As we bid farewell to the month, we can reflect on the generous supply of waves Porthmeor has given us in August. Our final session of the school holidays was again blessed with plenty, and our young chargers had a fun hour lapping them up! Here are a few pictures of the action:
Proper surf and wave sizes to suit all abilities last Saturday. The Nemos and Dorys were in particularly good form and keen to impress. Out back the Dolphins were smashing out turns and linking manoeuvres while our mid-range groups were finding their own manageable waves, green or white, and getting great enjoyment from meeting the challenges they set themselves. Here is a gallery of my pictures from the session:
And there is a bonus section of pictures this week with this selection by Natalia focussing largely on our intermediate age groups. Enjoy!
Boy it was a hot one! A fierce August sun blazed in a blue blue sky on Sunday afternoon as the club set out it’s stall on the putting green for our first BBQ get-together. Aided by the generous support of St. Ives Co-op, St. Ives Brewery and St. Austell Brewery ( Don’t you just want to be in that number when the saints go marching in! ), and a tray full of sumptuous home-baked cakes from Diane Smith, we welcomed members and public to share our space and the hospitality of the clubhouse. We could delight in the culinary skills of several of our eager committee members who brought their kitchen aprons to the feast and twizzled and sizzled with relish. Parents and children, omnivores and vegetarians were well-fed and watered with the fine food and drink provided. The event was very well supported and earned praise from many as a local initiative, and an opportunity for the curious non-surfers to inspect the clubhouse that the surfers enjoy. It was a rewarding afternoon engaging with fellow members and earning funds for the club from the donations given. Can we do it again before the season is over? Many say we should!
Again we offer thanks to St. Ives Co-op for their gift of the bulk of the food. Both St. Ives Brewery and St. Austell Brewery were generous in their support, and Diane’s cakes and treats were an additional wow factor to the day. Thanks too to Porthmeor Beach for the use of the putting green, and to our committee members for hustling up the BBQ and kit required to make the day such a success. There are a few pics capturing a brief spell from the day below. Thanks to David Newton for those.
Here’s a date for the diary! We are holding a BBQ at the clubhouse for all members and their families on Sunday 14th of August from 3.00pm, courtesy of the generous support of the St. Ives Co-op. Come and spend a couple of hours at the club with your fellow members and shoot the breeze on surfing, club matters, St. Ives life and anything else that takes your fancy. If you prefer your sausage meat-free we’ve got vegetarian options! There will be drinks too! A small donation towards the cost of food and drinks would be appreciated, but our main aim is simply to share an afternoon with club members and get to know each other better. We look forward to seeing you there, Saints Boardriders committee.
Another 8.30 start on Saturday and the gentlest of waves to welcome us to Porthmeor. I’d characterise conditions as ‘low and slow’ and eminently suited to our youngest surfers. There was ample time to get into a wave and time enough to polish a stance once riding. As the tide shifted out our older groups found their wave size increasing, so all-in-all a very satisfactory day I’d say!
Our first session of July and a hot cloudless day brought just the gentlest of waves for our Saturday morning. The keenness of our chargers was palpable as we hit the water for a splendid hour of progress and fun in the best of conditions
Second session and we are finding our groove. A hassle-free check-in and off down the beach in good time for an hour-long surf. It’s pretty much low tide, gusty wind and showers, and some meaty waves punching through. The Nemos and Dorys were finding lots of white water rides on the inside while the Tuna and Swordfish were battling in chest-deep waves to hold position for the best offering. Out back the Dolphins were dealing with overhead and occasionally steep waves, testing the mettle. The banner picture contrasts a novice surfer making those early steps in the club with Teddy out back, now developing into an accomplished performer.
The early season fine weather has turned our thoughts to the Saturday morning surf club for our junior members. With only one week to go to our first session, here is the calendar of the coming season. Follow our Facebook page for notices and announcements as the summer progresses, and if you are participating please arrive early at check-in to enjoy the full surf experience.
With Covid’s most recent variant, Omicron, hanging over every planned social activity like the sword of Damocles, it was surprising and pleasing in equal measure to see a good number of our members drop down to the beach on Christmas Day morning for a surf, even if we could not gather for a sociable glass of wine, spirit or coffee to share the occasion post-surf. The waves were a fine festive gift for our surfers and the banner picture shows Otis, Harris and Caz arriving for the splash. Here are some of the other participants caught on camera – my apologies to any member who made the effort but was not found by my lens. We were grateful to be able to share the morning with friends in these troubled times and hope that we may see a safer outlook in the New Year and maybe a return to normality by the time we look to Christmas 2022.
Stay safe, everyone! Love and best wishes from Saints Boardriders.
The picture shows a welcome installation on the side of our building, courtesy of Paul Haase of The Yellow Canary. He has sourced and donated this defibrillator machine which is now mounted and available for public use beside the door to the disabled toilet on the car park below the clubhouse.
Within the weatherproof casing is the lifesaving machine which has full instructions for use on the body of the apparatus to enable any first responder to an apparent heart attack incident to assess the seriousness of the incident and to commence treatment if indicated by the process the machine dictates.
The case is unlocked and the machine is ready for immediate use. A quick response provides the best outcome in such cases, and Paul’s generosity in providing this machine to a busy public space may be the gesture that makes the difference. Many thanks!
