Freezing cold in the NE wind, but heading in for one last surf in 2008. Small and clean with a good shape. Going to go and get cold and reflect on the year nearly gone and the one to come (although there won’t be loads of sitting around!) Happy New Year to all and thanks for rolling with us in 2008. Have a good one. Tom

We’re all out of Wheal Kitty until 29th Dec - if there is anything you need between now and then, please send an email to Nat (nat@finisterreuk.com) or leave a message on the ansaphone (01872 554 481). We’ll get back to you as soon as we can next week.

Thanks again for all your support in 2008 - it has been an awesome year and look forward to more of the same in 2009.

Happy Christmas and all the best for 2009 from us all - Tom, Ernie, Tom, Debbie, Nat & Happy.

(In the meantime, here’s what’s been happening at Waimea - no news yet from Carlos on the Eddie).

It is still not too late for us to get stuff out to you in time for Christmas, so if you are stuck for something to give and don’t want to fight the masses (and the traffic wardens), then get in touch.

Tomorrow is officially the last posting day - so send an email or give us a call - 01872 554 481 - and we’ll get it out to you (we’ll be around tomorrow as well). (We can still do special delivery on Monday to get to you for the 23rd).

Have a good one

Nat x

It was just another December day in the Finisterre office - Christmas tunes on repeat, the smell of Cinnamon in the air and mince pies dominating our food intake. It was time for some pre-Christmas hot mulled wine action. Our designer Tom cranked up the mini gas ring, struck a match, and stood back, to the surprise of us all there pelted out a not-so-mini fireball, charring all around. Happily we put out the flames and all lived to tell the tale…. Microwave mulled wine anybody?

…my skype symbol goes and it’s Carlos fresh from the place he is staying at in front of Sunset, North Shore! He’s just up and he walks me round the place with his webcam - it’s a beautiful beach little house with a lush lawn right onto the sand. His family have just arrived for Christmas - they all say hi. He walks out the front and I can just see Sunset breaking - according to Carlos it is about 5ft and glassy (looks way bigger to me!). Apparently Gerry Lopez had been out there earlier and had just dropped by to chew the fat with our boy on his way home. Unbelievable and a pretty inspiring end to a dark and cold Monday in Aggie! (The Eddie is still on hold - there is strong feeling amongst the old timers that it will take place this winter - watch this space).

Right - now I’m off home - swim session in the pool for me tomorrow am! (Tommy k)

We’ve got three ambassadors, three guys that pursue personal passions, blow caution to the wind and achieve some pretty amazing results, through which, all of us here live vicariously .

Take this month for instance; Carlos Burle is currently in the Mecca of the surf world - the North Shore of Oahu, invited to the most prestigious big wave event ever and we’re there - in spirit. How about Al Mackinnon, claiming not one, but a two page photo spread in Surf Europe’s annual photobook issue and we were there, on his back, keeping him warm, whilst the trigger finger pushed down. Ian Batrick, our newest ambassador, just so happened to claim over 10 pages in this months Wavelength - ten! That type of coverage is unheard of and we were there - on his board.

We’re over the moon with the collective spirit here at Finisterre, simply couldn’t do what we do without the many behind us.

Eddie Aikua paddle out and memory service

My gun’s bigger than yours

Al Mack, location outer islands off of Scotland

Surf Europe’s Photo Book Issue

Ian Battrick in Scotland

Ian Battrick and the cover of Wavelength

Not only does she send out your orders (and chocolates), helps out with any customer service queries - she also doubles as a mermaid. Supporting the guys across the road at SAS, Nat’s mermaid talents were first spotted when she was out surfing and sitting on rocks. Andy from SAS asked her to head down to Contico Europe Ltd. where she planted a mermaid’s kiss on the MD’s cheek. They have agreed to adopt a new manual to help stop the release of ‘mermaid’s tears’ into the environment. A close inspection of the sand at Porthtowan will show you how prevalent these plastic pellets are in the ecosystem, causing untold damage. All in a good cause Nat (she also does bar mtitzvahs and christenings).

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SURFERS AND MERMAID CELEBRATE AS PLASTICS FACTORY MAKES THE RIGHT MOVES.

Today a merry mermaid accompanied clean water campaigners from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) to celebrate as Contico Europe Limited agreed to become the first UK factory to adopt actions from a new manual into their current Continuous Improvement programme. The manual is promoting methods to stop plastic pellets entering the water environment from poor housekeeping practices at injection moulding factories.

SAS gave Contico Europe Limited a dossier, entitled, ‘Operation Clean Sweep’, a US manual, created by the American Chemical Council and SPI, the Plastics Industry Trade Association. It was born out of an escalating environmental concern that plastic resin pellets, or ‘mermaids tears’ as they have been nicknamed, are polluting the world’s oceans and shorelines. Contico Europe Limited, one of the South West’s largest plastic manufacturers, recognised the environmental and financial benefits outlined in the manual and will be implementing new measures to improve the factory’s performance.

SAS campaigners presented Greg Wood, Operations Manager at Contico Europe Ltd with a copy of the dossier and SAS’s merry mermaid presented Greg Wood with a kiss….

Finisterre scooped first prize for best product and services category at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards last week, also winning a commendation as best managed small business. We are stoked with the accolade, which recognises our ongoing commitment to lowering our environmental impact and benefitting the local and wider community.

The awards were presented by the very awesome Dick Strawbridge, best know as the mightily-moustached presenter of Scrapheap Challenge. It’s a beauty of an award for the groaning shelf, big thanks to all involved.

Check out Demi Taylor’s article in this month’s Cooler magazine. Demi and Mairi set out on a mission to rediscover the joys of low-fi surf travel, armed with one of our Etobicoke jackets and with their boards racked onto push bikes, the girls set out for the stormy waves of Llangennith in Wales. Leaving their cars, mobile phones and internet back in Cornwall, they took on the very best and worst the British elements had to throw at them