snatch magazine issue 6
DESCRIPTION
South Wales Extreme Sports MagazineTRANSCRIPT
BOARD : SURF : SKATE : MTB : MUSIC : NIGHTS : FASHION : KITES : BMX : MOTOX : TRAVEL : SNOWBOARD : SURF
in association with
PLUSSummerSwells
July starts with a bang!
the OriginalLocal Mag
eXtreme-wales.com
Xterra EnduroBlackpill Skate JamMentawis Boat Trip
Babes&Bikes
at the Margam Big Air Jam
27 NightClowningAround
30 NewsTxts Mail News Goss
32 SurfRipCurlGirls Day
34 VWVolksFestMargam
36 MugsMobileMugshots
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FR
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norm
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£1.
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TXT US UR PICS
WIN T-SHiRTS P36
MA
GA
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in association with
PLUSSummerSwells
July starts with a bang!
the OriginalLocal Mag
£1.00
eXtreme-wales.com
Xterra EnduroBlackpill Skate JamMentawis Boat Trip
Babes&Bikes
at the Margam Big Air Jam
12 NightClowingAround
23 NewsTxts MailNews Goss
23 SurfRipCurlGirls Day
23 VWVolksFestMargam
23 MugsMobileMugshots
Hey guess what, we’re back! It’s been a while.
We know you missed us, thank you to everyone who emailed nagging us to bring the mag back, here we are.
OK its a little different with the new size, but inside it’s the same quality local stories, quality local pics, good laughs, nights out and general tom foolery.
We’re also looking for more content from you. Send MMS messages to us on the mobile number in the mag. Text us, email us, get in touch!
Big thanks to everyone who helped, especially the advertisers who choose to put something back in to the sport they make their money from.
Email: [email protected]: 07786144848Whilst every care has been taken in the preparationof this magazine, the publishers can not be heldresponsible for the accuracy of the information within,or any consequence arising from it.The views expressed in SNATCH are not necessarilythose of the editor or the publishers.
1
BOARD : SURF : SKATE : MTB : MUSIC : NIGHTS : FASHION : KITES : BMX : MOTOX : TRAVEL : SNOWBOARD : SURF
inside
summerswells
Page2
westcrossskate jamPage6
big air jamPage12
MTBEnduro
Page14
fashionPage16
mentawistravelPage20
wakestockPage24
PLUS Volksfest Page 34
RipCurl Girls Tour Page 32
Mobile Mug Shots Page 36
night outPage27
design and production:
purecreativedesign for print, marketing & interactive mediawww.makeuspure.comTel: 08444 822 410 · [email protected]
Issue 6Autumn ‘07September, October, November
Climate change.
Don’t you just love it.
It’s July 1st. A nice summertime
weekend. The tourists are out in
force. Beach goers, swimmers,
walkers and sunbathers. Somebody
however, forgot to tell the weather.
Langland feels more like the middle
of February, as it is battered by some
serious south westerlies bringing in a
swell more associated with the depths
of winter. For a couple of days this
is exactly what happened. The swell
washed away the golden sand and the
swimmers and body boarders shared
the water with the local crew as they
Somebody better call...
eXtreme-wales.com � �
Climate change.
Don’t you just love it.
It’s July 1st. A nice summertime
weekend. The tourists are out in
force. Beach goers, swimmers,
walkers and sunbathers. Somebody
however, forgot to tell the weather.
Langland feels more like the middle
of February, as it is battered by some
serious south westerlies bringing in a
swell more associated with the depths
of winter. For a couple of days this
is exactly what happened. The swell
washed away the golden sand and the
swimmers and body boarders shared
the water with the local crew as they
surfing
enjoyed some less than
usual summer surf.
Even the lifeguards
looked like they might
have to do a bit of work,
(moving a flag is not
work) keeping an eye on
the £10 spongers
and kids bobbing about
in the white water.
Thank you
Sainsbury’s
and Tescos for making
surfing accessible to all!
Taking photos is difficult
when your attention
is constantly being distracted by the wave
fodder playing at being
skittles on the shore line.
Still, they seemed to be
having fun!Who said we don’t have any waves in the
summer?
surfing
eXtreme-wales.com 4 �
the day the sun
came out
exi
st b
lack
pills
kate
jam
2007
Hel
lo.
