down not out

Lots of change going on… I am now unemployed, so it's bye bye Cornwall soon and hello Wales…and the world. Hopefully I'll get to see some of it again! It's mad to think I've not been on an actual holiday for nearly five years (yes, magazine surf trips count, if you like stress, hassle, looking after teenagers and standing on the beach with a camera and dictaphone) so I reckon it's time to hit warm waves. What else is redundancy money for?!

Surfed today and it was no quieter than a weekend cos of half term. 2-3ft quite peaky, couldn't catch fuck all. This time of year is so bloody hard for intermediates, especially if your fitness isn't quite all it should be. I kinda give up for a bit. Unless it's sunny clean and nice I won't bother. I know it'll be okay when it's warmer again, always is. Right now, I question the hours and hours I've spent surfing when I can't catch a decent wave in an hour! Grr!

Got a contract to write a how-to surfing book, so I'm stoked on that, and I'm so happy to be going home. Hope the swells continue up there…

walking, surfing, thinking

I'm lucky to walk the beach path every day. On this morning last week, the Headland Hotel floated in the mist. Headless.


I just like this. The footing for some sort of pole, I guess. It's so weathered, it makes lovely reflections, it disappears and reappears as the sand levels change. It has a collection of very differently coloured pebbles held in the hole at the top. It's kind of like a little castle, surrounded by a moat, guarding its treasure.


A few days ago on the morning dog walk, a little brown hawk began to hover over me, looking to snaffle an early morning breakfast of the rodent kind from the bank above the Windswept Cafe. It was supremely confident in flight, feathers flipping here and there, body totally still. It turned to look at me, standing there updating the MSW eyeball surf report, dismissed me (despite some goon hollering "Wow! What a good photo you're going to get!" and carried on). It got really, really close, and caught something furry.

On Saturday I was surfing Gwithian, out from from the Jam Pot (yummy egg butties), and a dolphin/porpoise surfed a wave in front of me as I paddled out. It was a split-second view of a perfect arc. S/he had more fun out there than me - it was Baltic!


I've had a mad week this week, and I'm so looking forward to more of the above - quality time wtih good friends on lovely beaches! This is Rach, Abs, Laurz and Furtle in Marazion.

snowy newquay

One of my photos of snowy Fistral made it onto a BBC report about all the snow in Cornwall.

Pretty chuffed with that, especially as it was taken with the iPhone (the one above wasn't!). I am loving everything I can do with it, especially the Pano application. Got the best panorama of the snowy golf course and surroundings this morning. I also love Gorillacam, and I'm now searching for the best filters app I can find. Love a bit of sepia.

Atlantic Hotel sunrise and Great Western Beach.

There's no surf though, and I'm missing Wales like mad (there's loads there…).

cliffs

Friday we did some 'team building' around the Gazzle with Newquay Coasteering. Jumps not very high due to the spring tide, but it was fun. Spot me around 43 seconds-ish, followed by my colleague David.

Been surfing recently, plenty actually, but it's been nowhere special and nothing special, so I've not been updating here. I need a roadtrip/holiday/something. Just surfed the gay Bay, four 3ft drops to straighten out. Yeah it's good practice for other places with big drops, but…it's frustrating to the max when I've got speed to burn.

Might go somewhere where the drops turn into barrels tomorrow, depending on the wind…have to interview WQS no 26 Sarah Beardmore, our new British National Champion. Might as well go for a surf then!

Next Friday heading home for two weeks of Welsh surf and some proper jumps.

OceanDaze and Whoopsadaze

Two more ace surfs…one was at the Bay, and boy was it crowded - loads of spongers left over from the Wedge Air Jam, all DKing and paddling around people on the peak………anyway I had loadsa waves and one long left with a cutback and a re-entry as well as a few turns…it won't last but it's good!

Then Whoops last night, 'Don't even bother to check it Kat just get in there, you'll love it' and I did. Along with Lev and home, I just can't decide which is my favourite. Good surfers out there yest, good waves. Whoops teaches, but yesterday it just served them on a plate. Yum.

Also waiting to get paid so I can reserve myself a ticket for the OceanDaze festival in Sennen, a perfect end to the (so-called) summer. Going to be sick.

whoops

Wow I've been slack…loads of good surfs though Glasto disrupted things a bit!

Went straight to Whoopsadasies after work last night and glad I did (avoided cos of size night before, and regretted going to the gay Bay again). The wind dropped and the push gave it shelter, it was still messy but I enjoyed it loads and loads… Only a few people out, 3ft lumps pushing through. Made a huge sucky drop on one right, sheer determination. Missed quite a few but it wasn't an easy ride. There was a navy rescue copter buzzing over us for a while as well - I have an irrational love for them.

Got quite a few waves happy enough, but in general just a much better session though I got loads more waves in the bay the day before. Happier to challenge self a bit, though in the end it was more like my perfect size really, nothing to scare me. Fell off one (in front of a smirking boy of course) really hard, winded myself and hurt. Whoops always teaches! Always. But apart from the last wave I was taking off properly and doing what could be done on them. It's so gorgeous there and peaceful too, so much enjoyed.

a few reasons i is quite happy today

lovely perfect surf
sunshiiiiiine
fun last weekend down south
more to come this weekend, north and south
been paid
am the Country Life centrefold (not seen it, sure it's hilarious)
being left to work in peace
scored tons of freelancing work
going to a birthday party tonight with my girls
goin' dancin' tomorrow night (and maybe sign painting?)
think have scored a new 5/4/3

Divers in a RIB.

Pednvounder, mind the nudies

Masked Ball tickets

Got some Masked Ball tickets for sale at the office or direct from me...excited already, perfect Glasto warmup!!

Lineup:
SIR VINYL OF THE FATTEST
GET WAXY/RESIDENTIAL DANCE HOME
SAMUEL J AND THE LIVING REVOLUTION feat 3CS BBOYS AND YML CREW
YOUR BOYFRIENDS ARE DJS
JAC THE DISCO
SOUTH CENTRAL

£25 inc. free camping, champagne, strawberries and so many possibilities…Levy clifftops. Might go for a surf the next morning...haha.

Snowy Newquay

Today is Imbolc, traditionally 'the quickening of the year', when winter first begins to lose power – not so much in Cornwall today! There is surf…but I'm not getting in it. Maybe tomorrow…

Nine Maidens in a Row

Just wrote an article about another little foray into the myths and legends of Cornwall…it's on the Matador travel site.

Best thing to do when the surf's not great!