Memories of how and when surfing started. Part 2

Jersey has been a surf destination for eighty years and for a few years was one of the most important surf spots in Europe. In the 1960s, thousands of people packed St Ouens bay to watch the British Surfing Team. The first surfing championships in Jersey took place at the Watersplash in 1963.  In the 1960s and 70s Jersey was a surfing mecca, hosting the European surfing championships, thousands of people packed St Ouens Bay to watch the 67 event with a Guernsey team attending the Europeans with Bob Warry placing 2nd right up to the semi finals alongside the likes of Rod Sumpter who went on to win.

Semi finalists 1967 European Championships.
Left to Right
Barry Johnson (Gsy), French Team (?), Richard Browning (Gsy) French Team (?), Jean Pierre Lartigue (? fra), Arnaud de Rosnay (?), French Team (?), Bob Warry (Gsy wearing No1 vest), Roger Mansfield (UK), Unknown, Unknown, Rod Sumpter, Unknown, Steve Harewood (Jsy. Freedom Surfboard's), Unknown, Barry Jenkins (Jsy ?), Unknown.
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Enough of this memorabilia stuff, back to todays Funautical action.
Right, left, straight, whatever. 4 people out. Parking lot is empty. Kinda rolly, not breaking until well inside but you can see the lines in the water about half way out. Wondering; should I stay or should I go? Grey skies, slight drizzle with waist-chest high dribblers making their way eastward. Sitting in the line up waiting for some lumps to come through I was chatting to Martin Brouard about the up and coming long board comp. Check it out....   

The contest is in the final stages of organisation and the holding period will be starting from 01 March for 3 months, check out the contest website www.longboardclassic.moonfruit.com

longboardclassic.moonfruit.com

Entry Form available by e-mailing longboardclassic@hotmail.co.uk

The Morning After.

Fade2Grey live at Fermain Tavern Saturday, last night.
Nikk, Andi, Kriss and Little Gary Numan 'make up' Fade2Grey. It's as if the '80s electronica never went away...

Little Gary Numan Fade2Grey

Partied a little too hard last night with the girls? It happens to the best of us. Your head is pounding and your liver is begging for mercy, but at least you had a good time. If you can manage to function for a few seconds while you’re not literally laying horizontal in bed, try out this hangover remedy.

Drinking lots of water is the tried-and-true hangover therapy. Here’s a hint: Approximate the amount of alcohol you consumed last night and double it that’s how much water you need to drink. So, yeah, you’re gonna need a shitload of Aquafina to offset those six (or was it seven?) shots you vaguely remember downing. So in my wisdom what better place can you find a shitload of water apart from the tap!!!! next best thing...go surfing in cold water. wakes you right up n stops you thinking of the hangover. Otherwise stay in bed.


Oh my god. I need to get wet. So dry. My skin and wetsuit are cracking.
Well the end of the latest west swell just came and went.

 Not much on offer this morning but some waisties and a rare chest high.
But... I had more fun today than the other bigger day earlier in the week.
Pulled up to Portinfer and suited up.
Sat and sat. Enjoyed a couple small ones.
Eleven long boarders and two S.U.P's all fighting for the odd set wave.
The ocean is the best cure for a hangover there is nothing like cold salt water slapping you in the face to cure a  post party trauma..

Summers approaching ...

Clear nights, small waves and orange sunsets have been the order for last two days of sailing/surfing.
An occasional bigger set surfing at Portinfer Thursday, a little speed down the line wave sailing Wednesday brought some satisfaction to my restless mind. SURF ON!

Thursdays surf session

We had a lot of wind Wednesday leaving a nice swell,
anticipation for big spring tides,
does that mean I have to go left?
lets not forget about today,
solid 5 footers,
close Outs,
only two in the line up,
nice Sun Set,
feeling cold,
big 10 metre tide,
I hope
i did not over
do it today ...

Sailing Therapy or I'm going to take up Knitting

I have not sailed in what seems like a long time so I was going out no matter what today.

I had a nice fight with mother nature and was feeling like a rusty old tin can with a snarl.  After pacing around the house for a bit, I grabbed my 75lts and headed to the beach

A big and sloppy combo of WNW ground and NW wind swell is hammering all areas over Sunday.

 No one was in the water when I got to Vaz in the morning, due to onshore conditions. Making for very hard times getting to the outside and once you were there you did not really know what to do.  As not such a good day for Vaz, off I went to Pembroke for some better conditions...

 Did not care what kind of conditions awaited me today I was going sailing.  I got to Pembroke before 13:00, the wind was up, the tide was on the push (works best at low), and it looked like there was white water every where...., the boys were rigging so I followed suit. The swells on the outside had some size to them.
 Rigged a 4.2 sailed out and cursed the water for being so cold.   Bottom turned into a wave and cursed the clueless brainny who tried getting on the wave with me, My wave!...My wave!!....MY WAVE!!!! . Then the wave started doing what it does best, I took a few more bottom turns and a few more top turns, then feeling rather over-powered with the wind getting stronger and things getting messy in the soup, I caught a couple of small ones and headed back to the beach to change down to the 3.7.  Back into the waves and travelled down the line to a different place, all my frustrations were gone and I was once again content. I have to say you have to be in good shape to take advantage of these conditions after about 10 waves I was toast. Still, managed two hours.  Pretty good conditions (despite rigging the wrong sail)  the crowd was back, people every where, parking lot packed, short boarders, long boarders, and various wind propelled boarders.