We met Neil, Maddie and their dog sniff about 3 years ago. They came into the workshop, quietly asked to look at some product and 4 hours later, we were on the couch, talking about this place, well being, traveling, hounds and a host of other random stuff.

Neil and Maddy are a husband and wife duo, that make you feel better, using wellness chiropractic’s and encourage eating, moving and thinking in a way that gives best gene expression and health to the body.

In any event, things just clicked whilst they were here, like when you meet someone for the first time and the conversation is devoid of any stinky chat - you just slot in. So over the years, they’ve been coming back and picking up product and keeping us up to date with their happenings.

So when they told us about their 600 mile bikey ride from the North of France to Chamonix, to then ascent the highest mountain in the Alps - Mont Blanc all in the name of research to help improve methods of regenerating forest destroyed by commercial logging and slash and burn farming - we threw ourselves behind it.

It was a great little opportunity to put some gear through it paces as well, so they’ll be riding with bits and pieces from our Men’s Merino and Women’s Merino range and some insulations pieces - super stoked.

So they’ll be off in August, along with 7 others and a support team of 4. We’re super stoked to get behind them all - Neil, Maddie and Sniff, have been friends of ours for years and to see them attempt a challenge all in the name of growing more rain forests… is most excellent.

Loads of love you guys and if you need a hound sitter, we’ll look after Sniff for you!

For more on the challenge and to donate

It’s started - the Finisterre summer sale - already had quite a few people dropping by to grab a bargain. There’s up to 50% off some stuff - clearing old lines as well as some new stock in. Feel free to swing by - 9-5 Mon-Fri and weekends by arrangement. Any questions, please give Sarah a call 01872 554 481 - can also send stuff out…

For thousands of years the waves breaking on the limestone slabs of Crab Island and Doolin point have been peeling off & spitting tubes.
It is only since the early 1970’s that they’ve been ridden by surfers. Since then they have become, along with the Bundoran reefs, the most surfed spots in the country.
They have been on the “must surf” list of any travelling surfers coming to Ireland, from Kevin Naughton’s arrival in the 70’s, to the McNulty brothers virgin surf on their ancestral turf in the 80’s, to Anthony Walsh’s extended stay last winter.

The scenery in the area is spectacular, with the massive cliffs of Moher looming to the south and the geographical uniqueness of the limestone karst region of the Burren to the north. Add in the Aran island chain only a few miles to the northwest and it all comes together to make this spot the iconic postcard surfspot of Ireland.

While being overshadowed in the media lately due to the discovery of heavy spots such as Aileen’s and Riley’s, Crab Island is still a more important surf spot to most of the surfers of Ireland. This is because of the frequency of which it breaks and the fact that it is within the capabilities of all competent surfers. It is the spot most likely to deliver the ’ride of a lifetime’ for 90% of Irish surfers.

Unfortunately that may not remain the case…
There is a ferry operation running from a small pier in the lagoon behind crab island to the nearby Aran islands. This runs during the summer months when the lagoon is not getting churned by big winter swells. These ferries now require a larger pier in deeper water in order to meet an EU regulation on commercial passenger ferries. However the design that Clare Co. Council has decided on is likely to damage both waves of Crab Island and Doolin point from backwash. It will also introduce a safety hazard by forcing surfers to now paddle across the ferry’s paths to get to the lineups. It is also likely to get damaged by winter storms due to its exposed location out the point. (The existing pier is located at the back of the lagoon). Reading the plans drawn up shows that the effect on the surf spots has not been taken into consideration at all by the council. They have, to date, not given any response to repeated and sustained requests from local surfers for a meeting on the issue.

Local surfers in the area are trying to convince the council that a ‘win-win’ situation can easily be arrived at. A design where the ferries have a pier that meets their requirements and does not damage the waves with backwash. Simply moving the pier back towards the existing one by about 50m and dredging a little deeper inside the pier should achieve this. It would also have the added effect of lessening the amount of damage done to the pier by the massive winter swells that pound this stretch of coast. Local surfers need to convince the council of how well regarded these surf spots are, both by Irish and international surfers. As part of that we would like you to sign the petition listed below. It will only take 10 seconds. The West Coast Surf Club in Ireland will present this petition as part of a submission to Clare Co. Council before the closing date of objections on 5 August. Please, have your voice heard. Let’s keep this wave so that its peeling tubes are there for you when you visit Ireland.
Link this petition to any facebook\myspace\blogs you may have and mail to your surfing friends.

