PART II - SURF IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

“Surfing is a deeply wonderful thing – Anytime, Anywhere and Any Way” - Gerry Lopez

Second to ‘Barbarian Days’ by Willy Finnegan, Gerry Lopez’s ‘Surf Is Where You Find It’ has got to be one of my favorites out. Book in hand, I boarded the plane to England. In search of waves? Who would have thought there would be surf there..

The days were slow, hot and long. Caffeine fueled my morning surfs as the sun rose and warmed my face. England was amid a staggering heat wave and the air temp was over 30 degrees most days. The water was a balmy 18. It felt like the tropics. I couldn’t believe I was in England. I hadn’t even packed a single pair of shorts. Safe to say my expectations were blown away.

England recorded it’s hottest and flattest summer in something like 10 years, I was told. But, after over a week of waiting, the swell arrived. It was time to see what Cornwall had to offer.

The ‘local’ was known to only a handful of body boarders and a few kids from around there. It was a peaky little A-frame that broke in a fairly shallow cove surrounded by granite cliffs. After getting my feet wet, I’d drive about an hour down narrow country roads to Newquay, the surf capital of England. I spent the afternoons overlooking the bay with a cortado, waiting for the perfect time to paddle out. It didn’t take much convincing.

Solo surf missions on the other side of the world are definitely something to behold. Chasing dawns across the pond came with a mixed bag of emotions.

It amazes me that most people, including most Brits, don’t know what Cornwall has to offer. It’s safe to say it lived up to the hype. I’ll be back before long.

Cornwall, England

Summer 2021

Canon F1