Tuesday 21 October 2014

BUCS Surf Championships 2014

17th-19th October...The weekend which saw mass amounts of students, from Universities all around the UK, descend down to Newquay, Cornwall to compete in the annual BUCS Surf Championships.

This year saw the largest number of competitors ever making the contest the biggest surf event in Europe! With 305 competitors in the Mens Catagory and 103 in the Womens, it was going to be a contest to remember.

Not only did the contest have a large number of competitors, but it also had the biggest swell I have seen at a UK contest in a while. With waves breaking double over head, it brought big challanges for all.

The contest started for me on Saturday 18th October with rounds 1 and 2 in which I came 1st in both heats, allowing me to progress through to the quarter finals on the Sunday when conditions were expected to calm a little...how wrong we were! The swell was still pumping and the Westerly winds were absolutely howling. However the contest carried on and before I knew it I was waiting to paddle out for the final!!
The final defintiely was hard work, but I didn't give up. Paddling for what felt like hours, battling the strong winds and rip to stay in the best spot to catch the best waves that were coming through. The end of the heat had me waiting in anticipation whilst watching the Men's final absolutely charging on some bombs!

As they say hard work pays off and I came 2nd! I am absolutely overwhelmed to get this result, and have gained the University of St Mark and St John's first ever medal in the BUCs Surf Championships!

I would like to say a massive thank you to my sponsor Fort Stamford Health and Fitness for having me as an Elite Athlete allowing me to train and keep my fitness up and Daniel Surf for the Xcel Wetsuits.

Thank you to all the support at the beach from family and friends :)



Tuesday 9 September 2014

Been a While...

So it was brought to my attention that I havent blogged in a fair few months. Considering quite alot has been happening recently it seems like the perfect time to write about it, so here goes and enjoy :)


The Winter Months

Surfing is not the only sport I partake in, especially over the winter months. Netball is also a massive part of my life and is something I train hard for. Last season was my second year playing for my Universities 1st team and it will be a season never forgotten. With another unbeaten record in the league we were on top form leading up to our biggest game of the year against Plymouth University in Varisty. Its true what they say that hard work really does pay off! We got the win, for the first time in 7 years, with a convinving score of 35-28. It will be a game remembered by many for years to come.



Summer Time

As Uni had finished for the summer, it meant I could go back to Discovery Surf School working as a coach teaching complete beginners to those who are moving towards an intermidiate level of surfing. The South Coast of Devon is known for its lack of swell, so the summer is perfect for stand-up paddle (SUP) boarding along the coastline. I had the opportunity to become a SUP instructor allowing me to teach students from the ages of 14 and up. Being based at Bigbury-on-sea being able to take customers out to see the breath taking views shows them a side of Devon they wouldn't usually be able to see, with the crystal clear waters and iconic landmarks from the sea such as Burgh Island.

June, July and August absolutely flew by which meant it was time for me to take a trip to the South West of France to focus on my own surfing and spend some time with the family and friends. As always Seignosse did not let me down. Waking up, walking over the sand dune to check the surf, having crossiants and fresh fruit for breakfast and being able to surf in a bikini in the french shore breaks and sunshine was perfect and something I had missed alot.
Getting down to Seignosse at the end of August meant that I was able to watch the finals day of the Swatch Girls Pro. It was amazing to see the power in the girls manouvres on such small waves, it really was incredible.
We  also had a couple of smaller days whilst away which meant pulling out the longboard for change. Many people think its much cooler to ride shortboards, but in small conditions its just frustrating! My longboard surfs were some of the most fun surfs I have had in a long time, catching wave after wave and trying to perfect the cross step and hang 5. Overall it was a great trip, its like a home from home down there and I cant wait to get back!
Heres a short clip of my trip along with some pictures too :)
(If you can't see the video, please click this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DuheYQNUsk











Whats Next?

My final year of University starts at the end of Septemeber so its time to snap back to reality and get my head down. 
On the side of the studying, I will being playing netball again, focusing on surfing and also my fitness. I have chosen to focus on diet and fitness as it plays a massive part in what I do everyday. Im inspired by quite a few people who have changed their diet to clean eating and seen the results from their fitness regime and have decided thats what I want to do. So hopefully it all goes well and will be posting updates soon.