C-Skins Winter-Kit Giveaway

To get you geared up for surfing this autumn and winter season, C-Skins are giving away £385 worth of high-end kit!

Crafted from cutting-edge technology, relentless creativity and pushing the limits of wetsuit design and materials so that you can push your own limits in the water, C-Skins deliver on warmth, fit, flexibility and durability to maximise your time in the water.

One lucky winner will take away:

Wired 5×4 Chest Zip Wetsuit
A C-Skins team favourite, the Wired range continues to evolve with the latest 2018 features. The all new Wrap Around Mesh panelling gives the surfer 360 degree defence with a seamless barrier against wind chill. Dryknit lining, combined with new ThermoTech and Ultimate Flex linings make this one of the warmest Wired suits ever.

Wired 5mm Hidden Split Toe Boots
Dryknit lined for ultimate warmth with increased lightness, fast drying and performance. Xtend Fusion Isolation taped seams provides a tape that stretches with your body and gives extra waterproofing to the seam. Asymmetric arch support to give crital support in the arch of your foot plus laser cut soles and multi layer sole rubber reinforcement for ultimate grip and stick.

Wired 3mm Gloves
Multi-layer PE ink gives excellent grip and improves paddle power whilst the 100% Xtend neoprene provides a flexible, lightweight and super hydrophobic external lining that has excellent multi-directional stretch. Plus Glued and blind-stitched seams and liquid sealed seams to enhance waterproofing and strength and provide superior warmth and maximum comfort.

ENTER HERE

A winner will be drawn on Friday 12th October at 5pm and will be contacted via direct message on Instagram.

For more on C-Skins head to their website here or Instagram here.

Top photo courtesy Kian Bourke Steer | Bottom photo courtesy Sharpy

Priboi – Surf Siberia

It’s no surprise to hear that there are Russian surfers. Most of us have met a few on our travels – usually somewhere tropical. What’s less well known is the wealth of surfing terrain that Russia is holding. Priboi, premiering at this year’s London Surf / Film Festival Oct 10th – 13th, sets out to lift the lid on one of surfing’s last undiscovered frontiers. Tickets are available HERE: 

Told through stunning cinematography and over mind blowing distances, this is certainly a surf movie that blows the usual stereotypes out of the water. We caught up with surfer and filmmaker Sergey Rasshivaev to find out more.

“When we started this project the idea was to show the world the people who surf in Russia – and the places they surf,” explains Sergey. “Many people don’t believe it’s possible to surf here. But the waves, the people, it all exists.” In Priboi, Sergey and his filmmaking partner Konstantin Kokorev, take the viewer on a journey across the vastness of the Russian continent – and what they reveal is pretty mind blowing. There are surfable coastlines on the Baltic, Barents, Black and Caspian Seas all the way to the Pacific – from European to Asia – from 6mil suits to boardshorts.

I ask him how people reacted when they turned up to surf at many of these spots. “People were in shock,” he explains. “Even when we come to surf in their town. Some of them tell us it’s impossible. After watching how we do it, everything changes for them. When the people watch our film, they start to believe not only they can surf, but they can do anything that they dream about. That’s was main idea of the film.”

With such a vast landscape, it was no overnight project. “The Surf Siberia project has been about 5 years, while the movie we work about two years.” When you see surfers wading through knee deep slow in a blizzard, or using a skidoo to reach the breaks, that is serious commitment. I ask what the hardest part of the project has been. “If we talk about the trips – the Arctic and Kuril Islands,” Sergey explains. “It was the most dangerous situation there. But the hardest part was not filming and expedition. This project was self-financed and to find support to keep working was a big deal – so thanks everybody who helped us.”

In many parts of the world the surfing bug bites pretty hard when it becomes established. I ask how big the surf communities are in Russia now. “It’s difficult to say really,” he says. “But this summer I counted at one spot in Finland Bay, near to Saint Petersburg, over a 100 people at the same time in the water. So overall I’d say there are a few thousand… but who knows.”

Hosted 10-13 October 2018 at London’s iconic Regent Street Cinema we’re bringing to the UK a handpicked line up representing the pinnacle of contemporary surfing – documentaries to inspire, travelogues to stir up the wanderlust and of course some of the most mind blowing surfing.

