Joe Truman having fun on the inside

Apologies for not naming anyone else, tell me who you are and I’ll make sure you get a mention.

It’s the first solid swell since i got the Canon 7d, so as well as enjoying some proper waves myself, i made sure to hang around and take lots of photos too. The first two batches are shot into the early evening sun, so at times all i got was shimmering silhouettes (which is why i went for a few monochrome shots edited in Lightroom) but every now and then i got a little back-lit beauty too.

There’s a few shots of Joe Truman making the most of it and finding a little shade on a warm sunny afternoon.
Part Two (more from 2nd Sept) and parts 3 & 4 (more from 3rd Sept) will follow as soon as i get time to upload and look through all the shots i took (so maybe when the swell is over?)

Joe enjoying the waves this morning

Jo takes off on a nice one

Toby on a Longboard

After an hour in the water I decided to test the HD movie function on my camera, so here is a short clip of a few of the waves from this morning.

Alan was always around the sea and would spend his time either at Grange Chine or Sandown Bay where he would swim and body surf.

In June 1982 Alan was to stay at his sister’s house in East Wittering and had a go at surfing on her friends Bob’s board (who apparently still has the same shack in east Wittering now). The waves were small but clean and glassy and Alan was hooked straight away.

Alan also met Nicholas Lyndhurst (Rodney) who also has a passion for surfing and was once sponsored by Chapter. This is mentioned on the website www.englandsurf.com in an interview with Sam Lamiroy;

‘We spoke to a guy called Alan Reed, he was telling us when he first started he ran into Nicholas Lyndhurst, when he was surfing. Have you met any one like that at all, anyone un-surfing related?’

Al's sister Susan, father Les and Al with his first board

The following April Alan’s sister Susan gave him his first surfboard for his birthday. It was a 7’ Lightning Bolt popout with a clear resin fin. Alan surfed it solidly for the next couple of years until while trying a floater at Sandown he landed on one of the groins and it snapped.

In the summer of 1984 Alan got a job at Nodes Hill holiday park with Tristan May. The money he earned from his summer job allowed him to buy a custom board from the new shop in Sandown, ‘Barnstormers’ owned and run by Barney Barnes. It was a Vitamin Sea, Quad Fin (4 fin drive), 6’1 ½”, double winged, swallow tail. That Christmas saw memorable swells wrapping into Sandown Bay and Al remembers  clean glassy waves and watching amazed as a bearded “Catweasle” (Roger Butler) pulled into barrels on a big old log. “You could see him through the curtain, just steaming down the line.”

Bert (Martin) Spencer another punk rocker and good friend gave him lifts to the beach in his 2CV. They would be seen at many gigs at Shanklin Pier with their huge Mohawks and Spiked hair. They would drink at the Prince of Wales pub in Sandown and often see Dave Grey there too. Dave was one of the most exciting surfers to watch during the 80’s and probably the best surfer on the Island during that time. Watching and surfing with Dave was a major influence to Alan.

In 1986 they set off west in Bert’s 2CV for Cornwall. One memorable trip with Bert, and Spencer Morgan they surfed perfect overhead Perranporth for almost 12 hours straight, only stopping for food and drink. Other trips to Cornwall would find Alan and Bert sleeping in Mount Wise Car Park and drinking in the Vic bars every night.

Alan’s surfing became more sporadic for a few years after this as he did not drive and had no regular transport out of Sandown (not the most consistent break in the world). “I lost most of the jobs I had then because when the bay was on. I would have spent more than I could have earned just to surf and so got the sack a lot” Says Al. Al became interested in going to Festivals, Stonehenge and being a bit of a teenage anarchist. Al still got to surf but not very often as he didn’t always have a surfboard.

Going for a walk

Drop Knee Turn

In 1990 Al and his partner Julie moved to Newquay in search of a better lifestyle, make a fresh start and start surfing more again. Al managed to buy a surfboard and wetsuit for £35.

The board was a late 70’s early 80’s fat pig of a board with a thruster fin in a single fin box (Al jokes that it went left really well and he had to surf South Fistral a lot). The wetsuit had no zip so Al had threaded an old bootlace up the back like a corset, it also had burn holes in it from being left on a radiator for too long. This didn’t stop Al from surfing all year round, although in the winter the sessions were only about 20 minutes at a time before he would be forced to come in and warm up before he got hypothermia.

Over the years Al had surfed all sorts of different styles of boards and by the next spring he knew exactly what board he wanted. At that time Al looked and dressed a lot like Sid Vicious. So when Al walked into a surf shop in Newquay the majority of people probably thought he was looking to steal something.

