Meet LAURA HELLYER - Surfgirl Feature

MEET: NORTH DEVON’S FINEST – LAURA HELLYER

Surfgirl have featured Devon's Laura Hellyer this week.  

Laura is one of North Devon’s most hardcore surfers, she has gained a reputation in her area for her guts and sheer determination on the big days at low tide Croyde. Surfing in loads of rubber on the coldest days  her life seem’s a world away from the bikini ads which personify womens surfing. But it’s what she does best. Laura even has a separate room to  keep her six boards, fishing gear and spear gun. You get the idea…she’s a real waterwoman.

She’s been surfing since she was little with her sister – model and student Sophie. A year or two in competition saw Laura take the English and British a few years back but her A&E nursing career put a stop to competition. However as she is now working at a local GP practice she’s all over the surf this winter at home and abroad, having just come back from a surf trip to Sri Lanka, throwing spray and surfing alongside turtles.

Laura has built her life around the surf and in her spare time joins in with training the local SLSC Nippers and taking terminally ill children away on holiday to give their parents and siblings a break from round the clock care. All in all she’s an inspirational woman and great role model for North Devon’s many up and coming surfers.

Words and photos by Matt Burton

Check out the pics and info on their website:  http://www.surfgirlmag.com/2012/12/04/meet-north-devons-finest-laura-hellyer/

Revolver Surf Jumble Sale - Sat 1st December

The Core of Quiver - US Blanks

US Blanks®:

Why are Quiver® Surfboards only ever made from US Blanks®?




As part of the 100% quality guarantee that comes with Quiver® Surfboards, we are
committed to only ever using the best materials we can. We use only “Seabase –
reinforced by Hexcel” fibreglass because it reduces breakages, and wets out fully.
We only use ISO 10NP or Resin Research Epoxy because it is tougher, whiter, more
flexible and has more UV protection than all other resins.

US Blanks® are consistent. They are strong. They machine accurately – i.e. both
sides of the stringer are glued accurately. The stringers are straight and true. You
cannot shape a board accurately if the stringer is out. The stringer is uni-directional.
That is, the wood has its grain running the same way as a tree trunk. It’s obvious
that’s the right way to reduce breakage. Most other boards use Peel Ply – that is
plywood peeled from around the tree. That’s clearly not right.

US Blanks® have less voids, less soft spots and more even density than any other
foam. It is less likely to delaminate. It is less likely to dent. It is less likely to break.

Your surfboard has the very best materials in it. Why pay for lesser quality?

Faso's Boards Set for Sumatra

Faso.

A hot young surfer from Sumatra, Faso studies in Cornwall. His reputation for ripping
Nias began when he blagged a second hand board from a visiting surfer.

Faso collected his three new Quiver boards last week – all bound for Nias and the
Sumatran secret spots he knows so well.

Faso, Pictured, also collected three free boards and board bags Quiver has donated
to the groms of Sumatra. These ex-team boards will be distributed to the neediest
young surfers there - giving them the same chance Faso had when he was a grom
growing up in the tsunami wrecked villages of Sumatra.

(Images – Faso as a kid ripping Nias. Look out for his full story here, soon)

Damien Castera Tour of New Zealand - Episode 2

Episode 2 of Damien Castera's surf tour of New Zealand:

Damien Castera Tour of New Zealand - Episode 1

Damien Castera and his photo and video crew are currently in New Zealand this month, touring the coastline and country and by the looks of their footage so far, scoring some very nice non-crowded waves.

Here goes Episode 1:

Quiver/Soul & Surf Competition Winner Announced

Quiver Surfboards and Soul & Surf India are very happy to announce the winner of the competition which we have run over the past few months has been randomly selected and its Charlotte Leech.  Charlotte was lucky number 369 in the draw and has been contacted to notify her of her prize.

Charlotte wins a 1 week holiday for 2 staying at Soul & Surf Retreat in Kerala India plus a surfboard of her choice to take with her.

