Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Feb 10, 2012, 5:58 am
A little clip from my 'lunch hour' in the water on Wednesday (GoPro on the nose facing forward). Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Feb 8, 2012, 7:07 pm
Fine waves were chugging in today! I had a rubbish surf - they kept closing out on me. Some nice late drops but always turning into a close-out or being out run. Only one decent ride. Either I'm too slow or the peel was too fast at my local beach break. It's a shame that good waves don't guarantee a... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Feb 1, 2012, 4:27 am
After nearly three years of blathering on about myself and how I may or may not be able to surf I've bitten the bullet and splashed out on a GoPro HD Hero 2 camera. Finally some actual moving proof of a despicably average surfer. I popped out yesterday at Woolacombe in some very chilly and little - ... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jan 23, 2012, 12:32 pm
The weekend before last was a really, really good one. At last some surf but also due to the love of surfing had two new meetings:
1. A guy called Dave all the way from Australia. We'd communicated via our blogs and then - due to a bit of work in Coventry - Dave popped up right here in Devon! We wen... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jan 12, 2012, 8:24 am
Messy 1-2ft. Sun's going down - only time for less than an hour in the water. Stay or go? Nah, not worth the hassle. Wet neoprene, petrol. Nah...
All too often that's started to be my way. Getting fussy now I can surf a little bit. But hold on: I'm losing surfs. Being a fool. I would have gone two y... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jan 5, 2012, 3:59 pm
Anyone paying any attention to surfing, the ASP World Tour, Dane Reynolds and Twitter or Facebook in general will probably have seen Dane's little piece on his Marine Layer Productions site. It's a sort of rambling (but more thought out than the prose suggests I think) explanation of his feelings re... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Dec 21, 2011, 4:51 am
The evening in Croyde Village Hall went really well. Sold out, full up, £900 raised for The Museum of British Surfing. Thanks to everyone who came along.
We watched Wavedreamer shorts and consumed some delicious soup from Steve Cave at The King's Arms, Georgeham before Tim Kevan interviewed Jools f... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Dec 2, 2011, 1:16 pm
On behalf of The Museum of British Surfing (which will open next April in Braunton,) I have organised a fun filled surfy film night in Croyde Village Hall (Deckchair Cinema).
We will be showing the North Canyon Show Documentary featuring Garrett MacNamara, our very own friendly local sometime plumbe... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Nov 26, 2011, 7:26 am
Singularly the best and most invaluable piece of surfing equipment I own: The Big Plastic Bucket.
I think I'm just about ready to post reviews and I thought I'd get the ball rolling with this. Unfortunately I'm not even sure what brand it is. Or if it even has a brand? I haven't used a blue one, or... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Nov 14, 2011, 9:35 am
To paraphrase Dr Seuss:
Thing, thing, what is that thing?
Thing Bing, that thing's a Bing.
Bing ding! I dinged my Bing!!!
So, what happened? I picked up my new Bing Dharma on Friday and within 24 hours I was standing on the rocks at Wooly, with bleeding hands, holding a Bing with a ding (or two).
I ... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Nov 10, 2011, 5:43 pm
It's an odd and mildly adventurous feeling getting into a cold, dank, dark car with your expedition equipment. Surfing gear plus my own personal dawny essentials: thermos of strong coffee, banana, water and glucose drink.
Setting off with just car lights and the radio as accompaniment.
At this poi... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Oct 24, 2011, 4:53 pm
I'm not sure who this is (Terry Fitzgerald?) from the beginning of Albert Falzon's "Morning of the Earth" but it's been captivating me and has stuck feverishly in my head. Footwork on a shortboard: cross-stepping to nowhere. It is so balletic as the surfer moves forward and then back as if, having l... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Sep 30, 2011, 6:40 pm
...was cooking yesterday.
I paddled into the most beautiful waves I've ever been in. Overhead, barrelling, A-Framing, glassy perfection. I thought I'd somehow been transported somewhere else, out of Devon, to some idyllic magazine location. I'd caught four of the most wonderful waves within minutes... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Sep 27, 2011, 8:02 am
My Simster's addictive, fast glidey... but so floaty and stable it's made me lazy! Surfed my 5'10 Fish yesterday and rediscovered the subtleties of a smaller template (like the balance required to maintain speed on take-off). I'd become a square-tail-junky. Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Sep 23, 2011, 12:41 pm
So I went to the Fish Fry last weekend. There were some nice looking boards on display. Unfortunately, due to the rain, it was all brought inside the pub but there was just about enough room.
