The car park was full by first light as Mother Meor turned on and local surfers got a welcome weekend chance to tackle some decent waves. And while our Dolphins and Sharks would have to contest the line up out back with those experienced wave riders, there were plenty of little inside runners for our more novice juniors to take on. It was an exhilarating hour for those out in the growing green waves, and I think some will have met new challenges out there on the day. There were good long rides available to our intermediates on the white water, and the novices also had time to find their feet as the helpers boosted them onto those inside runners before they were spent on the shore. A good progressive day for all concerned!
As we hit our mid-season stride we are seeing encouraging signs of improvement in our young surfers. Saturday saw plenty of water moving in the middle of the beach, but offered more favourable conditions towards Mans’ Head. I was surprised and greatly pleased to see the Swordfish group joining the most advanced surfers out back and catching some meaty green waves unaided. It was also of interest to watch how a couple of the surfers who excel on right-handers coped with what were predominantly left-handers out there! A surfer needs a good all-round game.
Strong winds and a deluge during check-in hinted that things might not be so cosy this morning. However, once in the water our various groups found conditions to be very helpful and we saw some good surfing progress right across the beach. All in all it was a successful call to run this morning, though the proposed “Sausage Sizzle” at Porthminster in the evening was postponed in view of the afternoon weather forecast. We’ll save that for another day! Win some, lose some.
Our third session of the season presented us with a very different scenario to the first two. With a forecast of strong onshore winds and a lively swell, we had issued early advice that conditions would be challenging. Nevertheless, a determined group of surfers lined up at 9 o’clock to battle it out. Jonny took the Dolphins and Sharks over to Porthgwidden to tackle the peeling left-handers that were on offer over there while the more junior groups smashed into the white water at Meor. Among the Dory and Nemo groups a bodyboard proved a more manageable craft than the swellboard, but the Tuna and Swordfish contingents tackled the surf with their shortboards or swellboards as usual. Our pictures below exclude the Porthgwidden surfers, but they do give a flavour of what we encountered at Mother Meor! We might wish for more settled conditions for the next session on 15th July. And note that we are holding a ‘sausage sizzle’ and putting competition at Porthminster Beach at 5pm later that day. Double bubble! See you at both I hope.
We got a second look at our new season’s chargers last Saturday. There was a friendly wave which could suit all abilities and an early summer warmth to the morning which offered the prospect of a long family day at the beach. The new recruits to the Dolphins were having to sharpen their game in the company of more experienced surfers, and similarly the new arrivals in the Nemos were facing a brand-new learning challenge in moving from prone to a standing position on a surf board. We have a whole summer ahead of us to work things out. Bring it on!
Sunny skies and a friendly waist-high wave greeted us at Porthmeor for the first Kids Club session of 2023. Surf coaches and helpers were keen to get their chargers into the water and wash away any rust from the winter, and in quite a few cases to appreciate the improvement made over the winter by those brave juniors who surfed throughout the year. It is so heartening and encouraging for the coaches to pick up from last season with young surfers who have progressed their skills and can show new levels of competence coming into the new season. There are a few pictures below from the session and a promise of a fun summer of surfing to come for Saints Boardriders!
The Saints Boardriders Sausage Sizzle scaled new heights of culinary excellence last weekend when Mr. Sizzle took the show on tour to the St. Ives Food Festival. Mick Smith of Porthminster Beach generously offered the club a Friday evening slot at the beach BBQ bar and this was a fund-raising opportunity not to be missed! The Food Festival is a stand-out attraction on the St. Ives calendar, a mega crowd-pleaser and a chance to put the club in the public eye. We found enthusiastic support from Tregenna Castle kitchen which offered to donate their ace sausages, rolls and a big bag of onions for Emma Jarvis to transform into her irresistible dressing. St. Ives Co-op came up with the sauces and condiments. Porthminster Beach’s resident BBQ chef, John Couch was eager to help and our regular committee swizzlers were keen to pull on the aprons. Rowena Tarplee sketched out the sign boards and in an instant we had a touring show. The evening was a great success and the club thanks Mick Smith, Porthminster Beach and all the above-mentioned for their contributions to a splendid team effort.
Mr. Sizzle and ChairmanMick Smith samples the goodsHarris on deckMeaty!Tregenna Trolley loadEat, drink and be merryJohn Couch meets Mr. SizzleLuminariesCheck on!VIPs
Porthmeor saw our first coloured rash vests of the season as Minnow Green brought the Porthmeor Longboard Classic contest to the beach to start the British Longboard Union competitive season over the weekend of April 15th and 16th. It was a busy programme with categories of Men’s Open, Womens Open, U18, U16, Masters, Grandmasters, Cadets & Single Fin to complete with barely a minute between the finish of one heat and the start of the next. That it passed without a snag is testament to the well-practised teamwork of Minnow’s crew and the enthusiasm of both competitors and officials to make it a joy and a celebration of the noble art of riding the longboard.
We had a few St. Ives locals competing, with Sam Crookshanks taking a win in the blue riband Single Fin class and making the final of the Men’s Open. Ollie Riley and Kaz Phillips made the finals of their respective junior divisions and the Men’s Open saw the competitive debut of Gary Brownsword, and ace bodyboarder Colin Stirling stepping up several board lengths to enjoy a dip along the beach from his familiar Low Tide Boiler locale. Jack Dudley also put in a creditable performance in the Single Fin event. Full results available here.
There are a few pictures from the weekend below and the BLU website has details of their forthcoming events and more to further your interest. Our thanks are due to Porthmeor Beach, St. Ives BID, Tregenna Castle Estate, CTC, 10 Over Surf Shop, Ocean and Earth, Skindog Surfboards and the RNLI Porthmeor lifeguards for their support for the event and Saints Boardriders look forward to hosting the BLU again in the near future for another extravaganza of longboarding on Porthmeor Beach.
Clubhouse balcony judging platformSam, toes to the noseElliot DudleyOllie in actionSingle Fin FinalistsCaz cruisin’Under 16 finalists – Caz second leftColin in yellow vestGary makes the drop