Is th
at G
od?
Ric
here
. You
kno
w, R
ic C
artw
right
.Ye
s, th
at’s
the
one.
Exi
st. Y
es. Y
ou k
now
our
ann
ual
skat
e ja
m c
omp
gig
thin
gy w
e ha
ve e
very
yea
r?
Wel
l it’s
this
wee
kend
, if t
he w
eath
er c
arrie
s on
like
it ha
s all
sum
mer
, it’s
goi
ng to
be
a w
ash-
out.
So,
an
y ch
ance
you
cou
ld a
rran
ge fo
r som
e su
n pl
ease
?A
nd so
it c
ame
to p
ass,
that
the
sun
cam
e ou
t for
th
e Ex
ist B
lack
pill
Skat
e Ja
m 2
007.
..
skate
Located in West Wales we are the sole UK importers of Mad River, Wave Sport and Wilderness Systems Canoes and Kayaks, Windrider Trimarans and Voyageur Accessories
With 10,000 square feet of shop and warehouse space, 1/2 acre of parking area and river Gwili running down the side of the shop you can be assured of not only a huge choice but the ability to “try before you buy” on many of the boats we stock. Demo’s are available on our best sellers.
Other leading brands include:Perception · Palm · Yak · Dagger · Werner · Typhoon · Nookie · Peak · Wild Water · Robson · Lendal · Rough Stuff · Ainsworth ·Power Blade · Protec
White Water Consultancy International Ltd.Bronwydd, Carmarthen, West Wales, SA33 6BE
Tel: 01267 223555www.wwc.co.uk · [email protected]
the UK’s premier supplier of specialist Canoe, Kayak and Equipment.
eXtreme-wales.com 6
did
was
get
spon
sors
hip
from
a b
rew
ery!
Any
way
, the
scen
t of c
ash
brou
ght o
ut so
me
amaz
ing
skat
eboa
rd a
ctio
n br
ingi
ng th
e be
st in
W
elsh
hom
e gr
own
tale
nt a
s wel
l as c
haps
from
‘O
ver t
he B
ridge
’. G
ood
to S
ee M
att D
avie
s is s
till r
ippi
n’ w
hen
he
wan
ts to
- hu
ge fr
onts
ide
airs
! Exi
st T
eam
mat
es
Nic
ky H
owel
ls a
nd C
hris
And
rew
s wer
e re
unite
d al
thou
gh I
don’
t thi
nk th
ey k
isse
d or
any
thin
g,
Saul
Eva
ns a
nd G
rim re
pres
entin
g th
e Zo
opor
t m
assi
ve.
blac
kpills
kate
jam
2007
Seei
ng th
at it
was
rain
ing
all w
eek
I was
surp
rised
to
wak
e up
on
Sund
ay m
orni
ng a
t 6am
to g
lorio
us
clea
r ski
es a
nd su
nshi
ne, ‘
brill
iant
!’ I t
houg
ht to
m
ysel
f, m
ay h
ave
even
said
it o
ut lo
ud I
was
so
exci
ted.
Stra
ight
dow
n th
e ra
mp,
tin
of p
aint
and
rolle
rs in
ha
nd b
y 7.
00! (
I do
n’t k
now
if I’
ve b
een
up th
at
early
on
a Su
nday
in a
long
tim
e, d
rinky
nig
hts
not i
nclu
ded)
. Sp
eaki
ng o
f drin
ky n
ight
s, 11
o’c
lock
and
the
booz
e w
as b
eing
dro
pped
off!
Bes
t I th
ink
I eve
r
sequ
ence
: Sau
l Eva
ns -
Fast
pla
nt to
fa
kie
that
won
him
bes
t tric
k
eXtreme-wales.com 8 �
blac
kpills
kate
jam
2007
1st P
lace
Nic
ky H
owel
ls2n
d Pl
ace
Joe
Clif
ton
3rd
Plac
e Tr
ista
n Bo
nnam
et4t
h Pl
ace
Chr
is A
ndre
ws
5th
Plac
e an
d Be
st tr
ick
Win
ner S
aul E
vans
even
with
out t
he C
ider
he
wou
ld h
ave
won
bes
t tr
ick
(fast
pla
nt to
faki
e of
f the
min
iram
p ha
ndra
il,
rhad
!) al
thou
gh Je
rom
e di
dn’t
look
too
impr
esse
d w
hen
he w
as p
rese
nted
with
a ca
se o
f the
Taf
fy
App
les C
ider
as S
aul w
as su
ppos
ed to
be
the
desi
gnat
ed d
river
. Uh
oh.