Rob Lion's boards stood out to me. It's a shame he's off to shape in California. Rob's Royal Surfboards just... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Sep 14, 2011, 5:46 am
Brought to you by Royal and Friend of Mine it's the fifth annual European Fish fry - this weekend. (As if you didn't know already...)
If you've been bemoaning the demise of your local fish market then it's time to make merry with a whole eye-poppingly lush load of fishy fun. There are gonna be bucke... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Sep 11, 2011, 12:27 pm
Yesterday afternoon, Puts, surfed the biggest waves I've surfed. Dropped into one had a good ride right in the pocket until I didn't make it under the lip of a section curling over in front of me. A surfy friend said it was, and I quote: "fekkin' huge" and "you could've got barreled if you'd stalled... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Sep 6, 2011, 9:48 am
The 6'0 Simster has become a 'quiver killer'. I've had so many waves on it, it's so buoyant, paddly, fast, glidey - it feels like cheating. But I've realised that's not wrong. When I took my 5'10 Fish out again I had a lovely couple of waves on it. But that's it - a couple. The Simster and my improv... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Aug 15, 2011, 5:41 pm
This book and DVD could be said to be expensive. But it's not. I'd leave all my other surfing books and DVDs to the flames and save this one. "Lost in the Ether" by Andrew Kidman is the richest, most beautiful conglomeration of writing, photographs, film, information, surf-love, passion and craft th... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jul 30, 2011, 6:41 am
It's been quite a week.
Yesterday I noticed that I've got to one of the places I dreamed of being in surfing.
Stoked:
Paddling out into crisp little waves yesterday in the sparkly summer sun I bumped into CP (Adventures in Trim). It's just over two short years since we first met with me wading aroun... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jul 11, 2011, 3:45 pm
Issue two — out now.
Get it!
Contributors include Andrew Kidman, Cyrus Sutton, Chris Preston, John Isaac, Rob Lion - these are the names that, due to my surfy experiences so far, I immediately remember...oh, and me (just a little picture, but I'm delighted to rub shoulders with the other contribu... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jul 5, 2011, 11:31 am
Where else for that delicious fin for your log? He's also got the new "Sight Sound" Mikey DeTemple DVD in stock. Ger-on, have a look an' treat yerself! Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jun 27, 2011, 10:06 am
Clean head-high surf early yesterday and some really fun rides on the Simster. More fun this morning too...
Random thoughts:
As you improve at surfing things take a shift in the search for that stokety-stoked feeling. I caught a sad wave – I didn't feel that excited after a ride that should have b... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jun 18, 2011, 1:29 pm
The Hydrodynamica Simster came into it's own at Saunton the other morning in 2-4, occasional 5ft messy, lumpy surf. Cruised along in the flat sections until the reforms, dived into the troughs, scooting, gliding fun with one particularly nice bottom turn/swoop & up to the closing out foam. Easy padd... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jun 15, 2011, 6:46 am
So I've ridden the Simster a couple of times now - in small waves. Easy paddling, very buoyant, the thing swoops into waves with a fantastic swoopy-smoothness because of it's hulled nose and width. All I can say so far is it glides beautifully, fast in trim and will be fun in small waves as well as ... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jun 10, 2011, 1:08 pm
The board has a cute hulled nose (a bit on the asymmetric side so it's certainly hand shaped!) going into 50-50 and then hard rails at the tail. The nose isn't as scooped out as I thought it would be (like the Caspers). The finishing isn't nearly as perfect as Phoenix Glassing/Diplock or Gulf Stre... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Jun 2, 2011, 5:02 pm
I have barely surfed in three weeks due to a triple pronged attack of onshore winds, moving from the flat we were renting and now visiting family in Yorkshire.
