Mango on the Ments

Matt Meola cruising through the Mentawais causing havoc.

Full story in the next issue of Carve.

Five reasons the Quiksilver Pro France rocks

When it comes to world tour events Europe does them better than anywhere. The jewel in the crown of course is the legendary Quik Pro France which has had an amazing run of swell over many years. With with two weeks to go here are five reasons your should get down there. And a couple of clips to whet your appetite.


2012 Quiksilver Pro France, long watch. Possible the best Quik Pro of them all, maybe one of the best comps in WT history.

The swell.
I don’t know who sacrificed what, where or when, and I hope I dont jinx it, but the comp has been consistently blessed with the some of the best and most memorable surf of the WSL/WCT history. Kelly going ham at La Grav as the sun went down. Andy… This insane little stretch of French sand is historic.

The people
A heady mix of locals, Brits, Germans, Scandis and of course the Spanish who come over the border in hoards to surf and party are in general some of the most knowledgeable and fun loving in the world. Quik Pro has a carnival type atmosphere. Thousands flock to the beach for finals day, everyone gets involved.

The surf.
You get to surf too. Sure some peaks can get a little crowded but you may end up surfing with a world title contender, a famous free surfer sending it or if look a little further just you and your crew.

The bars
Le Surfing, Dicks, Hardrock, Coolin, Central, Heads, Louvine… Legendary loose nights, never any trouble.

Carpark life
Half of your trip will be spent in the best surf car parks anywhere in the world. Full of vans with people living the van life dream, cold morning surf checks with mist rising off the ocean, sunset apres surf beers while watching the surf. Life is good!

Quiksilver Pro is on 3-14 October.


Andy V Bruce 2004

26th Jesus surf classic – ‘Fantastic community surfing weekend’

All photos Andy Holter

The 26th Jesus Surf Classic took place at its traditional home of Croyde beach North Devon over the weekend of September 8 & 9th.
The event has become one of the most popular on the UK surfing calendar and attracts surfers from throughout the country and ranging in age from six-year-olds up to 40+ in the Masters division.

The surf forecast as in the last few years has not been straightforward, but organisers Christian Surfers UK felt called and led to put the event on, committed to running it, and the weekend turned out to be a fantastic success with over 130 competitors.
Unfortunately, due to the rain predicted the skatepark this year was not built, however there was plenty of hospitality and food and drink offerings in the marquee and BBQ with live music and surf movies on the TV. Check-in on Saturday at 8 AM was a busy period and with the smallest of the conditions earliest on, the event kicked off with the under 12’s and ran through the various categories on Saturday till around 6 PM when the contest concluded for the day.

With 34 heats run on Saturday the Men’s and Women’s open and Masters was also added to the schedule for Sunday with another 27 heats predicted.
Conditions on Sunday were considerably bigger than the previous day and whilst the south-westerly winds continued the quality and power of the 4-5ft waves certainly made for some spectacular surfing.

The presentation took place in a packed marquee at around 4:30 PM on Sunday where all the champions were crowned, and thanks awarded, as well as Annie Williams sharing a little about her and Phil Williams faith and the journey with Christian Surfers, a message of hope and encouragement.

In the under 12 category Lukas Skinner took the title in a hotly contested final ahead of Fynn Gillespie and Eli Perrins Davies, with Arthur Randall in fourth. These youngsters deserve huge respect as the sea was pretty powerful by the time they paddled out for their finals.

In the under 14’s division Lukas couldn’t replicate what he had achieved earlier, and on this occasion Fynn Gillespie took the title ahead of Max Bennett and Sam Hearn also surf strongly into third place.

In a hotly contested under 16’s Noah Capps pipped Stanley Norman in one of his first three finals! Kieron Smith and Max Hudson also surfed well in some pretty chunky conditions with the spring tide pushing.

The first of the women’s final’s (U18’s) was also not for the fainthearted and on this occasion with Bonita Whitlock in her first Jesus surf classic taking the title ahead of Wales Alys Barton, Lauren Sandland and Esmee Gregorius. The under 18’s in the men’s division was also a fantastic display of surfing with Stanley Norman getting his revenge on Noah Capps in third, Barnaby Cox in second and Sol Hawkins in fourth.
As organisers we always love seeing the Masters division (Over 35’s) and this year’s event was no different with many times winner Paul Kirby taking the title with the single highest wave of the competition an 8.97. Rob Watson was in second with Mike Durkin third and Paul Ashton in fourth.
Before the two open divisions were announced there was a very special award in memory of Phil Pechonis who passed away from cancer four years ago and was a very big supporter of Christian Surfers. This is known as the spirit of the event award and this year went to a fantastic young lady, Karma Worthington who entered the contest just nine months after some horrific injuries due to a hit and run incident. Despite the conditions being really challenging on Sunday she paddled out, and when the award was announced you could tell this was a hugely popular decision well done, Karma.
With £300 in each category for winner of the open division, competition was always going to be tight and in the women’s event Emily Currie took the title and the cheque ahead of Peony Knight, Emily Williams, and Alys Barton. Her acceptance speech was one of the most humorous ones we have ever heard.