So when Al walked into the Newquay Surf Board Company shop, the salesman Jeremy Robinsons’ first thoughts were probably not that this guy was seriously looking for a board. Al picked an Ocean Magic that looked perfect and said to Jeremy that he wanted it. Jeremy laughed and just though Al was a kook and would never ride this high performance board. Al put down a deposit and within a couple of weeks the board was his.

A few weeks later after having a surf at Great Western, Al was riding a wave in when he saw Jeremy paddling out. Al says the look on Jeremys’ face was a picture as he could now see that this punk was actually pretty good. From that day Al became good friends with Jeremy and the shop owner Chris Jones.

Through Jeremy and Chris, Al went onto meet Steve, Dean and Russell Winter, Roger Mansfield, Guy Leverton (Mellow Marsh Yellow (MMY) surfboards, Guy went onto sponsor Al) and many others from the surfing industry.

Al’s landlord owned a hotel on the seafront and in 1994 the Oxbow Longboard European Tour Team stayed at the hotel. Some of the riders were Nat Young, Beau Young, Joel Tudor, Robert ‘Wingnut’ Weaver, Duane Desoto and Takuji Masuda. Al surfed with Takuji one evening while his landlord watched with some of the team riders. They loaned Al one of their progressive longboards to ride and were suitably impressed with Als’ surfing.

When the team were packing to leave ‘Wingnut’ offered Al a t-shirt. When ‘Wingnut’ was getting the t-shirt out of his bag he dropped the bag and there was a smash and then a very strong smell of cologne coming from the bag. All of ‘Wingnuts’ clothes were now soaked in his cologne.

Julie became pregnant that year and Al bought his first longboard, a Custard Point 9’4” nose rider. Al remembers watching Israel Paskowitz surfing North Fistral and he became a big influence on Al moving to longboarding.

Al’s landlord was so impressed with his surfing that he persuaded Al to enter a Longboard competition at Fistral even paying the entrance fee. Al didn’t disappoint and went through with Roger Mansfield in the first round. This gave Al a huge confidence boost and Al went on to pursue more competitions.

Soon after this Al was surfing Porthleven with Dean Winter when he went too deep and got smashed into the reef. Al ended up quite battered and bruised and with broken ribs.  A Pregnant Julie and Al had already decided to move back to the Island and at that point Al was desperate to get as much surfing in before they left. So even with broken ribs and feeling quite sore Al continued to surf, paddling into waves with one arm until they left for the Island.

Virgin Cola Pro Inter Surfest

Al at the Virgin Cola Pro Inter Surfest

When Al got back to the Island the Isle of Wight Surf Club had a lot going on and surfing was growing fast on the Island. Al remembers Cerri Williams, Ray Hutchings and Jill Fryer (Johnny Fryers’ Mum) being at the forefront of making this happen. Cerri Williams went onto sponsor Al, fronting competition entry fees and giving Al the use of new equipment from Cerris shop Offshore Sports in Shanklin.

Jill Fryer and Al at an IOW Surf Competition

Al went on to compete in numerous South Coast Championships (County Press article on East Wittering in 2006) and is currently the reigning champion.

South Coast Champion

Alan Reed at the South Coast Championships

Ray Hutchings (left) and Alan Reed (far right) at Compton for the South Coast Championships

In 2000 Al featured in the Longboarding UK2K DVD surfing Saunton in the UK Nose Riding Championships and a contest at Fistral on a surfboard shaped by Ray Hutchings.

Blackthorn - MMY Team

Al autograph signing after winning a heat at Fistral

Al joins Blackthorn from Carve Magazine - scan courtesy Les Gustar

In 2001 Al was sponsored by Blackthorn and Mellow Marsh Yellow (MMY) surfboards. Al was the first team rider to have a MMY longboard. It was a 9’8” Mark Neville Nose Rider in bright red.

The Islands’ TV station TV12 did and interview with Al, covering the Islands competitions and showing some of Al’s own film footage shot by Julie. Al and Julie went on to make a couple of Island surf movies ‘In The Sun’ and ‘Island Myland’.

Alan was also invited to join the attempt to break the record for surfing the largest ever surfboard. Al and fellow Islander Johnny Fryer were among the surfers on a 32ft Custard Point longboard. Al says he was the last man on the board, standing right on the tail. After they successfully broke the record Al was interviewed for Record Breakers.