Photos: ©taniaelisarieva

Maya Gabeira sets world record

Photo: WSL Pedro/Meste

Nazaré, Portugal (Monday, October 1, 2018) – Today, the World Surf League (WSL) proudly announced that Maya Gabeira (BRA) has claimed the inaugural Women’s XXL Biggest Wave Award and set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest wave surfed unlimited (female).
The 31-year old from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil successfully surfed a wave measuring 68 feet / 20.72 metres from trough to crest at the infamous big-wave break known as Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal on January 18, 2018.
“To set the world record has been a dream of mine for many years,” said Gabeira. “But of course, after the accident in Nazaré 2013, it felt like a very distant dream. It took a lot of work to have a season like last year, to be 100% again, and to complete it with a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDStitle is quite special.”
Gabeira’s incredible feat did not come without its challenges. In 2013, Gabeira suffered a serious injury at Nazaré, but her unwavering determination brought her back to the monstrous and dangerous wave to not only surf again, but set the women’s world record.
“It’s been quite a journey, but I can honestly say that in 2013 when I first came to Nazaré my life changed like never before,” continued Gabeira. “Of course, there was an accident, injuries and so on, but also I moved to Nazaré to be closer to the wave. I dedicated most of my time to the spot and I had years to focus on improving, on safety and on being around the best people to get where I wanted to be. That time was priceless, it taught me a lot and slowly I got back to my feet. Back to surfing at 100% and in a spot that I honestly consider the biggest and most challenging wave I ever surfed.”

Photo: Bruno Aleixo

“Congratulations to Maya Gabeira for her outstanding achievement,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL CEO. “Maya exemplifies the courage, commitment, and progression of female athletes around the world and we are so proud to celebrate her today as the new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title holder for the Largest wave surfed unlimited (female).”
The achievement was announced at a special ceremony upon the grounds of the famous lighthouse that stands watch over the waves of Praia do Norte. An official Adjudicator of GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS presented Gabeira with a certificate declaring her as the current record holder for the Largest wave surfed unlimited (female).
Contenders for the women’s world record dated back through surfing history, but the frontrunners featured two-time Big Wave Tour Champion Paige Alms, big wave standouts Justine Dupont, Keala Kennelly, Andrea Moller, and surfing icon Bethany Hamilton.
Normally, the WSL’s Big Wave Awards declare the biggest and best waves of the year during the annual Big Wave Awards show in April. As this was a special determination of the largest wave ridden to date – spanning the history of the sport – it was awarded in a unique setting at the start of the winter big wave season, and will now set the bar in the category going forward. The 2019 Big Wave Awards in April will now award two new categories: Women’s XXL Biggest Wave Award (where jet skis maybe be used) and the Women’s Biggest Paddle Award (wave caught with only arm power).
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Your guide to the film premieres, concerts and official parties at Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France

line up during final day at Quiksilver Pro France 2017, Hossegor, France

Visiting the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France? Here is your guide to what’s on apres surf!

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3RD
Quiksilver & Roxy Pro France waiting period commences*
5:00pm: Autograph session with elite surfers, downtown Hossegor
9:00pm : Quiksilver Generations Screening, Place des Landais, Hossegor

THURSDAY OCTOBER 4TH
7:00 pm : XL Tour Concert, Place des Landais, Hossegor

FRIDAY OCTOBER 5TH
6:00 pm : Opening Party presented by Roxy, Joe&Joe, Hossegor

SATURDAY OCTOBER 6TH
2:00 pm -7:00pm : Exhibition « Tom Carroll 80-85” Casino, Hossegor
7:00 pm : SCREENING LISA ANDERSEN « TROUBLES », followed by a women panel, Le Rex Hossegor
7:00 pm : Sunset Sons Concert, Place des Landais, Hossegor

SUNDAY OCTOBER 7TH
10:00 am -7:00pm : Exhibition « Tom Carroll 80-85” Casino, Hossegor
10:00 am : Roxy Yoga Master Class – La Sud, Hossegor
11:00 am : Quiksilver et Roxy Pro France Beach Cleaning presented by WSL PURE and Surfrider Foundation – La Sud, Hossegor

MONDAY OCTOBER 8TH
8 :00 pm : « Génération Momentum » Screening, Le Rex Hossegor

TUESDAY OCTOBER 9TH
9 :00 pm : « Kissed by God» présenté par Surf Night Screening, Le Rex Hossegor

THURSDAY OCTOBER 11 TH
7:00 pm : Boardriders Party, Boardriders, Capbreton

SUNDAY OCTOBER 14TH
Quiksilver & Roxy Pro France waiting period ends.*

Waco Pool Closed For CDC Tests…

The wild ride of wave pools has just hit a very large pothole. The latest kid on the block that has everyone frothing, the BSR Cable Park in Waco, Texas, has been closed early for the season and won’t reopen until March as they investigate the possibility a surfer died from a brain-eating bug. It’s a hard thing to test for but being careful is obvs the sensible course and so they’re working with the CDC to see if the park was the source. Our thoughts are with Fabrizio Stabile’s family and friends.

