It’s been a busy few weeks. The workshop went quiet last week as the team made the exodus to Scotland’s frigid North Shore. Grabbing the latest stock fresh off the truck - Sastrugas, Beanies and Stormtracks, the guys trekked North, enduring some cold nights in the van, and frosty cold water mornings. Alongside Finisterre ambassadors, Tim Nunn and Ian Battrick, good waves went down followed by some classic pub and pool hustling sessions.

Wondering how you’ve still got your Finisterre package? Santa’s little helpers have been staying dry and hard at work packing orders late into the night, taking over the post office and keeping the office ship shape.

As 2009 draws to a close, its been amazing to see our gear put to the test in some dramatic locations in the last few weeks, so here’s a wrapup of what’s been happening, where we’ve been and who we’ve been working with.

Ian Battrick keeping it tight on the Scotland missions. Photo: Tim Nunn

Where’s the defroster? - Tim Nunn

Road, surf, sleep. Photo: Tim Nunn

Meanwhile Charlie Chambers has been working hard, shooting a new film for SAS to promote their essential work and the issues they are taking on. The film shot in 16mm looks to showcase some of the best surfing these Isles have to offer. The latest location, Scotland with a team composing of some of the most respected surfers in the U.K. Keep an eye out for our Boy Trev laying down some lines on his longboard on his hometurf when its released next year. Can’t wait to see it, keep up the good work Charlie and Co!!

Out on a limb. Photo: Charlie Chambers

On Location. Photo: Charlie Chambers

Sometimes the best angle is halfway up a cliff. Photo: Charlie Chambers

The last few months have seen a small but dedicated following of film makers, and photographers using our gear on their expedition shoots. Hugo, who’s been putting our gear to the test sent these wicked photos through. He’s been busy in the Antarctic filming for BBC Life thats been on your screens this winter. Four years in the making the documentary shoots some of the finest natural footage ever captured and explores, what Darwin called the ’struggle for existence’ - the challenges living creatures face and their adaptations in the harshest of environments. We’re stoked to see when our gear helps towards keeping the guys on the ground dry and warm so they can keep doing what they do best. Amazing to see and its what we’re here for!

Hugo keeping warm in his Bise and base layer

Ice diving with Finisterre Merino Base Layer under suit - extra warmth when you need it!

Again, we’re always stoked to hear your stories - be it surfing your local or a thousand miles from home. Send us your shots, drop us a line and tell us what you’ve been up to and where your going next.

Amazingly exciting to watch the most prestigious big wave event in the World go live with our boy Carlos in the thick of it. He was up round one and took some beauty drops and posted a few good scores, although there were not a load of big sets in this heat. Think he was about 4th/5th at the end of this heat. Up in the next heat were, amongst others, Kelly Slater. His fourth wave scored a 98 and ended in a huge Waimea shorebreak close-out barrel. Carlos’ second heat was even better than his first with him sharing the set of the heat, also ending up in the a whitewater foam ball the size of a big house, right on the shore. In the end, it went down to the last heat, with Greg Long snagging it from Kelly Slater in the last minutes of the last heat. Not bad for somebody who had only surfed Waimea for the first time earlier in the week!

Check the full story here http://live.quiksilver.com/2009/bigwave/news.php?btn_news=_ove

We’re getting the low down from Carlos and some images in the next day or so - keep an eye on the blog.

Meanwhile it’s been pumping most of the way round the UK today. Most places down here suffering from way too much of a good thing, but there are some awesome stories from Ireland and Scotland. There’s more on the way over the next few days, so hope that you’ll be getting some time in the water.

The Eddie has only run seven times in the past 24 years.

It is the world’s longest running and most prestigious big-wave invitational.

It will take place on one day when waves exceed the 20-foot minimum threshold.

All forecasts point towards one of the largest swells to hit Hawaii in decades and Carlos is there, waiting for the green light.

The single lane highway that runs the stretch of the North Shore was bumper-to-bumper by sunrise yesterday. Many made the pilgrimage on foot and bicycle late the night before, sleeping under the stars to catch the action early.

“The biggest Waimea in years, hands down,” said North Shore charger Dave Wassel this evening after what he called “a remarkable day” of surfing. After a day that saw Sunny Garcia get caught inside by not one, but two, 25-foot closeout sets, the sun has set on one of the most memorable days of big wave surfing ever.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Waimea all day. In the morning it was huge: twenty to twenty five foot Hawaiian style.