For twenty years Al’s time has been taken up caring for his family. Al’s wife Julie has had life long chronic pancreatitis and Al was diagnosed as having Ataxia type 6 in 2004. His mother was one of the first diagnosed with the condition in 1980. Al set up a support group for it on the Island in 2008, and an article was written by the County Press to help highlight the group. Al has 4 children ranging from 5 months to 15 years old and they also have 3 dogs. Most of the family surf or have surfed including the dogs who can sometimes be seen on Al’s longboard at Compton. 15 year old daughter Amy is training to be a lifeguard and has competed for the Ladies Hotdoggers Team.

Al shares a wave at Compton last winter

Al setting up for a barrel at the bay last winter

Al currently competes for the Hotdoggers (Saunton, North Devon) Longboard Club in the interclub championships team events and 60’s stylemasters. The whole family travel down to Saunton several times a year or wherever the venue is, and  have been to Wales, Cornwall and the North East (Scarborough) to enjoy a really exciting and inspiring Longboarding scene around the U.K.

British Club Longboard Team

Footage from Compton, Niton and Freshwater Bay starring Roger Cooper, Dave Salero, Roger Backhouse, Dougie Saunders, Sid Pitman, Keith Williams, Tony Macpherson, Pete Brown, Magic ‘Cosmic’ Surf, Dave Jacobs, Brian Hill and others.

We would like to say a big thank you to Annie and Tony Macpherson for the use of this great footage.

Over the last few months we have been given these lovely mugs that were given out at the 1982 and 1984 Isle of Wight Surf Club competitions. On the mugs it says they were sponsored by Burts Brewery. We would love to know more about the mugs and the competitions, if anyone has further information please get in touch.

We would like to say a big thank you to Dave Long and Rex Haines for the mugs.

Al with a Mickey Dora Black Da Cat Model

Alan Reed placed 3rd in the Masters section at the 60’s Stylemasters at Saunton, North Devon last weekend. Alan became 40 this year and competed in the Masters section for the first time.

The 60’s Stylemasters was the idea of Norman Wright and the Hotdoggers Surf Club from Saunton, North Devon. Al says that the event was started a 8 years a go as an invitational event and the top 30 longboarders from around the country were the first to be invited to compete. Alan has committed to competing in most of the events to date and says it is one of the most fun events he has ever been in.

The 60’s Stylemasters is the only old board contest of its’ kind, always promising the best of old school surfing from surfers all over the UK; British Champions, European Champions and surfers from Jersey to Wales.

The Stylemasters is purely for 60′s boards, only surfboards dating to before 1970 are allowed to be ridden. Surfers go into a draw to pick one of the 10 boards for the competition. Bilbo’s, Dewey Webber, Harbour and a Greg Noll Black Da Cat Model are just some of the boards that are available to ride, some of which are quite heavy. Rollercoasters, Cavemans & El Telephonos as well as other vintage moves are what score the points in this competition. The rules are no leashes and to try and surf as stylishly as possible without losing your board.

Harbour

Dewey Webber

Not until you try to surf one of these boards yourself do you realise just how talented these guys are.

Al on the nose

Mike Dudley a long time supporter of the competition and the main sponser behind the event. Mike loves the old style of surfing and funds the prize money etc. This year the competition was also sponsored by Gul for the first time. On the land Brian Sawdon had brought along his amazing 1950s British made Ford Pilot ‘woody and the Museum of British Surfing took along their Mobile Museum to the event.

Masters Final - Al Reed, Adrian Howell, Rich Emerson and Rob Wright

Results Open 1st Elliot Dudley, 2nd James Parry, 3rd Ben Haworth, 4th ‘Aussie’ Alex White

Results Masters 1st Rich Emerson, 2nd Rob Wright, 3rd Alan Reed, 4th Adrian Howell

Alan has been a member of the Hotdoggers for many years, competing for them all around the country. Saunton’s Hotdoggers surf club has been around some time. The club is the largest and longest running longboard club in the UK. In the early 70′s it was known as the Redwood Club, in 1984 it became the Chapter Hotdoggers, then in 1997 the club simply became The Hotdoggers a nationally-recognised longboard surf club with members from age 14 to over 70 years.

The Hotdoggers surfers are well travelled from France, Spain and Portugal to Hawaii, California, G Land, Australia and more. The club holds numerous contests throughout the year for all abilities, monthly gatherings, BBQs and other fun social events for members.

Al would also like to thank Wightlink for all their support, without which he wouldn’t be able to compete at such events.

All images by Julie and Al