Portraying the physical and emotional struggle involved in professing the love of surfing and how it becomes a condition of life rather than a sport. A visual reflection of how surfers turn all that fear of an uncontrollable force of nature into an obsession. – Andrés Sánchez Belzunces
Waiting Game – Reubyn Ash, Joss Ash & Jobe Harriss tear up an October swell.
Music: ‘I wish that I was a madman’ by Staffan Carlen provided courtesy of Epidemic Sound
Filmed & edited by Adam Norris of Offshores Photo.
The film gives a little insight into Alex Crews life shaping surfboards, tells the story about the brand ACSOD and showcases his close relationship with his team as they journey around the world surfing pumping waves and having a hell time together. Featuring team riders Toby Mossop, Mitch Crews, Hinata Aizawa and Lewie Dunn.
This is the ACSOD MOVIE.
The town council are demanding SWW are held to account for sewage pollution.
Porthleven Town Council have declared an ‘Environmental Water Emergency’ and have demanded action be taken after concerns were raised by both Councillors (led by Cllr. Munday) and members of both Porthleven Surf Club and Salty Sisters (wild swimming club) over the number of sewage pollution alerts in Porthleven.
The town are the second in Cornwall, to do so after Newquay’s Town Council demanded action be taken to stop South West Water to stop CSO discharges off the towns beaches.
So far there have been 6 sewage pollution alerts in Porthleven this year and 9 last year, all causing potential risks to any users. The Town Council are concerned that there is a potential risk to health, the environment and economy of Porthleven and as such made the following resolution at the Town Council meeting:
* Request South West Water immediately deal with the water quality issues in our local area with a robust plan for their network.
* Declare an Environmental Water Emergency around water quality
* Call on Cornwall Council and the Government through our local MP to do more to hold South West Water to account over their poor performance the last 10 years.
* Invite a representative from the South West Water to attend our next meeting to explain how the work they are doing will improve the situation we have in Porthleven.
A legal challenge is being launched to stop water companies dumping sewage into the sea and rivers.
“A deluge of untreated sewage is being dumped by water companies into our rivers and along our coastlines, but the Government is failing to act.
“Good Law Project believes that the Government’s lack of urgency is not only dangerous, it is also unlawful on a number of grounds.
“This is why we are joining forces with Richard Haward’s Oysters and surfer and campaigner, Hugo Tagholm, to compel the Government to rewrite its Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan to impose much tighter deadlines on water companies to clean up their act.”
It is much needed action and you can support it here
Porthleven town council have just followed Newquay council in declaring a water emergency due to constant sewage pollution.
The Boat Ramp Photo: @malsurf
Shetland’s first ever surfing competition and the second most Northerly surfing competition in the world took place over the weekend (15-16th October 2022). The Gathering of the Clans, which is the Scottish Inter-Club Surfing Championships, attracted teams from all over Scotland to battle it out on the waves of Sumburgh for the coveted clans sword and quaich trophies.
Winning clan The North Shore Surf Club (NSSC) with the Quaich and Sword Trophy, Photo: Brian Gray
Thurso’s North Shore Surf Club took home the title for an un-precedented 5th consecutive year with their surfers taking top spot in the Open Mens, Open Womens, Masters and Junior Girls divisions with a total of 9910points.
Current Scottish Champ Mark Boyd (NSSC) Post Heat Photo: @malsurf
Current Scottish Champions Mark Boyd (NSSC) and Phoebe Strachan (NSSC) won the two open divisions and Boyd became the first surfer to become the Masters and Open Mens division champion in both the Scottish Nationals and Inter-Clubs in the same year.
The Granite City Surf Club, with the help of a couple of recruits from the nearby Broch Surf Club (BSC), surfed their way to second place in the overall team rankings, with a maiden win from Adam El-Naggar (GCSC) in the Longboard division and a win from Brocher Sebastian Ballantyne (GCSC) in the Junior Boys. Aberdeen’s Lewis Morgan (GCSC) and Fraserburgh’s George Watt (GCSC) clinched runner up spots in the Junior Boys and Open Mens divisions respectively and Campbell Scott claimed a very respectable third place in the Masters division.
