Ten days – late

Yes I know, it’s been ten days since I last updated this blog and for this I must apologize to the hordes of visitors/readers/fans that have been requesting to find out in what mood the bay was since my last entry. And so it has been because last week was one of the busiest weeks of the year: sales meeting week, and in Capbreton… which meant the opportunity to score some little waves in nearby Seignosse before, during and after work. Not bad. Shame though that the ocean was not very cooperative and we had to content ourselves with small waves, but at least we got to surf and that is always good, especially in summer.

I haven’t had much time for anything else. I know there are a couple of things going on and the Jazz Festival has started on the beach in Donosti. I remember this time last year I went down for a surf really late one evening (we’ve got light until well past ten) and the concerts on the beach were starting while I was still surfing: it was an odd combination to have hundreds of spectators a few meters from the water, dancing to the music, while so close some other surfers and myself where working hard to get the last waves of the day. The side I don’t like about the Jazz Festival on the beach is that the sand is packed with trash, bottles and other rubbish the morning after when I go for the dawny.

And in terms of waves, there hasn’t been much lately. A couple of little swells here and there. Truth is it hasn’t been totally flat, but the swells are quite weak. Here’s the crop of these last ten days:

First a couple of photos from last Tuesday in Galicia by Esnifa Salitre (nice elbow)…




…and Salinas by Clau.



Thursday was the biggest day but I’ve found no evidence on the blogs, while Salerno took the time to play in the Landes shore breaks on Saturday with what was left of the swell.



Pantín is one of the most consitent places in the whole of Europe, and that’s what it offered yesterday (by Dani).




While today I went for an early surf. The tide was very high and the swell too weak, so it wasn’t the best of the sessions, but I still managed to get some.



While according to this photo by Esnifa Salitre, Pantín was quite pleasant-looking today too.



And... over & out.

This last 10 days – a bit of everything

Finally! Phew… it’s been quite a hectic week or two: waves, lots of work, a new article in the writing (not yet technically but it’s keeping my mind very busy) and some other side projects (more about that… some day!).

Anyway, before pasting the shots of some of the best waves from the Bay of the last two weeks, let me inform you that the 2nd M.I.A.C.S. is starting on July the 4rth. What is it? It’s an international surf art market, and it takes place in Biarritz, from July the 5th to August the 31st. it’s an expo but you can also buy some of the artworks exposed. There will also be some movies and a couple of concerts. The only on-line info available so far is the French press release (follow the link above).

And now let’s focus on the waves. Last week’s Thursday (from West to East) in Galiza by Dani…


…and a nice little reef by Fiz_Bertels.

In Asturias by Clau…

…and in Sopelana –near home- by Surf30.

Next day I woke at 6am in Capbreton –in the van- slightly hung over. By 6h30 there were over 30 people in the water. Here are a few pictures of Capbreton on that day.

While a few clicks north, in Seignosse, it also looked very nice (by Salerno)…

…and very empty in Galiza (by Fiz Bertels).

Last weekend the waves were small and the day a bit overcast for the Cosmic Children Festival, but I was told it was another success. Here are a couple of photo by Custom Glass.

While it was equally small and grey in Guéthary (right before the galerna hit).

It was flat on Sunday and very tiny -and crowded- on Monday at home.

Equally flat on Tuesday and a new swell filled in late on Wednesday. On Thursday I was in Capbreton again and the best thing I saw –in spite of the waves- was this cool van.

I had a very bad surf in a very shallow and sandy beachbreak. I’m still finding some sand from that session in certain parts of my body today. I’ve seen it was quite ok up at La Gravière…

…and in Galiza (Fiz_Bertels).

And this is the same swell we are still enjoying today. It’s not the nicest and the winds are not at their best, but at least we’ve got waves and the water is warm and the days are long. Can’t complain, really. Salinas on Friday by Clau.

Home on Saturday

Near Lacanau on Saturday by Yohann.