Thank goodness for Innersection on the laptop (and bringing One California Day and Idiosyncrasies with me on DVD): surfy visions keeping me ... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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May 26, 2011, 1:50 pm
I have just discovered and downloaded Innersection on iTunes. It's £1.49! The DVD's twenty five quid. What? Yep...
It's Taylor Steele's idea for a platform to produce a surfing DVD. Anyone can enter their footage in a kind of open competition format to make the final cut. This is the 2010 DVD an... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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May 10, 2011, 8:05 am
Water: "the medium of life." This triangle is water's alchemical symbol. It is necessary for all life and was one of the four alchemical 'elements' along with fire, air and earth. (Don't dismiss alchemy as an irrelevant ancient folly: C G Jung, for example, thought that there was a deep relationship... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Apr 30, 2011, 5:55 am
Boards and shapes. Functionality and enrichment of our surfy times. A longboard allows you to surf differently from a shortboard and all the rest is a finesse. Here are a few of the boards which are occupying my thoughts and excite me due to their fun ideas and postmodern jiggery-pokery...
(I met t... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Apr 16, 2011, 2:57 am
Thursday 14th April 2011 was a good day: clean head-high to overhead waves, two two-hour sessions and then a glass-off Friday morning. I'm all surfed out.
I snapped this photo on my phone of the dwindling light at the end of Thursday's second surf, red line leading to Lundy, waves still peeling beau... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Apr 13, 2011, 5:29 am
Went out this morning in choppy blustery water, 2-4ft waves.
1: A lot of paddling because of the wind and current
2: A couple of really good fast rides
3: Got seasick! (Well I wasn't actually sick but...)
Can't believe it. I'm sitting here trying to work, two hours later and still feeling mighty que... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Apr 11, 2011, 8:27 am
The session before-last that I had (when I wore the earplugs) was a fun one: head high sets and sharing the waves with a friend - Rob - who's a better surfer than me and a goofy foot. It's great going out with someone who prefers going left because we tend to split the peak or go for different waves... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Apr 8, 2011, 7:54 am
...and I still, amazingly, own a pair of ear plugs!
Took some proper tumbles in some overhead surf and they stayed in. They felt a bit uncomfortable/unpleasant and I obviously couldn't hear so well but I forgot about them on every wave and it was nice not having icy water shooting right into my ea... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Apr 7, 2011, 11:38 am
After sitting chatting, last weekend, with a bunch of surfers who were all suffering the effects of surfers' ear I have taken my first foray into the world of earplugs.
These Sorky ear plugs appealed because they are small and are supposed to let you hear a bit better than most. However, after tryi... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Apr 4, 2011, 2:51 pm
When I started surfing I thought it might lead me, one day, to Lynmouth. But not like it did last weekend. Mr StevePP organised a little trip for eleven of us to stay in Countisbury and trundle on down to Lynmouth for a bit of painting and drawing. Thanks Steve! Like the Lynmouth hills my weekend ha... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Mar 31, 2011, 10:15 am
Somewhere out there: your next wave.
(And somewhere out there is my next board - on a boat.) So much waiting...
We've got a lot of lines out - in life and - surfing. Wave fishermen. I like to think of my boards as lures. This is my current favourite lure:
Yeah! Go on... catch something my beauty!!! Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Mar 21, 2011, 12:02 pm
The Surfer's Journal: I've received my first two issues after finally biting the bullet and subscribing (thanks for the pressure StevePP).
The articles are substantial, well conceived, well researched and well written. I couldn't believe the first issue - long articles about Val Ching's stand-up Pai... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Mar 1, 2011, 8:08 am
When you start surfing you already have images: I pictured Kelly Slater in the tube, eighties boards with fluorescent graphics and 60's cartoons of happy Californians riding longboards, smiling and waving at the chicks on the beach.
As you learn and improve you slowly erase those preconceptions and ... Comment - Like
Thomas S. posted an article on
A Board, Some Wax and a Leash
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Feb 11, 2011, 6:23 am
Large swells yesterday - the limits of my ability. I felt physically scared in the water but then dropped into probably the biggest wave of my life and the alchemy happened: fear into stoke.
This alchemical etching perfectly illustrates the moment!? Hot liquid golden stoke... with seagulls watch... Comment - Like
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