**PETETION – PLEASE SIGN ** **PETETION – PLEASE SIGN **

(Anyone wishing to, can view the current plans on http://www.clarecoco.ie/planning/planning-applications/search-planning-applications/FileRefDetails.aspx?file_number=108006&LASiteID=0
We would also encourage people to send in their own formal objections to this. This can be done for free (no charge for submissions as it’s not a private planning application) by posting a letter to “Planning Section, Clare County Council, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland”, quoting “Planning application details ref: 108006 (Clare County Council)”. You must also include your name and address.)

GaryMcCall-A.jpg
Aerial photo of the breaks on a small swell at high tide. Crab Island is in the foreground and Doolin point on the right of picture. The existing pier can be seen tucked in at the back of the lagoon. The new pier would start at the top of the point and extend out into the channel almost half way to crab island.

MickeySmith-F.jpg
The jump-in spot for paddling across to Crab or out to Doolin point (out of picture to the left). This jump in spot would be covered by the new pier forcing surfers to paddle out from the shore side of the pier and across the path of berthing ferries.

Shot by Al Mack off the shoulder - top to bottom hole

We like recycling bikes and old Brooks saddles and Monocle and Ernest Gonzales and Bike Polo and surf adventures and people of the sea and people who grow veg and cowboys and Sherpas and the list goes on.

James Bowden likes bikes and surf boards, and books and camping and Finisterre gear. We knew him from a while back, he was wearing some gear and then ventured off into the unknown - world of self publishing. The result, a rad newspaper, with rad images and rad stories, about camping and ferries and some Russian Beat Poetry.

We like his stories, what he’s doing - he’s cool indeed.

Bourgeois Bicycle budgets

Bikes: 2 x Raliegh Chiltern (circa 1990) 3 speed heavy steel beasts - £40 each, broken, from old cycle hire place in Barnstaple. £60 on parts to get them back to speed (and safe) Brooks saddles and grips kindly donated by Andrea at Brooks.

Trailers: 2 x Carry Freedom Y-Frame (large) £150 Modified with custom surfboard racks welded and bolted by max the steel man £40, B&Q garden mesh £5, zip ties £1, bungee cords £3, rack pads stolen from mikeys car, straps stolen from tim’s garage.

Camping gear: already owned or borrowed or stolen or picked up along the way.

Ferry (Plymouth-Roscoff) : £46

Camping fees: £0 (all the campsites were shut anyway)

So there you go, the Bourgeois Bicycle Caravan were cheapskates and you can be one too.

More on Bourgeois Bicycle Caravan

Man and his trade.

He’s been away for the last 3 months, the kind of trip where you pack little clothing and lots of gear (boards and shutter equipment). Destinations were the West Coast of the US, up and down it, visiting all the boys who run the big wave world and a little adventure, South of the Border.

We had radio silence for the first month, communication was touch and go the second and then we lost him in a pool of Big Wave Championship celebrations, time with some of the most influential big wave names in the sport, climbing up trees for breakfast in Central America, sleeping in the back of a Toyota Land-Cruisers and of course sharing the Mack-Attack spirit with all those involved.

Sometimes you get that urge to just pack only what you need and go - get on a train, board a plane and check everything at the door, literally everything. And just before all rational and reasoning is lost, Al Mack sends an email and does it all for you, a little bit of vicarious living.

Wicked shots, basically summing up a trip, a man and his view finder.

Ambassador Carlos Burle, hosting up his countries flag and winning the first ever World Toe Championship

Carlos hoisting up the title, amongst every big wave surfer, the world has to offer.

The Prize…

Chris Bertish (South African charger, friend and Product Tester), wrapping up with our Carlos.

Grant Washburn - product tester, Maverick’s charger and always grinning - stoked.

Arguably one of the best big wave surfers ever - Greg Long and our man Al Mackinnon. He was sleeping in Greg’s Land-Cruiser somewhere in So Cal.

Puerto Peak, one of the biggest, shifting beach breaks in the world - where you separate the men from the boys.

Al somewhere near Puerto, climbing trees for breakfast - too good Macky!

This guy goes by the name Crazy Will, we don’t know him, Al does and he’s paddling Puerto… backside, commitment.