Quiver Board Art Inspiration

Here are some of our designs for 2013.  Get your thinking caps on and send us some designs you have created and we will feature them on our gallery if made in production.

This is How We Surf In Scotland

An interview in 'THE CALEDONIAN MERCURY' with team rider Dee Rippoll:

by Natalia Equihua
Pictures by Allyn Harper





Dee Ripoll had never touched the Scottish sea before 2008 — mainly because she was not comfortable with the idea of swimming alongside sea urchins and feeling water temperatures sometimes reaching 3 to 4°C. Today, it has been almost one year since she became the 2011 Scottish Ladies Surfing Champion and, although the fear is not completely gone, she certainly had no fear when it came to deciding her future as a surfer.

Around the world, some people know little about Scotland; but least they imagine that in this rainy and far corner of the world surf is the main activity of one person. And although the temperatures can be so low that only the brave would dare challenge these waters, suited with a 7 mm wetsuit – including boots, gloves, and a special hoodie – Dee doesn’t give too much thought to the climate conditions before jumping into water: this is her passion.

But reaching out for her goals has come with a long line of life-changing decisions. Her life as a surfer began during university days, when her curiosity led her to join the surf club at the University of Aberdeen. Here she learnt the basics of the sport and after that surfing became the main artery of her life.

At the end of her degree, just before starting her legal traineeship, she travelled to different parts of the world such as Australia, New Zealand, and California. This became her main inspiration to give up the suits and office hours to make of the sea her work-place and of surfing her main activity. Later, when she decided to give up Law, her family was perplexed at the sudden decision; however, the amount of time she spent in the sea and the rigorous routine she undertook as a surfer, convinced them that she was being serious.

After several years of hard training and building up to the crude conditions of the cold sea, the highlight of her career came in March 2011. For the first time, and after having competed only twice before, Dee became the winner of the Scottish Ladies Championship organized by the Scottish Surfing Federation. And this is just one small part of what surfing has done to her life.

Only last year, she crossed England all the way to the south to take the Surf Instructor and Lifeguard course at the Harlyn Bay Surf School in Cornwall. Last year Dee also expanded her list of sponsors that now include Quiver, Granite Reef, Surfer Skin and O’Neil, one of the world’s best known surfing brands. She is currently the only Scottish athlete in the O’Neil team.

Dee explained that she is still nowhere near the level of other surfer girls around the world. Next weekend she expects to compete at the British Pro Surfer Tour in Thurso, her first time competing at a non-Scottish competition. The next stage will be international competitions. But with so many goals ahead, stakes are high. Dee considers there is something that Scottish surfers still need to prove.

As opposed to surfing clubs in places like Australia and California, to Dee Scottish surf doesn’t have as much of a platform to become a surfer. Among many other things, the weather, temperature of the water and interest for water sports is not as big as it is in warm-weather countries. Yet Dee Ripoll says there is enough talent to escalate in the world of surfing.

At 27, Dee’s career as a surfer starts to take its own path. Hoping that competitions continue to help her develop her skills, this Scottish surfer knows there is a lot that she wants to do for the Scottish surfing community. One of her main goals is making children become interested in surfing and supporting this sport so that it reaches the same level as some of the most important surfing schools in the world.

When I asked Dee why would anyone ever decide to come to Scotland to surf, she didn’t hesitate when she assured me that some of the best waves in the world are in this country: “I think it is not very often that you get to surf and see the snow on top of the mountains at the same time,” she explained. And this is definitely something you will get to see in Scotland.

Whatever the future of surfing in Scotland may be, Dee Ripoll has already made a statement: her love for this sport is greater than any salary or cold climate could be. And she is already proving to everybody that Scotland is capable of creating successful and talented water athletes. Surfers around the world need to prepare, because Scottish surfers are getting ready to conquer the surfing world.

Latest Quiver Surfer/Shaper Adverts 2012

QUIVER FEESTIX COLLABORATION

QUIVER D'ARCY COLLABORATION

US Blanks - Worlds Leading Surfboard Blanks Backed by Quiver

US Blanks are a world leader in surfboard blank manufacturing and the company alone has over 125 years experience in making polyurethane surfboard blanks.  Quiver supports this strong history but using the range of US blanks in the manufacturing of Quiver Surfboards in England.  

