Surf's Up........I hope

[brokencross]

Hope the weather, wind and waves are good for this event.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...ds/6576589.stm

Last year the highlights were shown on a programme on Channel 4 (7 o'clock on a Sunday morning), so if anyone sees the programme in the listings this year can you please put up a post.

Lots more info on
http://www.oneilleurope.com/highlandopen/

[Mr P Cannop]

The creme of the surfing world will be swapping the warm waters Bondi Beach for freezing Thurso. Boarders will be descending on the town as it plays host to the second annual O'Neill Highland Open. The events been upgraded to a maximum six star contest making it one of the best in competitive surfing.....and people are coming from all across the globe to the far north for the event.

[rs 2k]

Surfers at Brims today,

It is 9.45am and i have just looked out of the window, waves not so good

But they might pick up yet, fingers crossed

I can keep anyone informed if they want as we live at Brims, so just ask

[Mr P Cannop]

how far is Brims from Thurso ??

[rs 2k]

It is 5miles

[Mr P Cannop]

on a bike ??

[Mr P Cannop]

whats the best road to go out on ?? out the BT road ??

[rs 2k]

on a bike ??

Hi Paul

I am not being funny but it is 5 miles on a bike or in a car

Yes go out on the BT road

[Mr P Cannop]

where is Brims ??

[porshiepoo]

Where do you find a schedule for the days surfing?
I'd like to go along with my camera - never had the chance to photograph surfers. That's my excuse for watching hot surfer guys anyway - and I'm sticking to it.
Seriously - schedules?????

[Mr P Cannop]

http://www.oneilleurope.com/highlandopen/program

[Tugmistress]

Well i don't think the surfers will get any big swell this year, i reckon their best day will be thursday and that will probably still be at brims.
heading off out there with my camera in a wee while to see if they are still out there

[the original ducky]

hello everyone im glad to see this time year back again as i am a surfer and so is my partner were both looking forward to seeing some good waves for them sadly thou it doesnt look like there gunna get it. for ever surfer thats in the comp good luck and have fun!!! hannahxxx

[the original ducky]

[quote=Mr P Cannop;216067]The creme of the surfing world will be swapping the warm waters Bondi Beach for freezing Thurso.


thurso is one of the best waves in the world. hannahxx

[porshiepoo]

Just looked at the riders section. Surely theres more than 7??????
Don't know how all this works but it's only showing 7 on that website?

[Tugmistress]

Well i went down and took over 150 pics! lol have posted about 50 on my website if anyone wants a nosey, here's one ....



will go again in the next couple of days and get some proper close ups as these were all taken from about 500 yards away.

direct link to the surfers gallery here.

[Ricco]

Nice photo, Tuggs

[badger]

Had to go into Thurso this morning and thought it looked like perfect weather for surfing so, having found no-one at Thurso East, went out to Brims. Oh dear - perfect for hippos. Obviously never occurred to anyone it might rain up here and last night's downpour has made a complete mess. The car park (which I suppose belongs to the farmer) is pretty muddy, first part of the track is OK because it's been stoned but after that it was just thick wet slippery mud all the way with vehicles going up and down making it worse. There's a narrow track of grass one side by the wall and even narrower one the other side by the cliff edge. Goodness knows what foreign competitors must think. I felt quite sorry for some of them edging along with their surfboards. If they really want this to be a big international event, couldn't the organisers have forked out to put chippings on the track?

There were several complaints last year about the facilities but it doesn't look as if anything has changed. It's obvious the competitors enjoy coming to a location that's so different from their usual so can't we give them a better welcome than this? If you go, take your wellies and something to change into in the car. Mine's covered in mud now

They could also do with more and better signs. Why not put one at the entrance to each location saying where the surfing is that day? If there hadn't been someone at Thurso East to ask I wouldn't have known where to go as there are several sites shown on the website. It's a very long way from the main road to the sea at Brims so you really wouldn't want to drive there for nothing.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Had to go into Thurso this morning and thought it looked like perfect weather for surfing so, having found no-one at Thurso East, went out to Brims. Oh dear - perfect for hippos. Obviously never occurred to anyone it might rain up here and last night's downpour has made a complete mess. The car park (which I suppose belongs to the farmer) is pretty muddy, first part of the track is OK because it's been stoned but after that it was just thick wet slippery mud all the way with vehicles going up and down making it worse. There's a narrow track of grass one side by the wall and even narrower one the other side by the cliff edge. Goodness knows what foreign competitors must think. I felt quite sorry for some of them edging along with their surfboards. If they really want this to be a big international event, couldn't the organisers have forked out to put chippings on the track?

There were several complaints last year about the facilities but it doesn't look as if anything has changed. It's obvious the competitors enjoy coming to a location that's so different from their usual so can't we give them a better welcome than this? If you go, take your wellies and something to change into in the car. Mine's covered in mud now

They could also do with more and better signs. Why not put one at the entrance to each location saying where the surfing is that day? If there hadn't been someone at Thurso East to ask I wouldn't have known where to go as there are several sites shown on the website. It's a very long way from the main road to the sea at Brims so you really wouldn't want to drive there for nothing.

Shock! Horror! Gasp! Yet another year goes by and another international audience gets to grips with the word 'Thurso'. But wait. What's that - no official welcome? No improved facilities? Nothing to capitalize on the newly-found international recognition? Wow! Wonders will never cease. What are the local council doing to recognize the fact Thurso is on the International Surfing map? Nowt. Zilch. Nada. The more things change...

[badger]

Shock! Horror! Gasp! Yet another year goes by and another international audience gets to grips with the word 'Thurso'. But wait. What's that - no official welcome? No improved facilities? Nothing to capitalize on the newly-found international recognition? Wow! Wonders will never cease. What are the local council doing to recognize the fact Thurso is on the International Surfing map? Nowt. Zilch. Nada. The more things change...

Suppose you can't expect much from a council that decides to bring gardeners up from Inverness (see other thread). We keep hearing all the doom and gloom about Dounreay closing and lack of employment but when there's a golden opportunity to put Thurso on the surfing map in a big way and bring crowds up here, what do they do. As you say, nowt. Sad, isn't it?