Bigfeller
Name: Neil
Age: 41
Job: Horticulturalist
Years Surfing: Nearly
Habitat: Kidderminster
Boards: 45" Rhino, and various other sponges more suited to those of a less substantial physique.
Local Break: Would have to say Rhossili, although that might change next winter. If the line up in winter was any further out, I'd need my passport.
Places Surfed: Rhossili and Gennith, various places around the Gower, Coney, Woolacombe. As a child, also the town beaches in Durban, Scottboro', and Amanzimtoti (all in Kwazulu-Natal, S.A.).
Favourite Surf Films: Any with decent waves in, or decent surfing/bodyboarding. The only one I own is BIO 3, b-boarding instructional thing ,with all the big names, giving the low down on how to do stuff I can't do yet, on waves I couldn't handle yet. Watched it scores of times.
Worst Wipeout: North beach Durban on a big day,when I was about 7 or 8. Was facing the shore, surf-mat in hand, when a big one smacked down on the back of my head, knocked all the air out of me, then rolled me all the way into the shallows ,where I washed up like a jellyfish, with the surf-mat arriving well ahead. Got dragged out and dusted down by parents and lifeguard, and consequently, never learned to swim until a few years ago. Nowt bad since then.
Favourite Manoeuvre: If only!
Worst Surfing Habit: Mucking around just inside and getting in the way. Screaming like a banshee when I actually get a good one.
Best Surfing Experience: The first time I caught clean face and getting a couple of turns in..That's when realised what I'd been missing , riding the froth with the rest of the dads and tourists. Speed, fluidity, ADRENALIN!!!!
Weirdest Surfing Experience: Not many yet. Oct '04 in a big, long period swell at Rhossili, I saw these standing waves where the backwash met the incoming water. They're usually only a few mm high, but in that swell, they kept peaking up to about 3 ft! So... I jumped on, and had my longest ride to date, going precisely nowhere. Last weekend (Feb '05) at Langland, was standing just outside the reef, turned to punch through a wave. As I moved my foot, I felt a vibration. When my fin broke surface,there was a flattie on my flipper! Think it was a little flounder.
Other Interests: Cycling (mostly ON road), walking , pc games ,failing to grow up, playing percussion, collecting percussion instruments,getting drunk under the table by Irish people, meditation, weird stuff.I can't help it, my dad's a shrink.