Asturias by Cezonillo on Sunday.

And Galiza by Dani on Sunday too.

On the magazines front, I’ve been reading lots this past week: Tracks, Surfer’s Path, Spanish mags, Surfer – Surfing – Transworld, some French ones… but nothing too inspiring. I specially hate it when I find the same articles in different mags, and it has happened a couple of times recently. I guess it’s my fault for reading so many surf mags.

Over & out.

Today – summer!!

While we were enduring muddy chocolate-like water at home yesterday, things looked much nicer further West:

Pantin (out of the bay) by Dani.

Salinas by Clau.

Today i had to go to France: Anglet first, and Capbreton later. Today summer arrived; it was about time. Normally this time of the year my pair of slaps/flip-flops/sandals/whatever you want to call them are halfway through their life cycle. This year they still are (almost) brand new. Anyway, I had a little surf in Anglet (tiny, tiny, tiny) and while in Capbreton I took this picture of the famous bunkers in what seemed a swimming pool.

I might not be able to log in until Sunday night. We have a nice swell arriving tomorrow, and tomorrow night I’m planning to sleep in the van somewhere in the French forest, to get the best of it on Friday am. And then it’s on to the Cosmic Children Festival.

Over & out.

Thursday to Sunday – almost perfect

And I am saying “almost” because of the crowds… and also due to the fact that I’ve missed some great sessions because of work and wrong choices on where to go. Anyway, here are a few photos of what has this swell produced in the Bay. Excuse the past tense, but the swell has all but disappeared right now.

Let's start with Thursday...

Heavy beachbreak waves at home. Very fast right hand at low tide. I didn’t surf that day... and i should have.


Meñakoz is a heavy reefbreak near Bilbao, normally surfed when it’s huge (it is a proper big wave spot) but also when it’s not so huge. Courtesy of Sendoa.

Salinas (4 hours West) also delivered some nice waves on Thursday…

...as it did on Friday. All photos of Salinas courtesy of Clau via Contraola.


So did Anglet. Courtesy of Salerno.

There seems to be a shortage of photographers in France, at least of amateur surf photographers who load their daily shots on a blog or a website. Either that or there are lots of them in Spain… Btw, on Friday I surfed, again, the world’s worst beachbreak (WWB) and it was as bad as I expected.


The swell dropped on Saturday. Some nice peaks near the Cabo Peñas (Asturias) though. Photo from Chuck’s blog.

I went to Capbreton -on Saturday morning-, along with 3.000 other surfers. Actually, I believe that this photo (from Pablo Azkue through Alaplaya's e-surf magazine Gure North Shore mag) is from Friday... as on Saturday it was much busier than this. I think I might have been in the water a total of... 40 minutes??

And on Sunday the swell dropped…

…here –home- and…

…there (Soesto, outside the Bay; photo courtesy of Dani). And if you don’t believe me regarding the crowds, on Sunday I was on the beach at 7h30 am and there were some 12 surfers in the water already. And it wasn’t even “epic”.

Titbits:

(1) New entry on the Surfilm Festibal blog, this time I’m writing about the history of the theatre where the movies are normally screened. Check it out as it is quite unique.

(2) Across the border, the French Surf Film Festival is starting on Wednesday. I might go and have a look (programme on their website).

(3) Tomorrow I will be attending Surf Session’s (oldest French surf magazine) cocktail to celebrate their 250th monthly issue. Summer is definitely here.

(4) Just recently finished the last Huck. Well maybe not the last issue, but the last I have. Cool, although a bit too urban for an old surf dog like me. Currently reading the ‘Length and then it’s on to Carve, the Path and the Journal. Heavy duty indeed! On the other hand it seems that the last piece I wrote for 3sesenta has been quite well received –or so they say-. I’m very pleased to hear that, as big wave riding is not a subject I feel comfortable with (be it in or out of the water).

Over & out.