Crab Claws & Runny Noses

AN INSIDE LOOK AT AN

UNEASYPASSION

Pho

togr

aphy

//Je

ff D

evin

eD

ocum

entin

g C

rab

Cla

ws

& R

unny

Nos

es

CRAB CLAWS

& RUNNY NOSES

An inside look at an uneasy passion

Sw

ell P

erio

d

Fact

s ta

ken

from

mag

icse

awee

d.co

m/

Uk

Ave

r-ag

es fr

om w

inte

r ‘0

9

*

OCT

003

72%Month

--% Month

--%

MONTH

---

Month

- ft

Month

-- SEC

Sw

ell H

eigh

t

Sw

ell c

onsi

sten

cy

Gro

und

Sw

ell

Win

d D

irect

ion

//Cover imageThor Johnsson

The Beginning, looking at why such simple fools would risk exposing our never regions to the elements during Winters hardest hours.

Every year as surfers we are presented with the change in weather called winter, with this come plummeting temperatures, driving rain and extreme winds. To a lot of people and surfers this spells the end to their activities in the water but to some this brings new prospects of insane waves.

To some we are regarded as mad or just simply stupid but there is one thing that we all strive for, the perfect wave and nothing from gale force storms to heavy snow will stop us if anything it will just encourage us even more.

To try and get across the whole experience of surfing through this tough time and explain WHY on earth we do it I thought it would be fun to create this booklet.

-Ben Sutcliffe

When I was asked to co-edit a zine to do with surfing in the winter it was a no brainer. For me it’s a passion that although starting in the warm seas of the Pacific has taken me across the globe and through some of the coldest seas. I never saw surfing in the winter as something that I wanted to necessarily do, it was in some ways a necessity to carry on what I wanted to do the most. The idea to try and sum up what it’s like through the sheer harsh weather to the brotherly affection of surfing during sub-zero temperatures seemed hard. Trying to think back to a time when I would have never thought of entering the sea in Britain even during the summer I would have looked at surfers as crazed idiots! But this is something that has shaped how I plan out my life. It has helped me find some of my closest friends and has shaped some of my happiest memories. The passion that I share with those around me and through growing up studying art and being surrounded by those who inspire and share my love of surfing made this project really appeal. So here is a collection of works selected from those with talent that inspire me by a love of a sport that has inspired all of us...

-Olly Barnes

*

Editors// Ben Sutcliffe + Olly Barnes

Designer// Olly Barnes

Photography// Jeff Divine, Charlie Aiken, Ben Sutcliffe, Owain Davies, Olly Barnes, Lauree McCall,

Illustrations// Lauree McCall, Olly Barnes, Seamouse

Words// Matt Sampson, Ben Sutcliffe, Phoebe Saker

Edito

rs No

tes

OCT

004

8 ft

fact

s//B

BC

-Wea

ther

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

7 0OUUUUWWWWW

7 hrs 49mins/ dayaverage sunlight

7 /Air Temp

OCT

005

SSW

7 0OUUUUWWWWWSLURRED

SMILES & ICE CREAM HEAD

300-400mm/ month average rainfall

Fully clothed in 7 water you freeze in 7 minutes

*

Facts

OCT

006

36%

THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN ALL YOU HEAR ARE THE CRIES OF GULLS ECHOING AROUND OUR SANDY COVES.

THE EERIE SILENCE THAT MAKES THIS ALL THE MORE MAGICAL, CREATING A SENSE OF EUPHORIA PLAYING AMONGST NATURE AND ALL HER BRILLIANT SIMPLICITY

W A L K I N G THROUGH AN A B A N D O N E D S H I P

//Tynemouth in all its quite glory

Pho

togr

aphy

//O

wai

n D

avie

sEE

HHHU

UR

Pho

togr

aphy

//C

harli

e A

iken

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

ssshhh

//Winter in all its quite glory

WET WILD &WINDY

eeyu

!

