GEORGE SHILLITO

Last week was pretty hectic as it was Fowey regatta, meaning there were loads of people around, and lots of fun to be had: We entered a Polkerris Beach Carnival float with the theme of “Finding NEMO!” which was hilarious as we partied and paraded through Fowey for over 2 hours!

The regatta ended with myself and some mates road-tripped it up to Somerset for Hollie’s 21st surprise,  James Bond theme, Birthday shindig……I’ll let the picture do the talking…….BRILLIANT!

Left: Charlie (standard bond baddy) Stobart / Right: Will (what Daniel Craig would look like with ginger hair!) Cooper

And finally: Although the centre has been rammed to the brim with lessons, the wind has started to come back meaning we’ve had some really nice sessions out in the bay here, super, super flat freestyle sessions! All good fun…..

First things first: Simon from the T.V phenomenon “the Inbetweeners” was down here at Polkerris today! I couldn’t help but laugh my head off when I introduced myself – he’s a legend and if you haven’t checked out the show, you definitely must, it’s awesome!!!! Turns out, he is staying with a group of friends and they all rented kayaks for the afternoon, who coincidently used to be best mates with my mum when they were younger – BRILLIANT!!!!

And onto more pressing matters: the colour RED has been proven to BOOST sports performance!!!! Hence the reason why you must go out and get yourself a red rock/Gul Viper suit and Starboard Quad – the future is looking up for me!!! Wooooooo……Here’s what “The Annals of Sports Psychology” has to say:

“Success has a color, and the color is red. In fact, a recent study confirms previous reports that athletes wearing red uniforms win competitions more often than opponents dressed in other colors. Researchers are now hard at work deciphering the mystery behind this puzzling phenomenon.”

So there you are: IT’S ON!

Check out my profile on the GUL website by following the link and have a look around whilst you’re there……

http://www.gul.com/teamriders/george-shillito.aspx



Polkerris taking it head on!

Finally, after along time waiting, we have had some serious wind and waves in Cornwall!!! I sure as hell wasn’t going to miss it and was at Gwithians early to make the most of the day! After sailing all day I had windsurfed  from the Bluff all the way to Godrevy AND BACK!!! The waves were about Logo high in the morning, and the wind was gusty meaning I was on my 5.2. I launched in the middle of the bay and eventually sailed upwind to the Bluff where I bumped into Peter Hart, Nick Moffitt and Duncan Coombes.

Around midday the wind started to drop, so myself and Duncan then scored some of the best conditions of the day as we rode the waves off down wind, getting up to 7 turns on super glassy faces.

well...it may be Ireland, but no one was going to sit on the beach and take pics on Thursday!

The wind swung off-shore momentarily for lunch and then was back with vengeance in the arvo!! Unfortunately, by this point we had already sailed past my truck and had got to Gwithians before I realised I might need my 4.2 Rock! As everyone changed down to smaller sails, I clung onto my 5.2 and, surprisingly, found I could do with relative ease?!?! This was because I have recently been doing work with a deep tissue and core strength expert (after damaging my shoulder in S.A.), and it gave me a chance to put in all the principles we had been talking about (adapted from mixed martial arts and ultimate fighters!?!) and it was incredible that I was able to hold down such a over powered sail and still save all my energy for riding the waves! I’ll keep on with it and give you a full update if I find it keeps working! Anyway – IT WAS AWESOME!!! Everyone was so stoked to be in some epic conditions and I couldn’t really of sailed any longer even if I had wanted too! PERFECT!

Back on Terra Firma; Go out and buy yourself this months BOARDS magazine as it has my write up on the first 2 legs of the BWA Cup!

Last Wednesday saw the last session of our spring T15 course and I was presented with the trophy below that reads “Prefect of Polkerris” from Erin which she made in her C.D.T lessons at school!! THANKYOU!

What a weekend!! I had to drive my way to Wet n Dry, Southend on a baking hot Friday, which was no easy feat as the heat made everyone drive like muppets and the motorway turned into one big whacky race course!!! Saturday saw the BBC announce a heat wave for the Essex area and a scorching 31degrees meant everyone enjoyed the Thames as if it were Greece cruising in and out in just boardies, with the only difference being the slightly muddy beach! But everyone was loving the larger T4’s, Lightenings, Futura’s, Isonic’s and the new V-GRIP aeron boom!

