The sun is out, the sky is blue

Went to watch Joseph at St. Minver School yesterday - both performances, wasn't going to miss Billy in his 'ensemble and hairy Ishmalite' role. What a huge amount of effort must have gone into that. There were a few tears in the hall. I expect there will be more on Friday, when the seven years they've been together, comes to an end.

The sun is out today, sun and surf - 2ft, bit onshore but no-ones complaining. It's been a bit miserable the past few days. I think everyone's expecting a mass arrival of holiday makers on the weekend, so fair weather is what we want. It's been so much quieter generally around on the beach in June and July, people just haven't been around. Scary to think that we're nearly into August.

Rhys - ripping it up

Here's one of our Surf's Up! Elite riders, Rhys enjoying some shack time in France. photo courtesy of Tim Nunn. Way to go Rhys, way to go!

That's Jonny Boy modelling the new tops! He does have a head! Jonny Boy came into the office yesterday for what he thought was a ticking off having not closed down the shop properly the night before. He looked quite scared! I had to explain to him that firstly, yes, we would like him to turn off the lights, computers tv etc. But secondly, he should hold his head up high because he's doing a really great job, working hard and getting lots of good feed back from his students. Make sure our clients have a good time and are looked after - that's all we really care about. Lights, computers - it's not something we're going to lose sleep over.

Weather today? bit wet as it goes - should brighten up later. Surf's not so bad - 3-4ft moderate North-West breeze.

Jenga

Anyone else get the feeling that all this hacking saga is a bit like watching a game of Jenga - you just know eventually that it's all going to come crashing down and then spread much wider then you ever could have imagined. In the City, for example? There must be hacking going on amongst the banking world with so much money on the line. There must be. Of course the fear if you're a celebrity is finding out that you haven't been hacked. The shame of it.

New Stock

It's all here - nice shiny new stock that's been flying off the shelves since the delivery last week! The long sleeve hooded tops (thin hoodies) are a revelation and I'd take them all except that apparently we need to have them in the shop! Taking some photos tomorrow - and then they'll go on-line. If you want one, you'll need to be quick. Limited editions. Ooooh.

Rain, rain, go away, come back in September!

Just sanctioned Kelly's trip to France to support Toby in the Pro Juniors. Fingers crossed on that one. Toby's had a bit of time out, but has come back with avengence. When he says he's not surfing very well, he'll follow the statement up with a 360 aerial, it's all relative I guess. Good to see him back and firing. Good luck.

Keepy uppy records broken this weekend. Billyman - 410, Findog - 110. Interested? Thought not, but I have no further news.

Yes I do. Well done Tom on The Apprentice. Loving your work. He's one of those guys who was born to wear glasses. Such a great look.

Trail Blazers

Three of our Surf's Up! Boardrider - Elite Division in training tonight. I'd like to say that I taught them all they know but sadly that's just not the case - we can thank Kelly (Snoop Dog ) for that.

Here's Maximus...

...Tobimus, and

Liamimus!

ps. need a bigger lens. "Janey!" "What?" "I need a bigger lens!" "Old Chinese proverb say - You don't get good shopping, you don't get no lens!" "I love you!" Birthday coming up, perhaps if I'm a really good boy.....

Getting earlier

7.30am surf this morning! Getting earlier. Only a few in, enjoyed a few good rides. Lost none of the magic!

Took some snaps last night. Busy, busy, busy in the water as the sun set. Counted fifty in the line-up. That's what happens following a poor run of surf - surfers come from everywhere.

Janey sent me off to Tesco's yesterday, "Fill the fridge" she said. So I did, turns out they had some chocolate mousses on special offer and now as instructed the fridge is full. Fin is stoked. Janey is not! Apparently I was supposed to buy stuff for tea! Poor instructions.

Had a school group from Newquay up to surf and chat about 'business'. A nice bunch. I was asked if I had one bit of advice to give anyone just starting their business. I answered, "Keep a close eye on the figures!" Something that would make my missus laugh a lot (or is that scoff!) as that's something I've never been very good at. It's probably the right message to send from my head, but my heart would say, "make sure you enjoy it."

Wailo sat next to me in the office doing the staff rota. If he scratches his head any harder he'll catch his hair on fire.

Not quite a dawny!

That was great. Not epic, 2ft with a very random 3ft set thrown in just to tease the surfing buds and keep you guessing where the next wave is going to come in! But great to get wet! Met up with a few of the Surf's Up! crew who were already in - Dee, Ryan and Luke and a few clients that I'd taught five years ago. The sun is shining and spirits are high. ps I got in about 8.30ish, I'm not sure that qualifies for 'dawny status', but I'm sure going to claim it.

