So, I’m back from ‘The Elusive Welsh Open’. The UK Pro Tour event held at Rest Bay, in Porthcawl; one stop on a tour of 15 UK destinations. The weather was clear and bright, with uninterrupted sunshine and a chill in the onshore wind which, unlike a typically drizzle-soaked Pembrokeshire, probably explains the red face I am sporting now. The event was incredibly (and almost entirely) well-organised. The surf was favourable, especially on the Saturday and the standards of surfing throughout was incredible. There were minor problems with getting the free surfers to move along the beach to let the competition finish. This affected both the Pro Juniors and especially the Women’s final, which was the only shame. Jet-ski patrols might have helped with this, but otherwise the organisation was really good. The Kaimana team surfed well and enjoyed the conditions, so well done boys. The running commentary was topical, informative and above all entertaining, the free Relentless, a godsend - what with the 4am start, and all - and last but not least, all the winners were ‘stoked’, so all stereotypes aside, the event was a success, even if our cameras were not up to the task. There’s something about 600x magnification that you just cannot beat with a Pentax 200-SLR.

Never stay here. But do drink this. You can read all about the event here for now, and I’m sure there will be more info on the BPSA website soon.

Nice to be back,

Thom
Hand & Face