War in Cabo Verde

Well, not a real war obviously!

It's more that there's a daily war of attrition going on between the people and the elements.

In previous years we’ve always been blessed with some waves and some wind at Ponta Preta, it’s not always been all time, but often very do-able.  Even then it’s always been a battle between you, the wind, the waves and often the rocks! 

I think this year is harder than ever though? Curral Joual up on the north side of the island has been the battle ground this yearn so far with the best chance of conditions. The wind has been on and off, the swell too, the launch is really gnarnly, full of sea urchin covered slippery jagged rocks, the only saving grace is i’m in heat 15 is i haven’t had to negotiate it yet!

The one constant is the sunshine, it’s been roasting every day, caked in sunscreen with all the dirt flying around it’s a pretty mucky affair too.  My tactic so far is to try and stay out of the sun, save the energy and drink lots of water, its about all you can do? Typically we’ve been out and about the beach around 9 every day until 6 ish and it just drains you.

Today looks like a day where there really is nothing happening, so a day of rest most likely.

Tomorrow things should improve as there’s a chance we could be at Ponta Preta if there’s enough NW in the swell, otherwise it’s back to the north for some more punishment!

It would be nice to get some more of this again?

Maui? Cabo Verde? Maybe? Maybe Not!!

I just recently we had a couple of days sailing at home and it was what i like to call classic Rhosneigr STAR-PORT windsurfing!

(apologies on the quality, uploading it through Cabo Verde internet is a mission! will replace for a better quality one when i get chance!)

This video was filmed over a couple of sessions and they've been through the mash up and come out as one. The first session was in the morning, about 9am, it was lashing it down with rain, pretty wavey and i was using my JP 74 Quad and my Manic 4.2 (red sail).

The second session was filmed in the afternoon the next day i think? i was using my 74 again and this time my Manic 4.5 (blue sail), by then the tide had gone out and the wind pretty damn onshore! it was so onshore you could ride and jump both ways!

Well, you could try, it was actually really difficult to do anything with such a tight angle on the waves, But, good fun all the same..

Some people are lucky enough that when they go home form events they head to the likes of Maui, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile and so on... Sometimes its a bit gutting when i see all the videos that get posted on the web of everyone shredding in places they call home, i do like a good day in Rhosneigr as much as anywhere, they're so few and far between which is the frustrating thing!

So, for all you northern europe folk like me who are getting out the winter wetsuits and going shopping for wetsuit boots, this video's for you guys!! in preparation for the Cabo Verde event i just called this day Rhos Verde in my head... it's amazing how warm it feels if you imagine you're somewhere else!

A big 'big up!' to the missus for donning the waterproofs and coming to the beach to film too!

Cornwall Wave Classic Winner!!

Wahoo!!!!!

Finally, after many years of coming to Cornwall on what seem like good forecasts and being disappointed, this time it delivered! and big time!!!

The conditions were probably the best wave sailing conditions i've ever had in mainland UK, ever? i'm trying to think back and there really isn't anywhere that compares to the conditions we had for this event.

The contest area was quite a long walk up the beach from Gwithians car park but the waves were just insane! The sets were rolling in at around mast high and if you were clever and got the right wave it just reeled along the sandbank, perfectly forming, i think in the final i had a wave with 5 good turns on before finishing with an aerial... it was crazily good!

We managed to complete a single elimination and half of a double elimination before conditions deteriorated.
It was an epic contest, 18 minute heats in perfect waves, it was pretty windy and side offshore, i was using my 4.5 manic so i had enough power to get out but on the waves it's so light and so much control you can power and de power it super easy..

I have to give a big up to my brother Dave at this point, he was last years UK amateur champion and entered his first pro wave event, he ripped!! his second heat was awesome, he caught 2 really good waves and shredded them all the way in, knocking out pro mens tour leader Ben Proffitt in the second round! good scalp boyo. Ben might already have had the overall title sewn up but this was a bragging rights blow for the shrewsbury lad that he didn't want to lose! well done dave though, must be those boards and sails you got!

The Final was just about as good as i could have wanted for me.  I was on my JP Kauli Quad 74 production board and my 4.5 Gaastra Manic.  I caught a solid logo to mast high wave that peeled perfectly and i could really push hard in my turns off the bottom and off the top, i'd seen some other guys struggling on their top turns earlier in the day with the offshore wind but i could just carve it super hard with so much control, it all felt so easy!!  The new quads are working so nice.... they seem to have everything i need, it's nice to feel confident on your gear and then you can just think about your wave selection.

Straight away i got a second wave and ripped that all the way into the beach, that was 2 incredible waves in the first 10 minutes!! i had another 8 minutes but i wasn't sure how i could have bettered those waves!!

I went hunting a massive aerial thinking if i did something extra spectacular i might get more but i crashed pretty hard and thought i better look after myself and my gear a bit better than that!!

It turned out i'd already done more than enough and got the 2 highest scoring waves of the day in the final, a nice way to finish i thought! :)

The conditions deteriorated as they started the double elimination, eventually being abandoned after the first 5 heats or so...

The competition rolled into the weekend and the Amatuers had their turn in some more good conditions but they never really fired anything like the day before and so the pro result from the single elimination and half double stood..  Leaving me Cornwall Wave Classic Champion!!! wooooohooooo!.......

I wish all contests could be in good conditions like these... too many times we've had to scrabble around in uninspiring knee high, light wind, mush.... this was the other end of the scale!! a contest in going off conditions that made me want to compete again!!

you can see some quick video highlights of the 1st day on Boardseekermag

there's more pix and info on Boards too.

Pix thanks to:
www.Guavajelly.co.uk
BWA / Crowther
Factory Media