The World of Chorn

The big one...

2011-07-13T01:59:00.000-07:00

When I first heard about it, I really wanted to do it. Then I didn't finish high enough at the Saltrock Open so I was just outside the qualifiers. Then 4 days before the event I get an email from Dave Reed saying i'm in! What am I going on about???... The Nike 6.0 Nightsurf - thats what! This event was billed as the biggest domestic UK Pro Tour Event ever held and it was easilly that.

So, it all started for me Friday morning, I packed up the car, set of in good time and hit the road in good weather. As I was coming out of Barnstaple I thought 'the only thing that can go wrong now, is if I break down'. Normally when you pre empt things like that, they don't happen, only this time, jut as I got to Wadebridge, my car died! Not proper died, just teased me died, like 'i'm thinking about breaking down, what do you reckon?' Luckilly it held out and i trundled into Fistral at about 4mph just in time for check-in.

Surfing glamour? Staying at the Headland Hotel this is not! My bed for the night.

The waves were absolutely bolt standard for a UK comp, 3ft and onshore. The only thing different to all other comps ever, was the sun was out! I thought only WBSC were lucky enough to get this but I guess Nike must be paying someone of somewhere because it pretty much stayed sunny the whole time.

86 out of the 88 comps i've ever done have been held in surf like this.

Once I'd got my bearings and taken in the comp site (including VIP area with complimentory competitor massause no less!) I bumped into a few Croydeites. The wildcard surf off's were in the water so I watched those heats with Matt, Suzzane and Taz Knight (a nicer, more welcoming, more surf crazy family you are unlikely to meet!). The standard was already off the chart - watching WQS surfers Charly Martin and Romain Laulhe was already making me think about no-showing my heat. Then, it came, heat one, round 3, Oli Adams, Mark Harris, Luke Dillon and me! I was pretty calm getting changed, just like any other heat I thought. It then dawned on me, walking down the beach that I knew absolutely fuck all about Fistral so I tagged along with Oli pretending I knew what I was doing when really i was just following him to see where he paddled out and sat. Heat on and 2 minutes in I get an ok wave, a good starter anyway and a 5.67 score. It relaxed me and made me think 'at least i'm not going to embarrass myself. So all I had to do was sit and wait for another similar one. Sounds easy doesn't it, sitting and waiting for a wave? Its actually probably the hardest thing to do in surfing so I did exactly the opposite and panic paddled into 3 shit waves and a close out, highest score of them a 4. 20 minutes gone, heat over and i'm out. I was pleased that I was in with a chance in the heat but also annoyed with myself for panicing - thats contests for you I guess.

15 mins of fame you say? Fuck you, I got 20!

Fistral lit up like a bloody christmas tree.

So it appears now i am inadvertantly doing the UK tour, its somewhat addictive all this sitting around, waiting, surfing for 20 minutes losing and then wanting to do it all over again. Why? Who cares why, Scarborough, here we come!

A new direction..

2011-04-28T05:08:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just gotta go, even if it is flat! Rare, longview photo of me on a log. Trev reckons one day I could be World Champion and i'm inclined to agree with him, I mean how hard can it be, all you've got to do is stand there isn't it ;)??

Although having thought about it, maybe not. I use one about 3 times a year, i won't take one out if its over a foot and there is a fair bit more to it than just standing there! He He...

Charley v Wooly Round 2.

2011-04-18T11:53:00.001-07:00

So, if you read this (!!) regularly then you will know i'm partial to the odd surf contest or 2. Having said that I had been umming and rr-ing about doing the Wooly comps this year, I did them last year and won the league so felt with that I'd kind of done them. Plus there's more Croyde comps this year so I would be busier this side of the hill. Anyway Sunday came round, the 1st league event of this year, it was 2ft and blisteringly sunny. The competitor inside got the better of me and i ventured over the hill and signed in.

The comp was fun as always in Wooly - they really seem to luck in with the waves and nice weather thing. My 1st heat was really slow, few waves ridden but i got through. Had a blinder of a semi - go the highest scoring wave of the day and felt good for the final. Then things seemed to conspire against me, my car key broke so i couldnt lock the thing so i had to leg it over to main beach to collect marie and the kids and leg it back with my 2 year old on my shoulders. Not the ideal preparation for a senior citizen such as myself! But I found a bit of energy from somewhere and rode a few waves ok to take the win. Stoked.

Will I be at the next one?? As long as my car key works... i'm all over it!

Wass on??

2011-04-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

So Summers here and the time is right... well almost, hopefully!