Cong
ratu
latio
ns to
Gar
eth
Thom
as in
the u
nder
16’
s co
mp
too,
nex
t yea
r I w
ould
imag
ine h
e’ll
be lo
okin
fo
r the
big
boy
s titl
e, w
atch
out
said
big
boy
s!
Hug
e Th
anks
to E
very
one
at S
3, S
hine
r, O
utof
Step
, Hur
ns B
rew
ery,
Exis
t and
eve
ryon
e w
ho h
elpe
d m
ake
it ha
ppen
this
yea
r.
Che
ers.
Ric C
artw
right
.
Wor
ship
me
said
Ric
, fo
r I c
hang
ed th
e w
eath
er.
All hail the weather changer...
Stockists of: Chilli Pepper · Animal · Rip CurlHang Ten · Chiemsee · Balin and many more
eXtreme-wales.com 10
Ready for Take-Off...3500 people turned up at Margam Park to witness Gary Taylor become crowned king of freestyle moto cross on probably the sunniest day of the summer. On show were some the worlds best freestyle motocross athletes. Gary Taylor, from Coventry rode out of his skin to take victory
in all three categories, taking command early on, leading the likes of Kris Brock and Jamie Squibb
Margam Park, 18th July 2007
plus many more top class freestyle mx riders, giving him the advantage of last out in the final run. By his run he knew exactly what was needed to win. 23 year old Kris Brock from Exeter chased Taylor hard in the whip contest with only 1 point separating them. Danny Veale from Kent came very near to winning the sick trick contest, looking very confident with the holy grabs and rock solid manoeuvres.
Only one entry to the nastiest crash competition Chris Birch from Cambridge, having a slip on the return from a base jump and tasting the margam tarmac, putting him out of the first round qualifiers and earning himself a bed for the night in Morriston hospital.
SiCk TriCk 1st Gary Taylor 2nd Danny Veale 3rd Jamie Squibb 4th Kris Brock 5th Dave Wiggins
WHiP CoNTEST 1st Gary Taylor 2nd Kris Brock 3rd Jamie Squibb 4th Danny Veale 5th Dave Wiggins
FiNAl ruN 1st Gary Taylor 2nd Jamie Squib 3rd Danny Veale 4th Dave wiggins 5th Kris Brock
Results
moto-x
eXtreme-wales.com 1� 1�
‘I actually found XTERRA UK’s bike course at times very different to other XTERRA venues that I have raced at over the world. There are some tough climbs, but it does allow you to work on a speed strategy’.
The women’s duathlon, however, provided more entertainment for the crowd, with Bucher and Melissa Lombardi of South Africa continually exchanging the leading position. But in the end it was Bucher’s fearless descents in the mountain bike leg, and a smooth and consistent run which held the order of the day. This was a repeat success for the 28 year old from Switzerland and a repeat frustration for Lombardi, following the XTERRA France race earlier in the season where Bucher held off the South African to gain the top prize there.
Bucher said: ‘I try and win in the downhills and push through in the uphills. This was a very difficult race, but my performance and result will serve me well for the XTERRA World Championships next month, where I hope to reach the top 5’.
Both Wealing and Bucher walked away with a jackpot of £2,200 following their sterling efforts. The weekend on the whole was faced with difficult weather conditions, which forced some last minute changes to the event schedule. The adjustments included changing the main Championship race from a triathlon (swim, bike, run) to a duathlon (run, bike, run). But in the end, the event continued to be a success, with 14 of the scheduled 18 events taking place.
The gale force winds and heavy rain made this a wet and wild weekend, which certainly appealed to the competitors who love the adventurous side to XTERRA races. Finishers entered the arch covered in mud and with a smile on their faces.
