A sign on the 130-year-old pier at Saltburn-by-the-Sea warns people not to jump off it. On a big surf day surfers make their way to the end of the sturdy 206 metre structure and jump like lemmings into the cold, murky North Sea. Words: Simon Palmer Photos: Ian Forsyth

Mat Arney hooks up with some old friends to go feral on the Arabian Peninsula and hunt down some truly isolated swell. Words & photos: Mat Arney

When it comes to surfcraft there's a newcomer making waves. Drift discovers the new world of handplaning with Cornwall's finest craftsmen. Words: Clare Howdle

One of the great things about surfing in this current era is the wide acceptance of different board designs. Over the last 10 years, it has become acceptable to pretty much ride anything from surfmat to singlefin, fish to longboard. Words: Chris Preston Photo (2): Dan Crockett

Looking to the future with an eye firmly on the past, Tom Wegener has reintroduced the transport of kings to surfing's elite. His boards are works of art, but it's his veg patch that really floating Tom's boat right now... Words: Tommy Leitch Photos: Jamie Bott

Chris Preston interviews Sydney's Matt Chojnacki. His surfing may be heavily influenced by the glories of the past, but to tag him as just another retro dude is missing the mark. Words: Chris Preston. Photos: Matt Johnson / thesealife.com.au

Cultural Ebb

July 22, 2009 | Words By: Clare

camping-at-port-eliot-fest1Hailed as this year’s hippest festival, Port Eliot is just around the corner and I’m heading to the stately home to see just how a weekend of books, comedy, music and eccentricity fits into Cornwall’s cultural landscape.

airstream-caravansAfter three weeks of solid rain the charts for this weekend are looking good, though it’s not waves I’m hoping for. It’s sunshine and plenty of it.  Because I don’t want to be wading through mud as I listen to Dominic West talk about life as Jimmy McNulty on The Wire, sway nostalgically to Evan Dando strumming, bounce around to rockabilly records and laugh as the best spoken word poets and comedians including Luke Wright, Joe Dunthorne and Simon Munnery make magic with words at this year’s Port Eliot Festival.

And on top of that I’m hoping to pick Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s brain about cloud formations over the ocean, chat to Jamie Brisick about marrying writing and surfing and hear extracts of Dan Crockett’s creative fiction.

Who said surfing and culture don’t mix? I’ll let you know how I get on…

     

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