Cornwall: Points on the Compass
Cornwall occupies Britain's far southwesterly corner, extending like an outstretched arm into the North Atlantic.
Swirled by a vast tidal flow, the shape of the coast changes from hour to hour, with the shoreline receding by over half a kilometre at some breaks as the ocean ebbs towards the low water mark. The seasonal contrast is just as stark. In summer, populations swell, beaches thrum with sun-scorched tourists while in the lineups, any waves big enough to ride are cause for celebration. But come November, the resorts empty out and the storms trample in, delivering solid swells, horizontal rain and howling gales.
Fortunately, the twisting coastline offers plenty of shelter, harbouring hundreds of coves that face towards every point of the compass. Among all that potential, each Atlantic depression holds the promise of great waves breaking somewhere, it’s just a matter of finding them.
Surf culture first took root here in the late 1950s in the towns of Newquay and St Ives, born from a melting pot of beatniks and bored kids inspired by visitors from Australia, California and South Africa. Early surfers braved the chilly waters wearing beaver-tailed diver’s tops with woolly jumpers underneath, riding homemade boards crafted from fridge foam and boat resin.
By the early 70s, the pastime had spread far and wide, with communities springing up in towns all along Cornwall's 700km coastline. When the shortboard revolution swept through, small numbers in a few of these enclaves persisted in riding their cherished mals. One such holdout was Sennen Cove, a crescent-shaped beach carved into the county’s westernmost flank, where granite boulders trap the fast-moving sand, occasionally moulding it into beautiful log-friendly banks.
Over the last twenty years, the cove has produced some of the continent’s finest longboarders. Chief among them is Sam Bleakley, a writer, filmmaker and multiple European Champion. Sam was inspired to try longboarding by local elders, including his dad, Fuzz, who’d learnt to surf in the early 60s and always maintained a connection to that era through his collection of movies, magazines and old boards. His first ever had been a 9’6 malibu, given to him by his father, who’d won it off a visiting Aussie lifeguard during a late-night game of poker.
Sam’s competitive success and passionate advocacy inspired the next generation of local shredders to pick up longboards too. Guys like James Parry and Mike Lay, who’ve both gone on to achieve global acclaim for their stylish performances on traditional single fins. More recently, a fourth-generation of young women have picked up the baton, including Sam’s daughter Lola and his niece Izzy Henshall.
In each of the crew’s approaches, you can see the influence of the others. From broad style strokes, right down to hand positioning, footwork and the way they fade, there’s a clear historical throughline that reaches all the way back to Fuzz on his first 9’6.
Continue reading in Pacific Longboarder Issue 116
