HOLDING FAST

A strong spring tide with a split window meant a dark dawn start for the prone comp to get rolling, and, whilst the sun was down, spirits were certainly up. A few hours of high tide in the morning then a pause through low tide before pushing back in for the afternoon to evening session was the format for the day. Division 2 were warmed up and ready to step up first with the heats paddling out as the sun was rising. Conditions were less than ideal to begin with, not to everyone’s taste and not quite what the forecast had implied. But still, the paddle continued and the judging team, headed up by surf league legend Aaron Evans, were perched patiently, warm, cosy and with an endless supply of coffee – alright for some.

Riders made the most of what they were dealt, the energy was good and heats progressed. The Isle of Wight crew brought the vibes, with Tom Court as chief caddy, whilst Dougie Newell and Chris Mannion showed off their surf prowess, reading the waves with a perfect posture that Darcy Bussell would be proud of. Harry English repped the Cornish crowd, bringing fluid riding, an infectious buzz for foiling and sickening youthful good looks to a somewhat long-in-the-tooth line up. Rachel Knott was out front for the ladies, the only woman to enter the prone discipline, giving it her finest flair and as the tide dropped everyone did their best to fight the worsening conditions.

The competition was paused with the semi-finals left to go, foils were scratched but smiles remained intact as everyone was stoked to be in it together. After a famous “Barnecutts” pasty (a local meat-and-potato-based delicacy) and a chill, the pro fleet arrived, bringing with them bright sunshine and waves pushing over the infamous “Doom Bar” (worth a Google). It was back on.

The gladiators donned their armour and paddled out onto the stage, ready to perform. And perform they did. Andy Houlder, the calmest paramedic in town, had enough energy and power to style through turns without a single falter. Jack Ho refused to stay still for even a moment, linking wave to wave, always pushing through a turn even when the wave fattened, holding his position ready to attack the sections as they presented themselves. Mike Chapman, seemingly with his feet super glued to his deck pad, looked as comfortable as if it was just a lazy Sunday duvet day – consistent, flowing and bringing the loudest cheer from the beach for giving it his all on every wave. And let’s not forget Guy Bridge, monumental in both stature and ability bringing the big three every time – speed, control and finesse aplenty.

As the tide pushed in, conditions held up and Daymer showed itself in all its glory, presenting a point break which feathered into a beach break. The local experience and knowledge to power through paid off as the riders were able to perform progressive moves through the point and connect into the beach break. The scores were in, heads were scratched, eyebrows were raised, tough decisions were made – and as the podiums were being pulled out the back of the van, the judges made their call for 1st, 2nd and 3rd across the board. Division 1 saw Jack Ho in 1st place, Guy Bridge taking a close 2nd and Tom Earl in 3rd. Division 2 was Joph Carter in 1st, 2nd to Chris Manion and 3rd place awarded to Tom Goringe.

With the prone contest done and dusted it was time to turn the focus towards the winging which remained on hold as the forecast had eased but showed promise for later in the holding period. As it looked, glory conditions were aligned for the Friday and Saturday of the Foil Fest meaning the wing event would roll straight into a full kit demo day and celebratory beers at the nearby Bluntrock Brewery. Friday was given the green light and everybody made the necessary plans to be at the spot for the big weekend session. The next morning, with just 24 hours to go, a full wind shift launched the proverbial sh*t directly at the fan – out of the SSE, as it happens. It was an absolute no go for Daymer Bay. The wing comp was off.

A new plan was hatched without hesitation. With some riders already on the way to the Cornish coast and the local crew keen to make the most of a steady southerly wind, Chris made the call to session at a series of spots further west in Cornwall, from Marazion to Gwithian. The vibe was strong and the wind even stronger. Van tyres crunched over gravel, wings were pumped and a few boards tomahawked across the grass verge with the odd gust launching kit into action before anyone was actually ready. With 40 knots, cross onshore, big rolling waves and head high white water, some riders hesitated, all in fact except Ellie Aldridge, who strode out before anyone else without even blinking. After a little more geeing up the rest of the group followed suit and snuck out by a rocky outcrop, ready to tame the wild conditions that would sort the winging wheat from the chaff.

A lonesome few were washed into the shore break but local lads Smiler and Andy Houlder made it look deceptively easy and ferociously fun. Feeling inspired, Theo Griffin, approximately one tenth the size of the waves, threw up the smallest handkerchief he could find and away he went, charging in with all the courage of the big boys out back and to his credit scored a session he won’t forget any time soon. Windswept, bedraggled and some with slightly shrivelled egos (amongst other things), the crew then packed up and headed north, chasing the cross-offshore conditions to gorgeous Gwithian.

Arriving to shoulder high peeling waves, a quick, twitchy-leg riders briefing was excitedly delivered before over 30 wingers marched across the golden sands with infectious energy. Guy Bridge got things started, speeding past, drawing lines and delivering air sections much to the delight of the National Trust car park audience, sheltering their sand blasted binoculars from within the safety of their Skoda Fabias. The Peter Pan of water sports, Guy Cribb, was chasing the thrill, cheering and hyping the crew as he went about his business showcasing the best of British winging. Clean and fast waves were shared between the crew, with photographers' helmets bobbing up and down, seal-like, desperate to capture the action. It was the rider judged jam of all rider jams. The lack of competition didn’t dampen spirits and instead everyone came together to push one another and celebrate time on the water as a crew. Even Freddie Oldfield (of Generic Foiling Podcast fame) was smiling.

The next day, everyone rallied together once again with a host of supporting brands to throw the Foil Fest, a full demo and expression session at Daymer Bay. The wind didn’t quite deliver the goods but all the same it was a beach vibe and an opportunity for everyone to see the latest and greatest kit from some of the best brands on the market, ask questions, and swap foiling stories before rolling on to the Foil Fest party at Bluntrock Brewery. Local ales were sunk and after the Kernow Foil Classic prize giving, the Generic Foiling Podcast took to the mic to host a ‘brewery quiz’. Live music followed and took the party long into the evening, leaving a select few with sore heads for the dawn session the next morning.

In all, the 2024 Kernow Foil Classic did what it set out to do. Foilers from around the UK, and further afield competed, sessioned, frothed, partied and inspired another year of the Kernow Foil Classic competition. Roll on October 2025, with plans to extend to multiple locations around Cornwall for more condition options and flexibility. If you didn’t make it last year, be sure to keep an eye on kernowfoilclassic.com for updates on how and when to register for this year's event.