Posts tagged: Surfing

Nuff said! In the word’s of Tommy Sim (Junior), the younger (younger Sim) loves to cream it to the max!!!

So many people have asked me over the past few years ‘Why do you surf?’, and ‘What is it that you like about it so much?’, so I thought I would write a few words that describe the way I feel about surfing.

For me, surfing started out like many other interests, you see someone else doing it one day, it looks like fun, so you think I fancy giving that a go! I started like many, on the big 9ft foamboards, down in Newquay, Cornwall one summer, where the crowds are thick, the waves are small and the potential for wiping out is high! 3 years later, I have travelled around the World and surfed over 50 different breaks and progressed from a 8’2 to a 6’4 board.

It is hard to sum up why I surf in a few words, but i’ll try. Surfing gives you a sense of liberation, of being one with nature: flowing with the waves, tearing along the face, carving, busting an air, trimming, hanging 5, cutting through the glassy water or whatever. It is an immersive sport: you are surrounded by the water, and if you are lucky a sunset, sunrise, a cool crew, a girlfriend (or someone who understand what you are feeling).

Surfing constantly challenges you, physically, mentally and spiritually. Physically you have to train hard to be able to handle the poundings, be fit enough to paddle and catch the waves, in colder water to know how to keep warm, in rough seas how to keep safe. Mentally: as you progress from a 2 ft summer wave in the UK, through to a 6-8ft drop into a raging pit in Fiji, you have to overcome your fears, push yourself beyond the comfort zone and believe in your ability to make it happen! Spiritually: when you get near the ocean, it is the whole experience that consumes you, the anticipation of arriving at the break, experiencing a new location, sharing that feeling with others. After a while you may find yourself daydreaming about surfing, and when you are not near the ocean, you crave the water, the waves, the feeling, so you compensate by watching DVD’s, reading magazines etc. It’s all part and parcel of becoming a ‘surfer’.
Right now, after having travelled for 4 months, surfing all over the World, my appetite is still not satisfied, I still want more and am just hanging out for a trip up to Runton asap, followed by our trip to Devon next month. It’s all about getting out there, putting the effort it, trying your best and getting stoked!
Although it sounds amazingly cliched, surfing is a way of life, and I hope one day I will live near the ocean, and be able to surf every day, before or after work, I don’t mind.

My only regret (if you can call it that) in life so far, is that I didn’t start surfing when I was 5 years old, but I guess I should feel lucky that I found it in my mi/late 20′s, by the time I am in my mid 30′s I will be stylin’!

Arrived back in the UK 2 days ago after being away for over 4 months. I was greeted by a sunny, hot evening at Heathrow, which certainly makes a change from the normal weather we have.

Unfortunately I managed to pick up a hefty dose of jet-lag on my trip back, characterised by me not wanting to go to sleep until 2-3am in the morning, kinda messed up, hopefully my body clock will re-adjust and get back into the swing of things here!

Strange feeling to be back, am down at my dad’s in Richmond at the moment, seeing the family and doing a few meeting etc in town ths week, before I head home at the end of the week. Went for a nice run last night (it was still light at 9.45pm) over Twickenham and Richmond bridges and up to Pools On The Park and back again, greeted by a beautiful sunset over the bridge towards Isleworth, wish I had had my camera to snap it at the time!

Today is another hot and sunny day and just digging the fact that we got a hint of summery weather for a change. Off on to the tube later, haven’t ridden that piece of sh*t for 4 months, and I know I haven’t missed a single second of London commuting, I wonder if the prices are even higher now, which is great, cos I love the poor service and hot, dirty conditions aboard the sardine can-style trains! Wicked!

Anyway time to get on the edit and get this DVD moving ahead!

39,000 feet above sea-level, I am aboard a flight back from Miami to DC. Been down in Miami for the past 2 days checking out the scene and getting a little top up to my tan before I head home to the characteristically shit weather in good old Blighty!

Miami was hot, humid and funky with plenty to do! I was staying at the Tropics Hotel & Hostel. Peronally I just sat by the pool, did a load of lengths (to maintain paddling arms), took photos and walked along the beach. But this town certainly has the potential to be a party-goers paradise! Although I only looked, the women here look pretty damn fit, so boys back home, you need to get your butts over state-side if you want some hot toe!

So I return home tomorrow, after being away from the green and pleasant land for a little over 4 months. Looking back to the first few days when I was in Cape Town, it seems almost a lifetime ago. I clearly remember being kinda scared/apprehensive about the trip, seeing it as this massive overwhelming journey. 4 months on, that idea feels pretty alien, as I feel as though I could do this kinda thing professionally, just flit around the world, having fun, taking pics, surfing and meeting great people. But the reality is no one is going to pay me to just have the crack, so it’s back home to earn some money to finance the next trip!

Along the way I have seen so many different places, ridden so many waves at different breaks, met so many crews and cool people, gathered a hareem of chicks and even fallen in love. I certainly didn’t have the latter in mind when I planned this trip back in late October of 2005.

So it’s back to London and finally sunny Essex. I have started work already on the DVD, and am pretty stoked so far with the footage, looks like it might be around 30-45 long, we’ll see! The next few weeks will be a test, not being near the ocean, although I do have Devon next month to look forward to! Hopefully we’ll get some waves! And there is also East Runton not far away to take it back to the North Sea Massive! I wonder how it will feel, re-adjusting to work again, rountine, the tube, London and most of all being 3000 odd miles away from the girl I love.