And then it got bigger. And bigger. And just before sundown, even bigger. By the end of the day, a rescue ski had to be launched from the beach and through the treacherous shorebreak to assist a guy who was being swept toward the rocks on the Haleiwa side of the bay.

Miraculously nobody has perished thus far, although Tom Carroll’s ankle was ripped apart after a mountain of whitewash collapsed onto him. Carroll will now be replaced with one of the alternates.

The event is most likely to happen for the first time in five years. They’re saying this could be the events largest conditions and a guy who has helped shaped Finisterre, is there with board in hand and Finisterre sticker in view.

Carlos has had a string of successes over the last three years, both on and off the water and we’re behind him every little step of the way. He’s won practically every big wave event there’s to win, why not one more for Burle!!

Latest video on the event and warm-up - click here

Latest on the Eddie is that it will be going live today (around 7pm GMT). We’ve been in touch with Carlos who is fired up on all fronts - not only for the Eddie, but also his new baby on the way. Cannot imagine the anticipation out there after a

The wave buoys off the North Shore of Oahu are at 5.4m @ 16 secs - according to Eddie contest director Clyde Aikau, this will translate into about 25ft+ of swell at Waimea - one of the biggest swells for an Eddie. Meanwhile back in the North Atlantic, there has been a juicy low (948mb) brewing this week, sending in a 5.7m swell @ 16 secs to the North Coast of Cornwall - it’ll be big here, but thanks to the continental shelf, it won’t hit 25ft…should be some good viewing though.

The little island of Hawaii was kicking off today and our boy Carlos was there, once again invited, once again humble, once again - amongst every great in the big wave paddle world.

Today’s ceremony was an overwhelming tribute, complete with the original Hokule’a voyaging canoe in Waimea Bay in the midst of a 15- to 18-foot swell. The Hokule’a is a symbol of great Hawaiian pride; a traditional double-hulled vessel that represents the original Polynesian voyage to the Hawaiian islands. It is also the same boat from which Aikau paddled for assistance in 1978, never to be seen again. Hokule’a had capsized in heavy seas in the Moloka’i Channel, injuring crew, en-route to Tahiti.

Clyde Aikau, winner of the 1987 Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, today led the paddle-out of this year’s official Invitees and Alternates. Instead of gracing the lineup as they usually do, they circled the Hokule’a and paid respects to Aikau, joined by some of Eddie’s original crewmates on the vessel he loved so dearly.

“Hokule’a and Eddie were all about perpetuating the Hawaiian spirit,” said Kahu Billy Mitchell. “The Hokule’a keeps our culture alive, and Eddie reminds us how.”

Clyde is ready to ride on what he expects to be the swell of a lifetime: “Knowing that it’s probably gonna go, 90%, Monday or Tuesday, everybody’s real jacked, including yours truly. I really think it’s going to be a big one, probably the biggest waves ever for the event. I’ve surfed all the big waves that have come through here - ‘74, ‘69, and this one on Monday or Tuesday should be even bigger than that. If you’re not 101% gas for the day, let somebody else surf.”

Carlos Burle had mentioned that his ‘mind wasn’t on the hype and more on the event, if my mind isn’t in it, I may as well check out, this is going to be big’.

Carlos has been invited for years, but the waves have never been right to run it, it seems as if it’s going to go and every big name is there, Carlos has got the little company of six on his board, we’re with you in spirit homie!!!!!

- Ligia, Carlos’ wife, pregnant with Carlos jr and our next ambassador

- Carlos at the opening ceremony, doing his trademark thing - quiet and focused

- I’m sorry, but I love this guy - so psyched Carlos - Con suerte!!!!!!

BBC Life.

Jonathan Smith, came to us a few years back and said that he was going to be capturing some footage of the natural world. He couldn’t say much, he just said that he’d love to rock some Finisterre product to keep him comfortable during the day, cozy at dusk and warm at dawn.

Three years later, he’s grown the Finisterre family amongst the BBC ranks and now a host of world class camera men and women, wear Finisterre - quietly and with pride.

We’re here in this little tin workshop, on a cliff in northern cornwall and to think that at any one moment, our product is involved in capturing breakthrough footage of the natural world, at the ends of the earth, is a most excellent thought.

Cheers Johnathan, can’t thank you enough for the stories, the images and that odd phone call - super stoked!

To get a quick glimpse of what J-bone has been up to on BBC Life, check the link below:

BBC Life