Pho

togr

aphy

//N

eil J

ends

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

RED SKY AT NIGHT

SHEPHERDS DELIGHT

//Nat Young predicting whats on the horizon

OCT

011

8 ft

eeyu

!Surf Forecasting. It’s always a nightmare where we’re from. The continental shelf in and around England isn’t like others around the world. The shallow shelf won’t generate or hold swell over a long period of time as it would in say Indonesia or West Oz. Infact it probably won’t hold a swell for much more than a day in summer but in winter it’s normally big enough to atleast get excited about! Swell predicting in the winter is a an art form crafted from years of dedication, local knowledge and some sort of voodoo knowledge that can’t be spoken on these pages. But as much of a negative this may have on our spirits there are positives. Firstly, ‘out back banter’ bout leap tides, changing banks and what could be keeps the excitement burning in even the eldest of surfers. The boys down the nursery slopes at Sennen are always on if there is even a hint of swell,and some of them are hitting 70!

Pho

togr

aphy

//N

asa2

010

//Nasa head of surf forecast Doctor Regenold Thaw

“Swell predicting is a an art form crafted from years of dedication, local knowledge and some sort of voodoo that can’t be spoken on these pages”

* THE A

RT OF

GOOD

...

Pho

togr

aphy

//B

en S

utcl

iffe

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

OCT

013

10 SEC

Avalanches, Blizzards &

Zeus’s wrath

Illus

trat

ion/

/Olly

Bar

nes

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

NOV

015

74%

poem//Matt Sampson

Skies darken and the sea grumbles from its guts,and a rising tide threatens to trample.

But stones cant cement cant runAnd trapped, grow accustomed to this bruising

a throw away from their retreating ancestors

what species of man built such structureswith such little regard of his eclectic future

or the grandeur of the opposition?Inspired by just these hard, shear bricks

of time evading legacy.This constructed mockery of self

exposing the insignificance of men

But what of these hardened souls who laid them?Surviving merely in the small brass engravings

which remain protected within these challenged walls

Externally the stones of this mighty portalembrace the challenge of their rising mother sea

whose rise and fall knowingly bides its time.A masterly display of patience

unknown to a humankind of quick fixes.Only to be glimpsed at in the old ruins

that no longer get paid any mind.

RISING MOTHER SEA

Pho

togr

aphy

//O

wai

n D

avie

sD

ocum

entin

g C

rab

Cla

ws

& R

unny

Nos

es

//Gabe Davies enjoying all that Basque winter has to offer

BBBRRRRRRRHH-NOV

017

SWW

WET WETSUITS &

WINTER PAIN

The night before I almost trick myself into what it is that I’m off to do the next day. Watching some of my favourite surf films with a couple of mates we all kinda kid ourselves of tropical paradise, perfect waves and all the other misconceptions of what ‘surfing’ is. We wake about an hour before light; it’s never easy to get everyone ready but we have those that are always up to it. In a way there is a sense that you don’t want to let the others down, trying to squeeze in water time between winter sun hours and work is always a problem. Sleepy tired and only kept warm by my duvet and the girlfriend Im leaving to plunge myself into freezing water!

It’s difficult to explain why I would get up way before the norm, chase swells depending on wind directions, periods and swell. Whether I am driving or one of my friends; it’s the last hundred meters approach to the surf that gets me. It’s cold and when I say cold we’re talking 6 degrees at midday. The thought creeps into my mind of my cold wet wetsuit. It’s been lying in my bucket since yesterdays surf. Cold, wet, stagnant, a real joy! As I wind up to have my first look of the day it’s still not quite light enough to see everything thats going on, I don’t know how many times I say ‘Im only surfing in the winter if it’s aroud 3ft or so, glassy perfection with an easy paddle out!’ But when you turn up no matter what the surf looks like you’re already commited. Today... yeah it’s alright, Id surf that...

words// P

hoebe Saker

BBBRRRRRRRHH-I d

on’t kn

ow h

ow m

an

y times I sa

y ‘Im on

ly surfi

ng

in th

e w

inter if it’s 3ft, g

lassy p

erfection w

ith a

n ea

sy pa

dd

le out!’