Winners in the weekend’s other events included experienced XTERRA pro Melissa Thomas, who won the Saturday’s 75k mountain bike enduro race comfortably, and 16 year old Robert Bowles of Oxford who came through in style in the sprint duathlon.
The arrival to South Wales’ Vale of Neath of the XTERRA experience certainly proved to be a wet and wild one for all involved, but in the end it was the usual suspects who shared the spoils.
The return to the UK of the off road multisport festival culminated in Sunday’s Duathlon XTERRA UK Championship, which was won by two already well decorated athletes. Seth Wealing of the USA won the men’s race, with Renata Bucher of Switzerland winning in the women’s race. The race was a 2.5km run, 32km mountain bike ride and another 10km run, which took place in the challenging terrain of Afan Forest Park.
Wealing, 27, from Indiana, an established off road triathlete and World Cup racer, won the race with a time of 2:12:38 (2 hours, 12 minutes, 38 seconds), consistently holding onto first place from the moment he started on the mountain bike after the first run.
But for Wealing, this course, hosting its first ever XTERRA race, was certainly no easy ride. He said: ‘From three quarters of the way through I realised that I was at my strength limit. I just held on to the final quarter!
mtb
eXtreme-wales.com 14 1�
Exist Clothing Company was born in the summer of 2001, sick of vacuous cartoon labels with nothing to say, Exist decided to influence the youth to think for themselves.
The Exist philosophy is to be your-self (live fast, look good, die old... ).Exist is about being an individual in a unique product made by an under-ground company, getting away from the souless high street brands.
With the support of an ever growing community we managed to open the Exist Outlet in October 2006. Exist attracts the newest talent in art, music, design, fashion and sponsors skaters, club nights and bands, rais-ing money for the ongoing concrete skatepark campaign, Exist is not just a T-shirt company...
fashion
–verb (used without object)to have actual being; be: The world exists, whether you like it or not.to have life or animation; live.to continue to be or live: Belief in magic still exists.to have being in a specified place or under certain conditions; be found; occur: Hunger exists in many parts of the world.to achieve the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter:
ex·ist
Splash VestAvailble in:
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eXtreme-wales.com 16 17
Casper Big TeeAvailble in:
charcoal, white, black
£19.99
fashion
Exit TeeAvailble in:
white
£19.99
Stamp TeeAvailble in:
red
£19.99
Growth HoodieAvailble in:
orange
£39.99
Kissing HoodieAvailble in:
blue
£39.99
available from:www.existclothing.com
exist outlet214 Oxford StreetSwanseaSA1 3BG
ex·ist
eXtreme-wales.com 18 1�
The Mentawis Islands, lying about 55
Miles off the west coast of Sumatra,
Indonesia, are still one of the wildest
places on the earth! Many of the tribal
inhabitants of the more remote islands
have had, until recently, little contact
with the modern world. They prefer
instead to live their own age-old
lifestyle.
Just the place then, to let loose a group
of surf starved boys from South Wales
for a fortnight.
Sometimes, when you least expect it,
something great happens. Like when
you least expect a good night out,
it just happens. That’s how this trip
came about. It wasn’t exactly planned
from the beginning. A few boys had
the idea, but it wasnt on the agenda
mentalfor everyone. Lady luck however was
smiling, and when a space became
available it was time to jump at it.
The time flew by, from snagging
someones place to the day of departure,
and we found ourselves in Heathrow.
Getting to the Mentawis is a bit of a
mission. A flight to Singapore meant
time for beers in the Cactus Garden
before another flight to Jakarta, and
then another to Padang where we
picked up the boat. Our floating
palace for the next 14 nights was the
Quiksilver Indies Trader. This was not a
budget trip!
So we were ready to sail. The first
passage was an overnighter down to
the Mentawis, so with the excitement of
expectation, and the thought of a long
journey ahead, there was one check that
needed to be made. Are you sure there’s
enough beer on board?
‘Of course’ reassured our captain, Tomy
Elvington. ‘Nobody has ever drunk the
boat dry’. (Not the best thing to say to
us, as he found out when he was sent
ashore for more alcohol later in the
trip). We woke in the Mentawis near
mentalmentawis
inthe
travel
eXtreme-wales.com �0 �1
inthe
Telescopes to some sloppy surf by their
standards. 4ft, probably just right to
ease us in before we sailed south a day
or so later heading for Macaronis.
