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Wednesday 5 July
9.45pm. Yawn! We have just got on the sleeper train in Penzance. There were no berths (beds) so we decided to upgrade ourselves to first class. Unfortunately I have already fused all the lights in our carriage (they are so cool!) and ripped the curtain off the rail by pulling them across too fast. The train lady is just a little bit cross! Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!
Thursday 6 July
Woke up at 7.00am on the train. We have now arrived at Stansted airport. Hooray! After carrying 2 large O’Neill suitcases (which look like dodgem cars!) and 2 heavily-padded surfboards through London (it’s surprising how many people in London seem never to have seen anyone trying to get a surfboard into a taxi before). We were very happy to be at the airport at last even if we did have 5 and a half hours to wait for our flight!!
Friday 7 July
2pm. Today was our first proper day in the flat. This flat isn’t the one me and the girls will be staying in, it is one my mum will be staying in while I’m here in Hossegor. My mum’s flat is lush! It overlooks the most amazing beach called ‘La Peron’. The surf is usually pretty good here, so I sit in the hammock on the balcony and watch it until it gets good.
This morning at 9.30 I went for a coaching sessions with Joel. Joel is a really nice guy and a fab coach but unfortunately the waves weren’t that good today.
Saturday 8 July
2pm. Woo hoo! Waves were 4-5 feet and clean this morning. I went for a session with Joel again. It was gret fun and it is 35 degrees C. The beach is packed with people but it definitely won’t be tomorrow. It’s the France V Italy footie final. Come on U French! Tomorrow the other girls will get here. We will be staying in a big fancy flat together in Hossegor overlooking ‘La Graviere’ which is the main beach in Hossegor.
La Graviere is one of the best shore breaks in the world, with swells from 2-12 feet.
Sunday 9 July
The beach was mental today. Weather was hot – about 32 degrees C. All of us girls met together at about 12 o’clock. In the flat. Unpacked, then went for a surf at La Penon. The surf was about 3-4 feet and kinda clean.
2pm. Came back to the flat for lunch then chilled until we had to go back in for a competitive session which we were told we were going to do every day. The week hasn’t even started yet and already Gwen has pulled out some of Zoe’s hair with a hoover! Zoe had smashed a plate and we’d broken the DVD player (It’s fixed now Joel, I promise!). Joel has chosen the rooms and they are:
Me, Zoe and Kate in the lushest room! Hooray, sea view!
Beth and Gemma downstairs and Gwen and Kathleen next door to us. Then Grace in between.
Polly (Joel’s girlfriend) cooked for us tonight. She’s the most amazing cook!
Italy won!! No!!!
Monday 10 July
Today we woke up early at 6.15am so there were no crowds in the sea. We went to a lush beach called Cap Breton. It was about 3-4 feet and clean.
4pm. We went to Las Bourdaines. Surf was apparently the best all summer according to a local. 4-6 feet cleanish.
7.30pm Teatime. Beth and Gemma cooked tonight.
Tuesday 11 July
This morning we went to Gravierre which in the beach in front of our flat. It was about 2-3 feet and kinda clean.
5pm. We are going to Las Bourdaines. Surf is not too good because it’s onshore. 4-5 feet (occasional 6 feet).
8pm. Gwen and Kathleeen’s turn to cook tonight! Well Gwen can’t really do anything too wrong with pasta I suppose!
Wednesday 12 July
This morning we woke up at 6am to go surf at La Penon. It was not too good this morning! 4-5 feet onside and rippy. Just generally not a pretty sight. I got a couple of good rides though!
4pm. After luch we didn’t go surfing because the surf was rubbish. 6 feet and messy. So instead we went bridge jumping. It was so fun! (Until the police came and said we couldn’t because it was dangerous).
1am. Tonight we went for a meal in a restaurant, courtesy of Kat @ Surfgirl. Thanx guys!
When we came back to the flat, Gwen put on the ‘Dawn of the Dead’ DVD. Me and Grace were pooing ourselves, we were so scared. Bed at 2am.
