The British Surf Broadcast, June 2018

Welcome to the British Surf Broadcast, June 2018 edition; your guide to all that’s been going on in the world of British surfing.

Summer seems to have arrived in Blighty and if you haven’t been getting amongst it, you’ve been missing out. By now those boots and 5/4 should have been jubilantly cast aside and your body should be feeling free and loose, wrapped in just a few mm of lovely neoprene.

If however, last season’s suit feels crispy and baggy around the ankles after a winter balled up, still damp, under your bed, it might be time to treat yourself to a new one. Luckily for you, we’ve got a definitive guide, featuring the world’s best summer rubber, to transform you into an informed consumer.

Over the last few months, our nation’s greatest surfers of all persuasions have been out in the world trimming and charging with high levels of success.

A week and a half ago St Ives’ Tom Lowe who’s been hanging out for the season in Mexico with his pregnant partner and pulling into giant waves at Puerto Escondido, hopped on a plane headed for Fiji, as the swell of the decade marched towards Cloudbreak.

There he danced with death, scoring a couple of paddle bombs and gazing into the jaws of some of the biggest, heaviest waves ever to land on the Fijian reef. During a layover in LA on his way back to Mexico, we caught up with him for an insiders perspective on the session and to ask him whether his attitude to surfing deadly waves has shifted since finding out he has successfully pro-created. You can catch the interview in full here.

Back at home, fellow charger Andrew Cotton is still recovering from his back-shattering wipeout at Nazaré last November. He’s recently dipped a toe back in the water and is full of wisdom from seven months of intensive recovery. We managed to eek some of it out of him, including the one piece of simple advice, delivered to him by G-Mac’s wife on the night of the injury, that has helped see him through. You can read the exchange here.

In the world of mellower waves, Ben Skinner is currently leading the European WSL Longboarding rankings, with second place finishes in both Caparica and Espinho. Him and Bearman have also secured invites to the Surf Relik event, due to take place later this month at Malibu.

Sennen’s traditional logging contingent have also been landing results in their corner of surfing’s limited competitive offerings. Mike Lay got 5th at the Mexi Log Fest and James Parry made the exclusive invite list for the Vans Duct Tape Invitational, shone in the free surfs and seamlessly danced his way to the semi’s.

As always seems to be the case with British surfing, the shorter the boards get, the less competitive success there is to get excited about, with one resounding exception. Sixteen year-old Ellie Turner from Bude probably rides a very short board, but has had an excellent first half of 2018. She’s landed a 5th and a 4th in the two QS events she’s done and two 3rds in the Pro Juniors, putting her up in 6th in the Euro junior tour rankings.

At home, there have been a few comps which can be synopsised thusly; Reubyn Ash and Luke Dillon are still the best Brits, and the whole field can still be beaten by a southern hemisphere import, this year in the form of Kiwi Jay Quinn.

The UKPST has stepped up its media game, with live webcasts and interviews from Sam Smart, who seems to lambast far less in the non-virtual realm. Catch the next comp on July 6th, online or under lights on Fistral beach.

If these last few weeks are anything to go by, this summer is going to be hot, and filled with fun sized clean offshore days. So why not grab our summer issue to read while you’re waiting for the tide. It’s also perfect for looking busy while your mates fiddle with the BBQ.

See you in the lineup.

Cover photo @lugarts

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