Safetosea

I had a fun surf yesterday.

Maurice Cole had handed me a little 6ft Metro (Modern Retro)... wide and massively concaved... to try out when it was smaller.

Always a glutton for punishment I took it out in horrible Bells with the hope that as the tide dropped the swell that was forecast to arrive did. After a fashion indeed it turned up, so while Winkipop was entertaining a fair crew I joined a mixed band of geriatrics (me), in-betweeners (two or three other guys) and a grommit, out at Bells,, in the wind, sharing what occasionally crept through.

Bells became my own skatepark and this little board swooped and carved, so much fun, in waves near the top end of its range. I had a blast though naturally as I always do there was the odd embarrassing loss of face and coordination. Not enough to erase the inner glow though.

On leaving the water I naturally had to take my obligatory line up shot.

While leaning on the rail, snapping away in Dreamland, the very close proximity of the guy quietly standing next to me caught my attention and turning, I realised Derek Hynd had parked his wiry frame right next to me. He's a funny bugger that Derek, we ended up having a great chat, made me late getting home, but hopefully, if this swell hangs around I can sneak down and both catch a surf and see how much further his finless explorations have taken him.

Last year in big Bells he was epic, now working on floaters he tells me, his subtle art I suspect is rapidly growing artfully radical.

Changing the subject, and not, a few weeks back I was approached by Mary Mills, Surf Sista and one of the editors of Liquid Salt.

An interview no less. I must say I felt a bit of a hoax amidst the luminaries inhabiting the site, but they seemed to like what I had to say and the interview is now up.

As to the pics below, the emptyish Bells lineup, and Winki, with aftermath of the contest, awaiting deconstruction.