US Blanks –At the core of Quiver's success.

Come in and check out the range of blanks we have in stock at our warehouse and see the blank that will be used at the start of the design process for your Quiver.

2012 French Masters Championships

The 2012 Montalivet Masters Longboard Championships took place last month in September and Damein Castera did us proud to take the win for Quiver.  He just seems to be getting better by the day and is one of the finest free surfers out there in the world right now.  Check out the below videos with some highlights from the event.

Gordy Wins UK Pro Tour Scarborough Surf Comp 2012

Gordy Fontaine was super stoked to win the UK Pro Surf Tour 2012 in Scarborough last weekend.  Waves were super fun and the sun was out which made a good combo.  Plus a cheque for £1000 was a sweet little hit to put in the piggy bank.

Team Quiver Boards

Antoine Delperro and Damien Casterra picked up their new custom Quiver's from the Hossegor Offices this week.  Antoine  collected his D'Arcy 5'6  'Ugly Betty' model along with his competition longboard with custom artwork.  With plenty of colour on show, both Antoine and Damien will be sure to stand out in the water.

Damien Castera Wins 2012 French Masters

Dee's Working Holiday in Hossegor

Just wanted to send some pics from over the last few days in Hossegor.  I used my bumble bart for the first time yesterday (that's the photo of the bigger left).  Got a few good waves and a few very heaving beatings but it was so worth it and I absolutely love that board for when it is big.  It got me in so easily and felt so nice under my feet.  My other boards have been amazing too.  Loving the Hart Attack for when it is small. 

Dee x

Gordy Storms Through Round 1 of Pantin Classic Pro

PLAYA DE PANTIN, Galicia - Spain (Wednesday, September 12, 2012) - Day 1 of the Cabreiroa Pantin Classic Pro started this morning in clean 2-3Ft waves at the iconic Playa de Pantin. The ASP 3-Star Men's event opened proceedings today with the Round of 112 and twelve heats of the Round of 96 completed in the afternoon.

Gordon Fontaine (GBR) 22, also had a good start to his Cabreiroa Pantin Classic Pro campaign today, winning his heat and making his way into the Top 3 scorers of the competition so far. The talented regular-footer originating from Britanny has found similarities with his homebreak and acclimated perfectly to the Pantin line-up founding the waves with the most potential for scores.

"I had a hard time at the beginning there, but then I caught a first wave scored 5 something and it got me into it." Fontaine said. "Then I got that bomb, and I tried both to surf safely and not fall but at the same time I wanted to score good.. It was a really good left and I was right in the spot. I had to paddle hard to get it and I thought I might want to keep some energy for the wave, but I got it ! I took off, and did like a first good roller and a floater, and a few turns then, it's pretty long !"

After a promising 13th place in the opening European Star event of 2012, Fontaine had a few close calls but never managed to get through heats in the major events of the summer-leg. Sitting in 31st position on the European rankings before the Cabreiroa Pantin Classic Pro, Fontaine will have the opportunity in Pantin to ameliorate his situation with a good result.

"My season has been pretty bad so far, in all events recently I lost in the first round, sometimes it was very close, but in the end it just makes me hungry for heat wins ! I know I'm not here to qualify or anything, but I'd like to get some experience, surf against good surfers, get the scores and win a little money in the process, that's pretty much why I'm here so it feels good to get through that one !"

Perth Standlick (AUS) 22, was another standout today scoring an impressive 8.00 out of 10 for a combination of powerful gauges on a beautiful left in the opening heats of the Round of 96. After his second place in Zarautz, Standlick had a shocking first round elimination in Azores last week, and is out to regain confidence in the water in Pantin.

"Even though I just won, I still feel I had a shocker !" Standlick stated. "I was struggling at the beginning of the heat to find a decent wave, and then I went to my plan B and it ended up being better ! Plan B was to sit and wait for the lefts, not even go near anyone on the rights and just do my own thing.. It's a pretty fun left but it's a little bit fat, so you got to really pick the right one that's going to stand up !"

