Surfing Fluff
Name: James O'Flaherty
Age: 25
Job: IT & E Commerce Development Manager
Years Surfing: Not many!
Habitat: South Wales
Boards: 1
Quiver: 7'3" C 1 Fun Board, began on a 7'8" Bic. Hoping to be on a short board next summer.
Local Break: Rest & Coney
Favourite Surf Films: Endless Summer 2, then Endless Summer 1, Big Wednesday and I hate the new films where everyone gets pulled into waves, takes the heart of surfing away for me. 'Billabong Odyssey' tut, tut
Places Surfed: The Gower, Porthcawl, Newquay, St Ives and Lanzarote on 1st Dec '04!
Worst Wipeout: I'm sure mine will come in Lanza...but so far, it's going surfing in around 5ft at Newquay before I was ready, with some top class, well known surfers in the line up. I'd been surfing for four days straight and drinking till 4am then up at 7am for a surf which seriously killed my energy levels.
I tried to drunk/duck dive what looked like a wall, not a wave! It picked me up and I was dumped hard with about 1 million too many people in the water.
It felt like I was under water for ages and nearly killed about 3 swell boards who could not get passed the white water.
I got out of the water and watched my friends surf for another 3 hours. I blame the 7"8' Bic!
Then there was the time when me and 'Shredda' collided...He was on a borrowed board at the time and we thought we'd dinged it and paid £20 to get it fixed ASAP. We then found out the ding was already there.
Favourite Surfers:Kelly Slater and the "Young Guns" but I think anyone who wants to learn to surf is great unless your on the same wave as me!
Favourite Manoeuvre: Just catching a nice wave. When I pull something off cool, I will let you know!
Worst Surfing Habit: Getting the boyz up at 7am with a txt message and going in when its 1ft or less. Being too far back on my board. If I have not been in the water for more than two weeks then when I realise this, being too far forward and pearling. Soon as I'm in the water for an hour though, it all comes back.
Best Surfing Experience: Probably surfing 'Medium Tuesday' last summer, the day after the hurricane. Mostly 4ft and nearly clean but very fast waves. I would have surfed the Wednesday but could not get off work.
Any half decent days, surfing with your group of surfing friends, even if its two foot.
I'm sure most people who surf for fun have the same problems. This start of winter especially - where are the weekend waves?
Weirdest Surfing Experience: Parking about 3 miles from the beach and walking bare foot over horrible bitty roads. And having some poo follow me around Coney for about an hour.
Other Interests: Juggling the time I spend between surfing and my girlfriend.
