Thurso Surf Video | Video Surf Guide

Ruan(die boerseun):

15 December, 2009 at 10:23 am

Dude!

Seriously awesome, i’m not even a surfer and wana go!
Good video, nice clean shots, beautiful scenery! good job.

The voice-over wasn’t too bad, but that’s prob just cause i know you.

Stoked man.
Chat soon

Angiedoodle:

15 December, 2009 at 12:41 pm

Oh yeah I loved your video, makes me so homesick for Thurso thanks everso much for sharing. xx

Riles:

15 December, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Thanks Angie! We really loved Thurso (and Scotland in general) and definitely want to go back there again!

Spencer:

15 December, 2009 at 2:11 pm

Good work mate, number 10 looks sweet!!

Lets go next year….

Rich Livock:

16 December, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Sick vid, awesome concept. Frothing to go there, just got scuppered this year. Keep up the good work.

Riles:

26 December, 2009 at 2:57 pm

Thanks! Stoked you dig it… Scotland is well worth the trip, but from what I hear Summer is a waste so Autumn and Winter are the best bets to get swell while you’re there. If you need any info just hit me up with an email…

Kobus:

17 December, 2009 at 8:10 am

siiick video,never knew Scotland got so much swell…and I love all those flat rock slabs!!makes for insane barrels!
nice vid bro…can’t wait fo your next trip!

Riles:

26 December, 2009 at 2:58 pm

You won’t believe the setup man… just flat slabs coming out the sea everywhere…

schentks:

4 January, 2010 at 12:17 pm

nice one mate!!! good to see i fellow east londer abroad and scoring!!!

East Bay Mike:

5 January, 2010 at 7:35 am

Great vid, bru! Never thought about Scotland for surf. Trying to visit the Northeast of England (Newcastle) sometime soon to watch football , great to get waves there too!

Where in SA are you? I stayed in Port Alfred on the East Cape for a while. I’m in SF Bay Area in California. Come on out to visit for your next installment.

Riles:

5 January, 2010 at 9:53 am

Thanks Mike! Yeah, Scotland was awesome and I met a guy from Yorkshire. I’ve heard of some great spots around Newcastle – but I also hear the water is even colder than Scotland!

I’m from East London, so very close to Port Alfred…
We are hoping to be in the States around September/October (if we have any money left) so it would be great to check out your area…!

?:

6 January, 2010 at 3:12 pm

seriously why make a clip and put it on the net saying how good this place and that it is uncrowded? Like does it make you feel good that you can show everyone where the good uncrowded spots are? Is it like your claiming it, like you know something that alot of people dont know?

Because the people that do know would not appreciate this and I would be careful of where and how you do this! The fact you name the spots and give all this info just is mind blowing, why are you showing people all this?

plus it takes all the fun out of exploring and making a call to go check somewhere, instead they have guys like you holding their hands and showing them, its just stupid, there is no point.

It will be a shame to go up there again and see more people and have more kook “PRO” surfers on a ski claiming it for themselves in the mags, and for the cool local guys to start to feel the pressure of the crowds and then the shitty side of surfing is seen, thats not why we do it and its not what is about.

Seriously what’s the point of you doing this? I hope it makes you lots of money or you can look in the mirror and be really stoked on yourself!

HAPPY DAYS BUDDY!

Riles:

6 January, 2010 at 3:44 pm

Thanks for the comment and what you say is fair, but at the same time most people will never go to Scotland to surf – it’s out of the way and cold. We made a point of not showing exactly where the spots are and in no way can people find out by watching this video! No road signs, no landmarks – on purpose!! There is no info given besides the spot names and maybe you should go onto all the sites that have photos and videos of the spots and say the same things you’ve said here. Wannasurf and Magic Seaweed have way more info and there are guys posting photos of all those spots all over. How about a WQS event at Brimms – I’m sure nobody found out the location from that and all the videos on it?

