Take off - setting a rail...

OK, Thanks for all your kind words - glad you loved the paddle out technique section. Hope to do more as time rolls on. I have had a lot of emails from those new to ski's, in particular about nose diving, or 'pearling'. Oddly - I had a neat little bit of vid I've uploaded that should help.

Rail drops

The answer it's all about setting a rail, and how much rail you set (by set, we mean, the rail nearest to the wave, and how much you bury in the wave. Oddly, we can learn a lot form watching longboard surfers... no, really, we can.  If you take off on a steep wave straight, because of the volume of a waveski's tail (and surfyak) the tail will drift, putting pressure on the nose - this will dig in, and disaster comes next.
However, you can take off late and enjoy steep drops. If you watch a longboard, they take off parallel to the wave. As long as you set your rail in deep, you don't even need to paddle, just let the drop do the work.

Technique:

1. Angle your ski almost alongside the wave, near side on. Keep your weight only slightly back. You are trying to keep your weight over the fins, so they stop you slipping. Let the vertical section of the wave got you going - you will notice I don't paddle at all

It's all about confidence and the knowledge that the ski will do it's job...

2. As you drop and pick up speed, release the inside rail, this will let the nose of the ski drift out. From here you can adjust your weight by leaning back, should you want to crank a tight bottom turn, or forward, if looking to make a fast section or looking for a tube. As you are going along the wave and not just 'down' the wave, you won't nose dive

Benefits: This is a very handy technique for reef's and tube riding. But it also has a big benefit on slack 'summer' waves. You can take off where there is lots of speed. And like on the video, the wave has no shoulder and all the speed disappears, you can use a rail drop to give you all the speed you need to do some OK turns. ON this I use the speed to perform a roundhouse cut back, so you rebound off the soup, and keep in the pocket.

Hope you like! Should help some of you Florida boys!

Duck-dive, rolling and the Vortex

OK, the most common questions I get asked, how do you paddle through big white water, or punching through waves. There is a lot of misunderstanding between punching, duck diving and rolling under/vortex method. All three couldn't be further apart, yet each is important if you want to master waveski surfing and maximise your fun each surf.

Starting with the punch-through.

This is for small to medium size waves, on a wave about to break and is timing critical. Get it wrong and you can hurt your shoulders and neck. This is HARD to do on a large or intimediate ski, as you need to be able to sink the nose under the water while paddling (to see if you can do this - simply throw your weight forward over your feet, paddle hard and see if the nose dives).

Technique:

1. As the wave is about to break, sprint up to the face and sink your nose about one third up the face of the wave.

2. AS you punch through, keep your head down to protect your neck and set your paddle in deep. Pull hard on your paddle shaft to aid you punching through the wave. As soon as yo emerge out the back... paddle.... fast so you don't get sucked over the falls.

Simple!

click to enlarge

Next - Duck Dive vs Vortex. I get asked what is the vortex? which is best. The answer is they are completely different and for differing situations. Duck Dive's are for close out, medium to large waves, waves about to break on you. The idea is you go under and pop up, paddling, quickly. The vortex is more damage limitation on big to massive, close-out, monsters of white water coming for you.

Duck Dive

A wave is about to break, it's too steep to go over it. Vortexing it will result in you getting dragged back, and if this is an impact zone - you don't want this. You want to get under the wave and upright again, as soon as possible. The key difference between the vortex and the duck dive is on the vortex your weight is forward to sink the nose, on the duck dive your weight is back to raise the nose.

Technique:

1. Sprint toward the wave. Similar to the punch-through. Sink the nose at the base of the wave, or if bigger, about a third up the wall.

2. As your nose sinks, roll over. Key to the move is to roll flat, with your weight/head over the tail of the ski. Throwing your weight over the back will raise the nose (a bit like a stand-up surfer does with his knee of foot while duck diving). The idea here is to use your speed you sink the nose. While under the wave, as your weight goes over the tail of the ski, your nose will lift. The idea being that the wave will roll over you.

3. As the motion of the wave on you starts to subside/slow. Use it's momentum, start your roll and will little effort, you can use the wave's power to pop you upright. So you quickly roll under and up with out a kicking

Little example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5IIgMfwkGg

click to enlarge

The Vortex

The vortex is very different, in that, when faced with a mountain of white water or similar nasty situation, we are talking damage limitation. The concept is to make yourself as small and streamlined as possible, so the wave has little to grab hold of. If you duck-dive, with your arms not ducked in, the result can be nasty (I've had dislocated shoulders and rotator's destroyed).