Before I go into soppy territory, I just want to say a massive thank you (in no particular order) to the following folk who were all responsible in their own way in making my trip a enjoyable one:

• Jenny Heron & Mike Newman
• Sue & Pete Avellini
• Mark, Brandon & Jason Morris
• Mark Sullivan
• Simone Denny
• The Melasti & Losari Beach Resorts, Bali
• Mad Murdoch
• The Sunshine Coast Crew: Michael Clark, The Wayno
• Steve & Rosemary Hull
• Peter Cochrane of Coolulah Surfboards
• Cathy Oddie
• Gill & Nigel Brooks
• The Nagigia Island Surf Resort, Fiji
• The Dominator Crew: Mick, Mark, Mitch, Andy, Jeff, Bao
• Colleen Kuruluk
• Chris Cole
• Ben Brown
• Adam & Faye
• Stacey & Sabine
• The Ocean Beach Crew
• Dru & The Kumar Family
• Adam Steinman
• Elise & The Boyson/Grant Family
• The GW Crew
• Mum, Dad and Brad

The saviours of my USA tour, these guys have bent over backwards on rescheduling my flights at least 5 times since I have been in the USA. The customer service is always fantastic, and I am always stoked at their politeness when I am on the phone with them (ok I understand that’s their job, but it’s still nice).

So I am now flying back from Boston to DC on Thursday 8th. Then DC to Miami first thing on Friday 9th, to return Saturday 10th in the evening and then off to London early on Sunday 11th, kinda a bit of a hectic few days, but will at least provide one last hit of excitement to my world tour!

Reflecting on the experiences, it has been an amazing trip, the only 2 things that went wrong were me losing my surf mittens yesterday, getting lost of the way to Higgins Beach and also missing a few flights. Apart from that it has been killer!

Can’t wait for the next trip, will have to save up those pennies! The DVD is gonna rock for sure! To the folks at home, I’ll see y’all on Sunday evening!

Big up the D.R.U and ride on to big Chris Cole!

So Elise, The Steinmanator and myself went to a secret spot today to try and find some surf. After 45 mins in the car we came across a lovely little spot. Unfortunately the waves weren’t all that, and to make matters a little worse, I managed to lose my brand new surf gloves that I bought yesterday. I was absolutely steaming about that, but I guess you have to just roll with that shit!

I am due to go back home in 1 week, back to the grey, cold and expensive rip-off Britain that I have missed so much, not! Oh well hopefully it will be summer and I will score some waves in Devon next month, it will be cool to introduce The General and The Duke to The Mitch, a family of 3 is all good!

PS: I would just like to say a MASSIVE thanks to Adam for being a cool surf buddy and showing me around!

Found out last night that my blog was actually rather f*cked, with none of the internal links on the site working for some reason! Anyway downloaded the latest version of WordPress and tweaked a few files and all seems to be working nicely now!

Have just spent the most amazing 4 days up at the Grant family house in Mount Desert Island in Northern Maine, USA. When I arrived the place reminded me very much of Norway and Sweden, the vastness of the views, the trees, the style of architecture, the smell, all very cool!

The first day was spent doing a few chores as I was joining the annual family ‘work weekend’, so I stained the front of the house and painted the benches. Good to get involved in a little manual labour, kinda feel all rewarded at the end of the day with a sense of achievement. We then all cracked open a few tasty beverages in the shape of “Geary’s New Hampshire Ale’, which I only found out was 7% a few days later, would explain my general state of pissedness!

The following day we did a little more work in the morning, and as I was on a painting tip, I painted the back door. In the afternoon we took the kayaks out and cruised across the lake. The water is absolutely freezing, especially when you decide to go for a swim in the bastard. Definitely a good way to wake yourself up, also a good way of getting hypothermia!

That evening we stoked up the bon-fire and all chilled around it with a few beers, me playing guitar and a few games and shit talking etc. All good fun!

Yesterday we cruised on over to Acadia National Park and hiked for a few hours, ending up at a place called Jordan Pond. The views are absolutely stunning here, on one side you can see the lakes and inlets, forests and hills and on the other side, the sea. We stopped at a nice place for “popovers” (like a sweet yorkshire pudding with jam etc) and tea.

The weather was stunning up at MDI, and we were treated to some amazing sunsets, the way the water, air and nature interact up there is just beautiful, and you can see if from the photos I took, as they all look like they have had some photoshop treatment, but they are in fact all natural!

All in all, a wonderful experience and another place to tick off my (ever-lengthening) list of places I have been to! I’d like to just say and massive thank you to the Grant/Boyson family for inviting me to come up and join them at a very special place that will definitely leave me with some fantastic memories!

Another 2 weeks of the dream left, should be home on the 14/15th June now, chance of departure 95%!

:)

For the boys at home, yes all continues to go well and having a cool time and just for the record, am not a hippie (well not just yet), peace!

Had a nice day today at some Country Club in Maine, super nice grounds! Spent the arvo doing a little PB work, then cooked up a storm in the kitchen, currently on the red wine and green, things can only look up!

Added a few more photos from the Maine section of my tour for y’all to check out!