Some responsibility lies with the locals too – if some guys go up to Thurso and know the names of spots they want to surf, but don’t know where they are, how do they find them unless a local tells them where it is? How do you think we found these places? We genuinely explored the area to find spots! We found #10′s on our own without ever even hearing about it and if it hadn’t have been for the fact that other people came there at the same time as us we wouldn’t even have known it had a name or had ever been surfed before. We put effort in and got some good sessions.

We know there are guys who live there and surf those waves and we respect that. We want to get people amped on travelling in general, but not spoon-feed them spot locations – which we have in no way done!

We don’t make a single cent from this – you won’t find any ads on the site or in the video? My mirror is doing fine and I don’t think a million people will arrive there tomorrow.
Greenspan:

6 January, 2010 at 6:48 pm

?- Have you ever been on Magic Seaweed or wannasurf? Those spots are clearly plastered all over them. The Stormriders guide gives you detailed maps to a lot of the major spots in the area (Brimms, Thurso east etc). The local Brit surf mags gave away free dvd’s last year of the o’niel event there. And there was live internet feed of the event this year. This is an awesome video and i agree with Riles that this in no way gives away the location of the secret spots they missioned to find. What is the point in being negative towards someone else’s hard work? Take some time to think the effort that was put in to produce this video. I have watched it several times and it has just cemented to my resolution to go visit a spot that i have already marked years ago as a place to explore.

Negative people on the internet… great surfing there ??????

Tarryn:

6 January, 2010 at 4:30 pm

Very well produced,lovely shots, held my interest and basically – well done! look forward to seeing more of your stuff. Hope you’re well x

Riles:

6 January, 2010 at 10:49 pm

Thanks Taryn! I hope you’re enjoying the snow!

Juan-Piere du Toit:

6 January, 2010 at 5:25 pm

I think it’s an awesome video and it was done discreetly.
Still awesome to sit in South Africa and see that there is actually surfable waves there. Very interesting clip one of my favourites

?:

6 January, 2010 at 9:06 pm

Yeah your right about all the other sites and the comp not helping and showing whats out there. I guess i could see that you actually have a brain and you had thought about it and that you would listen to a perspective. Its important people think a little before they go off in a mission in new lands, your most likely never the first, and that your in someone else’s backyard.

You and I both know about the rock formations and it doesnt take much to find some kinda wave up there to surf, its ridiculous the formations.

its good to see other people appreciate searching and putting in effort to find waves, and being rewarded. I just think naming waves, and then speaking their names is the first step to the circus coming to town, there is always someone that talks and i feel just because other sites or mags or people talk doesnt mean you (who reaches a wider audience) or me or anyone should create more attention to the name of particular waves up there or anywhere.

Its just a shame to see over the years how places get ruined by too many people, photographers and pros claiming some “new wave” and HYPE, eventually it becomes a circus, carparks become littered with rubbish and an agro vibe grows in the lineup and its not what its all about. Doing it for the EGO of it all is just so damn ugly and negative, who wants to go sit in a lineup for 5 hours and get 5 waves unless you want to surf different and snake people? This doesnt happen up there luckily, that is what is special about the place, what you felt was real surfing up there (maybe like it used to be somewhere you have experienced before) not the bullshit hype circus shit. why are there always people surfing shark island even when it is 2 ft onshore and dry as? Its the claim to say i surf the Island! Thats bullshit, what kinda existence is that?

I like you was blown away by that place and it would be crushing to see some of those waves and places exploited and fucked up due to HYPE.

Im sorry if i came across a little hostile but people need to open themselves to all sides of the story and think a little and show some respect, not to me, not to you, probably some to the ocean and the surrounding environment but to the Local fellas and people definitely have to have some respect for themselves and work out what means the most to them and how does that affect the bigger picture and others around them? We all just want to be able to go somewhere and catch a few slabs and have a good time without seeing/feeling those shitty sides of surfing.

