SUP Mag UK lo-res free to readers July 2014 lo-res - free to read | Page 50

‘The Rock’ is perceived as a hardcore surf spot,
with its myriad of gnarly reef set ups. Would you
recommend it to intermediates or should it
remain an expert only destination?

What’s your opinion of the UK’s SUP surf scene
as a whole? Do you think we could get to the
same level as the stand up paddle boarding
super powers of this world?

The marquee spots are really off limits to SUP surfers without a very
high level of experience and ability, preferably some command of
Spanish and a local contact. However there are plenty of other waves,
good coastal flat water paddling and some of the best downwind
surfing anywhere. In short it’s a SUP paradise and I miss it terribly
when it’s cold and grey here! Anyone thinking of going should contact
Christian Diaz at SUP Lanzarote, he’ll change their ideas of what the
island offers.

We have some good SUP surfers. Aaron (Rowe) has a great future. Guys
like Al Mennie and Tom Lowe can hold their own against anyone,
especially if it gets heavy. I just hope that SUP surfing avoids the
problems surfing has faced: lack of funding, lack of an integrated and
cohesive plan to raise performance levels, lack of ambition, vision and
confidence. We have some great surfers but our standing in Europe has
been sliding for well over 20 years despite positive developments like the
UK Pro Surf Tour. I mean, we have private companies supposedly
coaching the next generation of hopefuls and in reality they’ve achieved
almost nothing. It would be nice to see SUP surfing avoid these issues.
We need to sort out who our governing body is, what its motivations are,
what the perceived goals for the sport (all disciplines) are and how to
achieve them. It’s complex though because there are so many arms of
SUP and some existing organisations that have been involved for some
time. They will have a deserved sense of ownership and certainly won’t
want to relinquish control if things change. SUP is still uncharted
territory and growing pains will surely happen.

What made you decide to leave Lanzarote after
so long and return to the UK, and why did you
settle in Crantock? What makes that spot so
special?
I was over mortgaged on a property and the recession, la crisis, forced
us out. As fantastic as Cornwall is it’s very difficult to have some of the
best surf in the world on your doorstep and then have to adjust to

endlessly average Cornish conditions. I sometimes feel like I’ve had a
limb lopped off! Thankfully Crantock offers a lot and is the perfect
location for the school. We have good surfing waves on its day, a river
mouth break and an incredible estuary for flat water and kayaking.
We’re very fortunate that the National Trust work in partnership with
us and we have exclusive use of the beach. It might not have grinding
lava slabs but it’s not too shabby.

As someone who has a handle on both the surf
and SUP scene in the UK do you see more
acceptance from prone riders of stand ups?
Crantock, generally, is a pretty mellow place with all types of water
craft in the line up. Crantock has become the focal point of SUP surfing
in this area so there’s a greater degree of acceptance than at some
other spots, however, you still have to play the game and respect other
water users. As far as acceptance from regular surfers goes, it’s
actually irrelevant to me. I try to break down preconceptions and not
reinforce them but if someone isn’t enjoying their surf because a
stand up paddle surfer is there then that’s their issue.

How do you see stand up paddle boarding in
general here in Blighty? You mentioned before
you think it’s a subtly different scene to
elsewhere in the world. What did you mean by
this?
SUP is actually pretty healthy in the UK. It’s starting to penetrate
inland and coastal regions not traditionally associated with board or
surf sports, which has to be a good thing. Correspondingly there’s a
definite lack of respect and understanding in some areas. I think the
surf community can be very resistant to change, especially when that
change is viewed as a threat. I also think that some UK surfers mimic
attitudes expressed in the (foreign) media. Ultimately SUP is finding
its feet and is developing here at more or less the same rate as in other
parts of the world. Hopefully this will give us the ability to forge our
own identity within the global scene.

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