Category: Uncategorized

So a slightly disappointing forecast. Can’t really say I didn’t expect it. I was really excited about it but the fact that it appeared really late and didn’t have much base to it left me hesitant. Despite that I made the call to just a few people about Camber possibly having the once a year conditions this weekend…unfortunately the wind just didn’t come through.

The good news…the swell did. So I got out for an amazing SUP session from 4.30-6.00 (awesome sunset), 2-3 foot peeling waves, I even spotted it barreling over at times. Pretty unheard of at Camber so I was pleased to make the effort and had a great time on the RRD Diamond Line 10’6″…

Next trip all booked up…off to Egypt on the 16th for two weeks before the easter comps! planning to go to Austria…bit more affordable than Vietnam!! Looks like the UK guys (Bubble and Max) are doing well out there. If you haven’t already seen it, then check the live stream out in the morning, Ben Proffitt and Max Rowe are giving some amusing commentary and its on when you wake up in the morning about 7-8 UK time, http://www.pwaworldtour.com!

Another windy weekend!! Got out yesterday for 2 hours or so at Pirate Springs (a spot Sam Conroy has been raving about). Was side-on and well powered up on my 4.9 and 76 quad. Had a fun session, getting all the moves sorted but it was pretttty cold on the old hands. Despite gloves the sea temperature was absolutely freezing!

Anyway bit lighter today, off for an adventure SUP down a local river…ooooo

Had some awesome sessions since Friday. The wind has been incredible!

Friday: Sailed Camber, 4.1 and 76 Quad. Amazing session with some awesome ramps.

Saturday: Essexpression… Day one at Point Clear. Bit lighter than expected with the wind dropping a bit. Changed up a size and had a couple of good heats..well the final was definitely better. We had two semi final heats and a final. Max Rowe and Oscar Carmichael got through from heat 1 and myself and John Palmer from heat 2. The wind picked up in the final, which suited me as I was a bit under powered in the semi. I opened up my heat with a one handed air’ish’ Bob and a one handed air funnel. Then got a forward, a shaka, a planning flaka, a sw kono, an eslider, a mat (half a matador) and a pun (half a puneta) and a couple other moves I think… so all in all a pretty good heat, infact, probably one of my best i’ve ever sailed. I didn’t really watch what the others got, which probably helped, and I ended up taking 1st place. Pretty pleased with that result. Then went back to Max’s that evening and had a few drinks…

Sunday: Sailed Marconi’s sailing club, Steve Thorne’s local, with everyone. Was good fun but felt pretty worse for wear…

Monday: Sailed Camber with Max, Palmer and Whitey. Looked pretty budget when we arrived but decided to pick up as soon as we hit the water… had to change from 4.9 and 90l twinfin to 4.5 and 76l quad…still well powered up. Had a great session with Whitey taking some snaps…so hopefully see more soon…

Completely broken now, ready for a day or twos rest then…who knows…maybe another windsurf (judging by the forecast).

Kit for sale (for those interested):
ALL RRD boards and sails and reason for sale is to make room for the new gear.
Boards:
2010 74 Twinfin (wave) – Exceptional condition 
2010 90 Twinfin (wave) – Exceptional condition
2010 88 Twintip (freestyle/freeride/bump and jump) – Exceptional condition, single fin


Sails:
2010 Superstyle 3.7 – Barely used, Exceptional condition
2010 Superstyle 4.9 – Exceptional condition


Please email for info on prices (no damage to any of the gear, pics can be seen on the rrd website, here, and postage is £15.50 per item).
email: adam@silte.co.uk

Met up with Max Rowe to sample the delights of Whitstable today. Despite being super light, it was actually good fun. Could have done with my 100l TT instead of the 88 but other than that all was good.

So got back from Cape Town yesterday! Awesome flight, really empty so had a whole row of 8 seats to myself = 8 hours of solid sleep!!

To save a massive write up you’ll have to check my column in the Feb issue of boards. Anyway last few days were awesome, here are a few pics from the whole trip…couldn’t upload pics whilst out there?!?!

 Generally had a lake session in the morning (above) then to sunset around lunch (below) then big bay in the evening.

 Learning to push loop above, got that move sorted on Ben Proffitts birthday 🙂 rigged up and first run off the beach landed it bolt up right (shame we were in too much of a hurry to get the video camera out)…ahh well Ben, George and a couple other people saw it and the bigger one after!

First off happy new year everyone.

So with the new year I have a new van!!! Exciting I know…well actually I’ve had it for a couple of months but just haven’t had the time to kit it out until the last few days. So what is it… well a 2005 Ford Transit SWB Low roof, so much like the old black one but newer and with 50,000 less miles on the clock. The best bit is… it’s bright orange, so the ultimate ginger-mobile. It’s a bit too dark now for pics, but I’ll get some in the morning and then at the end of the day tomorrow. To show the work that I manage to get done.

Being an ex RAC van it took me two days to strip all the fittings, wiring, random other bits and pieces out. Then the last two days I’ve been kitting it out with a ply-lining set I got from ebay, much less hassle and I think it is actually cheaper than buying the wood from the local timber yard (except it doesn’t fit that well, so I have to keep making alterations, still less hassle then measuring and cutting each piece to fit).

I was lucky enough to pick up a few really old masts from my sponsors at seasprite a month or so ago and am now the proud owner of probably the worlds lightest double bed! Oh yeh… Also the van is equipped with an internet cable…I’ve yet to try it out but hopefully I can hack into the RAC network… mmmmeeeeeeee! Or more likely not and I’ll just attach a dongle jobby to the end of the internet cable jobby and have the same setup…or just use my iphone!

Finally I’m off to Cape Town in two days…good news for everyone at home as the wind looks like it is filling in here and disappearing out there!! Anyway its 30 degrees out there so I’ll just take my red surf board out with me… der…der……der…der…..der..der..der.der..derderderderderderderrrr!!!

Anyway more tomorrow on the van and what I’m packing for Cape Town!

…and this is what happened…

CLICK HERE

… thanks to my new sponsor SPARTAN wetsuits for keeping me warm on the water and of course the legendary RRD for making me look suuuuuper cool in those speedos (for Jai…inside joke) and of course http://www.silte.co.uk for making me look just as raaaad off the water!

Merry Christmas everyone!

So just got back from a weeks skiing in St Anton, well we stayed in Lech but it’s all the same area.

Two highlights: the powder was over chest deep on the first day and sometimes I found it going over my head as I put in a turn. Never skied in anything quite that deep before, the rest of the week it was waist deep. Absolutely scored it on the snow front then. The other highlight was this toboggan run we went to, where you get the cable car up, have a meal then toboggan down on these tiny little sledges. I made a quick video of me and my brothers having a few crashes on the final bend of the run. Awesome fun and I massively recommend it to anyone who gets a week or two in this year.

more soon…

Not much to say really just read/watch this – http://www.boardseekermag.com/features/windsurfing-action/sims-cold-session.html