The European Gromsearch finals brought together Europe’s best under 16, 14 and 12 surfers for a thrilling display of surfing skills in beautiful conditions at Anchor Point, Morocco in an intense two days of competition.
Britains Lukas Skinner and Spains Sainoa Ortega Under 16 category champions won spots and a free trip to the World #Gromsearch Finals which will be held just ahead of the #RipCurlPro Bells Beach in April!
Under 16 Boys :
1st Lukas Skinner (GBR)
2nd Hans Odriozola (ESP)
3rd Inigo Madina (FRA)
4th Enoha Le Pieres (FRA)
Under 16 Girls
1st Saioa Ortega (ESP)
2nd Maria Salgado (PRT)
3rd Anais Blanchard (FRA)
4th Belle Betteridge (UK)
Under 14 Boys :
1st Dylan Donegan (ESP)
2nd Josh Karbus (IRL)
3rd Esteban Coucoulis-Lapierre (FRA)
4th Michele Scoppa (ITA)
Quiksilver’s surf collection, SATURN is launching today! The full collection is available at Quiksilver.co.uk, starting from £24.00.
The apparel collection includes signature Y2K looks including cargo-short cuts, a longer, 20- inch boardshort silhouette and classic graphic elements, relying heavily on primary colours and featuring bold contrast stitching. The boardshorts in this collection are made using Quiksilver’s premier SurfSilk fabric, designed for comfort on the inside with a resilient exterior.
nspired by the look and feel of the early 2000s, Quiksilver athletes Kael Walsh, Rolando Montes and Al Cleland Jr. grew up watching the defining surf films of the era and have channeled the progression and aggression of the 2000s into a fresh new capsule. The three headed to Indonesia, South Coast and Western Oz to film one of Quiksilver’s most epic edits, Quiksilver // Saturn –
There is a lot going on in the world right now and a lot of people are stressed, both young and old. You see a lot in the press about ‘Blue Health’ and people being taken surfing to help relieve stress, but what if you are a stressed surfer? Well, luckily friend of Carve, Katy Griffin, is fully qualified in such matters and runs retreats, workshops and one-to-one counselling as well as working for the NHS. So we are going to run a series of articles by Katy in the hope it will help those suffering from all sorts of mental health issues. First up…Sleepless nights.
Sleepless nights.
It seems common these days for people to be unable to switch off their thoughts and worries, which leads to a downward spiral. An estimated 1 in 3 adults surfer sleep problems worldwide.
How can you intervene and break the cycle? Katy Griffin explains.
Sleep is the most under prescribed medications of the 21st century. Studies have shown that sleep is the most important factor to our physical and mental health. It aids our bodies to heal from illness, cope with stress, problem solve, process memories and improve cognition. Although it’s not just about sleeping but the quality of our sleep too.
If you are having problems here are ten top tips that will help.
Find a routine. Our circadian rhythm (the internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours ) loves routine and one night of change can throw it off balance. Set your clocks for bed and breakfast at the same time every day. Your body will soon ‘sync’ if you play it right.
Keep high intensity workouts to at least two hours before bed. Evening workouts can affect the brain’s ability to wind down so get them out of the way early and then set a relaxing routine before bedtime.
Reduce caffeine, nicotine and alcohol consumption. Stimulants can lead to very light sleep. Initially they can help you to fall asleep but they will rob you of that all important REM sleep.
Getting back to sleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night and your thoughts are racing, try meditation with apps like CALM and Headspace. Breathwork, such as breathing in through the nose for six counts and out the mouth for eight counts can help. Relax your muscles by doing a full body scan. Start at your toes and tense them for 20 seconds then release and work up through each muscle in the body, until you reach your head. Listening to relaxing music can also help to relax the mind.
Try not to eat too late, digesting heavy meals can interfere with sleep.
Bedtime routine. Create a relaxing routine before bed, just like you would for a 5-year-old. Keeping a worry journal, for those racing thoughts which may bother you at 3am. (Write them down and then you can forget about them until morning.)
Take a bath. A hot bath before bed can drop your body temperature once you’re in bed, in addition to making you feel sleepier and more relaxed.
Less screen time. We all know by now that screens are bad for good quality sleep and it takes discipline to remove yourself from them. Avoid all screens for at least two hours before sleep.
Get outside. At least thirty minutes of natural sunlight helps to regulate sleep patterns. Natural light in the morning and limiting light pollution before bed is key.
Get up if you can’t sleep. If you’re struggling to sleep and lying in bed for too long, it can just make you frustrated and this is not an effective sleep strategy. If you don’t fall asleep within thirty minutes, get up and try doing something relaxing. You only want your brain to associate your bed with sleeping or sex and not being awake.