Anyway contest season has kicked off, starting with the Al Rann Memorial. I've entered this comp for about 5/6 years in a row and every year without fail the surf is big, heavy and blown out. This year was no exception, in fact the only thing stopping it from being a groundhog day of the previous 5 was that it was actually sunny... and warm! First of they sent the groms out on the beach, looked about as much fun as paddling in mud but somehow (don't think i could've) a few of the brave made it out back and even got some good rides. Well done guys.

Now the Open event at Croyde is a funny catergory at the best of times, its more like a masters event as 80% of the entrants are over 30 year olds desperately trying to cling on to the little bit of youth we've got left! Being of this frail age we looked at the beach and politely (there was kids around) said 'f*ck that, we're moving to the point' so at least we might be able to get out the back. We did and had a 45 minute expression session type final. Didnt do particually well but it was fun none the less and good to get the old contest shoulders moving again.

The night time presentation was a bit of a blur from about 8 onwards and unfortunately ruled out any chance of me re-deeming myself at the Tony Renyard in Woolacombe as i didn't even make it out of bed the next morning til about 10!

Loads of comps this year at Croyde so should be a fun year of doing badly and getting smashed.

Onwards and upwards!

Winter... the new summer/antartic/lake everything!

2011-01-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

Well.......
Winter, its been a funny old game so far hasn't it? It started off all the way back in November with a couple of fun swells and i thought 'i like winter.. this one could be fun'. Then we had the lake Geneva affair that was the end of November and all of December, don't think i can remember a flat spell like it. Pretty much gave up all hope of ever surfing again. Then Boxing Day, the waves suddenly poked their heads back into the equation and we were off again - only snag, it was minus 8!! Since then we've had a steady stream of good swells, lighting up most spots on the North Coast at one time or another, some days even came with temperatures in double figures. This week has been especially nice, considering the time of year.. almost warm!

Now we're back to millpondville, whats to come? Who knows but some more of the sun/waves scenario wouldn't go a miss.

Happy days :)

Top 5's... this week...

2011-01-02T07:01:00.000-08:00

Rather predictably its top 5 surfers of 2010. I'm thinking of doing other top 5's as well so if you have a topic you want 'top 5'ing' let me have it and i'll give it a go.

Ok...

5. Matt Wilkinson/Shaun Candsdell. Ok so i've cheated already but I really wanted to have a goofy foot in here and couldn't pick between these two. Their both completely different surfers, I love the way Wilkinson has gone about the tour this year, bit Dane'esc but with a bit more party and a bit less air. Shaun Candsdell is a weird one eh? Well maybe but i loved him on tour a few years ago and then he disappeared. He has since got a new sponsor, had a kid and developed his contest prowess without loosing that Parko like smoothness in his surfing. Loved it that he won the 50 g's for the Cold Water Classic series, lookout CT this boys coming back!

4. Adam Robertson. This fella first came to my attention a few years back when he went from the trials to the final of Bells, only loosing a close one to Parko in that. At the time he was sponsorless and not really operating. Now backed by Billabong he's on the QS and i just love the way he surfs, again super smooth, almost effortless turns. plus he has (probably from living at Bells) the smoothest roundhouse this side of Taylor Knox. Check the boy out.

3. Jay Quinn. I love this guy mainly from the QS Highland Open where he surfed the whole event in a 3/2mm and at howling, snow blown, 5ft thurso knocked himself out trying a massive reverse. Legend. Also super smooth, super aggresive and not shy of taking to the air if the situation warrants it. Great blog as well - check out suitcasesurfers.com for an honest inside view of life on the road.

Obvious but unavoidable top 2.

2. Dane Reynolds. I want to go out with Dane, he is easily the best surfer on tour, the funniest surfer on tour and doesn't give a shit. Drives a clapped out Volvo 240 and looks like a charity shop window model. I don't need to write anything about this fella other than he surfed my favorite wave this year at pipe. Took off late, pulled in, got proper barrelled then came out and where most people pull off, he put in 2 pumps and launched a good 6ft straight air which he put down but just behind the wave. Had he stuck it - it would've had to have been an 11!

1. Kelly. 10 - that is all that needs to be said here.

Stay tuned, next time top 5 darts players ;)

The new force in pro surfing!