Conditions are expected to ameliorate tomorrow with a bigger swell, and event officials have decided to reconvene at 10am to decide on the day's schedule !

The 2012 Cabreiroa Pantin Classic Pro is scheduled from September 12-16, 2012 in Playa de Pantin, Galicia. For all results, photos, video highlights, press releases and LIVE webcast, log on to pantin.aspeurope.com.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspeurope.com



REMAINING CABREIROA PANTIN CLASSIC PRO ROUND OF 96 MATCHUPS:
Heat 13: Diego Cadena (MEX), Daniel Karren (AUS), Yassine Ramdani (MAR), Dane Hall (GBR)
Heat 14: Carlos Munoz (CRI), Abdel El Harim (MAR), Romain Cloitre (FRA), Christoffer Hartkopp (DNK)
Heat 15: Cahill Bell-Warren (AUS), Remi Petersen (NLD), Teale Vanner (AUS), Andre Silva (BRA)
Heat 16: Lucas Santamaria (ARG), Enrique Ariitu (PYF), Rudy Marechal (FRA), Hugo Cornec (REU)

CABREIROA PANTIN CLASSIC PRO ROUND OF 96 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Steven Pierson (PYF) 13.23, Justin Mujica (PRT) 10.67, Ruben Gonzalez (PRT) 9.73, Jhon Junior (PRT) 8.83
Heat 2: Hugo Dubosc (REU) 10.53, Jesus Chacon (VEN) 8.74, Marcelo Rodriguez (ARG) 7.60, Joao Guedes (PRT) 5.90
Heat 3: Perth Standlick (AUS) 13.67, Jean Schaffer (VEN) 11.60, Marco Fernandez (BRA) 10.16, Pablo Monteiro (ESP) 4.47
Heat 4: Francisco Alves (PRT) 9.23, Norman Landa (EUK) 6.94, Daniel Aznar Gonzalez (ESP) 6.77, Ethan Egiguren (EUK) 5.04
Heat 5: Vicente Romero (ESP) 14.66, Dimitri Ouvre (GLP) 12.33, Eduardo Fernandes (PRT) 9.50, Pedro Correia (PRT) 5.17
Heat 6: Messias Felix (BRA) 15.40, Borja Agote (EUK) 8.36, Roland Lefeuvre (FRA) 7.03, Saxon Lumsden (AUS) 5.87
Heat 7: Jatyr Berasaluce (EUK) 13.07, Nobuyuki Osawa (JPN) 12.94, Romain Laulhe (FRA) 10.30, Yoackim Guichard (NOR) 5.50
Heat 8: Gordon Fontaine (GBR) 13.63, Adrien Valero (FRA) 11.03, Filipe Jervis (PRT) 10.16, Denny Mendoza (VEN) 6.03
Heat 9: Carlo Zapata (PER) 13.03, David Van Zyl (ZAF) 9.50, Freddie Meadows (SWE) 8.50, Jaymes Triglone (AUS) 7.13
Heat 10: Alexandre Chacon (BRA) 12.40, Rafael Pereira (VEN) 11.57, Stuart Campbell (GBR) 7.80, David Diaz (VEN) 6.43
Heat 11: Julio Nurse (VEN), Andre Oziol (BRA), Ruda Carvalho (BRA), Noah Erickson (USA)
Heat 12: Magnum Martinez (VEN) 12.27, Dylan Southworth (MEX) 11.67, Heremoana Luciani (PYF) 11.13, Indar Unanue (EUK) 9.93

