took a trip to the local charity shops, came home with an old kilt, a pair of curtains, a blazer, a skirt and a pair of jeans, added a couple lengths of sturdy cotton to the mix and voila!

Saw a pic of one similar online somewhere that I can't for the life of me remember where, inspired me, (well, should I say inspired me to get ma...) to do a bit of 'make do and mend' style DIY.

Thanks moose. xx

The best post-surf invention ever?

I like a nice cup of tea, I especially like a nice cup of tea after a surf. For those of us not yet blessed with a VW California or some other such 'home on wheels'-wagon equipped with a gas ring, the Kelly Kettle could be your new best friend (haha I sound like a walking advert).

I don't know how it's taken me this long to find it but it is AMAZING!! I stumbled across it a couple of months back, frothed over it for a while and finally took the plunge and bought one (£37 - not the cheapest cup of tea ever, but multiply that but lots and I'm on a winner).

Took it out with us last week. Basically it's a bowl on a sort of double skinned billy can with a hole up the middle, you find some stuff to burn, stick it in the bowl and ingnite, the hole acts as a big chimney, water goes in the side spout and because of the big surface area the water heats up really quickly. Boiling enough water for 4 cups of Sri Lanka's finest in less than 4 minutes. Time wise, it actually kicks the gas ring's ass!

One hitch, there's lest combustible stuff in the dunes than anticpiated. We found more fuel lying around the car park, namely 3 ice-lolly sticks, half a peg and a pencil. Damn....we needed more.... I took it a step further and got some strange looks ferreting in the bin for discarded fish and chip wrappers...nice. Did the job though.

(Note to self, bring supply of newspaper and sticks in car next time)

Solstice Sessions

That's it, longest day officially over. It's been a cracker. Two days of excellent surf AND blazing sunshine. Post surf cups of tea and biccies on the cliffs as it's getting dark, mutterings of "I can't believe it's quarter to eleven and it's still light enough to surf,' beach barbies with marshmallows on sticks, friendly folk in the lineup, getting a set on the head and popping up still grinning cos it's so goddamn good to be alive! Ok I'm having a moment here, it must be all that sunshine.

Summer 2010....I'm loving you.

Thanks Sketchboard and Fang for the pics

Vans x Stussy Oxford

Is it me or are these RAD?
Two iconic brands have collaborated to bring a modern (girls only) twist on a traditional shoe. I even love the old style trunk box they come in.

I think I NEEDs a pair

Non seafaring activities

I've just about recovered from my epic mission last Friday to see Band of Horses in Oxford. I don't do mega late night long drives without resembling a nodding dog too well, but it was well worth the 9hr round trip (made slightly longer by me chewing off Sketchboard's ear and missing the turn off the motorway...twice).

Nice to have a late afternoon stroll round the city in summertime, it brought back lots of memories and seeing stressed out younguns mid-finals reminded me I was wearing my rose tinted specs, it wasn't all hedonistic good fun. Mostly, but not all.

Felt like a right old tourist busting out the roid to get a couple of shots of the Sheldonian and Rad Cam.

Gig was absolutely awesome, it has ramped up my enthusiasm for the band to a new level. Was fretting my favourite song wasn't going to get played, but after a supremely long wait for the encore, they belted it out second to last song. Yewwwww.

This looks fun...

I like Martin Harley, I like longboarding.
Might be worth a trek up the A3075

Plenty more fish in the sea?

Everyone's doing their bit.

Out and about in a foreign part of the county last night, nice change of scenery.

Bereft of my sole mate

Have you seen the right one?

My absolute favouritist, comfiest, skankiest old pair of vans.

In my haste to get away from the beach for some din dins, left on the roof of my car. The left was found abandoned in the middle of the road about a mile from the beach, the right....nowhere to be seen.

WHERE ARE YOU???

I miss you.

A to B

The surf's a bit crap, so tonight the lads and I piled in the WCA landy, got deposited at the neighbouring beach and paddled from A to B.

I feel pretty unfit at the moment and I've not paddled the route on a board before, so was feeling a little nervous, figuring it would take at least an hour and not knowing if my spaghetti arms would hold up.

It was rather choppy, so after a couple of attempts knee paddling, I couldn't find a rhythm, so proned it all the way. My neck is not thanking me for that AT ALL.

