track map >> bank holiday

the tracking system I use on my surf98 tells me so much. just looking at this screen shot taken on Friday pm I can see that it must be a bank holiday weekend certainly a weekend as no one from cornwall has even looked in the last 10 minutes as the map shows.
in days passed people would drive down from all over the UK on the off chance of surf but now with all the surf forecast and report sites like mine you check on-line first.
on the subject of bank holidays I will not be updating this blog until tuesday next unless I can't help my self.
the surf98 forecast website of course will be updated as usual.

surfing >> moby picture >> Go2

I don't want to turn this blog an extension of my surf web site surf98, but I have to include this picture as I like its composition so much.
it is not a picture I took myself rather a picture I would have liked to have taken. my man on the north coast 'moby' took it this morning it was amongst a few pictures he set to be included in the forecast page of the site. the fence is the border of the golf course at fistral beach, newquay, cornwall. so the picture is taken from a good distance away.

what looks like a black dot is a surfer waiting for a set wave to take, gives the waves a scale.
whilst on the surfing subject I have to say I have been surprised at the positive comment already for the first article in the new magazine I mentioned in yesterdays post Go2. I am sure that a few will have bad things to say but that goes with the territory when you write you views down in ink!

sorry for another short blog today but I seem to be extraordinarily busy at the moment (this is a good thing).

what more surfing >> design has not been forgotten

I feel a bit bad/lazy having two posts in a row with a video from youtube in them.
gabes sent me the link and it made me feel so happy I had to share it.
it has such a great feel about it really makes me remember just how many great days at the beach I have had with hopefully many more to come.
even the song is written by: (b. gallagher/g. lyle), who funnily enough I went to see at the brighton dome in 1976, with due reverence to davidthedesigner's post today with the fabulous stevie wonder youtube clip, giving me an idea.
granted gallagher & lyle live was not the best concert I have ever been to but the surf film is so good and the music fits it.



strange then at the same time I was in deep consideration about some of the interesting thoughts muted by digital nomad & others got side tracked in to looking at fusionview however both blogs are well worthy of a look.

I am the one who introduced the 'innovation equation' you know (insight/ideas/impact) in to the conversation but I do like the idea that information + experience = knowledge taken directly from soho-quest friday the 13th post.

perhaps I should watch the donavon frankenreiter (green board-shorts) & rob machado (multi coloured board-shorts) surf clip again? yes, do you I think I will.

surf-time >> even if there is no surf

strange how having some-one around who is keen to find out about something that you are obsessed with. gabriel my 13 year old son is staying with us for the school easter break and he has started to become interested in surfing not through any major influence form me I have purposely kept away from pushing any of my children in any particular direction. (though obviously if I go on about stuff enough things rub off, gabes also has a rather nice mechanical pencil).
He has spent the last day and a bit asking question after question about when I started surfing and what I did when I was in Spain or France and how big was the biggest wave I have ever surfed, to be honest I love it but I have also got to get the surf article written for the new magazine only got about 700 words I need a minimum of 2000, they are hoping for more.

I relented and did something I prefer not to do with my children (sticking them in front of the TV). I put on some surfing videos from the era of surfing that I grew up with so that I could get on with writing but I ended up watching the films with gabes, and I spent most of the time talking through them he didn't seem to mind.
so I haven't done anything except spent some really good time with him watching 'old school' surfing videos. that isn't a bad way to spend and evening.

I love the way the surfing film became influential as far as lighting, colour and concept, being outdoors, often not telling a story, even creating such quality/inventiveness from pretty much always limited funds.
the surf movie was not often under funded because there wasn't the corporate sponsorship seen so often on the 00's. films were often made by surf obsessed hobbyists, and even some successful surfers would pay for a film to be made with the winnings of a surf contest, including them of course.
the visual impact of the all films we watched tonight was incredible considering they were made more than 35 years ago! it was really nice to see surf films without product placement and sponsors logo stuck all over the place. two stand out as classics crystal voyager and the morning of the earth I fully understand they are not to every ones taste but if you are involved in surfing they are must.