Managing any freshwater body of water is tricky. Kayakers and river users know full well the risks of gastro bugs and of fatal conditions like Weil’s disease, which gets washed into water courses from rat runs when rivers are in flood. The park has stated they’re going to instal filtration and manage the pool as a pool as opposed to a swimming lake in future. More below…

The Waco Tribune-Herald reports Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is testing BSR Cable Park’s Surf Resort for Naegleria fowleri, a rare but highly deadly amoeba colloquially known as a “brain-eating amoeba.”

BSR Cable Park owner Stuart E. Parsons Jr. said it will continue to comply with requests related to the investigation of Fabrizio Stabile’s death. The 29-year-old man died in New Jersey earlier this month after falling ill with Naegleria fowleri. Parsons said Stabile had been in the park’s wave pool. Officials are investigating the source.

An obituary in The Press of Atlantic City describes Stabile as an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing, surfing and snowboarding.

“Our hearts and prayers are with his family, friends, and the New Jersey surf community during this difficult time,” Parsons said. He said the surf resort, which operates an artificial man-made wave, is in compliance with the CDC’s “guidelines and recommendations concerning Naegleria fowleri.”

The surf resort has closed pending the test results from the CDC, he said. 

The CDC says people are typically infected when they go diving or swimming in warm freshwater places. Normally, people are infected when contaminated water enters through their nose, according to the agency.

LS/FF 2018 Line-up Announced

The 8th annual London Surf / Film Festival x Reef hits the capital 10 – 19th October 2018.
This year’s programme of premieres, underground projects and award winning features, explore our salt water realm and the diverse characters that inhabit it like never before. With documentaries to inspire, surfing to blow minds, travel to stir up the wanderlust and biopics that get under the skin this year’s international London Surf / Film Festival is a true slice of surfing in the here and now and a showcase of our multi-layered world of waveriding.

“The breadth of this year’s line up is really exciting,” says LS/FF Director Demi Taylor. “We’re hosting two huge premieres that lift the curtain on an era that changed modern surfing forever. Momentum Generation charts the rise and rivalries of Slater, Machado and their tight knit crew of nu skoolers who triggered a paradigm shift in not just waveriding, but youth culture. Trouble: The Lisa Andersen Story, in a raw and intimate insight into the rise of a true surfing icon, an enigmatic 4x world champion that changed the way the world thought about women and our lifestyle. We’re delighted to be hosting the eagerly awaited World Premiere of multi award winning Director Andrew Kaineder’s Beyond The Noise. Featuring Noah Lane and Harrison Roach in Europe’s most jaw dropping waves, combining stunning cinematography and an arresting soundscape this is a must see exploration.”

LS/FF is bringing to the UK 3 World premieres, 2 European Premieres and 10 UK Premieres. For many of the movies, the festival will be the only chance to watch them as they were intended to be enjoyed – on the big screen, accompanied by a packed crowd of likeminded folk – the original “social media” experience.

Accompanied by Q+A’s and audiences with some of the world’s most exciting surfers and award winning filmmakers plus live music, art, pop up events and more the London Surf / Film Festival is a must attend for dreamers, doers, adventurers, hard chargers and anyone of a salty disposition.

10 – 13 October 2018, Regent Street Cinema plays host to the London Surf / Film Festival. Tickets are on sale now >> HERE.
There are limited number of evening passes available offering more surf for your buck, plus a free beer from our friends at Sharp’s (over 18’s only) and exclusive goodies!

15 – 19 October 2018, Events are popping up across the capital – sign up to the LS/FF newsletter for details >> HERE

For full details head to: londonsurffilmfestival.com

London Surf / Film Festival 2018 Feature Line-Up

Beyond the Noise by Andrew Kaineder // 11th October
WORLD PREMIERE: Surfer Poll nominated multi-award winning filmmaker Andrew Kaineder presents this highly anticipated ode to an Irish Winter, when snow covered the ground and deep depressions spiralled in the raging North Atlantic. Combining epic waveriding from Noah Lane & Harrison Roach, plus stunning cinematography, not to be missed. Presented by Director Andrew Kaineder & surfer Noah Lane

Trouble: The Lisa Anderson Story by Chas Smith // 13th October
EUROPEAN PREMIERE: Enigmatic surf icon and 4 Time World Champion Lisa Andersen changed youth culture forever. Her combination of style, power, drive and determination showed the world a new way to think about female surfing. A raw and honest insight into Lisa’s perilous quest to fulfil the hastily scribbled promise of a run-away teen to be the world’s number one.