Technique:

1. Get a bit of a sprint on, then with a good 20 feet or so, take a DEEP breath and roll. This time, get your weight as far over your feet as you can. It pays to be supple and practice with yoga, as this can be the difference between a savage beat-down and a bit of a work-over. The reason we want our weight over our feet is, we want the nose to sink and stay sunk. So the wave pushes us deep. Get your paddle alongside your ski and hold it for grim life as invisible forces try to rip it from you. Keep your head down. We also want to be as small as we can so there is less for the wave to get a hold of. Try to get your head as close to your feet as you can, tuck you face in. Get your paddle alongside, but tuck your elbows in. The more streamline you can get the better.

2. Wait for the beating to stop. Key is to not roll too soon. If needed do a 'pop' (a semi-roll, just enough for a gulp of air and tuck up again. If on a reef or a set, you are safer in the vortex position than getting blasted trying to roll. Patients is the rule - as is good lungs.

3. When still -  roll back up.

4. Check you still have a head/face - thank the lord and go out to seek another beating.

click to enlarge

Woolacombe comp, 37 hours awake & Jame's science stuff

There have been may questions after the weekend, like "Did Pete break anything". Of course, the answer to that was, yes. All things considered, it was a fantastic day, with a good number of as and a great standard of surfing. It was all a bit of a haze. What I do remember though, and the more I think about it, Pete Copp is trying to kill me. My problem started with the people who built my company's exhibition in the Birmingham NEC, got it about as wrong as they possibly could. It was about as effective as an 'incontinent thong'. So that had me leaving Plymouth at 4am, to be at Birmingham for 9am. A long day followed, I finally finished at 11pm, drove through the night, and got to Plymouth for 4am. Stupidly, I thought it was 5 in the morning and rang Pete to say I was ready to follow him to Wollacombe. He said "I SAID FIVE!!" and put the phone down on me.

5am, Pete turns up in his van with Adrian, and I am to follow him to the contest location. If you've ever seen 'Death Race 2000' - that is how Pete Drives. He drives how he surfs. He never uses his brakes! I know the brake lights work, because at junctions they were on. But I'd be trying to keep up with Pete - just two burning red tail lights flying around in the dark. Me up for 24 hours, a bit wasted, trying to follow him. Every now and then, without braking or anything to give me a clue, like slow down, he'd fly around a tight right angle bend. I'd be following lights - then hedge would appear "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH"

Then I had to face the scorn of James Hawkes. and the "Where are your ski's?" conversation. This would have been easier if Pete and Adrian, were not laughing at me and calling me 'twatboy'. But I had the last laugh when Adrian got his ski out of the van, and Pete's sharp steel toolbox, during the F1 drive, had dinged Adrian Thorn's Ski. Pete can run fast it turns out.

So to the contest. What a hoot. Some excellent talent, a good number and some fantastic ski's from a mix of manufacturers. Some sexy KS's and Pro Designs. James from Future brought his crazy, top secret, bullet proof, formula 1 technology, space age construction pre-shaped ski, that weighs as much as a fart. When he said he was working on a production ski - I thought 'oh dull', thinking of the usual pop-out moulded stuff. Little did I know. Words don't do it justice - no seams, as good as a custom, lighter than a custom, near unbreakable and will last you for the rest of your life. If you could only afford one ski!

Super dooper light thingy

Super dooper light thingy in action

On the subject of technology, a few were asking James about the other top secret - super dooper, wowy ASCC (Advanced Structural Core Construction). This was a mistake, as James speaks in Binary code - the result was a very technical, Klingon sounding explanation, that included molecules, bonding, thermo  monomer, 6 carbon chain with an amino group, -NH2, at each end. This is 1,6-diaminohexane, you might know it as hexane-1,6-diamine (NOOOO?), compounds polymerise.....................
There was a group of very puzzled folk. This is my favorite bit. He then resulted to use layman's terms, explained it was a super tough secret compound coating that makes the ski super tough, so no rail dings from paddles... and then threw his cup at Pete's ski by way of example. Pete looked like he was going to give birth!

Back to the comp. It was great to see UK riders ripping. Steve Chivers is still super fast, Kieron still carving big gouges with fins out even in slack slow waves, Rudi and Steve Tickle having there own contest and pushing each other. Pete's flowing style and Adrian's aggressive style both effective. James Hawks almost missing heats, doing airs further down the beach in one of his many, many ski's and yaks he brought with him (watching him carry them all back up the dunes was fantastic - I laughed so much, a little pee escaped.)