From the day we got to Maccas it
pumped. Between there and Green
Bush we scored it 6-8ft just about every
day for 6 days running, with just one
other boat sharing the spoils. It was
perfect, one session at Macaronis saw
Bic out on his own for 2 hours in perfect
4ft surf. Another couple of days we
surfed Green Bush as the only boat on
the break. Sheet glass, between 4 and 8
feet the whole time.
There were a few casualties, with
Graham Kookemeyer going over in the
lip along with his board, which ended
up in two pieces. Streeter also broke a
board at Green Bush, in its unforgiving
inside section that just thumps down on
the reef. You need balls of steel for the
inside section there.
We scored everywhere perfect.
Lances left and right, fantastic
barrels with thundering lips. We
even got to rip it out of few yanks
in the line up. Hooting every time
they wiped out or took a wave.
It was all good clean banter and
just added to the fun of the whole
trip.
The downside, sadly, is the fact
that at some point the grey waters
of the Bristol Channel will get
you back. It took a while to surf
again, looking at 2ft grey slop just
doesnt have the same appeal.
Still, it was nice to see the WAGS
again. When’s the next trip?
mentalmentawis
inthe
travel
eXtreme-wales.com �� ��
wakeupi think it’s raining
What a stroke of luck! over the weekend of Wakestock 2007 the UK got struck by the worst flooding in 60 years. Despite the awful weather, Friday night was a blast, with over 10,000 people managing to get to the festival site before the floods took a grip across the country. Headliners Mark Ronson and Ferry Corsten managed to get themselves to the site, and both drew in massive crowds for their sets.
One of the focal points of the festival was the purpose built wakeboarding Pool Gap, filled with over 100,000 gallons of water. Just what you need in a flood! It was designed for the wakeboarders to showcase their sport to the festival crowd. Ironically, the water for the pool was pumped in on Thursday evening from the Afon Penrhos River. Showers were forecast but no one could have predicated that less
than 24 hours later the water level would rise well over 6 feet, causing the river to burst its banks. Oh dear! The outcome was a flooded field and a washed away trackway from the second car park.
Some of the access points became almost unpassable as the fields rapidly turned into thick mud.
Despite tonnes of straw, chippings and tarmac being put down throughout the night, the rain just kept on coming and fell heavily and consistentely for over 40 hours.
And still the crowd were having the best time ever. There’s nothing like a bit of mud to liven up a festival, and they danced away to the likes of the Cuban Brothers, Yousef, Rodney P and Mr Hudson & The Library.
While everyone partied hard, the severe weather continued into the night, and with no
change forecast for the whole of Saturday, along with the continuing rising waters around the site, the decision was made at 5am by everyone involved to cancel Saturday’s music event.
So, while the dozen tractors (scrambled at very short notice) worked continuously during the day to pull the cars out of the car parks, the pro wakeboarding event still went ahead in Pwllheli marina.
One of the biggest crowds to date watched the outstanding riding from an international field. Top UK riders Jonty Green & James Young made it onto the makeshift podium but the Wakestock crown for 2007 went to Kiwi rider Brad Smeele and in the ladies catergory, to Auzzie Kath Moore.
Wakestock 2008 is already being planned with procedures being put in place to ensure the festival will cope if such conditions should ever arise again. Let’s hope they never do!
wakeboard
eXtreme-wales.com �4 ��
�7
To say the least, Mumbles has seen a bit of a drop in numbers when it comes to going out. Slowly though the tide seems to be changing. So, where better to pop out for an evening of jolification, and the celebration of a forthcoming marriage. What better place to go clowning around...
CLOWNING AROUNDDon’t get me wrong, Swansea can be fun. The last couple of times though there was a compulsory tight t-shirt sign on every bar entrance. This was a lot more relaxed. A lot more fun. As usual with these kind of outings there were a few stragglers (myself being one of them) but eventually we all made it to what is now the only nightclub in the village - Bentleys. DJ Stilton was on top form. If cheese could sing it would sound like a night in Bentleys. Sometimes though, that is just what you need, and the night was lost to the sound of a group of boys singing along to 80s and 90s classic stilton.
