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.