While I was away – Monsoon

Sorry, I know I promised to keep you updated yesterday but it’s the week of the Surfilm Festibal and I’m still catching up work after the week away. But anyway, better late than never, here are the photos of what happened in the Bay while I was in Italy (last week) and in Barcelona visiting the family (last weekend). I’ve only picked up a couple of photos per day if that:

Monday: This is how the water was after the big rains of the weekend in Bilbao. Putosurf.

Tuesday: Almost flat but nice in Salinas. Clau.

Wednesday: Very small and crammed with bodyboarders outside the bay. Dani.

Thursday: Nice swell pretty much everywhere.
Salinas. Clau.

Sopelana. Surf30.

Zarautz. Artbrutmag.

Home. Kukurusta.

Friday: Crap at home...

...but epic somewhere outside the bay. Fiz_Bertels.

Saturday: Little local contests at La Espasa (Asturias) by Cezonillo.

While it was crap at home again.

Sunday: We currently have a full N situation into the armpit of the Bay. So that means on-shore winds, weak swells and plenty of rain at Home while the further West you go, you get less wind, less rain, cleaner swells and higher temperatures. As seen in this photo from outside the bay by Dani.


And yesterday, Monday, there were some nice waves in Salinas again. Stylemaster Chuck by Clau...

...while it was, once again, almost flat, on-shore and pissing here at home. I’ts been like this for a while now, and the forecast doesn’t look very exciting. Popular belief is that we are in for another fresher and wetter summer than usual.

Last minute: Today outside the bay, by Dani.

And that’s it. To top it off, here you have the flyer from the photo exhibition at the Soul shop in downtown San Sebastian. Shame on me... I haven’t checked it out yet, but I’ve been told that the opening (last Saturday) was quite a success.

Reading: Finished Drift. Not bad but the editorial content was a bit… drifty?

Books: Maxnemo, a blooger from Oeste has just released a self-edited photobook on Galicia (NW of Spain) that looks very cool. Check some pages here and buy it here.

Another fun (I hope) little story re. the Surfilm Festibal here.

Over & out.

This pas week in the Italian boot - I'm back!!

Yes, I am back, and yes, I managed to visit a couple of beaches during this last 5 days in Italy and there were waves (and surfers). I saw a core scene, with good, dedicated and well travelled surfers and hardcore shops. Here are a few photos (click on them if they are too small):

Ostia, one of the closest beaches to Rome, on Wednesday. The swell was too small but they managed to hold a regional contest the next day. Apparently the quality of the waves is not great, but it’s where most of Rome surfs.

Forte di Marmi, in Tuscany, close to Viareggio and where surfing in Italy started more than 20 years ago. These days this wave off the pier is only surfed when it’s a bit bigger. With a small swell the guys surf another beach further North, that delivers better shaped waves.

And this is the view from the line up, with the beach ready to welcome the summer hordes (it was raining) and the beautiful mountains in the background.

Has the olo/alaia craze arrived to Italy too?

No, just a piece of wood with a surf board shape next to a surfshop. Although…

Thursday evening in Santa Marinella, near Civitavecchia, close to Rome and the home of one of the most famous surf spots in Italy: Banzai. One guy gets back to his car after an afternoon session.

It was a bit windy but there were some bits here and there. Taken from the car at full speed.

Some funny beach shacks on stilts in Santa Marinella.

This is, to me, what marks the difference between a core surf shop and a “I’m here for the money only” surf shop: Photos of local waves and guys on the walls. Banzai Surf Shop in Santa Marinella.

Briefly:
(1) I finished the last Surf Europe magazine. Some years ago it used to be good overall: good photos and fun to read. The level of the writing has been going down at full speed in the last couple of years, and lately the photos are less and less inspiring... unless you are close family of the 2 or 3 surfers that the magazine keeps focusing on ad nauseam, issue after issue.

(2) Many social events this coming weekend, and I am going to miss everything because of family commitments:
(a) This weekend the European Fish Fry takes place in Costa Caparica (Lisbone – Portugal).
(b) Also on Saturday, the cool guys of Kuntiqi are opening their shop near Somo (Santander) at 18h. I’d love to go and check their balsa boards.
(c) As I announced in my last entry, also on Saturday Ritxy Goya opens his photo exhibition at the Soul shop, as part of the Surfilm Festibal. There’ll be beers.
(d) And finally Nacho González will also be exhibiting his art at the Café Dam in Gijón.

Nacho with some of his art.

(3) Not only Joel Tudor, but turns out that Alex Knost will also be at the Salinas Longboard Festival on August 1, 2 and 3.

A couple of interesting updates in the Surfilm Festibal’s blog. Check them out.

On Monday I’ll let you know what were the waves like here in the Bay during my trip. And as i've been mostly writing about the Med in this entry, i can't resist adding this little video. It's filmed & edited by Lucas G., a cool guy (and good friend) from Barcelona, my hometown for many years, and it shows the thrilling local longboarding scene featuring, among others, Didac. Don't be fooled: the waves are not this good everyday!

Over & out.