Sundown at Cote De Basque - "Simply Beautiful"

Les Estagnot : 'Pleasure and Pain' (27 Sept 2008)

This is the competition site a few days after the final. I paddled out and surfed for about an hour in surf that would turn from lovely manageable 2-3ft, fairly powerful, but fun waves - to overhead, grinding barrels in the space of 30 seconds. The safety channel (and the whole line-up) is very tide-sensitive and what is an easy paddle out channel can (and does) turn into the death zone within 30 mins as the tide drops out. The photos don't really do it justice but when the sets came through it was HEAVY. I snagged one wave off of the 'totally ripping' crowd and then paddles back in praying that I didn't get smashed in the shore dump.

Shots 1) and 2) : These shots dont really give the power of these waves justice. "It was heavy, and barrelling when the sets came through" - and 99% of the waves were fully loaded with very good surfers just 'ripping the back out of it'. I gave it my best shot, did ok, grabs a good one, and made it back in in one piece. A result. Ha Ha.

Shot 3: Back to nice, lined up 2-3ft fun ..... Phew ! ;-)

PAPARAZZI !!!!!!! Quicksilver Pro France 2008

OK - lets get the 'Pro-Pic' out of the way. I was going to blog a surf shot but thought this one of the 'Paparazzi' (of which I guess I must have been one to get the money-shot!) was really funny. What the hell does the guy crouching down think he is doing!?!? .... caught up in the moment he seems to be trying to get that Surfer Magazine cover-shot of Kelly Slaters boll*cks! :-)

"Black Rock - Curse of the Longboarders"

With Mark performing his own version of "Planes,Trains, and Automobiles" in a desperate but ultimately unfruitfull attempt to reach the surf - Black Rock (Bude) was glassy and fun. With the 6'0" quad packed up and ready for my France trip I was using my old 6'5"thruster which unfortunately now paddles like a brick..... a bad idea. Caught a few nice waves but it was a constant battle against longboarders who were catching waves before they had even formed (!) and this lone Paddle-Boarder who, lets face it, may as well stop pretending to "surf" and take a bloody boat out into the line-up and catch waves while sipping Pimms. Fun waves though.