How Skate Decks are made in Europe

Have a look at this link which show the making of skate decks in Europe by JART .Which helps the environment by keeping the ship footprint down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkqGxyq1SxM

Looking forward to the Quik Pro

 

 

 

 

The time has come for us to warm up to the Quik Pro in France, the fact of the matter is that it is your best chance to see the top 44 in action in Europe. This is my 5th year of heading down to Hossegor and I look forward to it more and more as the years go by (and boy are they going!!). This time of the year helps in that the end of another rain and wind swept Irish summer you may only be a few degrees south but you can do a shortie or boardies and a wetsuit vest if you’re up for it. Over the last 2 years, the sun has shone the waves have pumped and that is good for the soul, setting off into a cold winter further north.
Things to do
The best surfers on the planet are there and they are there to perform. I am into the surf photograph and it is made easy by the standard so go and watch in awe. If you like the big power manoeuvres or the new school air, they are there in barrel loads.
Quiksilver always run great side events to go with the pro, so check them out.
The Rock Food bar in the square is always worth a visit the amber nectar flows till late o’clock, be warned this can affect your ability for early morning glass.
I will leave you to discover the break for yourself, but there are plenty from Seignosse in the North to Bidart in the South, Capbritton is to the South of Hossegor, across from the Cab Club hotel, this is where allot of the Pros stay - well the ones who are doing well, there is an Irish bar in the Hotel and you can stand a chance of sharing a table with Mick Fanning or any one of the pros who stay there.
My best times
The year Kelly got 8, we managed to blag a ticket to the Quik party were Kelly played with the band just an amazing night.
Two years ago on the Sunday before the main comp, La Graver was exploding at 10 foot and looked like hell on earth and they ran an expression season. I watched as the best surfers in the world pulled into what looked like the most horrible close out and through power technique and guts made them and ripped them!
The year off the rugby world cup, we watched members of the Irish rugby team getting Kelly’s autograph and being in awe of him, quite amazing..
Watch out for
Your board and valuables, I know of many people whose trip has been ruined by having stuff stolen. Phil my old mate from the Headworx days lost his boards, his camera and money for a 4 week trip after being in Hossegor for only 2 hours, so lock it and watch it.

Powerful beach breaks
One year I was sitting on the rock pile taking photos on a big day, out of the corner of my eye I saw a German in a pair of Speedos walking down the beach straight into the white water the next thing that confronted him was 10 foot of French lip which just smashed him. Next thing is your man floating face down. So, I start to run back down the rock pile to put my camera on the beach to go in after your man, I was a bit worried about my camera with the tendency for things to go walk about, but as I get to the beach I saw the lifeguard run down to the water, I then decided to shot the happenings. The lifeguard got to the hapless German just in time for both of them to get one on the head. Fortunately it did not smash the lifeguard and he held your man up, he was then joined by a very pretty female lifeguard, just as our lucky German regains conciseness the first thing he sees is her ! I think he thought he had died and gone to heaven!
So be warned, the waves in this area have come from a very deep part of the ocean and carry a little bit more power that your G town special.

So you should look into the annual exodus flights to Biarritz, they can be good value and enjoy Europe the ultimate surf bonanza.

Andy has just come around after the weekend and reports

The way i saw it..... So hopefully it represents it well...

Just back from Newquay where myself and Hugh Power competed in the Quiksilver showdown at Fistral beach, a pro-am event where 8 shops(i.e. Quiksilver's customers, (northshore, troggs, tubes, in deep, SDS, surfing life), ), provided 2 shop riders, who get paired with 2 top UK pro riders, and one top UK girl pro rider.
Names were picked out of a hat and the event was run as a 5 person tag team event. A 2 wave limit, not being able to leave your pen on the beach, a double whammy wave( where a nominated surfer could claim a wave to double his score), and time restrictions for each surfer, ment the event was truly wide open which ment anyone could win... a great leveler, especially if like myself and Hugh, comps are a rareity...
It was a comp though, so que the under scoring, the over scoring and the controversial desisions, but our team of Garret Llewelan, Warren Tuck and Beth Mason ( a welch girl, who had the lead in the most powerful manouver in the expression session for 3/4 of it with the guys), ment we squezed through to the final, thanks to the best wave of the event by warren tuck, destroying a back hand one, which was impressive from a J-bay kid whose used to going right, scoring a 9.5 and double whammying it...and also to Gadge for an equally impressive effort, making it on time so as we didnt loose any points, legend... By the sounds of the lads he was partying with that was a pretty solid move...
Unfortunatly we were just making up the numbers in the final all underperforming hugely, and the consitancy of the other teams was shining through, with surfers like Johnny Fryer getting vertical again, Micah Lesters power and Reuben Pierce all performing so high, it was between their teams... Not even sure who won in the end but thats down to me be a half wit and not remembering, even though i was at the presentation... probably saw something shiny...
So shout outs to all the surfers, and appologies if i get the names a bit off, but i know the heads if yer ever over this way...
Gadge, Warren, Greg Owen ( the Welsh legend with the epic magic cigarett trick, and who guided me home the last night from the madness, nice one Greg), Andy Hill (Irish ambasador), Stuie, Bogie, Morag (for hooking a brother up), James Mitchel (how about that one with the red and white top hahaha), Mitch Corbett, Tom Butler ( of the butler lineage), Mark 'igor' Harris, whose stlye over flowed to the bar too, Skippy (party's like Archie)... etc etc etc and all the crew. All mad fuckers as a result of the orler genaration pushing the boundries so far... all out there in a positive way...
And the younger kids, the future, Luke Dillon, Jamie, Josh Piper, Tobias Cake Donachie( i kid you not), and Aaron Reid(well spotted by Spence). So good to see Aaron Reid representing ireland for us with Quiksilver. The 16 yr old is a super cool kid with ambitions. I love his style already. From cruzie pampa double barrels, to asking the bird that was interviewing him for Blue Peter, if she was heading out that night, who was alot older i might add. He surfs like he does his interviews, and goes for it every time , and its only a matter of time before he starts nailing things more often ;)... he will be one with a bright future if looked after properly...

The public were treated on both days to a battle of the bands competition, in Association with Gibson Guitars, that profiled local bands, with the aim of increasing their exposure, which it did, as i am now aware of I AM GIANTS... so good work there too....

Thanks to Quicksilver for setting up a grass roots surf comp for the people in it for the right reasons... to surf and have shit loads of fun...
With markets contracting at an high rate, its refreshing to see that the core surfers that created the hype, are the ones that are still being looked after... Not even sure who won in the end, but i suppose for me, everyone did, cause it was an amazing opertunity for us average joes to surf, hang out with, and make links to England and Ireland, with The UK elite surfers and shop owners etc... An event by surfers for surfers... Thats what its all about... Classic. Oh, and the spa in the hotel...... wow... Andy Hill knows what im talking about...

Special thanks to Meena Rajput( for totally hooking us up, from the room with a view to the fish and chips), and Spencer Hargraves and all the background team for making it happen....
Peace out...

forgot to mention Jayce Robinson, and the neon night, where i thought that it was hilarious asking , whose 'bright idea' was it... but it going completely unapreciated..., and the one and only kiwi, Steve Sledge...
And probable loads of other stuff too... like getting greg owen to say luminous, and flouresent all night.... classic...

I wont annoy ye anymore....

later.

Well Done 4th in the Show down

Well done to Andy and Hugh for getting 4th Place in the Showdown in Newquay at the weekend.The full inside story to come on 101 later but looking at the cut off the boys in the Cork store on Monday it was a good one.