Okay a few facts to keep everyone in the loop. There was a report last week that of the 700 homes in Polzeath, 400 are holiday homes! (I might check those figures). Holiday booking agents and caravan parks are reporting okay trade for the summer, most are nearly booked up but unlike normal years, there's not a mad clamour. And generally local businesses are saying that June was very quiet. As for Surf's Up! - the shop was down 3% in June but is some 230% up on 2010 overall for the year, mainly due to a fantastic April holiday period (thanks Will and Katie). Oh and of course Sarah, who's doing a great job. My sister is around with her kids at the moment so we get some really good outsider feedback about every department. Which is always good to have. Having said that, I think it's important that if you delegate, that you trust those people delegated to do a job. And we have. Was it the Facebook chap that said that the value of his company was in his top twenty managers - something like that. The surf school? The surf school appears to be ticking along nicely. We're in that ridiculous position having changed the company set up, that we'll be more profitable if we're quieter! Which is a nice position to be in during economically tough times, but shows the tax system to be completely flawed and negative. Let's not get me on that subject!! Let's not spoil the mood!

Reflection

If you read the blog yesterday re. the running, I went back and re-wrote it. I do that quite a lot as it goes. And I think it makes better sense now.

Surf's been pretty small the last couple of days - new swell expected in the morning, probably much to the delight of the instructors. They get a bit twitchy when they can't go surfing. Where there's a will there's a wave, that's what I always tell them. Of course most of the team have never seen me rise early for the dawn patrol surf and to be fair it's a distant memory. All snuggled up under the duvet - I can wait. Creating the largest surf school in the world put pay to the early morning splash. I prefer the sunset surf. But I did do it - it's a part of any surfers right of passage. And I did it just like they do it now - get in before work. Except that I used to do it up in Bude when I was starting out as an instructor. Having said that, you know what? I might just set the alarm for the morning and forgo the bacon and eggs. That'll surprise 'em!

The Big Pond

Okay so I'm his Dad! It's quite hard to write about what Billy did today, without sounding like a complete idiot. However, I have the record books on my side. The event was the Cornwall County Athletic Track Championships over at Par, try saying that when you've had a few. The best that Cornwall has to offer. Billy entered the U11 800m, it's what he wanted to run.

The race started at 1.25pm and went as follows. The start was pretty crazy. One lad went steaming off down the track, Billy followed in hot pursuit. It just looked too fast to be sustained. Slow, slow, slow I urged Billy in my head. This was a race not a time trial. We had a plan, this was not it! But to no avail, the two continued at such an astonishing pace, completing the first lap quite a distance ahead of the others, On the bell, Billy was sat on his shoulder, looking focused and strong. Something surely had to give. This pace couldn't continue. Forty metres later and the other lad hit the wall. He dropped right off the pace leaving Billy now out front on his own. I think we all expected Billy to drop back to the pack too, but he did exactly the opposite, he stepped it up and got quicker. As he came down round the top bend and onto the home straight he was in full flow, sprinting with real purpose. He crossed the line as the others were just beginning the straight. The timekeepers checked their stop watches. "Two minutes 27!" came the shout. "Two minutes 27 secs?" They looked at each other. "What's the county record?"

"Were you going for the record?" Janey asked him later. "No, I kept thinking that big boy was going to put in a late charge!" He was indeed a very tall lad, but had Billy cared to look sideways he would have seen him about half a lap behind. Billy had retained his unbeaten running record but what I was more interested in is how his time compared to his peers around the country.

The Cornwall U11 record is 2mins 34 secs. Having researched on the internet the fastest time I can find throughout the UK whether it be club, county or event records, is two minutes 29 secs and that's the only one I can find in the 20's. He beat both and could have gone faster. He had plenty left in the tank. So what does that mean? That he's the fastest 11 yr old ever in UK? - it's a lovely if unrealistic thought, there must be a better time/s out there somewhere. No, what it is, is reassuring, that's what it is. When you live in Cornwall you can feel a bit cut off from the rest of the planet - this can be a positive thing, and it can be a negative. With our boys and their hobbies, the fear is that it's a negative, so we're always mindful of it. If football and running are to be Billy's main focus, maybe even career (follow your dream) then keeping in touch with what's going on in the bigger picture, outside of Cornwall is important. No point being a big fish in a small pond. So this was the first measurable chance to see how he stacked up against his contemporary's throughout the UK on a level playing field (ie a set distance on a track), to compare times with other counties and clubs.... and the reality is that he's gone out and put in a performance that would be the quickest in most regions (2.34 seems a popular county record) if not all. In other words, he's doing great. And that's very reassuring and relevant, particularly as he approaches Yr 7 and Secondary next term and we think about a school that will get the best out of him and help him to fulfil his dreams. Oh decisions, decisions.

Billyman crosses the line - the others are there somewhere!

I know, I know, banging on about my boys again! But hey, when your flesh and blood does good, you're bursting with pride. Bring back the guest bloggers! Whatever did happen to them?) I'm not going to stop there either. I'm going to press on with family matters! Findog was also at the event. He battled through his heat to pick up a hard fought bronze in the sprint final, an event that we entered him into by mistake (he's a long distance man and should have run in the 600m). Anyway, he took his chance and ran his little legs off! Tough following in big brothers footsteps, but he's come to realise that if he gets his head down he too can mix it up. His time will surely come. Great run boys, great day. We're keeping up with the big pond.

Findog on the left - he's not used to running this fast without a ball at his feet! His school report commented that Fin has a fifth appendage, a football permanently attached to his left hip wherever he goes.