Thorny dragging a hand - searching for a tube

Wavemaster slash

James busting out the tail on small stuff

The Steve!

KD doing a trademark snap

Doing the flags - Jonny, part of team retard.

Being awake for a full 43 hours, I was exhausted. So I tried to get a little sleep on the beach. Soon I was fast asleep with my mouth open, and a massive gust of wind blew half the beach in my mouth. We all met up for a beer at the Red Barn at 6 (I immediately regretted not wearing shoes on the way, as I stepped in poo). we all had a good old chat. But, awake for near 40 hours, I was exhausted, I had to leave early. In my trance like state, I walked out of the pub, into the path of an oncoming car full of old people. I did the full wipe out over the bonnet. Lucky for me they were old, and oak frees grow faster than they drive.
All in all a great day. Some serious talent and new blood. The outlook for paddle-surfing is looking brighter and less like a fringe, awkward cousin of stand-ups. The opinion was, that there will be more organised 'meets' to take the pressure off those who feel they are not competition ready or don't find the prospect of 15 minutes surfing, followed by standing on the beach, listening to Pete Copp and Adrian Thorn wind each other up like an old married couple. So - stay posted, we hope for some South as well as North coast expression sessions.

Pete Copp - a how to guide on braking stuff

You chat to one of the local surfboard companies you are mates with (Tri Ocean) who imports Hooded Villain boards from South Africa. Order one of Kola Le Roux's Waveski's. Wait for ages for it to arrive in the UK. The very day it arrives, you call up two mates, Jonny 'Militia' and James 'Brains' Hawker, and head for a semi secret reef called terraces. Now, at this point it's like Pete is on speed! He is jumping and itching to get in the surf. Up on the cliff, the tide is still too low, and the reef is sucking dry, us there early before the crowds.

Pete: "I'm going in"
Jonny "??... it is way too low, wait for the push"
Pete "No - I'm going, it's hollow out there"
Jonny "Pete - there is no water on the reef - wait an hour"
Pete - "Naaaaaa I'm going in"

With that, he climbs down the cliff, sprints across the beach, jumps in and paddles out too the reef.
Me and James just lean against Pete's van, and wait for disaster. A set comes, it's about head high, Pete paddles and drops in so late, winds it off the bottom and gets covered up in a shack.
What happens next, can only be described as a kind of explosion of water, as Pete and ski suddenly halt as he hit's the reef!!!
Pete - still strapped to his ski, is upside down, dry, on the reef, like an up turned turtle - you cold see a glint of white through the yellow ski of newly exposed foam. Us on the hill are laughing so hard, I couldn't stand up. Seconds later - Pete arrives. also laughing!! Hands it to James "Fix it"

Forward a few months. Jonny James and Pete again. Off for an early surf before work. There is a heavy wave, with an evil left hand shore break. Epic. Then we hear "Oh, ahhhh CRAP" James and I look at Pete. "I've forgotten my paddle" and is looking at a brand new Ainsworth Carbon RTM, short shaft prototype" OK I say - use it. "Cheers" says Pete. opens the boot of my car, grabs the paddle and shuts the boot - thud. It didn't shut, THUD, it didn't shut then so he slams it even harder THUDD - it closed. I open the boot to get my wetsuit and he has slammed the boot latch through the leg of it, punching a big hole right through!
Couple of hours later, while surfing a Future Random, he takes off so late, on a massive close out, cranks it around and airs off the close out - into a foot of water. He gets blasted up the beach... like an up turned turtle again. However he doesn't get back in. Because he has snapped my NEW blades.

Forward a year to today. James has a development prototype for an even better version of his ASCC (Advanced Structural Core Construction). It is not finished, it is, literally just a prototype. Meant to be super strong James says. We both look at each other - "Pete Copp"

That afternoon, we are back at Terraces reef. It is shallow, with the odd occasional tube. "Don't break it". Now it is a prototype, with temporary fin boxes as we are testing new fin displacements too, it has never been used before. Pete paddles out. and snags some epic waves. But the tide is dropping and the reef is getting too shallow. James and I are on the cliff getting changed, and have a da ja vue moment.