2010-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

If anyone watches as much pro surfing online as me then you may have seen a fair few WQS events from around europe this summer. Its been all over from newquay to the azores and is now finishing up in the canaries. I kept noticing a name in the 1st round results - Alexander El Naib. Let me tell you a bit about this fella. Al El Naib is 49 year old german guy who has been doing the QS all through europe. He enters every event, always shows up for his heat but never gets through round one. Why is this I here you ask... Its because he's fucking shit! When i say shit, i don't mean horrible brazillian style shit or not quite good enough shit. I mean really shit, like can just about stand up shit. Why does he do the QS was my question and it appears from a bit of internet research a lot of other peoples too. The guy is becoming a bit of a legend - he has never scored over 2 points for a heat total yet he keeps coming back for more. At $250 - $400 dollars a comp, travel costs, accomodation and hire car costs it must be costing him an absolute fortune to show up and surf for 20 mins. So why does he do it... well turns out he's just as much of a pro surf fanatic as me, yet infinatly richer (rumour is he's a trust fund kid) so what better way to spend your summer than travelling round europe and not only surfing with but gettng to know some of the best surfers in the world! True dedication I say. Here's a photo that encapsulates it for me - here he is shaking hands with Tom Curren who he's just surfed a heat with in the Azores... yes TOM CURREN!! Got to be worth the airfare eh?

How many bands am i in again???

2010-10-26T10:32:00.001-07:00

If you only go out once in blue moon then make sure its shining on the 4th of Dec and come to this. A good friend of mine and in fact someone i did one of my first gigs with donkeys years ago, Jay Perry has had a tough tough time of late. This night is all about raising funds to help him with his rehabilitation. There's live music - The Breaks - awesome live band and my Ramones 'its alive' tribute The Shamones. Come along, buy some raffle tickets and get involved in a very worthy cause. Yee ha!

Gig ahoy!!

2010-10-18T02:57:00.000-07:00

Telling it like it is...

2010-09-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

So a few months ago i acquired a new wetsuit sponno from the lovely people at animal,and bloody pleased i am about it too. Now i guess what your supposed to do in these situations is shout from the rooftops (or the pages of the journal) about how amazingly marvelous these suits are to anyone and everyone who will listen. Well this might be sponno suicide but i haven't really done that, I've just worn mine (a lot) and been really pleased with it. Sometimes people ask me about it in the sea and i'll say 'yeah its a really good suit you should check them out' but thats about all you can say to a stranger in the sea isn't it?

But then today I thought, hang on a minute, this actually is a really good suit and deserves more recognition of that fact. Basically without going into the stretch/warmth/well made details of the whole thing - its a really stretchy, really warm and really really well made (better than pretty much anything i've had before i'd say)suit. So if your looking for something to keep you warm and mobile this winter go here http://shop.animal.co.uk/technical/icat/technical/ and discover more.

You might be thinking about now - 'he's only saying this because he has to' or 'what the fuck do animal know about making wetsuits' well i've had a fair few free suits in the past and have never been arsed to right about them before so they must be doing something right!! Right?

Anyway check em out and save yourself a fair few quid on a new xcel. nice x

Anarchy in Braunton

2010-08-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Punk Shows in Braunton are back on the menu after a fairly long hiatus, thats right i'm back in the punk show promo game. From next saturday expect to see a 3 band/free entry show at the white lion every other month. look out for posters for more details!

the decline of the boardmasters.

2010-08-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

So this week is the start of the 'biggest surfing event' in the UK - its that title that has provoked me into writing this blog. 'The worlds best are in the uk'? Are they though? No their not - their in America for the 6 Star/massive prize money event of the US Open. It wasn't always this way was it? No, back in the days of the Fosters and Rip Curl Boardmasters it WAS a big event, Tom Curren, Kelly, Occy they've all come and surfed the wonderful waves that fistral in august can produce! Maybe thats the reason why they don't come anymore. Partially that but i think there are many other reasons - Namely, there's a much bigger/better event on at the same time, the costs for travelling surfers to come to the UK are huge, there's no webcast, shit prize money, its run by people who have absolutely no idea about surfing and maybe they've been before and just can't hack a week of bare chested/sun burnt chavs falling around all over the place!

Here's testament to how shit this event has got - I could've entered it! Yep thats right if i'd been prepared to pay £100 quid one off WQS fee and £100 quid entrance fee i could've been in chav land surfing with the 'best'!

Funnily enough I didn't take them up on the offer, its not my idea of fun either, going to newquay for a week in chavgust isn't high on my list of fun things to do at the moment! Think i'm just gunna sit here and watch the worlds best do the huntingdon hop for a week on an event with a webcast, with pro's in it and with the same waves thatfistral offers most of the time!