Anyway I feel your dream and your passion, stick with it and enjoy, its the good life, the simple life, just wanted to say be thoughtful/respectful. Would have been cool to hear what the local fellas say about their home town and waves and about travellers, also to see or hear how your visit helped one or more of them. you created an opportunity and a platform to not just send a message of travelling exploring lands for unridden slabs and adventure but also to show the local culture and even help some youngsters or oldsters in some way or form. Especially if you go to Chile, take some old stuff to give to the groms (even its a leash or a pair of fins) , teach them and film it, that way you both get something

Riles:

6 January, 2010 at 9:25 pm

I hear what you’re saying about bad vibes in the water and agree with you on that. Nobody wants that in the water! We’ll definitely think more on our next trip when we’re editing, but I have to say that in no way did we want/intend to give anything away about where spots are on this vid.
You’re right – the locals up there are really good guys and they were super approachable in the water even though they were all stand-up – not the type of thing you usually find as a bodyboarder. We spoke to a few local surfers up there and did actually ask how they felt about travellers coming there and their response was ok. They said they don’t really mind as long as the guys aren’t English (from England) hahaha – for some reason the Scotts and English don’t see eye-to-eye apparently.

For the record – I’m pretty sure we don’t have a bigger reach than Magic Seaweed!! If we did we wouldn’t have day jobs and we’d be living off this site

We also checked out the Museum in Thurso that has a lot of history about the area and learned that most of the people who live in Thurso work at one big nuclear type power plant that is in the process of being shut down. The process will still take a few more years, but what happens then – no jobs, no economy. Maybe a surf industry is just what they need? I’m not saying it’s for me to decide or that’s what I’m trying to promote, but it’s worth thinking about…

Good thoughts on the giving back stuff too! We actually sponsor 10 kids every month in an orphanage in Sumatra with food, clothes and education and we are going to visit them this year and help with the garden project and fixing up the buildings etc so we are super amped for that!!

Thanks for your comments and a different point of view – I sincerely appreciate it!
- ?:
  
  6 January, 2010 at 10:10 pm
  
  Cool, good to hear about the Orphanage in Sumatra, you need to have that on your site, or make a clip about it, its a good story helping kids and surfing some groomed perfect reef or even better helping the kids surfing it.
  
  Hope you get bigger than magic seaweed and keep to your values
  
  I guess when you know the area and where things are and you see shots that show the setups you recognise alot more than someone who has never been there, so to me it felt like things were given away.
  
  It’s not an easy task you setting out to do if you want to do it the right respectful way, then again it is hard trying to please everyone, but worth the try.
  
  Less nuclear waste in the world is better thing for all of us, especially as it reportably floats around in the lineup up. But we all have to work though so that sucks, maybe a wave power station can be built, isnt a shortage of waves
  
  Yes the scots and English dont see aye to eye
  - Riles:
    
    6 January, 2010 at 10:36 pm
    
    We will definitely post a vid of the kids in Indo – so amped to meet them! None of them surf, but maybe we can help with that…?
    
    It is a bit tricky what we’re doing and we really do intend to tread lightly. It’s been a dream to travel and surf for a long time and we love creating films so it’s a natural progression for us, but keeping the content respectful is a big concern.
    Yeah, I hear what you’re saying about seeing spots that you know and how it would be a shock. We genuinely don’t want to give stuff away and in future vids we will try to be more careful than we were with this one when it comes to secret spots – it’s a learning curve I guess…
    
    If you’re ever in South Africa when we’re back there get in touch and we’ll take you surfing and grab a good SA beer…
    - ?:
      
      6 January, 2010 at 10:47 pm
      
      Sounds good.
      
      Good luck

Jaymie Jones:

6 January, 2010 at 11:48 pm

Nice work mate! Keep it up!

Riles:

7 January, 2010 at 12:01 am

Thanks Jaymie! Checked out your website – nice work mate!

