SPFING

I saw a European looking tourist sitting under an umbrella at the beach last week, with burn scabs on his back the size of dinner plates. Where he wasn’t a screaming shade of lobster meat, his skin was matted with peely bits that flaked in the wind. The rest of his family were building sand castles and tossing beach balls in the sun, faces caked in purple zink. You could see the man had been sparing with sun block and was paying for mistake.

Sun creaming yourself up for a day in the sun has become a factor 50 affair. True story. Especially on days like this, where it’s as hot as hell and slightly onshore. The conditions are far more conducive to sharing a few labels with the buggers on the beach than surfing. But you’ve got to watch yourself and make sure you don’t end up like the sad Euro tourist, hiding under and umbrella while his family jols on the beach.

How about Kelly Slater winning the pipe masters? That’s incredible stuff. You’ve got to see the footage on www.aspworldtour.com to fully appreciate how skillful his performance was (not only his, but the other 44 surfers, too).