Sick x

....and here is the news

2010-07-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Quick update on all things Chorn related. Haven't blogged or even interneted much lately, good excuse tho - had a baby boy last saturday! I like to think of this as the birth of the future of pro surfing but early signs are he's going to be lazier than me so possibly not! Funny little fella tho, likes sleeping and eating so following the family tradition already. Oh and shitting (as i type he's lying on me filling his nappy with what can only be described as liquid pig farm!).

In other news, been surfing a bit, got a new sponsor in Animal wetsuits (basically i said double what stoksey's on and i'll consider it!) not really but super good suits from early indications. Fuller review and glamourous water shots to follow.

..... stay tuned.

About as interesting as.....

2010-05-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

I'm well back on the ol blog track now but can't seem to be able to write one without slagging something off! So here goes another...

Blogging is a little bit like facebook, in that you become like 'friends' with or 'follow' other blogs and spend your time whittling through other people's (sometimes bloggers of bloggers mates or whatever) thoughts on life and the universe etc. Now this is where it can get interesting or as i'm about to rant about, not so interesting! The thing I find with blogging is I generally write one when compelled to do so. Not so other bloggers. It seems some people will write one about absolutely nothing, like what they had for tea last night or washing or something as equally downright boring. Then they think if they put a jazzy little photo up with it, it becomes arty or interesting to other people. Believe me... it doesn't. You know the saying 'less is more' well sometimes that is the truth brother. Amen!

Anyway rant over... for now... if you like your blogs worth reading then check out Cotty's or Ramon's (if he can be bothered to write one again) they can be funny little f*ckers! although i'm sure if you've got as far as reading this then your already familiar with these.

By the way this is by no means aimed at anyome in particular and is probably more a product of me reading too many. Plus the clever one's amongst you will probably realise i have just written a blog about nothing, added a jazzy little photo and got you to read it!

Til next time suckers ;)

Pro's and con's

2010-05-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting cunundrum... everything easy and perfect (i.e winds, swell, temperature, sun etc) or the warm glow of putting the hard miles in and reaping the rewards. Or in other words... summer or winter.

It goes like this, i've obviously surfed myself stupid over the last few days and thouroughly enjoyed the majority of it but have i surfed more than i would in mid-winter. No probably not. Have i enjoyed it more? No probably not again. So its got me thinking do I really like summer at all? Its not the crowds (you get them on most good winter days anyway, its not the warm weather (obvioulsy!) I think what it is... is that loads of other people are enjoying it as well! That may sound selfish, in fact i know it is but i can't help being more content with surfing perfect waves, even in freezing weather and knowing that only the only people benefitting are the hardcore few that know where to go, when and have the time to do it. Its funny, a lot of people reckon there proper winter surfers, like 'yeah i love winter, i don't mind the cold' type stuff yet you only ever regularly see the same faces in the water. And you know the others are either boarded in at home or reading internet blogs at work!

To illustrate the point.. I get to the beach at 6.15am this morning (riddiculously early for me), the car park is pretty full, Bondy is there charging 4 quid a pop (good on im i say) and there are people getting OUT of the water! I mean what sort of idiot goes surfing at 4.30am?? Not hardcore, macho, i'd rather it be minus 4 everyday super tough winter surfers like me - thats for sure!

To illustrate further, a photo.....

Thats what happens when you only surf when its hot!

Laters x

As promised...

2010-05-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, as I said when I started this bad boy, there will be few updates! There has been 'very few' updates, in fact i'd go as far to say 'no updates' for a while. Anyway i'm back and I have a whole new lease of life for writing things no-one reads on the internet!

I was going to write about the recent election and the history of hung parliments circa 1862 - 1974 but that would be: 1 boring and 2: not about me! So instead I'm going to write about surfing competition.. the good and the bad. I guess as most people know I love surf contests, be it watching them all night for days on end on the internet (much to the annoyance of my girfriend) or participating in them in 1ft slop. Thing is, its weird because when I was young, driven and ambititous I never went near the things but now in my paler, dwindling days I can't get enough of them. The other weird thing, is i'm really not that competitive either. I think what it is, is i've become more driven as i've got older - not to compete so much but just to get better at surfing and the thing i've found is.. contests spur me on to go in in shit (practice for what most contests seem to be held in) and just about seem to have helped my overall level move on a smidgen.

