Big Spring Beach Clean 2018

Big Spring Beach Clean 2018

General Club News St. Ives Surf School events Surf Club Events

Grand National Day 2018, and our banner picture shows some of the runners and riders who completed the course. No !! Not the Aintree course, but the grand sweep of St. Ives and it’s beaches covered by the Big Spring Beach Clean of 2018! An annual event on the Surfers Against Sewage calendar, the beach clean has always found an enthusiastic following in St. Ives, and 2018 was no exception. Led by Harris Rothschild of St. Ives Surf School, the volunteers split into two groups and harvested the marine coastal litter from opposing ends of the town. One group began at Porthmeor West, the other at Porthminster Point and they came together on the harbour slipway with their hauls. It was a relaxing and social way to spend a fine Spring morning, and the benefit to the environment can be gauged from the the amount of trash collected in the bags and buckets at the end of the exercise. The Coffee Lounge on Tregenna Hill offered free coffee vouchers for participants and a prize bag for the most enthusiastic beachcomber, which went to Eve Dudley. The gallery below shows some of those who answered the call to help polish the jewel that is our heritage here in St. Ives. Many thanks to all who participated, and please, all readers of this blog, help keep our coastline free of litter – it is hazardous to wildlife as well as a blight on our beautiful environment.

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

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And so, finally, after a frustrating four months delay, our clubhouse project springs back to life! We won’t rake over the litany of negotiations regarding warranties, legal charges, car park charges and the mere time that these things take. Instead we’ll celebrate the fact that we are on site and things are happening. The picture below shows the first steps in the process as the toilet block is demolished.

By the day’s end there remained a pile of rubble to be removed and recycled. An information board has been erected at the site to bring the community abreast of what’s happening – see the proposed layout below

 

 

 

It was a particular pleasure to gather together at the end of the first day on site many of the people and organisations who are instrumental in making it happen. This final picture by Susie Excell of Tregenna Castle shows some of those build partners .

From left to right are: John Navin (Saints Boardriders), Katy Spencer (The Wave Project), Vanessa Luckwell (Cornwall Council), Joshua Martindale (Saints Boardriders), Shaun Paisley (Saints Boardriders), Tristan Easterbrook (Painting & Decorating), Harris Rothschild (St Ives Surf School & Saints Boardriders), Steve Hewlett (Tregenna Castle Resort & Saints Boardriders), Rebecca Martindale (Saints Boardriders), Emma Jarvis (Saints Boardriders), Neal Peek (Tregenna Castle Resort), Ray Renalls (Jewson), Nigel Smitheram (Jewson), Tom Dodd (Frame Homes UK), David Stephens (Ace Engineering), Alan Woodward (Saints Boardriders).
Not present in the picture, but equally deserving of our thanks are:

 MV Clatworthy, C.I.B. Lello Plant Hire Ltd, Summit Roofing, BBN Electrical, Country Carpets, Stevens Scaffolding, A and P Williams, Cornwall Aluminium Windows, Bu-Mar Skip Hire, Porthmeor Beach management and Christian Simmons, architect at CASA Studio Ltd.
saints boardriders committee members who were unavailable for the photo are Ray Trebilcock, Flavio Favero, Luciana Bueno Favero and Simon Trebilcock.
 

 

 
 

 

 

Swellboard Shootout 2017: In Conclusion

Swellboard Shootout 2017: In Conclusion

Competition news Fundraiser General Club News St. Ives Surf School events Surf Club Events

So, it only remains to thank everyone who helped make this extravaganza happen! Harris and the crew of St. Ives Surf School are both the brains and the heavy lifting behind the event. Friday evening came courtesy of Porthmeor Beach West’s fish tacos, Frankie Davies and Ben Warner. Saturday’s show was hosted by Cohort Hostel, films by Red Bull and curries by Ruby Murrays. Sunday was organised by St. Ives Surf School, lifeguarded by the RNLI, marshalled by Pete Mitchell, fed by Captain Carlos of Porthmeor Beach Takeaway, entertained by the music of the Red Bull truck and filmed by Senara of On The Beach Productions. See Here!

Proceeds raised over the weekend will go to Surfers Against Sewage, the RNLI and saints boardriders clubhouse fund.

Many many thanks to each and everyone of the above for bringing about another great edition of the Swellboard Shootout. Let’s do it again next year! Here’s a miscellany of portraits from Sunday. Cheers!