That evening I stayed with Duncan Slater from BOARDS mag, and somehow we ended up incharge of the entire behind the scene prize giving operation  at a Classical Music Amateur orchestra and choir Maestro evening, in which local celebrities battled it out to be the best conducter????? Not your standard lads night out in Southend, but Duncan’s wife was lead violinist, so there was to be no arguing! Turned out to be super tense as myself and Duncan desperately tried to mount the right pictures and name plaques in the right picture frames in time for the prize giving, luckily the vast amount of cup cakes put out for the orchestra saw us through the hard times! haha! Although it was a relatively slow start to the night it ended rather rowdy in a kebaby!! That’s more like the saaaf end we know and love!

I was with Fluid Lines on the Sunday and it again saw a awesome turn out of amped sailors as the trees started to rustle!! It was a brilliant weekend which left me with a huge drive and after leaving at 17:30 (and a short 40min break half way) I eventually got home shortly before 2:30am.

The new BOARDS mag has got my BWA article in  - so keep your eyes peeled! Woooo

MUM AND MIKA!!

After arriving home late on Sunday evening after surfing till dusk, we were amazed we could hear the MIKA Eden session all the way from our house pretty much word for word! (It’s just under 5 miles away as the crow flies!) and joked he could keep the noise down! The next day, my mum (big Mika fan) just happened to sell him a towel for his day at the beach without even realising who he was (neither did I to be honest). However Bella (windsurf instructor) and Bex who is doing work experience with us were sat mouths wide open as he strolled past the cafe. After a bit of persuasion they offered their services for a free windsurfing which was quickly denied.  Shortly after, his cousin; Austin and brother; Fortune booked themselves in for a lesson (making the girls day/LIFE!!).

Bella, Austin, Fortune and Bex (left to right)

Bella's 1st ever lesson!!

They had to reschedule their entire afternoon, and soon found they couldn’t get any taxi to get them to the station, so I found myself organising cars to get them there! As our new found friends left, the vowed to return after their tour of Europe! Incredible – definitely a different afternoon!!

Bex and Mika's brother; Fortune!

For the last month the weather has been INCREDIBLE!! I’ve been teaching in boardies (or shortie if I’m feeling cold!) the sun has been shining and the sea turquoise; it’s as if someone moved Cornwall south to the equator over night! The days have been so hot it has resulted in some awesome sea and land breezes meaning a simple 8 knot forecast has seen local shredders overpowered on 6.25m T-Birds and Storms! Northerlies seem to accelerate and hit at full force around 14:00 in the afternoon, and southerlies build throughout the day as the sea breeze fills in behind it – EPIC (for freeride and freestyle that is – no waves for ages; I NEEED SOME WAVES AHHHH!). So get yourself down here; even if the forecast looks like MUCK!

Here’s a few tips from Ireland on how to rig the new 2010 Tushingham Rocks for all conditions with Peter Hart, Muzza and Myself; CHECK IT OUT!! (follow the link here:)

http://boards.mpora.com/videos/tushingham-rock-tweaked-ireland.html

I have had a bit of a mixed bag at the moment; Saturday saw me stood on the clean shores at Weston-supre-MUD!! Unfortunately the wind was light meaning the only kit that saw any planning action was the 8.5m Lightening and 122l Isonic. But a good day was had by all; including the vast amounts of burly, tracksuit wearing families enjoying the true British seaside! After driving through the night, I found myself at Roseland Paddle and Sail centre for the POLKERRIS PIRATES first ever T15 race day!!!!! WOOOOO!! It was an extremely hard days racing, with a difficult course, but everyone had grins from ear to ear as they took on my advice and shouted a load of banter at all those on a bigger sail then them!!! haha – good work team! Well done to Sophie, who in her first event stormed into 3rd in the 3.5 class on her red Dino – WOOOOP CONGRATULATIONS!

The Polkerris Pirates!!

After watching everyone else sail I was stoked when Par reinvented itself as the new POZO (Gran Canaria) on Monday night, and after donning my wetsuit, strolled through the streets of Par with my kit in tow to the beach! It was awesome! I was fully powered on my 5.2 Rock and 71l Quad in cross-on jumping and riding head high waves!!! The local crew were ripping it up and because it was so unexpected the atmosphere was brilliant as everyone enjoyed the epic conditions! WOOOOOOO!

Well, it wasn't quite like this; but you get the idea!! haha!

I've got news for you soldier: SKIN'S WATERPROOF!

It’s not everyday you go to teach a windsurfing lesson to a bunch of over excited kids and are faced with a current day D-day landing!! Which was exactly what happened here at Polkerris the other day! The Royal Marines had been training all night in the bay and the first thing we knew about it was when they rocked up on the beach in the early afternoon for a swift pint in the pub in perfect formation!! Leaves you thinking though, we didn’t see them once all morning even when teaching on the water – how many places can there be to hide at see!!

Now kids, if you don't listen up you may get shot!!! ha!

I tell you what, I never had such an attentive group of kids after that!