In the men’s division North Devon’s Will Bailey made it three wins in a row in a fantastic final, close behind was Barnaby Cox, Patrick Langdon-Dark and Stanley Norman. A great final to conclude a fantastic weekend of surfing.
Contest director and head of Christian Surfers UK Phil Williams thanked all those involved competitors, spectators, families and friends, the 80+ volunteers from Christian Surfers throughout the UK and God for providing waves which enabled the competition to be completed for the 26th year.
Make a note of next year’s dates September 14 and 15th 2019.
In addition to all those mentioned above the Jesus Surf Classic team would like to thank amongst others Parkdean holidays for the use of the beach and car park, Hotdoggers for the use of the judging scaffold, the local RNLI team for water safety, the local churches as well as Nailsea churches for BBQ, cakes etc.

A fantastic weekend had by all and the next in the Jesus Surf Series will be the Jesus Longboard Classic, held at Polzeath with great hospitality from the Tubestation. The registration portal is open now http://www.christiansurfers.co.uk/register/JLC18/

5 Boat Trips to Add to Your Bucket List

The Perfect Wave is the world’s largest surf travel network. As an elite travel concierge, they make surf travel easy for you, and guarantee you the best price. Their surf experiences and relationships, especially in the Maldives are second to none. They are partners in the Cokes Surf Camp, run the exclusive surf program at Kandooma Surf Resort, and are the #1 operator of Maldives surf charters. They manage the boats, guides, captains and photographers to ensure the ultimate experience for surfers. From luxury cruisers to affordable surf chasers, they have the best range of boats, destinations and departures. Be it through one of their own operations or at one of their partner resorts, in the Maldives and at locations all across the Indian Ocean, their goal is to create a trip of a lifetime every time, by connecting people with their passion.

1) Naera – Maldives:

A spectacular catamaran with 8 air-conditioned guest cabins, the Naera is roomy and well appointed, offering a unique and luxurious surfing experience in the Male and Central Atoll regions of the Maldives archipelago. To ensure you score the best surf possible, from hollow barrels to never ending playful walls, the onboard guide is one of the most experienced in the country, and there are two support vessels to shuttle you to the breaks whenever you like. There’s a bar, in and outside dining areas, Bose surround sound and big screen TV, and the onboard masseuse is the icing on the cake!

From £1,661 for 8 nights

2) Cobia – Maldives: 

Specifically designed by local craftsmen for cruising shallow reef passes, there’s no better way to get up close and personal with the best surf spots in the consistent, uncrowded Southern Atolls of the Maldives than aboard the Cobia. The chef is a total celebrity within the charter fleet, so the dining on board is just as memorable as the action in the surf. The 21-meter vessels features all air-conditioned cabins for up to 10 guests, but for optimal comfort and maximum pampering by the crew, get together a group of 8 to reserve the boat exclusively with your mates.

From £1,445 for 7 nights

3) OASIS – Mentawai:

An 80-foot value for money charter run by a group of knowledgeable Mentawai surfers. The crew’s priority is service and their goal is ensuring you have a quality surf experience in a safe and comfortable environment. There are 4 air conditioned cabins that each sleep up to three surfers. There is a spacious dining area for enjoying tasty meals, a media room for watching videos or listening to tunes. The shaded decks are perfect for scoping your friends getting barreled and drinking beers watching the sun go down over one of the many tropical reefs dotting the coastline of Sumatra, one of the best places on Earth to score epic surf.

From £1,787 for 11 nights

4) The Dream – Banyaks: 

The most comfortable boat in the Banyaks, with Nico and Pierre at the helm, The Dream delivers everything you’d expect from a trip to one of the last surfing frontiers in Indonesia: uncrowded surf, pristine rainforests, wildlife, epic Sumatran sunsets, remote islands, tropical waters, fun and adventure on a plush, air-conditioned motor yacht. The waves are generally in the head-high to double-overhead range, lefts and rights ranging from long barrels, hollow down-the-line peelers, and perfect peaks to long cruising walls. You’re likely to get more great waves in one trip than in a season of surfing at home.

From £1,456 for 11 nights

5) Ratu Motu – West Papua: 

The luxurious Ratu Motu (formerly Indies Trader IV) famous from Kelly and the Young Guns is pretty much the ultimate surf charter boat. It even has it’s own heliport! Cruising one of the remotest corners of Indonesia – West Papua guarantees a true wilderness experience, with rich culture, isolation, privacy and fantastic waves with no crowds. The crew has been exploring the area over the last 30 years and believe it to be one of the world’s last untouched natural wonders, and the chef has a bevy of unique dishes emphasizing fresh, performance-enhancing nourishment to maintain peak energy levels for surfing.

From £2,816 for 7 nights

Contact info:
perfectwavetravel.com
[email protected]
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