swell times at saunton high

 

after dinner speaking.......

I've known Joel for a long time, albeit as more of an acquaintance than a real friend. He's quiet and  humble but he's a talented surfer and backyard shaper. He's most definately a thinker, tinkering with his own ideas, sometimes outside the percieved norms.

The port glass is his take on a modified mini simmons kinda thing. I think you'll agree it works pretty good! The point break is a local gem, sadly it's not often as quiet as it is here anymore!

van life number 1

Completely off topic but i wanted to share this.....

Boom Kitchen is a new little start up enterprise from a couple of locals here. It's basically a simple curry kit to which you just add chicken and a couple of other basic store cupboard type ingredients. What you end up with 20 minutes later is the most delicious curry you will have tasted outside of a curry house. To coin a phrase it's like having a curry house in your kitchen!

I know this probably comes off as hyping a mates thing but i was honestly really blown away by the flavor of the food you make. It's head and shoulders above any of the curry sauce style jars you can buy from super markets.

At the moment they are only available from some of our local stores and by mail order but it's well worth clicking buy now!

a car park ritual.....

 

Shooting the breeze while car park faffing.  A classic male pleasure no matter whether it's pre or post surf, ride, fishing, footy, whatever! To quote a book i read recently "one of the last bastions of masculinity in an increasingly feminized world!" Maybe a little strong but...

sunburn

 

Brown legs, sunbleached hair, warm water and clean little waves. Such are the things that a good summer is made from

it lives......

 

The Sea Pea is finally finished and in my grubby mitts! Massive thanks to Jools, Matt, Ellis and Will at Gulfstream for your time and patience! 

I know you are all dying to know how it surfs. 

It's great! Really 'effin great!!

 I can honestly say that if i had bought it off  the rack i would have been really happy so to know that i designed and made it pushes the stoke-o-meter off the scale!

First session was mid to high p-land, 3 footish sets, really just windswell cleaned up by the southerly blowing cross offshore. I've ridden quite a few different iterations of the mini simmons and this one is definately a good one!

 It paddles great, despite being 5'2. There's quite a lot of foam in there and i think we struck a good balance between float and duck divability. There's a hair more rocker than some versions of this shape, something we borrowed from the bing version and that really seems to work when you're up and surfing and yet isn't enough to affect wave catching or "mush busting"

It's fast, really fast and skatey and responsvie, section racing and feeling lively under foot like it will react to every little pressure change from your feet. The bottom has a pretty subtle roll up front and that transitions quickly a single concave that deepens through the fins.

 There's not much of a hull feel here, more jet powered fishy. That translates into whippy cutbacks and a board that is really happy to go backside with no real nursing required, something that can be the downfall of mini-sim style boards.

Personal bias aside, i honestly think we've come up with a great shape. Like i've said before, these style of boards go great in the UK but up til now getting hold of one was difficult. Well now you can get one that you know will work great and you know it will be lovingly shaped and beautifully hand finished by Jools and co at one of the best factories in this country.

 The 5'2 x 21 5/8 x 2.5 Gulfstream sea pea in full flow, available now...... disco fingers not included!

Big thanks to Tom for the company and the picture!!

style is everything

 

 So i've shamelessly stolen both these photos from Devon Howards instagram, mainly cos i really like them and partly because they reinforce how smooth and stylish Devon is. He's riding a 7'2 egg shaped by Tyler with a 2+1 set up which tends to be his choice in larger waves. Of course most will know him for his log stylings in films like single fin yellow and the seedling. 

When i started logging, Devon was one of the big names and someone i always enjoyed watching with his smooth noseriding mixed with powerful rail turns and drop knees. It's a style that is perhaps even more relevant in longboarding today and it's interesting that his signature model with Donald Takayama features many aspects of what people like Matt chojnacki and Alex knost are riding today despite being designed 15 odd years ago. Of course Devon himself would be first to admit that he is in turn heavily influenced by the invlovement style of longboarding circa 66/67 and his preferences for templates reflect this.

 Devon is currently testing shapes for Tyler and enjoying a proper grown up career.


He is genuinely one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. More smooth logging here

drive by....

 

Just what i wanted to see out of the window, small clean and empty! Perfect for my birthday surf a few weeks ago.