Swellboard Shootout 2017: part 4 – The After Party

Swellboard Shootout 2017: part 4 – The After Party

Competition news Fundraiser General Club News St. Ives Surf School events Surf Club Events

And so to the Balcony for the prize-giving and the partying! First up, Dom Ferris of Surfers Against Sewage gave a rallying speech reminding us of the great work his organisation does on behalf of all of us who use and value our oceans. Then The Giraffes were awarded first prize for their artfully realised costumes. The judges were impressed by the craft element and home-made endeavour in their choice – a pointer to next years entrants that store-bought is short of the mark. Next, an award for outstanding surfer of the day, taken, to popular acclaim, by Mike Lay. His longboard prowess transferred very well to the lengthy rides that a swellboard can offer and we were treated to a masterclass all day long. Finally, the St. Ives Surf School Circus Team collected the winners trophy for their success in the grand final. A strong costume element and a bag-of-tricks surfing element brought the trophy home to Porthmeor again. We were delighted to have the Sandy Acres Seven on stage to bring the evening to a climax, and the crowd had filled the dance floor to capacity before the first number was half way through! Watermelon Man, into Nothing But A Houseparty then Osibisa’s anthemic Sunshine Day and the joint was jumpin’. Great times as always to see out another Swellboard Shootout weekend.

 

Swellboard Shootout: part 3. Surfing

Swellboard Shootout: part 3. Surfing

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Once it came to the surfing, each team carried its fancy dress score into every heat. The quality of surfing was variable, to say the least – there were several very game non-surfers entered into the event as well as a few with national and international recognition in the shortboard and longboard ranks! The twenty or so teams were whittled down to a four team final through the rounds, and by then it was surfing skill that would win it.

Here’s a gallery of what happened!

Still to come: the After-Party and a portrait gallery.

Swellboard Shootout 2017 part 2. The Parade.

Swellboard Shootout 2017 part 2. The Parade.

Fundraiser General Club News St. Ives Surf School events Surf Club Events

Once the teams have been shown to the judges, and their scores for costume evaluated, there is a grand parade from the beach, through the town and back via Fore Street, the lifeboat station, the Wharf and Bunkers Hill. This invariably picks up a crowd of curious onlookers to swell the numbers on the beach at Porthmeor to watch the event. This originated from the 2013 event when conditions at Porthmeor were red-flagged as too dangerous and the early rounds took place at the Breakwater after everyone marched there to get the competition underway. The spectacle proved so amusing to participants and public alike that a parade has become an integral part of the day now. Here’s 2017s version!

 

Swellboard Shootout 2017

Swellboard Shootout 2017

General Club News St. Ives Surf School events Surf Club Events

Last Sunday saw the seventh annual Swellboard Shootout surf competition organised by St. Ives Surf School on Porthmeor Beach. The event raises funds for Surfers Against Sewage, and this year saints boardriders were honoured to be co-beneficiaries with them of the funds raised over the weekend. Indeed, Sunday was only the culmination of a three day extravaganza which commenced at Porthmeor Beach West on Friday night with an evening of fish tacos, beer and music from Frankie Davies and Ben Warner. Saturday evening saw the open-air film show and curry night at Cohort Hostel, before the teams gathered on Porthmeor Beach on Sunday morning dressed to impress and ready to lay down some swelly-riding magic in the quest to lift the coveted trophy.

A single blog cannot do justice to such an epic day, so this is just the first instalment of a multi-part, cut out and keep pictorial memento of the day’s action. Our banner picture features our august panel of judges in their lofty, secluded majesty.And now we meet the teams:

Coming next : The parade.

 

Big Spring Beach Clean 2017

Big Spring Beach Clean 2017

General Club News St. Ives Surf School events

Saturday 1st of April was the date of this year’s Big Spring Beach Clean in St. Ives. A large group of volunteers was welcomed on Porthmeor Beach by Lowenna Jones of Surfers Against Sewage and Harris Rothschild of St. Ives Surf School to be briefed on what we might find during the clean-up, and what NGO’s like Surfers Against Sewage are doing to raise awareness of seaborne pollution and to combat the sources of that pollution.