We met Davo almost a year ago, humble, considered and soft spoken, the type of guy that has his work do the talking for him. He shared with us photos he’d took throughout the US, Eastern Europe, the Far East, to name a few and then showed us a portfolio of graphic design work and his publishing company 76 Degrees and Clear. We’ll be honest, there’s a lot of guys out there pushing the same trade, it’s only when they can do the work and get inside a place that it makes a difference and he did just that.

So almost a year later, he’s the guy behind our images, our photo shoots, our design work and any creative direction for that matter. We love him, he fits like a glove, we couldn’t work without him and underneath it all, he has something to say, so much so…

That Foto8, a site that exists to bridge the divide between photographers, authors and their audience through interactive displays and a constant stream of new stories, reviews, commentary and resources have asked him to speak at the internationally recognised Host Gallery, in Central London.

The foto8 event is a little workshop for an intimately sized group of photographers on verge of publishing their first book - or the next big thing. And our Davo will be there, talking about things, from: conceiving a project, all the way to finding a publisher… or going it alone.

We’re super stoked for him and if anyone should want, at anytime to pick up the phone and talk publishing, feel free - the man is always there for his public.

Thunderbolt’s Way, Vampire and Surge represent the three-part limited edition series - The Dreams that Day Break Portfolio, a publications consisting of concise narratives and photographic explorations.

To get your hands on it - visit 76 Degrees and Clear

2010: Cape Farewell, Eden Arts Café & Eden Sessions Present:
bī-ŏt’ĭk, Mediterranean Biome, 3pm onwards

Friday 2 July ● Main Stage Session: Doves and Mumford & Sons
Shlomo ● Bellatrix & The Boxettes ● Dizraeli ● Rodney Branigan ● Backbeat Soundsystem

Saturday 3 July ● Main Stage Session: Calvin Harris, Audio Bullys and Annie Mac
Zero 7 DJ Set ● Liam Frost & Full Band ● Special Act to be announced

A Biotic Community - Starting today and into the weekend, both Eden and Cape Farewell have decided to collaborate, bring loads of people together to discuss climate change and then open things up to some music sets, the likes of: Zero7, a campsite and then some more live music into the morning.

We’ll be there, exhibiting product, shaking hands, rubbing elbows and then pulling out the beers on a green lawn and listening to live music, anybody around?

We’d be stoked to see you all there - super rad!!

More on the Eden Project/Capefarewell Blow-out

So Tim and Ian (Ambassadors) and Alex Dickreed (The Surfer’s Path editor) have been off the reservation over the last few weeks, somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

A bucket of waves were managed, brilliant shots, some drink with the locals and the occasional contact from Tim, with shots of Ian (we love you boys).

So it’s a bit rainy here in Cornwall, after a spell of brilliant sun and the boys will be heading back in the next couple of days to share some stories and images. We can’t wait to see them and images first hand, like the one below of Ian wearing our first ANABATIC in some atoll in the Indian - stoked.

Ian in the Anabatic in the local coffee hut with Alex from The Path

Small quiver of boards, Finisterre logo carefully placed for the barrel and view finder connection.

COOL HUNTING is synonymous with seeking inspiration. They’ve got a global team of editors and contributors who sift through innovations in design, technology, art and culture to create an award-winning publication, they managed to get their hands on our New and world first Anabatic and the consensus is out - sick - lovely job Jose - stoked!

Check the Anabatic Review out:

Anabatic craze continues to kick off - Vince, Ed and the crew over at HUCK MAGAZINE, hold a firm belief that many of our heroes have incredible stories to tell and so they have enlisted some of the world’s best photographers and writers to get those stories out to us all, the team is rad, the mag is rad and it just so happens that they think our Anabatic is rad

Check the Anabatic Review out:

Then we’ve got the cycling fraternity and fixed gear leeds are taking to the Anbatic, like a bee to honey, more on the Anabatic HERE

So we developed our lightest weight, UK’s first ever recyclable waterproof about two years ago and have been testing it ever since. We had some bike couriers flashing through streets, the climbing world elite scaling mountains and some of the finest photographers in the world, testing them.

The end result is one of our finest and the jury is in - verdict - SICK!!!

Check out the Anabatics Spec, colors and video HERE

Josh Lewsey is back from Everest, he managed to get some time away from London’s lights, he got some surf here in the shire and we managed to get a little one-on-one exclusive. To be honest, it was more than we could have asked for and the picture he painted left us speechless… a bit more on that here