Pete takes off on a sweet looking wave, gets shacked. But instead of being happy with the tube and kicking off, he guns it, trying to get tubed again. James now has his hands on his head "No, no, no, no, no, no" But its inevitable, its Pete. - Again, there is like an explosion as Pete hits the dry reef on the prototype. Again he is like an up turned turtle, strapped to the ski. You don't see James angry very often. Today he chased Pete with a paddle.

 Still, the good news was the improved Advanced Structural Core Construction is super tough. Even though the fins got ripped out, there was no damage to the construction other than right at the fins. The rest of the ski was fine, even after rolling about on a reef. Does the future hold a Pete proof waveski?

Riding Giant waves

Like all the best stories, a chance meeting of a friend of a friend, who knows a guy. This is exactly how the 'Riding Giants' project started. For years I have been working up to riding giant waves on a waveski. In this time, big wave surfing had evolved massively with tow surfing. My brother who now lives in New Zealand had been tow surfing some big wave spots and doing jetski support. A chance meeting with big wave legend Ross Clark Jones, as luck would have it, he was impressed with my aim. In his words "The guy must be crazy to do it on one of those!". I was given an email and we got talking.

The first hurdle was the equipment. I needed someone with the vision to not only build, but design a waveski, capable of riding a wave 40 foot plus, moving at 40 mph. A huge task. After much chat, one guys name came up time and time again, James Hawker. When tow-in surfing started, everyone would just use the same old big wave guns they had always used as their tow boards. Quickly, surfers realized there was a better way to do this. Tow boards are much smaller than regular paddle-in guns. They are usually in the seven-foot range, have foot straps, and weigh upwards of 15 pounds in some cases, pretty much a waveski. A lot of time and research into rail shape, concaves and lift lift, eventually, a unique ski with 'crowned' rails, single concave was designed. A sleek, purposeful ski sat in the factory. All white - no glam, just function. My it was sexy.

Next was the destination. Unlike many, I don't want the big show of big wave destinations. Most spots, from Teahupoo to Pipline in Hawaii are full of night clubs and chaos. In the sea its worse, on a big day there are team after team, I counted 25 jetski's with 60 people in the water at some waves. The noise alone is bad, from all the jetski's and support boats. Getting your place in the peak amongst the pro's on a waveski? Forget that. I wanted solitude. The real deal.  What I was attempting to do, could easily kill me. If it goes wrong on a 40 foot wave, at best I'd have a lot broken. I needed a spot where there were waves and no distractions. I needed to download the data from the day's surfing to the deepest parts of my brain, mind surfing the waves, rehearsing the drop, perfecting the timing.Using google earth, I found what I thought the ideal spot. With the same swell direction and proximity as Fiji, a group of islands overlooked by the masses. Populated by hippies, and one reef that had all the potential to be one of the best kept secrets. Ross Clark Jones emailed me info of a huge swell due in the Pacific. with a 40 foot swell, potential 80 foot waves? The Pacific was looking to be good. As if a dream, with the help of an Auzzie guy called Doolie, 32 hours later, I am sat in a hut, no TV, no electricity, no telephone, no restaurant, just an amazing view looking out to a reef. With epic surf... and no name for it.

You can see the outer reef above the island

Every day the swell built. You quickly climatise too the speed. Taking off later and later, and not being spooked as you see the reef a couple of feet below the surface. The time table was; Get up - surf, breakfast, sleep, surf, lunch, surf, sleep, dinner, surf, sleep. On the two days it was flat, I just sat in my hut, in the shade, hypnotized by the view. On day 8, still no giant swell. It felt ominous out there though, the wind was up, the surf choppy and could sense that it was on its way. Later that morning Doolie arrived, the next two days it's going to be huge, Ross Clarke Jones and only a handful of others were due here later. On the main island, Doolie had plotted the swell at 25 to 30 foot, at 18 seconds. It as going to me huge.

The following day the waves started to hit, increasing every hour, and for the first time I could see the outer reef start to work, waves so big they looked in slow motion. We went through safety procedures. The boys practiced towing and using the jetski to collect a surfer on the inside. So much to do I didn't have time to mentally prepare for the size it was going to be. The storm kicked in. wind making the palms fly off ant hit the hut with the occasional thud! Every time I jumped and my heart stopped, on screen a 30 foot + swell at 25!!. Inside, all I had bouncing around my head was "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God - please don't be toooo huge, wish I never said I was a big wave surfer"
All the guy's where 'wooping' and saying how they hoped it was huge - biggest ever. I, was saying the same, but, wen I looked out to the avalanches of white, visible through the dark, I kept thinking, they had to be as frightened as I am, surely?