Thursday 13 July
We were woken up at 6am to go for a surf at Cap Breton. Felt like an extra out of ‘Dawn of the Dead’ as I stumbled out of bed. Cap Breton is my beach because it is has clean waves and they are a manageable size. I had a great surf and won the heat that we did at the end!
Gwen is grom-abusing me and made me go and get her lunch. Well I suppose I got off lightly compared to what she did to Zoe yesterday!
5pm. We went to La Penon. The tide was really high so it was dumping like hell! 5ft, cleanish.
Friday 14 July
2pm. This morning we surfed Estania. It was 7-8 feet and it was really rippy. I was really scared but I wanted to push myself as far as I could this week, so I went for it. I managed the paddle out but then just as I got out back an 8 foot set came. Crap! I caught a wave then when I fell off I just got out because the paddle back out looked awful. I was really scared, but I’m really glad I got some big waves and pushed myself to the limit.
7pm. This afternoon me and Gwen and Beth went and surfed La Sud which is the far end of the beach in front of our flat. It was really nice but a bit crowded.
Saturday 15 July
It’s the last day with the girls. This morning we surfed Bourdaines. It was 2-3 feet and clean, but slightly offshore. I really enjoyed the surf and caught some lush waves!
This afternoon we went back to Bourdaines. It was still 2-3 feet but it was cleaner and less crowded.
It was a perfect end to a perfect week!
Sunday 16 July
2pm. This morning he girls woke me and Grace up at 4am to say goodbye. I miss Gwen already! It is so quiet without her and the others.
After sleeping for another couple of hours , Alex, me and Grace loaded up the car and got ready to go. He dropped me off at my mum’s flat and I said bye to Grandma Grace and Father Alex. This week has been really fun and I can’t wait to do it again sometime.
Monday 17 July
Me and my mum are staying on an extra 5 days so I’m, having some coaching sessions with Joel and some of the boys who are camping, Billy (who is also from St Ives) and Matt and Ben.
2pm. We aren’t going surfing today because it is flat. Instead I am going to Atlantic Water Park on La Penon. It isn’t that busy today. It is about 35 degrees C but getting hotter.
6pm. The park was amazing!
Tuesday 18 July
This morning I went for a session with Joel. The boys came too. The surf was 1-2 feet but offshore and so clean. It was great fun. I’ve never met Ben before, and he’s the most amazing longboarder. Billy and Matt were ripping as usual, and I had a pretty good surf myself, trying out Joel’s twin-fin fish at the end. The temperature is 5 degrees C hotter today making it 40 degrees C. Aaaahh!!
Wednesday 19 July
Last night there was an electric storm. It went on for hours. People were getting blown over and some trees were falling down. The wind was so strong Billy, Matt and Ben who had to leave their tent in the middle of the night and go and stay at Joel and Polly’s flat because the people at the campsite said it wasn’t safe to stay there.
1pm. This morning I went for a session at 8.30am. The surf was 2 feet and clean, glassy, offshore. It didn’t get busy until at 10am, then it was really hard to catch waves. Today Joel was making we work on my ‘slash’. It was really hard because the waves were so small I just lost all my speed and power. It is 43 degrees C today. I had loadsa fun!
5pm. This afternoon we went shopping in Hossegor (well my mum did, I just ate a huge sundae!) It is so hot!
8pm. Going for a surf at La Penon. It isn’t as busy now. Last night it was real busy, I stayed in till 11.30pm and it was still busy then!
Thursday 20 July
Today is my last day so I’m going for an early surf at about 8am so it isn’t busy!
9am. The surf was the same as yesterday apart from there were no people in. The boys didn’t come for a session until 10am but I got up and went for one at 8am so there weren’t any crowds. I had a great surf.
Now I’ve got to start packing. Fun!!!
Friday 21 July
8am. Last night we couldn’t get a berth on the sleeper, so we had to sleep in our seats, it was so uncomfy! We got about 3 hours of sleep but this morning we woke up at 6am and had a lush breakfast. When we got off the train in St Ives my little brother and sister were there to greet me.
Unfortunately there was no surf at home, so we just went to beach for a picnic. The weather wasn’t too good, but we were back in Cornwall!