CABREIROA PANTIN CLASSIC PRO ROUND OF 112 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Jhon Junior (PRT) 12.40, Jesus Chacon (VEN) 8.90, Adrian Ortiz (VEN) 5.67, Armando Colucci (ITA) 3.00
Heat 2: Pablo Monteiro (ESP) 6.33, Daniel Aznar Gonzalez (ESP) 5.33, Cheyne Willis (HAW) 3.87, Alex Kamkoff (USA) 3.77
Heat 3: Pedro Correia (PRT) 11.30, Roland Lefeuvre (FRA) 9.86, Lucas Guichard (NOR) 9.30, Roberto Alvarez Junquera (ESP) 3.77
Heat 4: Yoackim Guichard (NOR) 10.33, Denny Mendoza (VEN) 6.33, Greg Urata (USA) 4.87, Timothy Latte (SWE) 4.76
Heat 5: Freddie Meadows (SWE) 12.67, David Diaz (VEN) 8.77, Rainel Bravo (VEN) 7.53, Francisco Mendiolagoitia (ESP) 3.54
Heat 6: Noah Erickson (USA) 11.73, Heremoana Luciani (PYF) 9.64, Luis Eyre (GBR) 8.43, Alexander El Naib (DEU) 0.93
Heat 7: Dane Hall (GBR) 9.16, Christoffer Hartkopp (DNK) 7.83, Ronald Reyes (VEN) 6.80, Tereva David (PYF) 6.64
Heat 8: Andre Silva (BRA) 13.46, Hugo Cornec (REU) 7.54, Colin Saunders (VEN) 6.27, Roy Van Eijk (NLD) 4.93

Quiver's new board range

With Suart D'Arcy and Felix joining our shaping team of Phil Hodge, Alain Minvielle, and Fifi Chevalier our board range doubled over night so we had to find a neat way of helping you flick through the boards and choose from our range.

Here is our latest surfboard display system - filter by Shaper, Shape, Ability, Fins Setup.  We hope it helps.  Whilst we are testing this system we'd welcome any feedback, good or bad!  :)

Click here to check out our refined board range.

European Champion 2012

European Longboard Champions 2012 - (Winners! – not Second or Forth...)

Quiver® success continues world-wide....

Quiver® Surfboards and shaper Alain Minvielle continues their hugely successful

international progress with success in the 6* European Boardmasters and the 2012

European Longboard Championship!

Quiver® riders took first and third place in the 6* event in Newquay last weekend.

Former World Champion Antoine Delpero took first place, and his brother Eduardo

Delpero was extremely unlucky not to take second place in an easy win.

Quiver rider Damien Castera – one of the best free surfers in Europe right now - won

praise for his smooth, progressive, and extreme surfing in the semi-finals.

Questioned at length Damien praised his new Castera Model – “there is nothing

wrong with these boards – absolutely nothing! My surfing has progressed with

every surf I have”. Damien’s attacking style in bigger surf has won praise throughout

Europe.  Click here to see the range of boards our longboard team has access to.

All team riders ride boards from renowned French longboard shaper Alain Menvielle

under the Quiver® Colab Series label in Europe.

Antoine Delpero Wins 2012 Relentless Boardmasters Longboard Comp

The final stage of the men's longboarding saw Quiver surfboards team rider and World Champion, Antoine Delpero, pitted against 2 other French heavyweights Remi Arauzo and Antoine's brother, along with a local competitor. It was a hard fought heat, "heavy" to hear it from Antoine Delpero, and the four Longboard specialists were hard to pick apart, but Antoine came out the clear winner. It wasn't uncommon to see four sets of feet on boards simultaeniously, much to the delight of the thousands of onlookers.

It was the older Delpero brother; Antoine, that turned up the heat. Opening with an 8.33 to get ahead of the field, Antoine managed a sturdy 17.26 over 6 waves. Champagne bubbles as standard, the four finalists ascended the podium to share congratulations and thanks.