The great arm restle over lit fagsw
hich
way
’s t
he d
isco
..
who’s stag do are we on?
too cool
it’s the oldsneak up behind them while their trousers are down trick...
night out
eXtreme-wales.com �8 ��
The Welsh Surf team sponsored by Gul equalled a personal best by finishing 4th at Euro Surf 2007 with a solid team performance and a European champion crowned.
newsand here is the
The Quiksilver King of the Groms UK series kicked off at Rest Bay, Porthcawl attracting a top class field.
Josh Hughes was in a class of his own to be crowned Under 16 champion. The powerful goofy foot went off like a rocket in the final, putting in a highly determined and explosive display.
Hughes who currently resides in Newquay, Cornwall has always been true to his Welsh roots and looked a Grom on a mission. The title never looked in doubt and he deservedly took the win.
In the Under 16 Girls Final, Welsh Sensation Gwen Spurlock showed why she is one of Britain’s brightest prospects with a faultless performance. Gwen who’s recently returned from the World Grommet championships was in devastating form.Max Tuckers home advantage showed in the Under 14 boys as he
used his local knowledge to good affect to take out the Under 14 title. The final was closely fought until the dying moments, as Max patiently waited for the longer yet less consistent lefts, scampered into a sucky one and duly went about smacking a series of front side floaters and reo’s to the delight of friends and family on the beach.
The event was a huge success and thanks must be passed onto the Welsh Surfing Federations Officials, Welsh Coast Surf ClubPorthcawl Lifeguards, Bob Blyth, Spencer Hargraves and of courseQuiksilver.
Hughes isCrowned Welsh Quiksilver King
of the Groms
All the goings on in South Wales, surf, skate, MTB, whateveryour sport, send us your news, we wanna put it in...
Elliot Dudley repeated his epic victory of two years ago, winning the longboard title in a nail biting final in perfect 4ft waves. Dudley did it the hard way, having been knocked into the repercharge earlier in the day, he had to surf three times to retain his title. The final itself was an incredibly tense affair with the lead changing hands throughout, Channel Islands surfer Ben Skinner got off to a great start, locking in two strong rides but couldn’t improve on his tally. French star Antoine Delepro replied nailing a 7.83 but it was Dudley who saved the best for last, scoring an 8 in the later half of the heat which he quickly backed up with 6.97, when the ocean went calm for the last few moments, leaving the fellow finalists frustrated and an ecstatic Dudley champion. The Welshman, clearly delighted was carried from the beach by his fellow countrymen draped in the Welsh Flag. “I’m so stoked said Elliot, to win this for a 2nd time against such strong opposition and in great waves, I’m over the moon!”
It could have been even better for the Welsh, as for the first time since 1993 they had 3 finalists to cheer on, all of which surfed one after the other. First in was Welsh Legend Chris Griffiths who surfed out a highly competitive Masters final to finish 3rd behind Portugal’s Pedro Araujo and a fired up Clayton Lidster of the Channel Islands. Griffiths had gold in sights, but the waves just didn’t seem to fall his way and couldn’t find a second scoring wave, frustratingly leaving Griffiths requiring (by his standard) an very obtainable 5.64 to go first. Dudley was next in which obviously provided the Welsh with plenty to cheer, who was followed by Mark Vaughan in the Senior final. Vaughanie who’d looked good in the earlier rounds got off to the slowest of starts as he sat patiently waiting for the sets which never materialised. Meanwhile competitors Rodrigues, Mc Carthy and Eastwood
went about racking up scores and giving Vaughan a real battle. The Welshman fought back however, smashing a couple of rights to earn a 6.33 and 5.97 but it wasn’t enough to catch Portugal’s Paulo Rodrigues who deservedly took the win, leaving Vaughan 2nd, Ireland’s Jon Mc Carthy 3rd and Channel Islands Scot Eastwood 4th.
