Finally won something....

I’m so stoked I’ve won this new Mark Visser iPhone case. I never really win anything and this has to be up there with one of my all time life wins. Although I did travel out to LA last weekend with my good mates from home, Andy and Andy and had a 3 day Andy fest at the Billabong XXL awards where I was in the final for the ‘Biggest Wave 2012’ category (you might or might not have seen something about it on the net or in the mags but probably not) which has to be up there too. Of course I didn’t win, I didn’t think in a million years I would but it was a chance for us Andy’s to bond a little, wear matching pink pants and pretend we’re big shit to complete strangers. Every cloud has a silver lining though and as well as having the most fun humanly possible without being arrested or dying, Gmac got the nod from the judges at the awards and claimed 1st prize. A new world record was set and 15 grand prize purse which he very kindly split with me for whipping him into the beast back on 1st November 2011 at Nazare, Portugal. You could say I’m pretty stoked, it’s been a huge year for me in every way imaginable, Baby, marriage, XXL nomination and just being involved in a world record. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen, family, sponsors, Analog, tiki, The Thatch, bay spas and friends, Al Mennie, Garrett and Nicole, The Andys and of course not forgetting Mark Visser...... I love that iPhone case.

Cone head

Our next door neighbour has 4 cars. fair enough, there’s no laws on how many cars you’re allowed in life although I expect it must be quite expensive to keep them all on the road as I struggle just to keep my shit yellow van taxed and insured but maybe he’s a footballer or something, I hear they usually have loads of cars but not sure who he would be playing for living in Braunton. It is quite excessive but then again he’d probably think I’m excessive with the amount of surfboards I have in my life. It’s not the cars that bother me though as I’m not really into cars, as long as they get me from A to B and are reasonably safe I don’t care what I drive. The thing that I can’t understand is that after taking up all the parking spaces outside our house with his 4 cars he also feels the need to reserve a parking space with a freaking CONE whenever he takes one for a spin. I don’t understand it. Am I missing something here? Every time I see this CONE I want to break down and cry, I’m not sure why but it just makes me really sad and a little frustrated with life. On a brighter non-CONE note I just booked a ticket to LA to go to the XXL awards. I’m sure it will be a whole lot of fun and an experience to tell the kids when they’re older. Thanks to everyone for the support this year, ANALOG, TIKI and The THATCH in Croyde. Very much appreciated and looking forward to next winter already.

The way that I do it.

Long ago a wise man once told me ‘It’s not what you do it’s the way that you do it’. Take from that what you will but I think I know what he was getting at which is why after the drunken phone calls, twitter harassment, leg humping and chasing the Editor-in-Chief of the above magazine through a field I’d be pretty surprised if they’d ever want to run a shot of me for the rest of my surfing days. Fair enough why would they.
So you could say I was shocked when I heard they wanted to run a shot of me in the above issue although at the same time extremely happy. But when I bought my copy, which you can too from any good news agent and realised I didn’t have just one but two double page shots and a couple of inserts I couldn’t quite believe it. They even describe me as their ‘favourite plumber’.
Might phone him up late on Saturday night, early Sunday morning and thank him personally or maybe just hump his leg again next time I see him, I know how much he’d appreciate it.

Ace Winston Cotton

I like a good coffee in the morning, trouble is in North Devon if you want a decent one before 9 or 10 you’ll be lucky because nowhere is usually open. The other day I walked into a cafe at 9.57am to get my morning latte and was told I would have to wait outside 3 minutes until they opened, obviously I asked if I could just get one 3 minutes early but was denied as they officially didn’t open till 10am. I didn’t wait.
So this is little Honey with her new brother Ace, bless them. I’m relieved he’s finally here because the same questions and baby spiel was tipping me over the edge. ‘Are you excited?’ ‘is Honey excited?’ ‘do you know what you’re having’? Boy or girl?’, ‘what would you prefer?’ and my favourite, the classic ‘not long now then!’
What can I say, childbirth: A truly amazing experience which can’t be described and no one would believe unless you’ve actually been there which brought tears to my eyes but I’m not one of these dads who’s deluded about his child as to be honest he looked a little bit like a blue E.T when he first came out. Surprisingly he isn’t ginger, but he does have massive red balls just like his dad. Welcome to the world Ace I’m sure you’ll love it.

Last month

South Of The Border, Volume 3. from Luke Pilbeam on Vimeo.

I could post the video of all the XXL nominations and bleat on about I’m not just in them for the biggest wave but I also towed Gmac into his nomination for ride of the year too and how great I must be but I’m a pretty modest guy and not one to blow my own trumpet. Instead check out the last clip we made of our winter in Ireland and the lead up to THAT Mullaghmore session.

Paul the Plumber from Bundoran

Wonder what Paul the plumber from Bundoran has been up to the past few weeks. Probably fixed some leaky taps, fitted a heating system or bathroom then gone down The Chasing Bull had a few beers with the boys, harassed the band playing then did some lunges and maybe a press up or 2.
I on the other hand got towed into a wave at Mullaghmore which ended up getting some XXL attention which got me on the telly at home and abroad, the cover of a surf mag, made back page on the North Devon Journal, was in the Gold Coast Bulletin in Aus and just pretty much got global surfing attention. You could say I wasn’t expecting that and I do apologise if towards the end of the week you were bored senseless and tired of seeing or hearing about it, it wasn't completely my fault. Rather than bore everyone even more with the same shot by posting my cover shot or the XXL entry I thought a photo of me and Paul would be more appropriate, I am missing him.

Mullaghmore

What a week, I could tell you all about my surf induced twitter breakdown or my new mate Paul the plumber from Bundoran who I was harassing the band with as I do, in the chasing bull last friday night or even the fact that I was over it all, packed away my boards and swore blind I’d never return to Ireland let alone live here for months on end but at the last minute just couldn't leave and decided to stay for just 4 more days and see it through. Although all 3 would make far more interesting blogging and reading I’ve opted for the more professional approach and will focus on mully and my first wave I caught on Thursday morning at 10.06am.
Mullaghmore was the first wave I ever surfed in Ireland years ago when Al Mennie invited me over to come paddle with him after he felt he needed to prove a point that Ireland had bigger waves than Madeira. Since then we’ve had our ups and downs, I’ve lost a ski out there, a knee brace and had kicking’s that have left me unable to walk for days but this wave was worth waiting for and I’m stoked I went with my heart and not my brain, thank you Ireland, thank you Mullaghmore and of course thank you Al. I’ll be sure to come back.

Dustbin dicks

Am I being completely out of order when I say that bin men in the UK are generally a little bit annoying and that’s being nice, yes of course I am making a generalisation and of course I’m sure there are exceptions but on the whole my take on the bin men in the UK is they’d do anything or find any reason not to take your rubbish which at the end of the day is what their paid for, and the recycle guys well that’s another story but they usually throw more recycling all over the floor than they do in the actual trucks.
It never used to be like this, I remember when I was a lad many moons ago my folks used to put all sorts of crap out for the bin men in a vast array of different quantities and they’d pretty much always take it therefore my folks always gave them a little tip for Christmas, nothing mental but It only takes a few people on every street to do this and there quids in. That’s how it was and everyone was happy, after all it all ends up in the same place. Not now though, not in the black wheelie bin not a chance seems to be the general situation at home.
However over the past few months I’ve come to realise the bin men in Ireland seem to be cut from a different cloth, it doesn’t matter how much rubbish you put out they’ll always take it which goes for the recycling guys too, it’s so refreshing and very handy as I haven’t put the bins out for 2 weeks now and we’ve got a shit load of rubbish.
Hope there not expecting a tip we’re moving out soon.

Team twat

There we are look, Team twat. I always used to take the piss out of my mates who played Angry Birds on their iphones especially when they used to bang on about what level they were at and how brilliant it was, as they sat there wasting their lives playing on their iphones, well that was until I actually got one then downloaded the thing. Now my obsessive compulsive behaviour has gone off the richter scale and I can’t put the fecking thing down, none of this is helped by Lyndon who is also slightly obsessed by this silly game himself. I am very easily led and influenced and it was sort of his fault I picked up this addiction in the first place.
Surf what surf? I did hear though that it has been pumping and although I have driven down to check it a few times I usually just sit in my van and play angry birds rather than put a stinking cold wetsuit on and waste my time in the sea. Can anyone help me out on world 16 level 8? I’m having a shocker.

Photo:David OlsthoornPhotography

First Wave

I waved to about 50 complete strangers today, they started it as they waved first which meant I sort of had to wave back not that I didn’t want to as everyone seems to wave to everyone in Ireland regardless of whether they actually know you or not. This doesn’t happen in England, I don’t even wave to my mates at home let alone those awkward scenarios when you’re not sure if you actually know someone well enough to wave as you’ve only spoken to them once and that was years ago and now you only see them driving past on occasions and they might not recognise or remember you then they’ll think who the hell is that weirdo waving at me in that shit yellow van. I’d just rather avoid it all shut my eyes, not wave and pretend it never happened.  So why the feck have I started waving to complete strangers now?
With all this waving going down it sort of makes you feel a bit happier without you even realising it, almost like these complete waving strangers are happy to see me so therefore you’re happy to see them making everyone involved pretty dam happy, that’s got to be good for general happiness and day to day waving morale .
My favourite wave has to be the finger point which is generally done by older men and van drivers where most woman tend to use their whole hand, I personally like to go for the little finger wave as it’s not too full on yet still friendly enough if you give them a little smile at the same time.
This is the first wave on my new Gulfstream tow board and it defiantly made me feel happy.