HORN-BILL:

7 January, 2010 at 8:49 am

Cool to see a successful adventure.
What an amazing spot, those waves are steaming!

scottish sponger:

7 January, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Hey Shane, i liked your vid, im a scottish booger and its good to see some other bodyboarders on waves made for the craft. I also know of these set ups, but i reckon you did alright, to be honest only number 10′s was a secret spot!!! However you did’nt give anything away, and you found it off your own back, so i reckon fair play.

? Personaly I would be more worried about carve surf magazine. Number 10′s is just one of the mags long list of exploitation of scottish waves???

There latest issue has a cover shot of 10′s, page spreads and fantasy inspired articles …it usually goes something like: how they found it, owned it, were first to surf it and were the only ones out…. eh hows that work??? Incidentally they attract a big uk crowd and thus will be the ones to put more pressure on this spot….lets see if they do the same as they did with “bawbags”.

I like this vid at least its a bit more balanced in its approach and u talk about some of the other guys in the water such as Rich Smith and the stand up Rick.. fair play all you guys gave it a pop and scored some sick rewards??

Like i say im a sponger been at it for about 16 baltic years now. (Prob should be better than i am) but i do know this country is made for the sponge. In saying this Scotland only has about 20 odd spongers and of these only about 9 are fulltime underground sponge junkies that like slabing heaven.

We only have 1 or two bodyboard providers and lots of surf providers so sometimes we can get a bit overwhelmed by the numbers of our stand up brethern at better know spots, we are spread a bit thin, so we try and keep the better sponge spots low key because of this. We bodyboard cause we love it and as there are not many of us a traveling sponger is nearly always is welcomed as one of our own!!

If your visiting these shores enjoy yourself have fun be respectful, and you might even be invited to some better set ups than your surfing. Please if you stumble over what looks like a pretty sick sponging set up (not on the map) there could be a reason for it… like i say there are’nt many of us but it does’nt mean we have spent the time

Ride easy guys maybe catch u in the water if you make this far north!!

Riles:

8 January, 2010 at 10:59 am

Thanks! Really stoked you liked it!
Yeah, I agree that your part of the world was designed with bodyboarding in mind. It is such a sick place and the coastline is amazing!
There are a lot of spots that I’ve seen photos of with bodyboarders riding some mental looking barrels and I was heavily inspired by what I had seen to find some of those spots. It’s awesome in a way that I didn’t find a lot of what we were looking for and that you guys have those spots under wraps – it’s good to know that there are boogers like you guys out there riding waves like that that are still unknown to most people. It inspires me to scour the coastline where I’m from even more than I have. Also, not knowing where those shots were taken really makes me want to go back and search longer and harder to get on some of them I really hope we can go back sometime…

For the record, if we had found Number 10′s and nobody else had rocked up and told us the name of it, I would have left it nameless in the vid and not been presumptious enough to think I was the first person to ride it. Although I would have liked to think that

Thanks so much for your comment man! Really appreciate it! Hopefully I can get to surf with you up there at some stage…

NYCsurfs:

12 January, 2010 at 9:26 pm

Riles,

The first version you posted of your film was a fine, mood-evoking piece of filmmaking. This newer, dumbed-down, audio-bald-spot-riddled version pales by comparison. It breaks my heart to see you cowed by criticism. It’s your art. Stand up for it.

As for exposing the location and names of spots, um, there have been MAJOR professional surfing events held in Thurso for years now. The cat’s out of the bag… and it’s not your fault.

Riles:

13 January, 2010 at 10:41 am

Yeah, I agree with you completely that the initial one with the voice over was way better. I also agree that all those spots (bar one) are all very well known and documented and I didn’t show anyone how to find them so I do feel there was some over-reaction to the video.
I do feel pretty crap for caving, but at the same time I would like to be welcome when we travel and not get tension from anyone who might recognize me from the video. It’s a tough call…
When I have some free time I will try to do a new voice over to bring back the ‘filmness’ of the video, but skip out the controversial spot naming, and hopefully it will be enjoyed by a wider range of viewers.
Thanks so much for your comment – I really appreciate it!