Harris and Lowenna

Once the briefing was complete we split into two groups, one group to work from Porthmeor West across the beach, The Island, Porthgwidden Beach, Bamaluz and the harbour from Smeaton’s Pier while the other group began at Porthminster Point and worked across Porthminster, Pedn Olva rocks and the low tide foreshore from Lambeth Walk and West Pier to meet on the Slipway. Our task was made easier this year as the Spring tide had cleansed the beaches earlier in the morning, and the three principal beaches had already received their usual morning clean from the regular service. However, there was still lots to find around The Island, and plenty of examples of ‘nurdles’, the small plastic balls that are the raw material of the process of making plastics were found along Lambeth Walk where the big tides had flung them up at the high tide mark. Shreds of discarded rope and random metal pieces were prevalent in the harbour along with the persistent menace of cigarette ends and fast food litter.

It was very worthwhile exercise of a couple of hours which reaped a small harvest of marine debris and in the process raised public awareness locally, the event being covered by the St. Ives Times And Echo, and nationally in a piece on Sky TV News featuring Surfers Against Sewage director Hugo Tagholm and St. Ives surfer Jayce Robinson. Thanks and well done to all who took part, many of whom are in our banner picture taken at the conclusion of proceedings by Matty Snelling. All other pictures by Nog.

How Was Your Weekend?

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OK. So the morning high tide caused the cancellation of Saturday Kids Club,much to the disappointment of kids, parents and instructors alike! So how did you get your weekend surf thrill?

Well – as it happened – there was lots of surf action to be caught at Porthmeor Beach over the weekend, courtesy of St. Ives Surf School. On Friday night Porthmeor West Beach Bakery hosted the Red Bull Surf Cinema, showing a series of Jamie O’Brien films interspersed with locally made surf films, including the premiere of Harry De Roth’s latest. It’s the best evening of the year for gathering local surfers together, catching up with friends, and for club members young and old to hang out!

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DJ Justo kept us royally entertained with some soulful sounds until the evening sun dropped behind Man’s Head and the screenings began. And he was on duty again on Sunday morning aboard the Red Bull truck as the 5th edition of the famous Fancy Dress Swellboard Shootout commenced at Porthmeor.

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Twenty eight teams reported for battle sporting some amazingly inventive fancy dress ideas, and after displaying for the judges, the whole competition paraded through St. Ives to remind the town that  International Surfing Day was being celebrated at Porthmeor.

I’ll leave the details of the format and regulations as they have been well explained in blogs from recent years – and proceed to the results as announced at the after-party at the Balcony once the beach festivities had ended:

Best fancy dress earned Kiss a £200 prize donated by Maurice Symons of The Sloop Inn

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Kiss headline at Fancy Dress comp.

Jamaican Bob – winners in the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jamaican Bobsleigh Team won the Shootout in the water – boosted enormously by a stonking ride by Adam Bayfield which received two 9’s and a 10 from the judges and earned him a goody bag of Rhythm clothing, and helped earn his team a first prize of a trip to surf the Severn Bore courtesy of Red Bull.

And to demonstrate that the day wasn’t all about surfing prowess –  Eggselence were awarded the wooden spoon for the lowest score of the day – along with some cool clothing!

 

Takedowns and drop-ins are encouraged!

Takedowns and drop-ins are encouraged!

Mi Luds!

Grateful thanks Mi Luds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are delighted to once again help Surfers Against Sewage in their great work in campaigning for clean oceans, and heartfelt thanks go out to the sponsors who supported the weekend’s events :  Red Bull, Rhythm Clothing, Korev Lager, Robies Robes, and Porthmeor Beach. Thanks also to Barnie and Joel, RNLI lifeguards who volunteered to provide water cover for the event, and to our distinguished judges – you know who you are!

Watch Luke Pilbeam’s video edit here!

Nick Pumphrey’s photo gallery of the Swellboard Shootout is here

And Harry De Roth’s latest video is here

 

But enough about our weekend – How was yours?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Media Day

A Media Day

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A fun trip to St. Austell Brewery last Thursday to join SurfingGB in celebrating their sponsorship partnership with Korev Lager. Along with our old friend Lyndon Wake, representing his Croyde-based surf school, we had Harris on behalf of St. Ives Surf School and Nav’s sporting a Saints Boardriders hoodie. It’s a real coup for SurfingGB to bring St. Austell Brewery on board, their support for Cornish rugby is well known, and they are keen to help our sport in a similar way. We were honoured to be asked to join in this first meeting, and thrilled to learn from SurfingGb that we have the largest junior membership of any surf club in the land!

 

 

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