*

WET DREAMS

017

Pho

togr

aphy

//O

wai

n D

avie

sD

ocum

entin

g C

rab

Cla

ws

& R

unny

Nos

es

As I start to turn my wetsuit the right way, get my winter rashie out, boots, gloves, hood you name it it’s there (it’s been alot colder than normal this year Im going all out!). There’s a line between having my suit around my knees and that big pull to cover my bottom half, it’s always the worst bit, that moment that you think what the fuck am I doing. It hurts almost. It’s on, quick get my rashie on, get the rest on quick, run round the car park like a headless chicken. It’s the same every time, love it! Today is actually really good, Im like a grom running down the beach, it’s full on and as ever this time of year it’s just mates that I’ll be sharing waves with. Wet wetsuits and winter pain is all part of the joy of my surfing life. It gets to be a bit of a pain when you can’t move your hands due to the cold and need help to remove your wetsuit at times but Im sure anyone you’ll ask will tell you it’s worth it (just not straight after whilst we’re still cold!) I have a friend who was once found bollock naked at his local beach by his old man, he’d been in a little too long and been struck with hypothermia. He’s still at it though, there is no stopping this obsession.

I ha

ve a frien

d w

ho w

as on

ce foun

d b

ollock n

aked

at h

is local b

each

by h

is old m

an

DEC

019

9 ft

WET WET-SUITS &

WINTER PAIN

GOOSE PIMPLES OF

EXCITEMENT

//White winter wonderland no matter what your doing in it

FFFrrraAAeeezzDEC

020

11 SEC

illust

ratio

n//L

aurie

McC

all

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

//Ever think how small we are in comparison to all the elements that create surf?

DEC

021

11 SEC

WET WET-SUITS &

WINTER PAIN

CONSEQUENCES OF FROST & FOAM

it’s 5am saturday morning, 150 km onshore winds innhilate les landes, my fuckin roof rips off, me and my bird gotta make a shelter while rubble and terracotta tiles fly into the bedroom! it wrote off my best mates car that i borrowed for the winter, no electricity, water, anything for 4 days... in bayonee charging my phone 14 DEAD!!!! my flats probably like a fuckin swimming pool!!!2 weeks earlier my bird crashed in the snow so we’re carless, crazy! surfing in hossegor in winter... thats a fuckin story! i got shots of the damage but cant upload as batteries are dead... in bayone charging my life.. then back to war.ahhhhhh

anyway how are you man? here you’re getting good waves according to squeeky Ben!?... heres a few pics from the snow!

words//Owain Davies

*

NOW HEREs A

FUCKING STORY

Pho

togr

aphy

//C

harli

e A

iken

& K

yle

Kno

ght

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

WET WET-SUITS &

WINTER PAIN

INSIDE YOUR HOOD NEVER

ANY GOOD

//The touch and the taste. Senses are

taken from us as you head out

DEC

023

SSW

DEC

024

80%

illust

ratio

n//O

lly B

arne

sD

ocum

entin

g C

rab

Cla

ws

& R

unny

Nos

es

yyYYuWWw///Over the top excitement! when your that cold this regularly comes across in some form of girly squeel

WET WET-SUITS &

WINTER PAIN

BRAVE MANNERISMS

& CREATIVERESPONSE

JAN

025

12 SEC

FFFrrraAeeeZZeeYu!

SSshuahh

UAH

EEHHHUURBBBRRRRH-

///That shudder that attacks the back of your kneck as cold seeps through your seems and hits your core

///You gotta be all out to get everyone excited and ready to plan a dawny on a winters morn. A couple of these normally helps...

///Through the chitter chatter of freezing enamel comes the phrase we probably hear the most

///The relaxation realised across your entire body when you get the heat back into your body

///Pulling on a wet wetsuit in harsh weather can produce some shuddering sighs

///Sure anyone can relate to this, think about putting yourself through this for atleast one intense hour

JAN

026

11 ft

Illus

trat

ion/

/Lau

rie M

cCal

lD

ocum

entin

g C

rab

Cla

ws

& R

unny

Nos

es

JAN

027

N

WET WET-SUITS &

WINTER PAIN

SOUP, TEA & a

LIONS MANE

UAHEven when you’ve lost the feelings in your limbs, the surf wasn’t as good as you thought and all seems long and cold at the time of year nothing beats that sense of relief when your body starts to function and you realise that was just what you really needed...

* BREW

PLEA

SE

FEB

028

86%

yyYUuWww

phot

ogra

phy/

/Olly

Bar

nes

Doc

umen

ting

Cra

b C

law

s &

Run

ny N

oses

FEB

029

9 ft

yyYUuWwwso why?

FEB

030

12 SEC

AN INSIDE LOOK AT AN

UNEASYPASSION