4am we had the call. Some serious big wave stand-ups, my brother who's towed before, and one lone waveski surfer (me). The wind had dropped, the Jetski's were in the water, light offshore winds. They walked in, we were  awake, its still dark, and they were silent.
"What's it like"
Doolie, an Auzzie said "I've never seen anything like it, it's...... it's...... gigantic"

My heart sank!

One boat ant two jetski's left the lagoon, the reef, the outer reef and headed for deep water. Once we hit the offshore reef, it was the most terrifying thing I have ever seen, waves that could only be described as monsters. The power had lifted all the sand and debris so it looked like coffee. Seeing them tow. For a good hour I watched as they performed. It became quickly apparent, you couldn't tow on a waveski. The jetski heads parallel to the wave, turns 180 and catapults the surfer onto the wave, who then turns, to make the bowl of the wave. We cant turn like that - we use a paddle! Watching em, I thought 'I can make it, I could make the drop if I timed it right. When I paddled over to The guy on the jetski, on a waveski, he said "NO WAY" But, this was probably my one and only chance to do this - I said "I'm going" So off we went. From watching, tow surfing is so much safer than paddling in, you literally have the speed to stay out of harms way if you wanted. What I didn't figure though, your legs are fantastic shock absorbers, when hitting chop at 30mph - your ass and spine - isn't! I had to be towed square on to the wave, let go, grab the paddle and hope I'd timed it right to outrun the face. We chose a smaller wave at about 30 foot. Flying toward the horizon on the back of a jetski, waveski behind skipping. I started hyperventilating, I couldn't breathe, it felt like my floatation device was too tight. The fear hit my like a hammer to the head. I wasn't prepared at all. Surfing the reef was nothing like this!

"You ready?"
I nod "Yeah" (nooooo)

Just like that, off we went. I'm about to tow surf a massive wave in the pacific. It is amazing how they time it, slotting you in perfectly, slowly, as if at the theme park ride the ocean seems to build and rise, and soon you are dropping down a mountain. However, because I was artificially fast, I was out on the shoulder rather than in the bowl, and the ski bounced, chopped and crashed over all the chops. I was going too fast to use my paddle, every time it hit the surface it violently bounced off so I couldn't set a rail in. I hit a chop, launched in the air, smashed down and did it again right after. I looked too my left, to see where the white water was, and thank God it was still a good way off as I was going straight, had trouble turning, and at the bottom of a massive wave. Now this will sound bullshit. But because of the speed, you kinda feel safe, like you could outrun it, so I concentrated on not wiping out as I bounced and chopped, skipped and crashed - eyes rattling in my head and fillings falling out of my teeth. Eventually I slowed and could use my rails more, turning gradually. And just like that it was over.

I had unsuccessfully towed. Yeah I caught a giant wave, but I couldn't turn, couldn't get in the pocket - I was forced to the shoulder and there I stayed, in no danger at all. I was mortified. Gutted. This wasn't the big wave experience I was after at all. Watching the guys tow, it became apparent, paddling in is so much harder, more dangerous - it was the drop that was missing. I wouldn't mind riding the shoulder if I made a monster drop. For the rest of the session I watched as they rode giants. I didn't.

Doolie on a BIG one

Thursday, the following day, the swell had dropped. From massive-gigantic to just, well, gigantic. The outer reef, was huge. The kind of huge that even off in the distance it looks massive. I was still disappointed from the day before, with something to prove, and a second chance. We made our way out too the outer reef. Though smaller than the day before, the wave was a lot heavier, suckier and with a very steep, churning bowl. The guys used the jetski's to flick onto the wave, dropping into the bowl and carving off the top on 40 foot faces. The good thing about this outer reef over the offshore location was you could get closer to the action. What became clear here was the additional use the Jetski's had. After each ride, the jetski would fly in, surfer with arm raised, would be snatched onto the the ramp on the back of the jetski, and power them the hell out of there before an avalanche of water smashes them. This raised another problem, They aren't strapped to their board, with a paddle. So, can't use the jetski this way either then!