I wore my 1mm neoprene top, half way was feeling pretty chilly, catching a little a wave up the beach it was like having a bucket of icy water thrown over me, brrr, and it's nearly June...

Time...45.04 min, it's a start.

... and then the rain came

It appears that the swell dry spell is over.

Praise the Lord.

Three weeks I've spent frothing over my new log. I haven't dared take it in on anything less than clean little peelers for fear of a bad session caused by crap surf giving me bad first impressions. Well this evening provided just such conditions.

Verdict....I've fallen in love.

Then I pretty much crawled like a half dead man up the dunes.

Pic courtesy of Fang

The surf checker

This is my bike, it's hefty and doesn't go up hills very fast.

I've seen pretty idealistic footage of girls in cali cruisin' down to their local break on bikes like these with big logs under their arms. Well, life isn't quite how it looks in the movies. I daren't pedal the mean streets of the village with my beloved log, firstly the take no prisoners 'ped gang of PT would have me in the hedge in no time and secondly cos I'm sure one gust of wind and me and my board would end up in a dinged up heap in the road.

So it comes out to make the 200m trip down to eyeball the waves. There's a big hill in the other direction, so that's it. The bike shop told me to bring it in after it's first 100 miles for a service. Umm ok, it might be a while...

The process...

Newish article on Drift about the joys of getting stuck in, read it here

Roid Week 2010

It's Roid Week 2010 on Flickr, nearly over now but it's been a great way of sharing and finding new images with other Polaroid lovers out there.

Go lose yourself here for a minute or two

Supreme Joy

It's been a long time in the planning and making but I finally picked up my new log today. Having had a big input in the design and shaping I was a little apprehensive she wouldn't look like I'd pictured. She didn't, the tint was a little lighter, the pink was slightly subtler all in all it was better, all expectations were exceeded, phew. Only downside is in his haste Chris forgot to sign it but like I said, it won't surf any the worse for it.

Sweeeet.

Then debated on getting in for little wave this afternoon but as the wind had swung onshore I decided I was going to make she'd cured properly and save it for a properly nice clean day. I imagine there's nothing worse than having a crap first surf on a new board.

Reunion

Yesterday was a good day. My birthday coincided with a nice bit of swell. So a crew of my buddies descended on Porthtowan for an evening surf. It'd been fairly grey all day but the sun finally peeked out through the clouds, it was a fairly clean 3ft, some nice long rides to be had. I love surfing with mates. Good.

Secondly, Sketchboard over there parted with a Cornish member of his 70s skateboard collection. When he saw my last post he decided it was too much of a family heirloom to keep hold of so passed it on to me, very touching.

So here it is, pictured 19 years years on from the picture in my previous post. It's about 40 years old. Dad skated it down Godrevy hill, oncoming car resulted in a bail into the hedge and a broken wrist. It's tiny, it won't be going anywhere near that hill any time soon.

Old School

Going through some photos with Ma last night, found this old pic of me aged 8 on a homemade skateboard dad made when he was a kid. It's in my grandparents backyard, I remember finding it in their coal shed, they used to use it to wheel out bags of rubbish. I was so excited. After a lot of pleading with Nan and Paps to part with it, it now resides in Sketchboard's collection.

Interestingly when my buddy GH saw this pic earlier, he pointed out I have much the same stance when I surf, and I still stick my tongue out!

Dad claims he invented the skateboard(!), he made it years before they were available in the shops (in the UK at least) by dismantling a pair of old roller-skates, hammering out the trucks and attaching them to a bit of rounded off wood.

Slight nutter

Fang found this vid a while back, I liked it lots and finally got round to buying their album. It's good ya.

A&J

Last night hailed Falmouth's 3rd visit by Aussie folky siblings Angus & Julia Stone. Beautiful songwriting and music marred only by a continual hum of conversation.

I can't comprehend why people pay money to go to a gig just to stand there chatting to their mates at the tops of their voices rather than listen to the music. I was hearing the ins and outs of one blokes mate's business deal secured by his missus' firm hand shake blah blah blah drowning out the music when some legend about 3 metres away came over, leant in and gave him a big finger to lips shussssh. Least he had the decency to look embarrassed, for about 5 minutes, then he sparked up again.

We got an update on Julia's unrequited love, the song she subsequently wrote for him, lots of bits from the new album and a lovely cover of 'You're the one that I want' from Grease. Amazing how different a song can sound sung by a different voice in a different genre.