Every year, every big wave rider in the world sets their eyes on tracking and chasing down the years biggest swells. In this hunt also comes the chance to make the Billabong XXL big wave awards. Only a handful of guys, literally the very best in the game, get the chance to grace the stage at the XXL awards. Back in 2002, Carlos surfed the biggest wave in the world (at the time), winning the XXL Big wave award and this year, it seems only fit, after getting the cover of surfing mag and being invited to the Eddie Aikua Invitational that he has once again been nominated for the XXL Ride of the Year. Keeping in touch with him, hearing from him and supporting him this past year, has been an unbelievable privilege, so stoked for you Carlos!
To view his ride and the other four nominees, check below:
Got a call a few weeks from Mike up the coast who had recently bought a Humboldt off us. Stoked with the jacket, he phoned up a few weeks back in a bit of a state as his Humboldt had been ripped by his dog. He brought the jacket in and we sent it straight into Finisterre ITU where it is now being seen to.
He just sent this photo of the culprit, looking quite pleased with herself.
So if anybody else sees Daisy in the North Cornwall area and wants to preserve your Finisterre gear, don’t go in for the pat…you have been warned.
The boys over at East Coast Surf Shop in Norfolk have jumped on-board the Finisterre, brand wagon. They had kept an eye on us for quite some time, got in touch and the rest is history.
We were stoked with their approach; two guys, independent surf shop, trying to support the local North Sea charger with quality kit and a little sense of community. Mark and Nick have been up and running for a little over two years now and they’ll be the first and only retailer on the East Coast with Finisterre product.
Looking forward to a big run with you boys.
From the Altantic to North Sea, when one coast sleeps, another wakes.
Mart ‘the jack of oh so many trades’, came on board about two years ago, how we all met, I’ll leave that story to another day. Anyways, the guy has done some unbelievable things here at Finisterre and in his spare time, he’s a student, he charges low key reefs all over the Soutwest and like ‘JC’, he tries his hand at widdling wood. Over the break he carved out a propeller out of driftwood, snapped on some bolts, bearings etc and we are now half way to converting some wind energy to power our kettle, desk lamps and hopefully TP’s sewing machine.
We took the propeller out for its first spin last night and so far, so good, check the video out below - stoked funsize!
- on a side note, if any customers out there could spare some time to rotate a video file for us, we’d be much obliged, send an email to: info@finisterreuk.com.
He has a PhD. in Ocean Dynamics, has just written another book and has been an avid supporter since day one. Dr. Tony Butt dropped in a couple of weeks ago, catching up on the winter’s swells, admiring Carlos’ newly shaped guns and sharing some recent stories from the battlefield…
“Last winter I became a proud member of the Two-Wave hold-down club. It was an unusually punchy 12-15 foot WNW swell at Menakoz, with about six waves in the set. I remember letting the first one go through (standard practice here), paddling for the second one, getting to my feet and not putting enough weight on my front foot. Next thing the wind was under my board and I was airborne. The strangest thing was I actually surfaced after the wipe-out, but it was the next wave that really got me. Fighting off the temptation to come out of my zen arms-across-the-chest position before the turbulence had stopped was the hardest thing - this time it seemed to keep hold of me forever. Once it finally let me go, I started swimming upwards, six strokes and I still hadn’t reached the surface. Then I suddenly started to hear the ‘whoosh’ of the next wave, which pushed me down once more. I remember feeling sort of betrayed - all that effort and back to square one again. When I did finally come up, I had been dragged into the infamous ‘Los Calvos’ (a zone of nasty vertical rocks, sticking up like giant knives). Now I know that two-wave hold-downs are not just something you read about in the mags, and even now, over a year later, I still worry about hearing the ‘whooshing’ sound of that second wave.”
Ahhh, the cut throat game of magazine making. When you ask questions and decide to turnover some stones you begin to realise two things; some people like to leave them unturned because they’re not too sure about whatever may be on the other side, and others turn and keep turning - they trail blaze. We like the second, I think we like the idea of finding answers, dealing with some hardships but in the end, hopefully find the right answers and put some bad things to bed.
I digress, but a lot of the above is what Huck magazine is all about. Vince Medeiros decided to turn over some stones, it hasn’t been easy, but he puts out one hell of a Magazine and one of the few worth backing. We were recently featured in this months Huck, issue No 9 and we simply wanted to say thanks to Vince and all the boys on the Huck side - so stoked.
Back in January, we were asked to go to Munich and present our case for the Finisterre Storm Track and the Eco Design Award. We knew the stage would be set, literally. From major brands and their designers to the other 68,000 people who attended the show, many came to listen. Our designer or TP - as many of you know him - seized the 90 second opportunity to present his interpretation of ‘Eco-Design, alongside brands, 50 times our size and designers twice his age. Brimming with passion and conviction, he got the loudest cheer - to view the speech – see below.
It’s less than two hours away, it’s the neighboring county and we finally have a stockists for all you ‘I want to try it on before I buy customers’, the shops name is Loose-Fit and by the way the two shops operate (Braunton and Bristol), you could call it a match made in heaven.
Their part of one-percent for the planet, their the first carbon neutral surf shop in the UK and the boys welcome customers with open arms. They have a good selection of the Finisterre range and we’re stoked to be working with them, seasoned veterans, shoot from the hip and they tend to pack the shop with highly desired international boards.
Braunton Customers - visit them at:
The forecourt, Exeter Road, Braunton, EX33 2JP and just ask for James or Mikey
Bristol Customers - visit them at: 138 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2RS and just ask for Tim
If there is one thing that people round here have an opinion on, it is what makes a good pasty.
So when the Aggie bakery went under new management, the pasty advice and chat came thick and fast - more veg, more sauce, wholemeal pastry, better crimping etc. So it was with baited breath that we awaited its re-opening, and have to say that the guys have done a proper job and are now churning out some of the most ‘andsome pasties around…be sure to grab a couple if you are passing through.