Men's Davidoff Cool Water Longboard Final

1. Antoine Delpero FRA     17.26 pts

2. Ben Skinner GBR      15.26 pts

3. Edourad Delpero FRA    14.94 pts

4. Remi Arauzo FRA         13.73 pts

Win a Surf Holiday in India + New Quiver Board

ENTER COMPETITION

Win A Free Soul&Surf Holiday in India PLUS A Quiver Shortboard.  To celebrate the opening of our winter season Soul & Surf / India have teamed up with Quiver Surfboards to offer an incredible prize: - A 1 week stay for 2 at Soul & Surf in Kerala India plus a custom Quiver shortboard made especially for the winner. (See terms & conditions for more detail)

Fans of our Facebook Pages can enter the competition and to spread the love you can post the competition to your timeline and on October 13th 2012 we'll randomly select a winner from the entries.

We will contact the winner via the email address provided. Good luck people, see you in India!

www.soulandsurf.com
www.quiversurfboards.co.uk
Terms & conditions

Max. entries: No limit
Current entries: 60
Promo valid until: 10/13/2012 01:30pm

Choose your weapon...

Check out the range of Phil Hodge, Stuart D'Arcy, Felix Dickson, and Alain Minvielle shapes on the Quiver website http://www.quiversurfboards.co.uk

J-Bay: Nick's Adriano De Souza Interview

An interview with Adriano De Souza @ J-Bay 2012

Nick Williams Diary : J-Bay back to UK

Leaving Durban behind, with friends and family, is never easy, but coming in to land in Port Elizabeth everything to be sliding into the right places. The wind was definitely offshore and the ocean swell lines were solid. The drive out to Jeffreys Bay flew by and from 15kms away we could count the lines winding around the point! It was just perfect and 6' on the small sets. Every surfer and his entourage  filled the lineup from Boneyards on the outside all the way through to the Point and Albatross onto the beach. Phenomenal waves and great to see a whole bunch of different styles on the winding walls of Supers. One of those backhand styles belonged to Royden Bryson, no stranger to the Newquay Boardmasters event. He was looking on-form during the free surf but on one big tube ride, down towards the end of the car park section at Supers he just got clipped and ended up breaking his leg very badly . . . both tibia and fibula! For Bryce, the 2012 season is pretty much over.

The opening function was the usual of speeches and shmoozing before work was to begin and although there was still work going on at the contest site we were aware that it was to be a start in the dark for us all. There were very few rides surfed before it was time to start trying to clear the line-up and by the time we were finally able to get the first heat going we had issued a number of $1000 fines for competitors in the line-up It was a heavy situation to get the event going on but that is what it is and the surfers know the rules. But at J Bay, how much would you be prepared to pay for a wave or two in those incredible conditions with only a handful more alongside you?

Blazing sunshine, solid 6'-8' perfection and rapturous applause all day long was the order of the day with the most amazing vibe amongst everyone – competitors and organisers alike. I shot over 100 photos from the top of the tower on my first day and had trouble convincing myself that I was not looking like a tourist in my own country. We surfed all 24 heats on the first day, finishing just upon dark.

 And day two was exactly the same. Who were the stand outs? Well call a few names? In waves like this who would you have liked to see? There were 144 of the world's top Star Series surfers here to compete and most impressed. I have to say though that over the course of this year's Billabong Pro it was truly shocking to see how some surfers of this calibre were unable to read a pointbreak, in these perfect conditions with only three others in the water, and end up with counting rides of 1.30 or a heat total for their best two rides, of 3.27. I mean come on . . . . I feel confident that I could've scored more than that!? Nic Muscroft surfed really well down here in proper waves but despite his opening wave score of 7.33 he was unable to find another high score and was eliminated along with Tom Whittaker in this heat in the round of 96.

Thursday, day 3, was supposed to be a dodgy one but the expected swell increase overnight proved correct and we awoke in the dark again to get set for our best line-up so far. 8' walls of delight from far up off the end of Boneyards, reeling down the line into Supers and beyond with the surfers needing around 4 minutes to paddle back up to the take-off spot. We continued to plough on thru as much as we could and eventually came to a stop in the dark again with just the quarters, semis and final to run. We were expecting Friday to be bad and had severe weather warnings for the arrival of a storm front, the likes of which had not been seen since the 1940's!!!

