Raves & Rants . . from Penzance

Finally ! Some swell rolled in today, and the beaches were humming with sighs of relief from the surfing population at large. And it did seem that they were all at large, or at least at the beach that I went to. Don't these people have jobs to go to? Towards the end of my session, a cross section of local talent gathered on a small peak and proceeded to rip it to bits. Tom Lowe, Jayce Robinson (above) and Jack Whitefield traded the punchy short rides (read close-outs) with Bert Wright, Michael Lay and Ben Vavrecka. Ben was on top form considering it was his first time back in the water in a long while, putting in some serious vertical re-entries on his backhand. I managed to get back for a quick half hour shoot before everyone got out, check out the shots here : http://ocean-image.com/Spring_Swell_g275.html I can only say that finally getting a wave was a really great feeling, even after only a two week layoff. Fully stoked. Imagine though, that you had an enforced layoff...

It's well known that the county of Cornwall hosts an eclectic mixture of people and practices - artists and painters working right alongside fishermen, gentle retired folk having cream teas on a beach with extreme sports windsurfers spinnning loops nearby, Witch museums in hidden valleys, warlocks, hiding mega star rock gods, ancient Celtic ritualists and festivals. I could go on. All these types, and many more, make up the magical mixture that projects Cornwall's vibrant individual feel to both resident and visitor alike. Or, as local legend has it, ' Cornwall ? It's like someone shook England, and all the nuts fell to the bottom !' To make this point clearer, informative signage has now been erected on the A30 entrance to Penzance. If you can't quite make out the white writing - this is a photo from my phone - it reads : May Contain Nuts! Return to Ocean-Image.com

Pretty stoked yesterday morning when the post arrived. A pack of these two cards dropped on to the mat from Surfers Against Sewage . Using photos by Tony Plant and Mike Newman from the Ocean-Image.com site these will form part of their latest fundraising campaign, along with 16 other cards. Printed to a very high standard on recycled paper using renewable energy, they also have compostable packaging and use vegetable based inks. On the back of one is quote from Duke Kahanamoku, surf pioneer and Olympic swimming champion - 'Out of the water, I am nothing'. Statue of the Duke at Freshwater beach, Sydney, where he introduced Australia to surfing in 1914. Very pleased to be involved with this camapign - if you sell cards, why not stock this range and help 'make our seas a better place for everyone to enjoy' ? Otherwise, buy these cards whenever you see them ! Full range visible here http://www.theheartofagarden.com/greetingscards/sas.htm Return to Ocean-Image.com