Aside from the finalists the team performed brilliantly all week, the girls were exceptional with Joanne Dennison and Beth Mason finishing 9th & 11th in the Women’s and Gemma Harris heartbreakingly missing out in the Women’s Bodyboard final by one place, finishing up 5th. Dan Harris was always a threat in the long boards and fellow Aberavon local Mark Griffiths also narrowly missed out finishing 7th in the Bodyboard Men’s.In the Open division lady luck wasn’t quite so generous, with several of the team failing to progress by the narrowest of margins. However all performed with passion and commitment and the dream Open run that any one of the team is capable of wasn’t to be. Sam Burkett was Wales highest placing with a creditable 25th, young Sam put in some solid displays in the chunky onshore conditions and certainly will be one to watch in the future.Coach Chris Griffiths had this to say: “Overall the event was a huge success for Wales. 4th place equalled the previous best achieved in Thurso back in 1993, with a little more fortune we would have taken 3rd place from Spain, which would have been put us in dream land. To finish 4th against such strong opposition is fantastic. The team supported each other throughout the event and it was this that helped us to achieve what we have. I must pass on thanks to managers Eryl Mason and Stuart Bentley and to my support coach Vaughanie, we are extremely grateful to Gul who generously supported the team.”
Welshsurf team fourth in Europe
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A massive artificial reef could be built to attract surfers and help protect the coast near Aberystwyth, consultants have found.The reef - which would stretch for up to 300 metres off the coast at Borth - is one of the options being put forward for the area’s coastal protection plan.
Estimated to cost between £400,000 and £800,000, the man-made barrier would be made up of hundreds of bags of sand and would break up the waves before they reached the shore.
Experts believe the defence would have the spin-off effect of providing excellent
conditions for surfers who would boost the local tourist economy.Consultants Posford Haskoning, a New Zealand company, Artificial Surfing Reefs led by Dr Kerry Black, had been sub-contracted to find out if it was feasible to build a reef at Borth.
“We now know that it is possible to build a reef at Borth which would definitely increase the surfing amenity of the area,” said Mr Newman.
Mr Newman said the cost of funding Borth’s entire protection plan will be about £7m.
“The funding will have to come from the Welsh assembly but they will only fund parts the scheme connected with coastal protection,” he said.
The position of the reef just below the water level at low tide - would first be calculated via satellite.
Artificial Reef
eXtreme-wales.com �0 �1
Cold. Wet. Rainy. By now this was typical August 2007 weather, but the girls weren’t getting out of it that easily. Before they knew it, like an army of neoprene clad ants, they were marching through the dunes.
A few warm up exercises on the beach, then it was time to get out there. Lashing rain and a harsh wind weren’t ideal learning conditions, and more than a few foam boards put up a fight on the way to the water. But despite the elements, the girls were a determined bunch. Gale force winds (10mph) - they laughed in the face of gale force winds! Until their boards flipped over and held them under just long enough to take in that first delicious gulp of sea water.
Still, they refused to be defeated. Under the guidance of their WSF Surf School instructors, they got to their feet and caught their first wave.
After a couple of hours, a couple of collisions and a few good waves, the ants marched home to the Rip Curl tent. A bit battered, a bit cold, they were rewarded with some well deserved hot chocolate, biscuits and a Rip Curl goodie bag, followed by a yoga session later in the day.
Some may have caught a cold - but surely all had caught the surf bug, the girls of the Ripcurl Tour 2007 are ready for their next wave.
comes to Llangennith on its only stop in Wales during the
2007 European tour
surfing
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The weather seems to be a running theme in this magazine, but after such a dreadful summer, it seems to have affected everything. Volksfest �007 proved to be no exception. The pick of the weekend looked like being Sunday, so we rolled up putting Saturday’s monsoon like weather to the back of our minds.
Home for Volksfest was once again Margam Park. An impressive venue too, with enough car parking space for all of the vehicles on show, plenty of space for the many traders at the event, and fields for the camping masses. What they thought of the mud in the camping fields though is anyone’s guess. It was
everywhere, and (for those of us not wearing wellies) was the only down side to an otherwise great day out.
The vehicles on display were stunning. Split screen campers, bay window campers, Beetles old and new, Variants, Kharman Ghias, all in amazing condition, all open for the crowd to look around. The culmination of the three day event was the show and shine, with prizes for some prowd owners. Sunday alone was
enjoyable, but to really appreciate this festival a night in the camping fields is a must.
Hopefully next year we will actually have a summer, and get to spend a couple of days at Volksfest �008. The way the festival is growing from strength to strength, it should be a great weekend.
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