Fraserburgh’s George Watt (GCSC) eventual Mens Open runner up was recruited for the Granite City Surf Club this year Photo: Sue MacCallum Stewart
60° North Boardriders, as well as being incredible hosts, had a great showing in the event with Joe Morton (60N), Peter Georgeson (60N) and Tom Wills (60N) all making finals in their divisions and doing the Shetland community proud.
A team from Glasgow University Surf Club (GUSC) were in attendance representing the South of Scotland and after day 1, when the points for divisions which had been completed were tallied up (Open Mens and Open Womens), Glasgow were in second place! This was mostly due to their team having a higher number of competitors in the Open divisions than the other teams. After the Sunday’s competition though, that strategy would let their side down as the points came in for the other divisions despite their best efforts in the Longboarding, with Finlay Todd (GUSC) and Dexter McKeating (GUSC) narrowly missing out on semi-final berths. Nicole Amber (GUSC) and Dexter McKeating (GUSC) did however make the Open divisions semi finals on the Saturday with some solid surfing, giving Glasgow reason to celebrate.
Glasgow University Surf Club Photo: Brian Gray
Saturday’s competition took place on the “Boat Ramp”; a fun rippable right hand reef break, which had some good size sets but a tricky devil wind, making for some entertaining wipeouts. Phoebe Strachan (NSSC) was seemingly unstoppable in the Open Women’s division with fantastic wave selection and calculated surfing, in the choppy surf, to take the win over Olivia MacKay (NSSC); one of Scotland’s finest up and coming junior surfers who is currently sitting in 3rd place in the U18 Girls division of the SSF Junior Series.
Current Scottish Champ Phoebe Strachan (NSSC) Photo: @malsurf
Mark Boyd (NSSC), although had already had three heat wins to make his way to the final, saved his best for last, with a three turn combo including a committed and steep re-entry on the sketchy boat ramp end section, to post an excellent score and take the win over George Watt (GCSC) in the Open Mens final with a heat total of 13.83pts. Boyd would go on to best team-mate Chris Noble (NSSC) in the Masters final at West Voe Beach on the last heat of the day on the Sunday in small shore-breaking high tide closeouts and take the Open and Masters double for the second time this year.
Tamzin Rosie (NSSC) at West Voe Beach on the Sunday Photo: @malsurf
The Longboarders had a ball for most of the event on West Voe’s reforming baynks, with Phoebe Strachan (NSSC) putting on an excellent performance in early rounds (14.17pts heat total in Rd1 and a semi final heat win over eventual winner Adam El-Nagar (GCSC)) with a display of traditional and modern longboard surfing. Phoebe, the only female in the draw, lost out to Adam El-Nagar (GCSC) by less than a point in the final. Adam posted a 6.33pts ride early on in the final for a winding right which zipped along the West Voe inside bank and Phoebe was unable to flip the heat despite Adam’s low backup score.
The Scottish Surfing Federation would like to thank 60° North Boardriders for their amazing hospitality as our event hosts as well as Shetland Community Benefit Fund, Viking Energy, Awards for All, Northlink Ferries, Shetland Sports Development Council and Mystic.
Adam El-Naggar (GCSC) Longboard champ Photo: @malsurf
Results:
1. North Shore Surf Club (NSSC) 9910pts
2. Granite City Surf Club (GCSC) 8525pts
3. 60° North Boardriders (60N) 6410pts
4. Glasgow University Surf Club (GUSC) 5008pts
Open Men
1. Mark Boyd (NSSC)
2. George Watt (GCSC)
3. Chris Noble (NSSC)
4. Joe Morton (60N)
Open Women
1. Phoebe Strachan (NSSC)
2. Olivia MacKay (NSSC)
3. Rhiannon Evans (NSSC)
4. Sheila Finlayson (NSSC)
Masters
1. Mark Boyd (NSSC)
2. Chris Noble (NSSC)
3. Campbell Scott (GCSC)
4. Tom Wills (60N)
Longboard
1. Adam El-Naggar (GCSC)
2. Phoebe Strachan (NSSC)
3. Peter Georgeson (60N)
4. Juvenal Dufaur (NSSC)
Junior Boys
1.Sebastian Ballantyne (GCSC)
2.Lewis Morgan (GCSC)
Junior Girls
1. Olivia MacKay (NSSC)
2. Tamzin Rosie (NSSC)
3. Nadia Murray (NSSC)
4. Voe Brock (NSSC)