shame really I would have liked to gone surfing tomorrow but the ocean has already decided for us as currently cornwall is not getting any surf and is unlikely to get any before the weekend, but hey that is the way of surfing and part of its attraction. not like football were you all arrange to meet at a certain time and have a game, surfing has its own unique way you surf when the ocean says, I like that, I really like that.

too texty >> more images >> surf sites

I have realised the last few blogs have become a bit 'wordy' I don't mean in a precocious way just too much text to get a real feel perhaps?

on the back of some lengthy email conversations I had today with the deputy editor of a soon to be launched extreme sports/lifestyle cornwall based magazine. surfing and surf literature, writing have been foremost in my thoughts. further still I have to think a bit about a surf related proposal on offer?

until then I thought a much better way to end the day was to give you a brief tour around some good surf related websites, using and containing some great images as well as good writing. check their websites for more.

from left to right surfgirl, a1surf, kneeboard surfing uk, and bottom kneeboard surfing usa.

short but sweet >> calm >> beach time

I have been chasing my tail for the last few weeks sort of achieving. I have so many different design projects in the air and combined with the hectic workload of a teacher to think about I don't seem to be as productive even as successful as I would like...
I am really missing an important part of my life.
I hardly have had time (or when I have had time) I haven't bothered to even go to the beach.
I am so lucky in that I can walk to a really beautiful cove (takes about 8 minutes!) but I haven't got near to even visiting it. yes the weather has been cold and wet, and its dark and I could go on listing any other number of excuses.
I am in no way complaining or moaning even if it sounds like it I fully realise just how lucky I am. however I need to motivate myself to get out to the beach, even though I can't surf at the moment because of the shoulder problem I can and should still be able to enjoy the feel and smell and look of the ocean.
I will add to this post in the morning until then I am going to rest from the hypnotic power of this amazing media and turn my computer off.

nice day but

I had such good things planned for today, we went to the beach had sometime playing in the sand even contemplated going for a surf (surf was a bit small). I had even decided on a kind of design theme to show you. I documented the day with a new camera I have been testing for work since Friday, but you have guessed it the camera has gone wrong so all the pictures are waiting to be retrieved and all I can show you is one taken on my phone!

memories of art school came back as fresh as ever after reading the Cow Gum story on davidthedesigners blog. some 27 years have passed since leaving as a fresh faced rather unrealistic designer but something like that on david's blog happily brought it back.

I hardly ever promote music but I was contacted by the reels and have to say I am happy to put up a link to them as I think they are worth it, 'Emergency' is my current favourite.

thing of beauty? >> twin fin fish?

you might not agree but I think the pictures on this post show a thing of beauty, a 'new' old school (retro-shape but I don't like the term) twin fin fish surf board the link takes you through to the forum pages of surfer magazine where it is discussed and more pictures shown.

there is only one board shape (& set-up) that I think is more pleasing to the eye and that is a quad (four finned) kneeboard surfboard. I am lucky enough to have one and it is a case form really following function. the board looks great and surfs like a thing of beauty. pictures will follow soon.

surf obsessed, me?

really windy~ a long wave period (the gap between waves) ~ the promised huge waves didn't arrive on our coast today. by the sound from the bay tonight (Saturday) it has got bigger so we will be out hunting for the big ones tomorrow (Sunday) just to watch. an obsession with surfing and following the weather is something that creeps up on you. I didn't realise I was quite so driven to get to the ocean if things were going on. So many weekends, holidays, places to live, even friendships, have been made, changed even lost because of surfing and waves or worst still the lack of waves. it's just a shame that the back/shoulder problems I have at the moment are stopping me from getting in the water as often as I should. having said that I would probably give it a go if conditions were right. maybe not tomorrow as it looks likely to be huge. the surf forecast and the computer driven wave height charts are predicting some big stuff. north coast getting it full on but the south coast may well get a better a shape and still be big. I will be sure to tell you tomorrow.

ob·ses·sion (n)
1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety.
2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion.