Premier!

Finally we've done it (just!) the big day's been and gone. On The Push premiered on Sunday night at Porthcawl Pavillion. It was a lovely evening and the film went down really well - a big relief - all the work of the last year and a half seems worth it.

We've now got the rest of the tour to follow;

26th September - Jill Craigie Cinema, Uni of Plymouth

2nd Oct - Perranporth

3rd Oct - Blue Bar, Porthtowan

4th Oct - Croyde Village Hall Deckchair Cinema

18th Oct - Mariners Pub, Nolton Haven, Pembrokeshire

26th Oct - Aberystwyth Arts Centre Cinema

23rd Nov - BeyondTV Festival, Waterfront Museum, Swansea

Screenings start at 7pm.

DVD Cover

On the home straight.

The photos show Helen and me in the sound studio recording the voice overs for the final online edit which Helen and Mike should be finishing this afternoon. Not sure how I'm feeling at the moment bit relieved it's finally done, nervous as to how it'll look (I've not yet seen the final edit) and as to how it will be received. Also a bit sad it's over I want to keep on making this film for ever.

The only thing we are waiting to shoot the the Surfer's Chain world record attempt which is happening in Swansea on the 13th Sept footage of which will hopefully make it into the closing sequence of the film. But as it's dependent on weather we'll have to see what happens on the day.

In the mean time we've organised a screening tour and the dates so far are;

29th/30th August - Surfstock festival, St Agnes

Sunday 21st Sept - Surfcult Festival, Porthcawl's Grand Pavillion

                                                                                           Friday 26th Sept - Jill Craigie Cinema, Uni of Plymouth                                                                                                                                                                 Friday 3rd Oct - Blue Bar, Porthtowan                                                                                                          Sat 4th Oct - Croyde Village Hall Deck Chair Cinema                                                                                                                                                                    Sat 18th Oct - Mariners Pub, Nolton Haven, Pembs                                                                                                                                                                       Sun 26th Oct - Aberystwyth Arts Centre Cinema             

Sun 23rd Nov - BeyondTV Festival, Waterfront Museum, Swansea

As we get more dates in I'll put them up. Also if you want a screening near you get in touch  helen@undercurrents.org

In the water August has been a really good month with a couple of awesome swells normally what we'd expect in sept & Oct but not August.  While everyone else has been complaining about the weather the surfers have been loving it. The high-light was a couple of days at the beginning of the month when it was 5-6ft glass & no one could believe their luck. The size also cut down the summer crowds together with the fact everywhere was going off. And it was warm I was in my shortie the whole time - why carn't it be like that all summer? Trouble is if it was I'd get no work done ever but then again I'd probably be so much of a better surfer know which I'd prefer. At the same time I've got no complaints I was able to take the time off when it mattered that week!

The End is in sight.

With only 2 months to go before the premier Helen's deep in the edit suit and I'm planning my final action for the film's finale. Plus there's all the marketing we're trying to cram in and organising a screening tour for Wales and the South West in the Autumn.

If you'd like to see the film come to a venue near you please give us a shout.

It's a good thing the film's been keeping us busy because there's been no decent surf in a while and working hard has kept my mind off it for a while but I'm now really starting to get itchy feet and could do with the exercise! 

Final issue online.

On The Push number 10 has gone online today and in order for there to be some surprises in the feature length film Helen and I have decided to make this the last installment to go online.  

Number 10 is a little different from the others with little in the way of action from the beach instead it features action from the Heathrow climate change/runway expansion protest we went to.

So what's next for us? Well there's loads of work still to do we've got the final few scenes still to film and while Helen's knuckling down in the edit suit we've also got to be marketing the films and arranging screenings.

After the first screening in Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion on the 19th September we're planning on taking the film on tour to venues across Wales and Devon and Cornwall. I'll put the dates up as they are confirmed.

As far as surf goes I haven't been in the water that much this month due to a mix of dire surf and having lots of work on.  We had a lovely few days of decent sized surf last week but apart from that we haven't seemed to have more than stormy onshore slop since May.  Seems like those climate change predictions for more storm surf may have arrived earlier than we hope. And as I type outside there is torrential rain which has been falling none stop since none stop for over 12 hours. It feels very much like it was this time last year I just hope the flooding is no where near as bad.  

On the Push 10

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To fly or not to fly?

Trailer-On the Push

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A Surfer's Guide to Climate Change

Summer Surf and a busy month.

Surf's not been up to much the last month and the summer crowds have descended in force but at least we've had some sunshine and it's been no where near as wet as last year. It's turning into a typical British summer.

Meanwhile we've been busy getting On The Push ready for it's feature length edit.  Filming at the protest went well and I'm busy planning another form of action.

We've also re shot the trailer for the beginning of the film and that should be up today and the next installment is on the way.

This is an exciting time I can see the whole film starting to take shape (Helen's going to get started on the full edit this week!) and we've booked a promotional screening tour for Cornwall in October. I'll put dates and locations up soon.

Activism?

It's very frustrating being a surfer in Wales after having that couple of weeks of great surf the last 3 haven't seen anything bigger than 2ft.  But as I'm stuck working in London this week I'm kinda glad because it means I'm not missing anything.

We've been filming On The Push for a year now and the end is in sight. Helen and I have scripted the final couple of days shooting for the end of July and the editing is going to happen through August in time (hopefully!!) for the premier on the 19th September at Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion.

When I interviewed Richard at the C Change Trust he suggested that some times other action is needed to bring important issues to the forefront of peoples minds.  I've never been involved in activism of any sort so wasn't too sure where to start. Also feel a little nervous about using activism as a way of raising the profile of issues. But I'm willing to give it a go.

There's a Climate Change and Heathrow airport expansion protest in London on Saturday which I wanted to go on to experience this kind of activism.

On the Push 08

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Hot, Sunny, Offshore & Pumping Surf and yes I'm still in Wales!

The swell has finally dropped today after over 2 weeks of solid groundswell and mostly favourable winds. My body's crying out for a rest and my bank manager would like me to do some more work.

Yesterday morning Helen and I went down to Llangennith with Pete Jones to film him surfing to go with his interview from last week. It was 2-3ft offshore and we got some lovely shots both in and out of the water so can't wait to see the finished edit. I went for a surf later that afternoon on the push and had a lovely session. The waves were a solid 4ft with light offshores and as nice a Llangennith gets. The water temperature has gone up nicely in the last 2 weeks too so I've lost the boots and might even attempt my summer suit soon.

Although the air temperature over the last few days has been nearly 10 degrees above the average of 16 for this time of year it isn't something that can really be pinned down to global warming as April and May are transition months and often have warm episodes like this. But what is being linked to global warming is the trend for these warm spells to be coming in a little earlier each year and that fact that plants are flowering earlier each year and newborn animals are being born earlier too.

The Welsh Nationals were held over the Bank Holiday weekend and were blessed with good surf and mixed weather. I was ill so didn't make it down until the Monday but in time for my heat and 3ft clean waves in the sunshine. The atmosphere at the comp was great with loads of people hanging out in the sunshine watching the heats. I got knocked out in my heat but it meant I could film the finals. Jo Dennison won the womens for the second year running with Beth Mason coming second, Renee Godfrey third and my friend Breige Laurence coming 4th.  The mens was won by Lloyd Cole from Swansea and Greg Owen from Porthcawl came second.

So all in all it's been a great couple of weeks and the next installment of the film should be up by the end of the week.

Yay! The surf's arrived.

Finally after three weeks of little to no surf we've got a solid swell that looks set to continue for the next week. Water's warming up slowly too and I've taken off my gloves but it's only just warm enough to surf without them. The hoods gone too which is a big relief especially as I got sunburnt yesterday which would have made for very stupid looking tan lines had I been wearing it!

I've been making full use of the last 3 days of surf and as a result am feeling sore and tired and have done very little work but now I've got the desperation out of my system I'm going to have to knuckle down, not the easiest thing to do when you can see the surf's pumping on the webcam.

Helen and I went up to Llangennith yesterday to interview Pete Jones who runs the surf shop and surfline surf report for the area. He talked to us about the changes he's seen in his 40 years of surfing Gower. We then headed to Langland for a surf in the sunshine. His interview should be online next week sometime.

Next weekend is the Welsh Nationals in Pembrokshire so I'm heading down with some of the other girls to give it a go and looks like the swell's going to stick round too. Should be a good weekend.

See you in the water.

Carbon Offsetting and a Party (No surf though!)

What a rubbish month for surf. Apart from those 2 lovely days on the 30th and 31st March. But April has been dire, either flat or really windy, all in time for the start of the contest season! Hopefully it'll pick up soon.

In the meantime Helen and I have been busy working on ideas for the feature length version and doing some more filming.

This week we went to Bristol to interview Richard Whistance the founder of The C Change Trust, a carbon offsetting charity with a difference.

They're a UK based charity and the money goes towards re-establishing, planting and maintaining green spaces and native woodland. Renewable energy projects and educating school children.  Richard was great to interview and very passionate about sustainability and climate change I think he'll be great on screen I just don't envy Helen wading through what was a long and interesting interview and getting it down to a couple of minutes of screen time.

Tonight we're going to the Tonnau Surfers Ball at Langland, Gower. The magazine are organising a party at which we are screening some of the film so far and if we have time my surf film Grey Days.  Should be a good night and be good to get some feedback before we get going on the finished film.

I'll blog on how it goes and hopefully there'll be some surf by next week!

 

Funding and some lovely surf.

Surf's going flat this week but we've had a couple of lush days over the last couple of weeks with last Monday being the best of them. With sunshine, light winds and 4-6ft of swell it felt like summer was on the way. Unfortunatly it doesn't look like we'll be seeing anything like that for at least the next 10 days.

We got some good news from the Welsh Film Agency who have offered their support for the film and have awarded us a grant in order to get the film another editor and for marketing. They would like to see the film making it to the cinemas and hopefully with their support it will. Exciting times! All we need now is the surf!

Issue 7 now online.

Issue 7 is now online and looking good.

 It can be seen on Blip TV  or on YouTube.

The facebook group can also be joined here!

As far as the surfing is going at the moment I've not got much to report as I've been ill the last 2 weeks and when ever my friends have rung to say what a lovely surf they've just had I've just stuck my fingers in my ears and hummed to myself. But I'm fit and healthy again and as sods law would have it it's flat!  Hopefully there'll be something around the end of the week.

See you in the water!

OnthePush 07

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Save the Waves protect surf spots- and coastlines.

12th March 2008 Good surf and storms.

Well it's been another mixed couple of weeks. I've had 2 days of stunning surf on (Big) Wednesday the 27th Feb and Tuesday 4th March, the sun shone and the winds were light and I surfed until my arms were noodles and there was no feeling in my feet.  This is the first winter in 10 years of surfing where I have been able to manage 3 surfs a day. Up until this year I've normally found it hard enough to go in a second time let alone a third. My new wetsuit has a large part to play in this but it is the warmer air temperature that's making a real difference.  It is also the first time I've got sun burnt at this time of year, a nice bonus you might think - looking tanned at this time of year but unfortunately wearing a winter wetsuit and cap have lead to silly tan lines so I've ended up looking like I either haven't washed or rubbed my foundation in properly.  

Days before it appeared in the news surfers were muttering about the storm of the winter being due this week along with the biggest tides. And as predicted it's been big and stormy but no more so than it is every winter here.  The big tides that have come at the same time were the biggest worry but it seems the Welsh coast has stood up well. The pictures in this blog were taken this morning on Porthcawl sea front. It was awesome to watch the shear size and power of the waves, beautiful and scary - I was glad to be on land.

On The Push - Issue 7 is due online at the end of the week and features interviews on the dredging of sandbars, a natural sea defence in both Gower and Northern Spain. An appropriate issue for if storm like this one become more common we are going to regret removing sand from offshore to build houses (often in flood risk areas) onshore.

The films will also soon be up on youtube too.  

26th Feb 2008

Well I've been surfing nearly everyday but the last couple of weeks haven't been anything special. I've no complaints though as the surf has mostly been joined by sunshine and an hour of sun at this time of year does as much for me as a surf.

Last Friday saw the 2 week sunny and dry spell (another January record!) broken by a steady drizzle and as Murphy's Law would have it it was also the day we had also arranged to interview John Powell otherwise known as the Gower Weatherman. He's been monitoring the weather from his place on Gower for 47 years. All the information he collates then goes to the MET office. He also does the weather report for local radio. 

He confirmed what all the papers have said and what we all noticed that January was the mildest on record. On the 10th it didn't drop below 10.3 degrees all night - exceptionally warm. On average Gower was 2 degrees above normal all January.  It might not seem like much but the flora and fauna notice changes in temperature a lot more than us and it will have knock on affects that we wont even realise.

I remember last winter being really warm and if this winter has been even warmer again I'm wondering what next year will bring?

 I'd be interested to see if there have been any changes in patterns of ocean storms in the North Atlantic over the last few years too, not just as a surfer but as someone who lives in an area of coastal flooding. This is one of the other predictions for global warming. So if you know or are some one who has access or knows where we might get this type of information please get in touch.

Well the wind's dropped and there's a decent swell on the buoys so I'm off for an early night and I'm not sure if I'll notice those extra 2 degrees at six in the morning it is still winter for me this week!

11th Feb 2008

I'm sore and the water's still dripping out my nose but I wouldn't change it for the world.

The last 5 days I've surfed overhead offshore conditions in glorious sunshine - February doesn't get much better than this. It's been a bit tricky timing wise to get a good surf due to the massive 10m tides but it's been well worth it. Part of me feels guilty for not getting the camera out but I think sometimes you just have to enjoy it with your own eyes - well that's the excuse I used to make myself feel better. As I came out of the back of a wave while paddling out last night I was surrounded by gold rain and a pink sunset. The offshore wind lifted spray off the top of the wave which as it fell around me was catching light off the setting sun. So beautiful - those are the moments I surf for.

It really has been lovely and warm too with temperatures reaching 17 degrees (average is around 8-10 for this time of year).  This morning and over the weekend the papers were full of articles on the unseasonably warm weather and which flowers are out early and which birds have arrived early. 

Here's what the Daily Telegraph said. 

And The Times.

The Guardian looked at which birds would be affected and how. 

So I'm feeling a little split in 2 at the moment I'm enjoying the unseasonably warm weather yet there's the other half of me that's worried about the other effects which come with a changing climate.

21st January 2008

Helen and I have just got back from Arolla in Switzerland where we filmed an installment of On The Push.  Snowboarding has close connections with surfing and with so many surfers enjoying their time in the mountains we thought it important to look at an environment and a sport which relies totally on regular seasons and snow fall.

Arolla, near the Swiss/Italian boarder, sits at 2,000m and with the top of it's piste's at over 3,000m it has regular and reliable snowfalls until quiet late in the ski season.  It is also home to 4 glaciers one of which is the Arolla glacier the snout of which comes down into the valley behind me in this photo. The glacier can be seen in the top right hand corner. 

Like most glaciers around the world the Arolla glacier is retreating. The effect this will have on people around the world will be through sea level rise. (Tony Butt discusses the implication of sea level rise in issue 6.) Being landlocked it would take a massive amount of sea level rise for this to affect Switzerland but there are other effects which I hadn't though about, such as the glaciers supplying most of the water for the hydroelectric stations from where the Swiss get a lot of their electricity.

The glaciers are retreating because they aren't being replenished each winter through snowfall. Less snowfall is also a blow to the Swiss economy as the ski season gets shorter and snow is only found at higher altitudes.  

We interviewed Rob who runs www.snow-forecast.com who said that a lot of the big ski resorts were built at lower altitudes in the 1950's a period of consistent snow fall at lower altitudes. These resorts now regularly  use snow machines to create enough snow. The banks will not fund the building of new resorts at low altitudes any more.

We also interviewed a bar and chalet owner and a glaciologist who lives in Arolla and has studied the glacier for over 30 years.

It was my first time on a snowboard and I love every minute. I can see why people love both the mountains and boarding. It took me a couple of days to get round using my front foot so much because with surfing your turns all come from you back foot. Once I'd got the hang of that I hit the main piste with Helen to record some action shots and links.  Normally I'm rubbish at remembering my lines but I was so focused on trying not to wipe out on camera that the lines were easy, maybe I should do all my links from now on while attempting a new sport. There are lots of shots of me wiping out though so I'm hoping Helen doesn't edit in an out take section.  We did film some proper snowboarders too so there will also be some fun snowboarding footage alongside the interviews.

Helen goes on a ski holiday each year and normally takes the ski train but for this trip we flew - yes it is hypocritical of us and our reason for flying was,

It would cost 4 times as much and take 4 times a long to get there.  The way things are set up in the modern world doesn't make it easy to be green especially if your on a tight budget. 

Much as I would have loved to have taken a train through Europe this film is being made on a wing and a prayer and I couldn't take any more time off work.

What can we do about all those extra hydrocarbons? Well we have thought about carbon offsetting but in some ways that just seems like an excuse, a way of alleviating guilt. But at the same time planting a few more trees isn't going to do any harm either. 

It's got us thinking a little more about carbon offsetting so we're going to visit a carbon offsetting company in Devon, see how offsetting works and offset the production of On The Push.    

 

5th January 2008 - Happy New Year

Wow it's been a manic month but a brilliant one.  The Spanish trip went well. I was a bit worried we wouldn't get there as a force 10 gale was forecast for our crossing but the ferry sailed and we just about held onto our stomach contents! 

We stayed in Asturias with Tony Butt and his wife Annabelle. Also visiting was Will Henry surf photographer, filmmaker and founder of  Save The Waves   Although there to interview them both we just spent the first couple of days surfing and surf filming. The swell that had made for a rough crossing was still turning the WAM (Wave Amplitude Model - Chart which shows size of swell) blood red and Tony and Will were keen to get out there. I surfed a few of the sheltered spots but was far to scared to even think about paddling out at some of the breaks.

Tony lives for big wave surfing and rarely surfs anything other than a gun (a big wave board) it was amazing to watch and I managed to get a couple of his waves on film.

This is just one of them! There's a couple more in the latest issue of On The Push. 

Will's from Northern California and looked perfectly at home in the big surf on his 6ft6 quad (four fined board) not your typical big wave board.

On the Wednesday we were all invited to attend a surf festival in Salinas one of the larger local towns with a large population of surfers and a beach break at the front of the town. Carlos who was running the festival took us for a lunch of menu del dia at a restaurant overlooking the surf. The event was going to start with some surf films including Will's film Lost Jewel of the Atlantic to be followed by an environmental discussion on climate change and coastal development. 

Salinas is near to Rodiles a world class river mouth break similar to Mundaka. It is currently being threatened by the local government and developers wanting to dredge the river mouth to allow bigger boats into the local marina. Doing this would benefit only a minority of locals and a few rich visitors who own larger sailing vessels. For locals it would mean the destruction of a natural sea defence (while we were there the large swells resulted in surges which moved up some of the local rivers and flooded mostly uncultivated and undeveloped land). Removing a natural sea defence and building on the coast and flood plain is just making us more vunerable. The natural coastal environment will be fine it will just adjust itself but it's those people that live in this dynamic environment that will suffer.   

With the threat of rising sea levels being linked to global warming this hardly seems the time to be destroying natural sea defences. 

So this was to be the topic of discussion with a panel sitting on stage in front of an audience of local surfers and media. The panel was to be made up of lawyers, scientists, Will, Tony and me. Not quite sure how that happened and what exactly I could contribute to this discussion next to all these but I said I'd try my best.

As it turned out when I did have something to say it was very hard to get a work in edge ways which I didn't mind too much.  The discussion got very heated and there were a few sceptics in the whole global warming debate but the biggest issue for them was Rodiles which was an issue they felt was out of their hands. With the suggestion of improving the profile of local surfers and surfing in the area there appeared to be a reluctance to the whole idea of opening it up to the wider world and bringing more surfers in. Rodiles already has a reputation as being a very localised spot.

Even with this reputation we found every surfer we met friendly and open and enjoyed a night out on the tiles of Salinas. Needless to say we appeared bright eyed and bushy tailed the next morning for our interview and photo's for surf mag Sesenta 6! The photo of the 4 of us at the top of this blog is from that morning.

Our interview with Tony deals with climate change and we are doing a different issue for Will's interview as he talks about the destruction of surf breaks and why they are worth saving. The issues they are having in Northern Spain are similar to those facing surfers and surf breaks around the world but we are also going to look at this issue as it comes a little closer to home and affects the breaks of Gower.

I came home over a slightly calmer bay of Biscay to a peaceful Christmas and fun waves. New Year was also blessed with waves although there were plenty of sore heads in the lineup that morning it was a perfect way to start 2008. Clean waves, warm(ish) weather, sun on my face and sharing it all with friends I hope there's plenty more of that to come.   

1st December 2007

Bit of a mixed bag of surf the last month and nothing too special to write home about.

On the 5th Helen and I are off to Northern Spain on the ferry to interview the Oceanographer and big wave surfer Tony Butt. Carn't wait I haven't been on a surf trip - sorry - work trip! this year. We are also going to visit Rodilles where the surfers are battling against local developers who want to dredge the river mouth sand bars to let bigger boats in. The sand bars provide a world class surf break as well as being a natural sea defence. There we are going to interview Will Henry the director of Save The Waves.

Just hope the crossing isn't too rough!

28th October 2007

After a flat start to the month we had nearly 2 weeks of brilliant surf and lovely weather - this is what life is meant to be like! I didn't get much filming done as I spent most of the time surfing trying to make up for the last 2 months. But now I've got that out my system we're going to get on with plotting the next few installments.

We did manage to get some filming done at the beginning of the month at the BPSA surf contest at Rest Bay, Porthcawl.  I was judging the event so Helen followed some of Wales's best female surfers, Jo Dennison, Beth Mason and Gwen Spurlock as they progressed through the event. When interviewed on their views on climate change and the impact their lifestyles have on the environment there seemed to be a little confusion so we set them a task to do the Surfers Against Sewage Carbon Footprint Game on their website.

30th September 2007

What a fustrating 6 weeks. September is normally one of our best months for surf but it's been flat since mid August.  Most of the surfers I know have been dealing with it in a number of ways, disappearing to France or Ireland, finding themselves another hobby or hitting the pub and throwing themselves into the Rugby World Cup.

Thankfully there seems to be a low pressure on the horizon and the surf looks good for next week just in time to save a number of people from alcoholism!

While unusual for us to have a flat September it's not unheard of.  All it takes is for the UK to have a high pressure in dominance for a few weeks and there have been fewer hurricanes this season that have tracked up the eastern seaboard of America.  It is not something I'd contribute to global warming.

With a lack of surf to film we thought we'd look at something more predictable - the tide!  As the Bristol Channel has the second largest tidal range in the world it is also home to the Severn Bore.  Every spring and autumn on the biggest tides of the year the Bore takes the form of a rideable wave.  So we sent Welsh Champion Jo Dennison off to try and ride it.  

With such a huge amount of water moving around the Bristol Channel every day surely there's a way we can harness this power so we managed to corner Swansea surfer and founder of Swan Turbines James Orme to look at the possible options for using the Bristol Channel as a site for alternative sources of energy.

30th August

The second week of August Helen and I headed back down to Cornwall for the Rip Curl Boardmasters on Fistral Beach, Newquay.  The biggest surf event and contest to be held in Britain attracting surfers from all around the world.  As well as the surf contest there's live music, skate contest and trade stalls.

The Eden Project had a large stall displaying their latest eco-boards. The boards are made from traditional foam and resin but the foam and resin are made from plant based materials. Sarah Bentley was also down at the boardmasters and we took out two of the eco boards, the mini-mal and a short board to test.  Both surfed like a regular board.  The only visible difference is the foam is a slightly yellow colour like a regular board that has been left in the sun for too long but this has no impact on performance and is purely cosmetic.  When my current board dies I'd have no qualms about moving onto an eco-board and Sarah said she'd be quite happy to surf one as her contest board.

30th July 2007

Well we've had the surf but we've also had the rain and wind with it. I haven't minded too much as some of the sheltered spots have been working but for the surf and tourist industry of south Wales, Devon and Cornwall this weather has lead to a bad year financially. Surf schools have had up to 50% less bookings and all of the shops I have spoken to have also been having a bad season.  We can't complain too much though as flooding hasn't been too much of an issue for us unlike most of the country.

Ironically we had a lovely day for our meeting with Chris at Surfers Against Sewage to discuss their latest report on Climate Change.  The interview can be seen in this months film. Unfortunately one of the SAS's key concerns of combined sewage and storm drains being unable to cope with increasingly heavy rainfall seems to be a horrible reality for lots of British people this month.  Chris also gave us some suggestions on how to make our lives more energy efficient and therefore better for the environment.

On the beach at St. Agnes that day we met up with pro surfer Sarah Bentley and had a chat about how that surf and weather conditions have been down in Cornwall over the last winter.

I've just got myself a new board a Viking 6ft2" which goes like a dream but like nearly all board it's made from foam and fiberglass - not the most environmentally friendly of materials but there aren't many other options out there for those who want an affordable high performance board.  Next week Sarah and I are going to meet  Chris Hines from the Eden Project and test his new eco-boards made from sustainable natural materials. 

Surf wise August is renowned for being the flattest month of the year and so far the surf reports aren't looking good. Fingers crossed there'll be some waves later in the month for the Rip Curl Boardmasters in Newquay and for us to test the eco-board on.   

 

Directors of On the Push at BeyondTv festival

Meet the women behind the On the Push series when they showed at the Beyond Tv international film festival

30th June 2007 - The Start!

June has been a manic month. Helen and I have both agreed we want to do this project together and have committed the next year to the filming of this documentary.

The end of May beginning of June saw South Wales having nearly 2 weeks of consistant surf and lovely weather - a rare combination in the summer.  The rest of the month hasn't lived up to the earlier promise and has been pretty much flat or so windy that what little swell was there has been blown out.  The flat spell has been accompanied by torrential rain. From what I've seen we've got off lightly here with little in the way of flooding but that doesn't mean there's been no side affects to the heavy rain.  For water users and surfer it was probably a good thing that there was no surf when the rain started. With the ground baked hard from weeks of sunshine and no rain the first torrential rainfall would have had difficulty infiltrating the soil and would have just run off quickly into rivers, storm drains and the sea.  The problem with this is the flash floods that were seen in the north of England and pollution.

The pollution comes from 2 sources:

Direct runoff from the land, for example, after a big tide or heavy rainfall sheep poo can be found in the lineup round Gower from the sheep that graze the coastline.  Other pollutants such as pesticides and fertiliser aren't so visible.

Rain in built up areas is unable to infiltrate the soil anyway so the water runs into drains and in most towns and cities these storm drains are linked to the sewage system with overflow outlets going straight into the sea or other open water source.   So during periods of heavy and extended rainfall the sewage system is unable to cope and sewage is mixed with rain runoff in the overflow pipes.

With predictions for climate change in this country including longer dry spells followed by more volitile storms and heavier rainfall this occasional problem might become a permanent one with major effects on marine life and the health of surfers.

This is one of the key concerns of Surfers Against Sewage a group that have successfully battled for cleaner waters around Britain for the last 30 years. They have also released a report this week on how climate change is and will possibly affect surfers and the coastal environment. It makes for interesting reading and is clearly set out for the average surfer to understand.

Next week Helen and I are off to Cornwall to meet up with the SAS guys and find out what they have to say.

I'm also hoping to make the most of now and score some waves after a barren 2 weeks.

On the Push in the newspaper

From the Evening Post

DUO FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Local movie-makers are monitoring Gower's shifting sands to gauge the effects of climate change on the region. We've all seen the pictures on the TV news - hurricanes, flooding, superstorms and typhoons.

Most of this wild weather seems to happen thousands of miles away from Swansea, in the Caribbean or in the middle of the Atlantic. So, we may ask, what has it got to do with us? What can we do about hurricanes in Florida or melting ice caps?

These are dramatic examples, but the effects of climate change are starting to hit a lot closer to home.We've all seen the terrible scenes of devastation that the recent floods have caused in the Midlands and North of England.But what if climate change started affecting our beautiful Gower beaches? Is it happening already?

This is exactly what two award-winning Swansea film-makers want to find out.
Anne Gallagher and Helen Iles have just started work on a new eco-film about the effect of global warming on Gower beaches.

The project came about when Helen, who works for independent film-making company Undercurrents, took a walk on Caswell Beach, near where she lives.
"I noticed the sand was depleted and it looked like it was almost down to the bedrock," said Helen. "I spoke to the chap who runs the cafe at Caswell Beach. He is a surfer and he told me about destructive and constructive waves."

Destructive waves are large waves which take sand away from the beach while constructive waves are smaller and bring sand back onto the beach.Helen wondered whether global warming was responsible for more larger or deconstructive waves depleting the sand on her local beach.

"I thought this was really interesting and it was through this that the film idea came about," she said.Helen decided to look around for someone to help her make the film - and she needed somebody who could surf.

She got together with keen surfer Anne Gallagher, another award-winning film-maker, who had already been making her own observations about surfing conditions on Gower beaches.

"My observations in Gower over last winter were that the waves were bigger and more consistent, and the sea temperatures warmer," said Anne.

"There's a lot of anecdotal evidence from ordinary people noticing changes in weather patterns. We'd like to draw attention to what's happening in Gower."

Helen said she and Anne would be filming at Gower beaches for a year.Every month Anne and Helen's findings will be put onto the web as an internet blog. The whole thing eventually will be put together in a hour-and-a-half long film.

"The film charts the journey of a surfer - it is an anecdotal piece, which Anne will be presenting," said Helen.

Each monthly film will be four-and-a- half minutes long. "In this we'll be talking about what has happened in the past month on the beach," said Helen.

But the film won't only be about the beaches, Helen and Anne will be talking to environmental experts on Gower and further afield in Cornwall.They will also be talking to organisations such as Surfers against Sewage and visiting the Eden Project in Cornwall.

Anne and Helen's film will be called On the Push

"It is a really powerful title," and being about wave, "It is also appropriate because the whole film is about waves - constructive and deconstructive."

Helen said that viewing the effects of climate change through the eyes of a surfer was an ideal medium for the film. "Surfers are in tune with the climate. As a group, they are very aware and very conscious of the environment."

Helen said now was an ideal time to make an eco-film because people were becoming more aware of threats to the environment, albeit slowly in some cases.

"People are still at the stage where they need convincing that climate change is a reality. There is anecdotal evidence coming from all corners of the world to convince us."

Undercurrents has been making films on ethical subjects for the past 15 years and has been based in Swansea's Environment Centre since 2000. Anne hopes Tonnau will make people think about climate change in Swansea.

"This film will show the impact of climate change on Swansea," she said.

Helen and Anne are now looking for ethical businesses that may be interested in sponsoring the film.

"We are willing to do a bit of product placement," said Helen. "We are not usually up for sale but this film gives us a lot more scope to accept sponsorship."For further information contact Helen on 01792 455900 or email: helen@undercurrents.org
Or check www.onthepush.org