Momentum Generation by the Zimbalist Brothers // 12th October
UK PREMIERE: Fired by an explosive cocktail of camaraderie and deep-seated competitiveness, this highly anticipated documentary explores how Slater, Machado, Dorian et al pushed each other to levels of performance previously unseen in surf culture. A frank and insightful exposé of the rivalries forged and friendships burned in the white heat of competitive surfing. A very special screening & guest Q+A

The Electric Acid Surfboard Test by Ashton Goggans // 12th October
UK PREMIERE: What happens when you bring Dane Reynolds and 10 tripped out surfboards, hand-shaped by some of the most radical hands, for a ten-day mind-melter at Mexico’s loveliest sand points? A celebration of surfing’s experimental tradition, an exploration of some of the most iconic and disruptive alternative designs, put through their paces by surfing’s most radical innovator. Filmmaker Q+A

EOS by Bruce Muller // 10th October
EUROPEAN PREMIERE: Iconic Kassia Meador blurs the line between surfer, artist & performer. Combining an epic soundscape and stunning cinematography from Scott Soens & the late, great Sonny Miller, this is a creative and captivating cinematic masterpiece. Not to be missed.

Priboi by Kokorev Konstantin // 11th October
UK PREMIERE: In Siberia, winter water temperatures average just 2 degrees, snow lays heavy on the beaches and then there are the blizzards to contend with. This is cold water surfing at its very limits. This ground breaking, visually arresting masterpiece is a two year quest across the vastness of the Russian continent, home to some 37,000 km of coastline. A must see surf exploration.

Big Wata by Gugi van der Velden // 10th October
UK PREMIERE: West Africa has a turbulent and violent past, a history marked by civil war, ravaged by disease. In a small corner of Sierra Leone, during an Ebola outbreak, a band of brothers find solace, escape and a new found identity through surfing. Big Wata (The Ocean) offers an insight into the first and only surf club in Sierra Leone.

A Land Shaped by Women by Anne-Flore Marxer // 13th October
UK PREMIERE: Anne-Flore Marxer and Aline Bock, two Freeride World Champions, undertake an amazing journey across Iceland, exploring this breath-taking country by van, carving fresh powder and frigid point breaks, while also meeting some of the women who have helped forge Icelandic culture.

It’s Not All About The Waves by Kepa Acero // 13th October
UK PREMIERE: Surf adventurer Kepa Acero and photographer Eva Diaz head to Africa in search of a right hand point break but discover so much more, in this uplifting film about the power of community and joy of giving back. Q&A with filmmakers Kepa Acero and Eva Diaz

Paige by Bjarne Salen // 10th October
UK PREMIERE: Paige Alms is a ground breaking waverider, XXL award winning charger and pioneer of women’s big wave surfing. This documentary takes you inside Paige’s world, journeying to her home island of Maui where she trains, mentally and physically preparing for the rigours of a season taking on her favourite wave – the infamous Jaws.

Rail Road by Gustavo Imigrante // 12th October
UK PREMIERE: Nic Von Rupp embarks on an ethereal surf lapse around Europe, traversing the continent on night trains, branch lines and intercity expresses, finding stirring landscapes and time to contemplate, between stalking sickeningly shallow slabs with Mick Fanning and mind warpingly huge waves with Ireland’s bravest chargers. Presented by Nic von Rupp

The Sea Empowers Dir. Lucy Jane/ Joya Berrow // 10th October
WORLD PREMIERE: Within the patriarchal Jamaican surf scene, 28 year old Imani Wilmot is a beacon of hope for fellow women. An intimate exploration on the social impact of surfing
on a community. Events culminate in the first ever all female surf contest in Jamaican history. Emotions run high and the gravity of the competition exposes just how much surfing really means to these women.

Emocean Dir. Tony Harrington // 10th October
UK PREMIERE: Featuring the likes of iconic surf filmmaker Paul Witzig, Pipeline photographer Brent Bielmann, watermen Dave Kalama, Jamie Mitchell and Jeff Clarke plus surfers Bronte & Dave MacAulay, and shot on location in Australia, Hawaii and California this is a cinematic exploration of our complex relationships with the ocean.

Nausicaa by Luca Merli // POP UP
UK PREMIERE: The ocean going yacht Nausicaa embarks on a surf adventure with a twist, traversing unexplored shores and empty waves in the Mediterranean’s most secluded corners, living with an almost zero carbon footprint, embracing the beauty of the cradle of civilization and reflecting on living a simple lifestyle in symbiosis with nature. Luca Merli ‘s stylishly laidback movies make you want to jump on a plane and head straight to the crystalline blue waters of the Italian coastline.

International Shorts
Tan Dir. Alena Ehrenbold
North Sea Holes Dir. Lewis Arnold & Chris McClean
A Lunar Cycle Dir: Andrew Kaineder
Black is a Colour Dir: Taylor Knox (A very special screening)
Generations Dir.Russell Brownley
Isla de los Bufalos Dir. Gabriel Novis