I was confident, but fear again hit me as soon as I got on my waveski. I could taste sick in my mouth, my reactions were twitchy and tweaked from overdosing on adrenalin. I had to calm down, but 30 to 40 foot waves are exploding off a reef a few meters away. I paddled over, the plan was to get a smaller one straight off, to get one in the bag and crack the nerves. A set pushed through, big but not enormous, I paddled on the shoulder, hoping to catch the edge and get a test wave. The speed was like nothing I've ever experienced. I paddled and the wave just blasted past me, exploding off the reef. I could look right down into it as it tore past. It didn't help the confidence at all! I paddled for the one behind it, a little more toward the peak - this one blew right through too. I couldn't paddle fast enough - hence the need for jetski's. Not long after, a set came and doubled up, breaking early. This was a gift as I could paddle, catch the white water and ride the reform. And this was my first wave, yet it was just after the critical part of the reef and when the wave was backing off as it hit deep water.

On the paddle back out, I finally understand the fact, there is only one way I'd be able to do this. I can't use the jetski, I can't paddle fast enough to catch it on she shoulder and avoid the dark churning bowl. The only way to do it was to get right in the take off zone, paddle as fast as I can, right under the breaking lip of a 35 to 40 foot wave, take the late vertical drop into the bottom of a giant pit, and make it. Not making it was not an option. The reality of not making it was put furthest from my mind. The wait for a set was insane. I timed one lull at just short of 9 minutes! Now, this might not seem an issue, but I'm sat in the slot. No waves, just waiting. Your mind starts to play tricks with you - have you drifted over the reef too far so that you are too deep and will get obliterated by the waves when they come? Have you drifted out too far and noway near the take off spot? Twice I paddled out of the way, only to see a huge set detonate right where I'd been only moments before. I feel a little bit sick again.

Finally, the horizon shifts, and the texture changes. A set is on its way and it's BIG! luckily it followed a smaller set so I could as near as damn it guess where I needed to be to take off. I sprinted off to the target spot. The set builds and builds as it gets closer. It seems as though it will never stop growing, almost there, it seems like a giant 40 foot wall. for a split second it seemed I was too far out and it wouldn't break, but as it hit the reef it jumped up, becoming vertical. I paddled like mad as I drifted up the face. It felt like I was getting sucked up into space, and then, as if dropping off the side of a cliff - I accelerated forward. As I dropped, The ski left the water, airborne for a second. I knew that I had to bury my inside rail, this was critical. The wave was throwing out over me, I couldn't risk it hitting the back of my ski, I had to get to the bowl. My heart had stopped, I hadn't breathed, I felt like I was going 100mph. The rail sliced into the wave, I can hear the wave exploding just behind my left ear as I bottom turn off the bowl. The speed as such, I launched back up the wall and able to do a small turn to make it back down the line. Only then did I realize the size of this beast. I am 20 foot up, now safely screaming down the line to flat calm water, and there is still about 15 foot of wave above me, and a churning monster chasing me.

Click to enlarge

I skipped into flat water as I kicked of the back, looking over my shoulder as the wave took it's fury out on the reef.
The boat, so I hear was quiet as I paddled for the wave, as I disappeared into the belly of the beast - everyone held their breath. Jetski on standby with Doolie on it, holding a knife to cut me free if needed. As I appeared, the boat erupted, I could hear screams and the boys jumping up and down. When it gets critical. When you mutually take risks and define not only yourself but your sport, it doesn't matter what you ride. I know it sounds corny - we went out surfers of differing craft and came away brothers.

The Future Mayhem Project.

We are a collective of waveski and surfkayak riders. The project exists to give a place for ideas for design and paddle surfing. To explore new challenges, and mock eachother when they go wrong. The Mayhem Project is the idea of three riders, James Hawker of Future Waveski's and Kayaks. An incredible designer and builder, and world renowned surfer of just about any paddle craft. Peter Copp, described as one of the most natural 'rail to rail' surfers, excellent photographer, great competitor, and able to destroy a waveski weeks into its new life in England from South Africa. And Jonny 'Militia' Gibbings, riding waveski's for over 30 years, beaten world champions, yet is more content these days free surfing, while exploring new limits of paddle surfing, such as his recent ride of the biggest wave ever surfed on a waveski. Our aim is to grow. We see ourselves as the odd splinter group from regular kayakers. It's all about surf, big moves, airs, tubes and laughing at each others fails.

So, if you like what you read or our philosophy - join us. Supply us with content, become a member of the Future Mayhem Project. Just don't break stuff that belongs to James like his prototype boards, lots of times. Over and over again.

Spot A - a secret Reef. Lots of tubes. Lots of tubes.... but not much water. Had a little accident... R.I.P. prototype 2