So (onto the less midlife crisis bit) this year is well under way contest wise. I've had a couple good shows and a couple less good shows so far. Coming first or last isn't really the issue - if i come first i feel good about myself and go out and get drunk (then not good about myself the next day) if i come last then I think 'that can't happen again, its embarrasing', go out and get drunk and promise to be better next time! Its all part of the game I guess!

Coming up we've got the mojito pro on saturday evening, should be fun and the good bit is, win or lose i'll probably still have a couple but wont feel good or bad about it as its all for fun. Then in a couple weeks its the saltrock open. Out of my league? yeah undoubtedly but if you don't try...............................

Then you can't go out and get drunk after can you?!?

Remember when we had some waves? Fun wasn't it? Photo from a couple weeks ago, copywrite of Tibbles - that means i've nicked it of him and not told him... laters x

Down Time Repairs...

2010-03-07T03:25:00.000-08:00

So, there's not been a lot happening in the water for the last week or so.. time for a nice break. I for one have actually enjoyed a week off, a week of no numb feet, no ice cream sinuses and no floggings across the rocks of the point and another spot (not mentioning any names) that i've hit the bottom at more than once this winter!

Also it was a good time to get my boards MOT'd, this winter has not only taking its toll on my ageing body but also my boards. I'd seen a few pictures on Magic Seaweed of what looked like some pretty amazing Surftech repairs by a guy called Lee so thought i'd give my precious commodities to him for a good going over.

Basically my board went from this...

To this....

This board had a bloody great crack through the deck under my front foot and two internal cracks running though it as well. It has come back looking like new, not only that but he's touched up all the other little nicks and dings that it had as well.

So the moral of this story is... if you want your boards repaired perfectly, by a nice guy and all for a bargain price check http://dingdevils.blogspot.com/ you will thank me for it!

Cheers Lee, can't wait to get back in the water! Here's to some little waves this week.

Ok enough's enough!

2010-02-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

Winter.. I love and hate it pretty equally the same amount. This winter has really tested that theory, on one hand its been pretty much the best winter of waves i can remember (2 months of constant lynmouth before christmas followed by pretty much constant offshore swells on the main beaches since anyone?). On the other it has easilly been the consistently coldest winter i can remember - and this with all the new fangled wetsuit gimmicks coupled with not getting changed at the beach since december, its still been bloody freezing.

Its this time of year that really starts to hit home, holes in boots from walking over (and getting dragged over) rocks too much, wet, unwashed wetsuits starting to feel the burn of constant use and a new car that has a top heating temparature of just above zero!

However me and Ash came up with a theory to overcome this today (no, not going to bali for jan - april) basically wear your shit old winter stuff until january then break out the new gear for feb and march -that way you might be slightly warmer for the coldest time of year.... simples!

Moan over and no doubt i'll be blowing a bloody gasket come july when its been flat for 3 weeks and begging for winter to arrive.

Charley 'local celebrity*' Charlesworth over and out!

* source: North Devon Journal 18/02/2010 !!

A day in leau....

2010-02-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

So this weekend promised much and pretty much delivered on all counts! Surfed a fun little slab (as pictured) on Saturday with just one mate and got some nice little barrels in the process.

Then in the evening my band played a private party at the blue groove in Croyde, unfortunately this is where things took a turn for the worse. The gig was great, we all rocked out but i got over excited and maybe injested slightly more alcohol than required. This meant Sunday was a day in leau (a day with surf but a no surf day) i looked at it but couldn't summon the energy to enter the frey. Sometimes this is a good thing as it fired me right back up for today. On a subnote, does anyone know when its going to warm up round here, my feet seem to have developed permanent frost bite!!

Over and out.

To beard or not to beard....

2010-02-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

So with no waves to speak of for almost a week now its got me thinking about other things... such as beards! I love growing a beard (or hate shaving, not sure quite which) but i'm getting to the stage where i have to question whether to go forward with this bad boy or call it a day. Thing is, beards are great for winter water time face protection, my girlfriend quite likes it and it has that kind of 'rough and ready' image that you kinda think is quite 'ard!! But on the other hand it makes me look more of a hobbo at work than i already am and its starting to itch my chinny chi chin off.

What to do, or what not to do.. or if this is all i actually have to worry about then maybe the question should be.... WHERE IS THE BLOODY SURF???? over and out!

Floating Around....

2010-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

Remember the days of sun and waves? When are they coming back...

The start of something big.....?

2010-02-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

My first post as a blogger! Here it is, i've boredly jumped on the blog bandwagon started by Lloydy and have become a blogger. Expect few updates, no pictures and occasional illiterate musings when i've had a good surf or something.

Stay tuned.....