New Book!
Surf Kayak Coaching Tool Box
An all new 24 page guide to coaching kayaking in the surf!
An easy to use cartoon style black and white booklet by Paul Hurrell (L 4 Surf Kayak Coach). Described as 'The must have resource for all surf kayak coaches' - Simon Hammond (Level 5 Surf Coach & World Surf Champion)
'An innovative guide to surf kayak coaching' - Sam Roberts (Level 5 Surf Kayak Coach)
Every surf kayaker and surf kayak coach needs this book!
'Over 100 coaching techniques and ideas to enthuse your students, develop your coaching and improve performance'
ONLY £4.00 + 50p Package and Postage
Send a cheque payable to ' Mrs A Hurrell ' for £4.50 to 88 Easton
Street Portland DT5 1BT
Do not forget to send your address!
18th and 19th March (Provisional) - 5 star assessment course, standard two day course price £135
22nd April Shoreline Handicap Surf Competition Widemouth Bay - £9 entry in advance, starts 9 am.
23rd April Junior Surf Development Day - £10 booking fee
Contact Simon Hammond
In the harshest of Surf conditions the Plastic Fantastic - National Plastic Surf Kayak Championships - went ahead at Widemouth Bay on the 31st Match, 2001.
Organisers of the event TNT Explosive Sports once again put on a first class competition with support and demo craft supplied by Noah Kayaks. Competitors from across the country surfed in ferocious conditions created by Force 6 south westerly winds and a heavy 4-5 foot swell. Some competitors pleaded with the event organiser to relocate to the gentler conditions within Summerleaze Bay, Bude, but that the organiser explained "was for softies".
South West paddlers dominated the event with paddlers from Bude winning 3 of the 4 classes, only Simon Hammond let the side down after a gruelling tussle with Darren Bason in the mens final left them initially tied in first but on count-back the result went to Darren.
Results Mens
1st Darren Bason - Newquay
2nd Simon Hammond -
Bude
3rd Ian Mills - Truro
4th Bryce Barr - Bude
Masters
1st Bryce Barr Bude
Ladies
1st Jess McCabe - Bude
Junior
1st Alan "Egg" Always - Bude.
River Gwithian, Near Hayle. Contact Pete Blenkinsop on 01726 68544 for entry details. Classes for all craft, plastic kayaks should enter the High Performance category.
Next Surf event will be the Cornish Open run on May 12th and 13th at Red
And just in finishing as local surfers its got to be up to us to set a good example out in the waves. If you see a fellow surf kayaker dropping-in have a friendly word in his ear. My board riding friends love to quote that as the kayakers major fault, if we can eliminate poor etiquette we'll be well on the way to equality and respect.
Keep Surfing.
Yours the Surfosaurus.
Surf prediction is a difficult science and almost everyone got it wrong for this event. Forecasters had been shouting for days that the Surf would be flat but the organisers, TNT Explosive Sports of Bude, held steady and were rewarded with an ideal three foot swell which proved perfect conditions for this competition.
Widemouth Bay at the beginning of April provided plenty of space and some fantastic sandbanks, creating challenging surf through out the tidal range.
As if holding their nerve all week and running the contest wasn¹t enough, the TNT organisers proposed a revolutionary competition format that involved all the competitors right up to the final. This points system format avoided the usual problem of having lots of knocked out competitors hanging around getting bored during the second half of a contest.
All the paddlers agreed that this created a really friendly atmosphere out in the surf. Indeed involving fellow competitors in their wave riding was taken to a new level when Simon Hammond from Bude included a collision with Joe Taylor from Plymouth and then insisted that it was all part of his plan!
Heats began at low tide using a central beach break with an inside hole that was causing the waves to back off somewhat. However by the second round the Camel Rock sandbank was creating some very powerful right hand sections which allowed the competitors to shine. Rob Galley surfing a Dagger RPM managed 2 cover ups in the same heat and Darren Bason in a Perception Mr Clean was putting in turns and spins all around the pocket.
An interesting debate formed during the competition about the scoring of flat spins and other less visible yet potentially harder moves. It is without doubt true that flat spinning a flat bottomed boat with releasable rails is easy, easier in fact than the timing involved in a good high top turn. We suggested that flat spins in the Œpocket¹ which acted to stall the paddler who then continued the ride were considered good scoring moves, flat spins on the white water and out in front of the wave were not.
Paddlers gave their all through out the entire contest by the end of which a real spirit of mutual respect had grown. Indeed such was this respect that the final places were of minor significance, better to have had a great days surf and perhaps mention those who were placed in the top 8 as they are quite probably the best Plastic Kayak Surfers in the country:-
| Mat Britton | Bideford |
| Rory Sacree | Bude |
| Tom Iggledon | Bideford |
| Darren Bason | Newquay |
| Robert Galley | Bude |
| Simon Cass | Stoke Climsland |
| Simon Hammond | Bude |
| Joe Taylor | Plymouth |
A special mention also ought to go to Roger Taylor, Ian Brimacombe and Adrian Salanson who showed particular tenacity and enthusiasm throughout the contest.
TNT Explosive Sports wishes to thank all the competitors and the many sponsors who supported this competition. The second annual Plastic Surf Kayak Championship will take place at a similar time next year, keep an eye on next years BCU year book for dates and be sure to get your entries in advance as places are sure to be in short supply.
For more information and next years entry form send a SAE to
TNT
Explosive Sports, Shoreline, 11a Crooklets Beach, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 8NE.