Having an effective sleep routine does take time and discipline but the outcome for your health and wellbeing will be more than worth it.
If you’d like to learn more about sleep the book ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matthew Walker gives a fascinating insight into all things sleep related.
If you are still struggling with sleep you can speak to your GP, or Katy offers an online consultation service. (Details below)
Please email any questions you have related to mental health that you would like addressing in the next article to Katy[email protected].
Katy Griffin
Katy is a registered mental health nurse and founder of Thera-Sea – which takes a different educational approach to preventing mental health difficulties by offering well-being workshops, away days and retreats.
Katy does not believe in quick fix solutions for such complex issues as mental health. Instead, she has combined her 13 years of clinical experience, personal experience, scientific research and case histories to present a broad perspective workbook for participants which she delivers via the workshops, away days and retreats. The workshops are uplifting and informative which allows the participants to advance their own awareness and skills set around mental health as well as the people around them. www.thera-sea.co.uk She is about to launch her own podcast ‘The Diary of a Mental Health Nurse’
Boardmasters local crew! This year’s festival is about to sell out so if you want to get tickets, sign up to the pre-sale now to avoid disappointment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This year’s headliners boast Liam Gallagher, who’ll headline along with Florence + The Machine. Plus, there’s a wealth of other massive artists spanning a multitude of genres, from Little Simz, Four Tet and Example, to Bob Vylan, Connie Constance and Gwenno, set to descend for another scorcher of a summer on the Cornish coast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In what’s already been the fastest-selling Boardmasters ever, with camping tickets flying out in record time, Day Tickets will be going on sale imminently. Festival organisers strongly advise fans to get ready by signing up to the day tickets pre-sale, giving fans exclusive 24h access on tickets, to avoid missing out. Already, over 15,000 people are signed up for the pre-sale with demand at an all-time high. Pre-sale sign up closes at midnight on 22nd February via boardmasters.com. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ KEY DATES: Fans can sign up now for Boardmasters Day Tickets pre-sale via boardmasters.com Pre-sale sign ups close at midnight on 22nd February Day Tickets pre-sale from 10am on 23rd Februrary General On Sale (all remaining tickets) from 10am on 24th February
• Men’s Rounds 1 & 2, Women’s Round 1 Completed at Anza • Strong Offshores Challenge Europe and Africa’s Best • Next Call Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 8:15 a.m CET • More Information at WorldSurfLeague.com
The QS 3,000 Rip Curl Pro Search Taghazout Bay continued with a second consecutive day of action, but this time just down the road at the backup venue of Anza. The city of Agadir, Anza locals and associations New Generation & Blue Wave have embraced the return of the event to their local beach and shown great hospitality to the surfers, staff and visitors.
Competitors were treated to a beautiful day of action with clean waves in the three-to-four foot range and strong offshore winds under the warm Moroccan sun. The event wrapped the last four heats of the men’s Round of 128, the entire Round of 96 as well as the women’s opening Round of 56.
From Tahiti with Love, But Mostly Power A regular standout on the QS and Challenger Series (CS), Tahiti’s Mihimana Braye (above) once again showed his talent in the punchy little rights of Anza, putting together impressive combinations of backhand turns for an excellent 8.83 (out of a possible 10), the highest single-score of the day at the Rip Curl Pro Search Taghazout Bay.
Bouchgua Holds Ground, Regragui Bows Out on Home Turf
Teva Bouchgua (MAR, above) was the lone Moroccan to advance into the top seeded Round of 64 with good surfing in familiar conditions at Anza. He will make up a strong three-man team alongside event wildcards Aboubakar Bouaouda (MAR) and Abdel El Harim (MAR) when the event resumes. Their compatriot Redouane Regragui (MAR) was not as successful unfortunately as he was eliminated in the second round.
Women’s Event Underway, NewSchool Out for Blood at Anza The women’s opening Round of 56 ran towards the end of the day in continued quality lefts and rights at Anza and allowed competitors to get a first taste of surfing in Morocco as the women’s division was added for the first time this year.
Young competitors, mostly still juniors, fought it out late this afternoon for a chance to make the second round and join a more experienced field when the event continues. Saioa Ortega (ESP, above), the winner in Under-16 of the recent European Final of the Rip Curl GromSearch took one of those qualifying spots and will continue to shine bright in Moroccan waters.
Lukas Skinner (GBR), who won the men’s division of the Rip Curl GromSearch, unfortunately fell just short of advancing, bowing out in third position of the Round of 96. The next call will be made at 8:15 a.m CET, Today, Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at Anza to decide the day’s schedule.
The 2023 Rip Curl Pro Pro Search Taghazout Bay is scheduled from February 18-26, 2023, at Anchor Point, Taghazout Bay / Morocco. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com.
