The Weekly Bugle
Into the weeds of the surfing week that was with Ulu seawalls, English Channel crossings, 5'6" speed records and a slowed down Ryan Callinan.
Paving Paradise at Uluwatu
I did a quick hit for SURFER on the plans to build a concrete retaining wall at the base of the Uluwatu Cliffs. A shout out to the editor at @emocean who provided vital info, and anonymously sourced this drone image of the excavation taking place. The work is being done to protect the Ulu Temple, where cracks in the cliff below have put it in jeopardy. The $7 million project has started and is due for completion in December. Yet again the pace and power of development on the Bukit seems unable to be stopped. Or as @Emocean said to me, “It’s probably too late and I don’t think social media will do much, but it’ll be a good place to grieve and take inventory.”
It's The Overalls
In more uplifting Ulu news, the tube is pretty good from Kiwi tube lord Matt Scorringe, and the scenery is pretty epic too. But it is the caption that elevates this post to true art.
The Fastest Wave Ever Ridden?
I spoke to William Aliotti this week, who is spending another month in Kandui Resort test-driving a batch of Ryan Lovelace asymmetrical offset twin fins. “The rounder, softer heel side is shaped to take all the speed that is generated on the quicker, straighter toe side and harness it,” he told The Bugle. One of surfing’s most interesting, creative cats might have just set a new surfing speed record on this one on a 5’6”.
Channel Crossings
The English Channel has been front and centre in my mind after Surf Bugle subscriber and surfing’s least famous dentist Dan Bateman swam it last week. To be fair it was fairly tiring tracking his 18-hour, 25-mile tide-and wind-lashed crawl from Shakespeare's Cliff to Cap Gris-Nez, but I made it in the end, with a few naps. As did he. Legendary effort. Then this week Laird Hamilton posted of his and Buzzy Kerbox paddleboard crossing in 1990. The pair turned up in France, did very little reconnaissance or apply for any permits, and paddled it in boardies without any boat assistance. The UK Coast Guard intercepted them, they refused to hop on board and were shepherded to shore to complete the crossing.
A Lid Under The Hood
I’ve looked at this clip of booger Shane Ackerman getting slotted about 20 times. And in a week of good captions, the simple “Continental Shelf” is more pure poetry.
Classical R-Cal
Ryan Callinan surfing slow-mo around my hometown, soundtracked to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure floated my boat.
Just to clarify. 16 hours 54 minutes. I’ll spare you a picture of me in my budgy smugglers.
Not the biggest Laird fan, but that Channel paddle tale will always be legendary