Photo: @numbskull____
Regional Report — East of England
East of England
Spring on the east of England started off about as lacklustre as it gets — but what followed was a reminder of why this coast keeps you hooked.
We had around three weeks of flatness, which for a surfer in winter is a reminder of what we often have to endure throughout the warmer months. However, towards the end of the month, we had an under-the-radar swell that sent a nice little pulse to the southern zones of our coast, with Scarborough and Saltburn maximising the swell. Scarbs' Tom Cross had a cheeky few days, while Tyneside and Northumberland saw only a ripple. Bod Mar seemed to avoid the 9–5 on this swell too, and took pleasure in showing me what I had missed.
Tom Cross (@tomcro55) — Photo: @grade_media
The month rounded off with a significant north swell, but only small windows of waves. Sky Shaw was in the right place at the right time, scoring some chunky ones and surfing them with effortless style.
The British Longboard Union caught the tail end of this swell for their comp at Tynemouth, with big-time multiple national champ Beth Leighfield winning the open women's. It brings me great pride to see local lad Evan Rogers take the win amongst some very esteemed competitors.
Beth Leighfield (@Beth_Leighfeild) — Photo: @gabev.photos
The same weekend, we saw the first North East Film Festival, and it was a total blast. Over three days, there were venues and sessions dedicated to "cold gold," groms showing the latest edits of them ripping, and feature films. I would massively recommend you go check out their Instagram.
"The light nights are here, so weekend warriors can now become the after-work crew — and hopefully we'll get a few more swells before the swell season changes to SUP season."
Champ Fest was held on the 25th of April — a day and evening to remember one of the East Coast's finest, Champ Thongapia. Champ was one of the nicest souls you could ever have the pleasure of meeting, so this day had a massive turnout to pay tribute to a lovely man.
One part of the day featured a less-than-conventional surf competition. Your board choice was decided by a spinning wheel — whatever it landed on was your craft for the heat. Crafts included '80s single fins, tow boards, even an inflatable flamingo… yep, you get the idea 😝
As I looked through the photos from the day, everyone had wide smiles and laughter on their faces. That's what made it so special — because Champ was never seen without a smile. Champ will be greatly missed by the East Coast community and by anyone who met him on his travels.