And so we moved into Friday morning as early as we had become used to. And by 12 noon the Billabong Pro was over. The waves were terrible  - onshore, small and the unreal weather had become rainy with skies blackening all the while.  We had had too many good performances to pick a possible Champ and it was always going to be whoever managed to put it together in exhausting conditions for 4 consecutive days, with the most equipment surviving. Jeffreys delivers a harsh lesson to equipment here and many boards and legropes were broken.

In the 35 minute final Joan Duru surfed smooth and stylishly. He was up against – no surprises – Adriano de Souza. This guy is truly a machine of a sportsman and is quite possibly the most determined and focussed surfer I have ever known. On one of his waves in the final he put everything he had into it and rode the wave onto the rocks – like, ONTO the rocks, squashing two of his fins flat, crushing the FCS plugs into the foam! He carefully hobbled in over the rocks, wetsuit  leg torn apart and leg scratched open, bleeding and ran up to the keyhole paddle out channel alongside of his caddy with a fresh board. With 4 minutes remaining he made it into the line-up, paddling deep, deep into the ocean before swinging around and sprint paddling back almost onto the reef to pick up a wave that stood up and ran itself off the shelf, allowing him to jam a few hard off the tops, a little air and finally a strong radical finish on a ride that had easily won him the title. For 10 years Adriano has been coming here and finally he was the one holding the trophy high. The number 4 ranked surfer on the World Tour  is undoubtedly the greatest to come out of Brazil and while many have their eyes on Gabriel Medina to become a future World Champion, the smart money is still on de Souza to become Brazil's first! He is totally contained in his determined focus for perfect performance and it seems that very little can distract him. He is a worthy Champion and a credit to his Nation. The Brazilians once again showed themselves to be a solid and tight crew and  this season has been theirs.

Jeffreys Bay is a strange mix : disgusting architecture of all styles right alongside each other, Afrikaans/English/Malay cultures intermingling with the blend of international cultures in town for the surfing and not a whole lot of places to let off all the understandable steam that comes with this. While the housing is largely B&B spread around the break of Jeffreys Bay, evenings usually get moving a couple of miles down the road and so everything is quite disjointed. Days can go by without seeing anyone of your crew after the long days were over. Instead of just the top 44, this year was the top 144 surfers plus all the extras. Jeffreys Bay has never been so packed. Getting a table for breakfast, once the event was over, and especially suppers each night would entail a wait for a table at Nina's of up to an hour and the same again once your order was in! 

It has been the craziest 5 days of my life on tour pretty much and an impossibility to get online to even speak to my family in Newquay, let alone get a daily blog in! The two storms we have had here on the night of the final and the night after, destroyed the VIP area, the food and retail area as well as the grandstands and in a race against the clock everything possible was removed from those areas before we left it to the mercy of the elements. Homes, shops, restaurants all flooded and the town was plunged into darkness in the power failure and the 5FM Music Festival aborted the first night and did it's best to salvage the millions invested to bring in 30 bands and 20 DJ's. The bridge to Cape St Francis (Bruce's Beauties) washed away again and Supers pumped once again once the storm broke. The airports once again resumed flights and those delayed began to scramble for the first seats available to move on to the US Open, coming up next.

You'll have to check the www.billabongpro.com website to try unscramble everything that went down in these few crazy days we survived. With all our heads still spinning the only excuse I can offer for this one-piece summary on the Billabong Pro is “only in Africa!” This place is not for sissies and what we went through down here will be forever etched into our memories as one of the most extreme and unique Billabong Pro's EVER! Whether there will be an event here next year and who the sponsor will be, remains to be seen. Billabong's status as a trading company is uncertain and only time will tell whether the company will survive. 

 But so be it, and if it is the end, then what a note to end on. Christian Surfers SA were amazing when the storm hit and we went into disaster-mode. I think God looked upon us in many areas of this testing week down in the Eastern Cape – protecting surfers and residents alike.And so to all who made this trip possible a huge thank you. Who knows where the Pro Tour and South Africa will stand next year.

I'm back now, so come get your orders in so I can do some glassing  - I need some summer weather and some surf for myself!