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Triathalon guy

Mr Motivator McCreedy decided he wasn't fit enough to tackle to the two foot breakers of Crantock and pledged to do his first Triathlon which he completed  last Sunday....well he didn't really. The bike leg was cancelled due to high winds and torrential rain....I couldn't understand why they let the ocean swim go on in 12 foot onshore maelstrom but I've learnt not to question the Cornish on common sense, for fear of the answer.

He was looking remarkably sprightly at the end of some pretty serious sand dune running. The wind chill and baltic temperatures kept the athletes cool and the crowd cowed into the pub.

This young lady is a British Trialthlete and an Olympic shoe in...unbelievably Andy Mac appeared from the soup shorty after with his Blackberry  desperately trying to get her number as she pulled away from him.

Macker with the sea behind him.

I like this shot of Andy heading back towards Perranporth in a highly respectable 52 nd place out of the water ...I guess the field was somewhere in the 350 range.

The start was pretty impressive and the clothes in the crowd may give you a hint as to the conditions on the day.

 No surf today! 40 mph onshore winds.

Andy checking out this guys packet at the start.

I'm not saying the Lifeguards weren't keen to rescue anyone, but she was on duty and I'm guessing it would have taken her awhile to affect a rescue.

 Triathletes are sadists who enjoy pain and never smile......If you are thinking of doing one, head to Miami or Fiji is my advice.

Newlyn raft race

So with great fan fair and a pretty impressive crowd the Newlyn Raft race burst into life. There were some pretty unusual sites though I must confess its connection with a surfing blog is somewhat tenuous, I like to see a bit of real life community from the ocean dwellers!

I'm sure my mother in law will love this shot of her as she strides confidently towards her galleon...sadly due to a near drowning incident..mother in law had to abandon her vessel in waist deep water and return to the Tolcarne Inn for the age old medicine of Rum.

The Meadery Maids, California you can keep your SoCal girls , these are real Cornish girls who can out paddle Laird Hamilton...2nd place finishers after Marios men.

Enough said.

 Shenanigans before the bars tottered under the sheer weight of exhausted wannabe pirates.

The Trestles  Event of the WCT has just begun and after last years amazing conditions its looking all set even without Dane Reynold's wizardry! Click here for feed

Los Angeles

Photos that made me look at my atlas and dream

Surf accomodation

With my Campervan having disappeared a while back and the notion of having to rethink my local surf trip plans I decided on doing a  bit of research in what others were up to for surf accomodation. Photos from my findings.

Nos 1 allegedly does drive but how they square the shed on the roof with the police is beyond me. Not for driving on windy days but with three double beds..not to be sneared at.

There is always a nice Combi that tempts you into thinking you really don't mind travelling at 50 mph and that breakdown cover is getting cheaper all the time. 

 

This little nugget of a caravan was kindly lent to us to test drive....I'm 6ft 3 and clumsy...wasn't quite ideal. I had broken all the door handles in 5 minutes and got my bum stuck up against the window when I was

crouching to put my kaks on.

The sheer size of some of the tents blew me away...I guess Beduoin orgies take up space.....inshallah.

Boring Motorhome.....god it looked good though. Yes it may be souless but everything works...Sky TV and cold beer on an armchair next to the break....seems too opulent somehow..can you hear the sea from inside those things...oh go on then I'll have one..I just need to sell my house first.

Mr T's family turned up in the family wagon...I think they have a private source of fossil fuels to run that bad boy on.

 Or just sleep in at work and be on the beach! My favourite.

Shots from the World Belly Boarding Championships

The World Belly Boarding Championships were held today the 3rd of September at Chapel Porth Beach, Cornwall, UK.

 Conditions in the sea were a foot or two of chop, water temp around 16 degrees and no wetsuits allowed. The air temp was about the same as the water. But it was crowded with a truly hard breed of surfers, who I don't normally see in the local car park. Despite the tag of "world "and the presence of the Sky Sports reporters (it's got to be Transworld Sport material), there was a distinctively old school English feel to it that warmed my cockles. No other nation on earth would have have put on such a brave face about it.

See What I mean about the Old Skool feel?

Somethings don't change though, boys and their toys, will never change. Some of the trusty steads were mighty fine.

I was quite keen to buy the long Paipo board but the owners and salesmen seemed a bit reluctant to part with it, I clearly wasn't down enough with the scene.

Conditions weren't ideal for product testing, apart from the swim suits and hats which were thoroughly put through the paces in some testicles shrinking frigid soup.

There were no shortage of takers for the expression session.

One of the main criteria was length of ride, which limited artistic innovation from my perspective. That was until the reality of the competitors determination to fulfill this objective was carefully viewed. There were people in the Open Division (you had to be over 60, otherwise you were a Junior) who were removing layers of skin off the bellies and even faces as they milked the last remnants of  energy out of a 3 inch sand drainer...excellent levels of commitment and a defiance of the Laws of Physics, which are rarely seen in such public abundance these days.

The mood of the competitors was generally relaxed without much heat tactical mind voodoo going on.

A variety of athletes, equipment and warm up techniques were on display to the not unsubstantial crowd who were free to mill around with the athletes as well as collect autographs.

Above; A Men's Senior Heat about to go out.

Below: A couple of Belliest returning from a free surf earlier in the day.

When heats started and finished there was carnage in the water. From a distance it looked like old people walking in and out of the sea with coffin lids, an OAP equivelant of the recent London Riots. The elderly being so worried about all the government cut backs on healthcare, they feel the need to keep the coffin lid with them at all times incase their local council is too broke and bury them in an open casket.  Traumatic at a glance for the casual dog walker on the coastal path who stumbles across such a spectacle.

I had a fantastic few hours chatting and watching the madness and think the National Trust, Skinners brewery, the parish council, RNLI and whoever else was involved were legends. Never been prouder to be British in this international event.