flat 'n' loose

Cotic Bikes Presents #26aintdead from Steel City Media on Vimeo.

 Wherever you stand on the wheel size debate that's entertaining countless internet bike nerds as you read this, there's some fine hardtail ragging going down there!

I've been back on flat pedals too after a year clipped in (riding nothing like the video though!) Mainly because my flat pedal shoes are a lot warmer and more waterproof than my spd's and i was fed up with getting numb toes!

I'm really enjoying getting loose in the mud and hopefully my bike handling is improving too. According to evil that is strava i'm no slower so maybe they'll stay on for the summer!

slouch five

Proving that even at a slack wave like saunton, 17.25 inches of nosewidth is plenty for noseriding as long as you stuff the tail in the right part of the wave!

CP by ZG

Hopefully my being away from the coast is bringing the rest of you some nice waves like this. With any luck i'm surfing waves of fluffy snow as you read this on a shiny new snowboard.

I've got a new Lib Tech attack banana to try out which felt pretty good on the bounce around the garden test. It's got rocker between the bindings but an elliptical camber from bindings to tips so hopefully should still have the float and forgiveness of my old skate banana but give a little more confidence and edge hold at speed. I'll let you know.

The board is through my friend James Stentiford, peerless UK freeride legend and all around top chap. After qualifying as a proper mountain guide last year, this winter he has launched his own guiding company Stentiford snowboarding offering free riding and splitboarding courses in the Chamonix valley. If you find yourself in that area of the alps and want an inspirational day of snowboarding, especially if you fancy earning those turns then look no further!

hunkered down

Lovely memories of using a tent to shelter tired sun burnt arms from the sun and not other elements!

One of the cooler things about running this blog is the random worldwide connections it creates with  other creative, surf stoked people. Case in point was a recent email from Evan at Travelgrom.com from california whose got a pretty slick looking site based on his passion for travel on a budget, waves and music. Worth clicking through to if you have a fwminutes to spare.

the path.

I remember feeling all Endless summer as i walked along this path through French dunes, crossed the horizon and saw empty small warm beach break in front of me. Not quite Cape St Francis but not a bad substitute for a couple of hours!

I'm actually off to the snowy vistas of Norway again in a week or so, looking forward to some nice mellow snowboarding and hopefully some sneaky fresh pow turns.

Norway is not really high on most peoples bucket lists for snow trips. Most people’s preconceptions are that the mountains are small and it’s really cold, and expensive.

That’s kinda right. It’s certainly a different experience to visiting the alps. There are no towering crags and precipitous roads as you approach, no winding hairpins and heart in the mouth moments as French locals overtake you on blind bends.

It’s more of a snowy wonderland. The last tarmac you see is the runway at Gatwick. The plane lands on snow and all the roads are white. The hills are rolling and pine covered and white as far as the eye can see and you’re just as likely to see locals zoom past you on cross country ski’s as pass on foot.

The resorts themselves are pretty small with a limited vertical drop and it’s not that steep. It’s not a place for motorway skiing or ticking off several places in one day. You’re not sold so far I know.

But…… the snow quality is excellent, pretty much guaranteed. The cold temperatures prevent any kind of freeze thaw freeze cycle like you often get in France so it stays as packed powder that holds a beautiful edge on-piste for ever after a snowfall. I reckon Tahoe is the only other place with such consistency I’ve been. When there are freshies to be had there’s amazing, safe tree runs to be had, which don’t get tracked that quickly because the resorts are pretty quiet out of weekends.

It’s not that cold either really as long as you have a decent set of gloves (mitts are good) and a good jacket. I’m a sucker for a nice down jacket and I’ve been loving my volcom one the last couple of trips. I digress but check out theclymb.com if you are in the US reading this, they have big discounts on ski equipment and other outdoors gear at discounts up to 70% off retail!

The parks are ace too, really well maintained with kickers from tiny up to scary giant size. Quite often they are dotted around at the sides of main runs so easy to hit if you are spending the day with non freestyling family!

And that’s where the real strength of the place comes. It’s a great place for getting your kids stoked on skiing. The instruction is great, their English is better than some Englishmen I’ve met and the resorts are perfect for building confidence in children or that non skiing girlfriend / wife you have coerced into joining you!

It’s not even that expensive, with the euro so strong and the “off the radar” nature of the place it’s a similar cost to going anywhere else.

It’s also a really great, different experience to the classic brits abroad/ party vibe that you get in the big alpine resorts and sometimes doing something different to the taking a low budget flight to Geneva and beyond can be good!

summertime.....

I was reading one of Tom's blog posts about popping up on waves as a beginner the other day. It got me thinking about one of my favorite things in longboarding, a true simple pleasure, the old "left go right"

There's something incredibly satisfying about a well executed fade take off, the pendulum swing of inertia as you stand and turn in one fluid motion, ideally timed perfectly to allow the section to steepen and smoothly followed by a swift cross step to toes over.

happy new year

 

Hope it's a good one for you and yours!

tow the line

I like to think that i'm farly objective in my surfboard reviews. I hope i have moved on from the childlike wonder that used to greet every pretty resin tint (when those things were much less common) and the gushing over every new line and turn and new surfing experience. That said, i'm aware that i'm rarely critical of the boards i buy and borrow to surf. Perhaps a little out of courtesy to others hard work and tightly held views. I like to think though that it's because there aren't many bad boards out there anymore, just stuff that suits some people more than others!

merry christmas

To everyone that's made their way to this little corner of the internet over the past year. Hope you had it good! Charge your glasses ladies and gentlemen!

Photo of CP by Zac Gibson at Saunton a few weeks ago

ground zero

I've had a couple of really fun trips to London recently, feeling like a country bumpkin off to the big smoke. It reminded me how much fun living in a city can be. There's a real buzz of energy and a feel of excitement and possibilities. I'd never move but it's good to get some exposure to culture more vibrant than the backwater that Devon can be. We definately ought to do it more often..........

No trip can be complete without a sojurn along the South Bank and a trip to Slam City Skates both British skateboarding institutions and two places i looked forward more to visiting than any of the official sights when i first went to the capital.

Incidentally, if you or your kids have anything more than a passing interest in Harry Potter, i'd heartily advise a trip to the Harry Potter studio tour at Leavesden where you can wander amongst the sets from the films, drink butter beer and try out greenscreen broomstick flying.

#seapea

5'4 translucent grey tint with matching fins, hand painted logos and gloss comp stripe as seen at the fish fry and now in JH's grubby mitts

keypitts

 

BGA tries to look all moody and catalogue pose........... or maybe he's hiding his red face fm the exertions of the climb!

 North Devon has a new MTB trail centre at Keypitts farm. It's small scale so far but if they get enough interest over the next few months there are big plans to expand it afoot. It's not quite bike park wales and they are learning as they go but early reports are good and it's great to have something like this happening here to supplement the good natural riding.

Check them out here and support them if you can!

levitation

It's a cliche but noseriding really does feel like walking on water sometimes!

Zac Gibson swum his head and camera into harms way! He's a young but talented photographer check him out here