Thursday 2 July 2009

Just been up to the marquee with the lighting for the wedding gig this weekend - very nice indeed. Can't wait to get on and play. The big ones get us fired up. We've just been asked to do another wedding in September, could this be the start of something?

I e-mailed my sis and brother-in-law - how do you fancy sharing a speed boat? My only problem was that Janey had to be convinced, with all the recent outlay she wanted to wait until the end of the summer. Anyway, big sis steps in (she comes down with her kids for the whole summer) she'll buy the boat now and we can pay our bit later on!! Perfect - so on Tuesday the ultimate toy arrives. Can't wait to take the boys out for a spin wakeboarding, and there may be a need for some tow-in R and D!! It's the same as the lifeboat on the beach, brilliant in surf - v excited. Should be a great addition for summer fun.

Sometimes I feel like a spare part!! Today on the beach, what, 240 people through the surf school and what's my input? Very little - Sam and Wail are running it like a well oiled machine. It was great to hear some very positive feedback from Nick (our photographer) about how he feels the beach is going, saying that the boys run it with the same dedication as if it was their own. Knowing that it's all in hand gives us options.

So now that all the projects are nearly completed I'm going to have to look for a new one!! I'm not a natural in the shop, I'm rubbish at it, so Mikey and his team will take that over v. soon. We're going to get a valuation for the beach house now that we've added the shop and new training facility. Fingers crossed that it's been a good investment - can't think for one minute that it hasn't been. Squeezed ever inch out of that one me thinks. 

Tuesday 30 June 2009

a magical session

It's hard to imagine how last nights surf could have been any better! With low expectations I headed into the sea with a few mates. After only a short while the sets started coming in and it went glassy. A half hour period saw left handers of pure class. Great session and then back to watch Murray settle the game. 

We've been very busy for a while now averaging 150 - 220 clients everyday since whitsun. It's been a big effort from the team and spirits in camp are very high. We've got a great mix of youth and experience/ boys and girls/married and young free and single - we've always had that experience at the top which is what you need. Not from a surf coaching experience point of view, more from a safety point of view. Once the party summer season kicks off the young ones like to burn the candles and that takes a good deal of management. But no complaints this year, in fact some really good new additions. It's been a very positive start.

Next week we'll open up the new training room officially. We're putting in some fun stuff there which we think both the staff and Boardriders will enjoy. King of the Groms this weekend - I'll let you know how our team gets on.

Monday 29 June 2009

The surf is back - long live the surf

Billy and Fin - they have a life

Wadebridge Football Club - Awards

Last year Janey said I lit the BBQ a bit late. The last thing I was to do this time was to do the same again. These were my orders from Janey whilst she cracked on with her support crew with the rest of the preparations. Tom from Finisterre popped in to say hi with his brother in law Sam who I hadn't seen for a while. We got some classic banter underway. And so sure enough the last thing I did was to forget to light the BBQ on time! A good deal of card wafting in the direction of the cold briquettes did eventually get the thing stoked up and everyone lived happily ever after.


Janey and I went furniture shopping for the new decking. Plans are afoot to make it something really special and then use it for private parties / corporate events. The location is stunning. Just working on a few ideas as we speak. 

Surf's Up! instructors Daisy and Sam at the BBQ

Surf's Up! instructors Kelly and Claude enjoyed the burgers

Here they are - under 10's, under 9's and under 8's - there's some real talent in these teams. A big thanks to all the coaches who give up so much of their own time.



Sunday 28 June 2009

"I'm slapping a seal"

Billy has occasion to jump into the Crasky bed of a night. Last week whilst deep within a dream he sat up moving his right arm from side to side in a short brisk sweeping motion. "What on earth are you doing?" asked Janey. "I'm slapping a seal" he replied. He'd been watching Night in a Museum - why it was a seal we just don't know!

Last night was an all timer on the North Coast - with a flat calm sea, the ocean looked like a pool of oil. We went around to Port Gaverne to do some jumping, swimming and crabbing. I've never seen it so still on the water and so clear - just like the tropics. Dr. Sainsbury was around there with his family, he lives a few minutes down the road - the last time he could remember it being like that was 15 years ago! Libby drew a large crowd with her cliff jumping - she's incredible to watch. The ledge she's jumping from has to be over 10ft high.

It's been a long flat spell, apart from the surf last weekend it's been small for two weeks - one of the longest spells I can remember. Fortunately we've been stacked with schools, and we can always keep them entertained with paddles and games in the water, which they love. What wouldn't be great is a flat spell during the main holiday period. Law of averages is working in our favour at the moment though - we'll hold onto that thought. Heat wave this week, but it does look like surf is on the way tomorrow.

After much post performance analysis we've discovered that our weak gig the other night might have been down to fact that our drummer had had a few too many. I like that story so I'm sticking with it!! We broke the record for how fast Times Like These can be played!! It came in at around 2 mins.