Banning of Facebook Beach party in Torbay Devon?

The article below is from the BBC, who are reporting the possibility that authorities will step in to ban a beach party being organised via Facebook. Apparently 7,200 people have signed up to attend the party in Torbay, Devon this weekend, which is being compared to the Fatboy Slim beach Gig held in Brighton in 2002.

As far as comparisons go this is ridiculous, as there were an estimated 1/4million turn up on Brighton beach. I was at the event in Brighton and although it was an awesome sight seeing so many people on one beach, it was an environmental disaster. There were also 2 deaths and serious injuries on the night, although it could have been a lot worse. If fighting had broken out it would have been a scary place to be....people were having to be hauled off the beach from boats to avoid being crushed as it was.

The Environmental impact was much worse as the beach and surrounding streets were trashed, with smashed glass and debris working its way under the beach pebbles making it unsafe for months. Also I guess that so many people taking a p*ss directly into the sea didn't help local marine life too much either!

So 7,000+ people doesn't sound too bad and I'm all for freedom of individuals to get together to party or protest or whatever-unlike the British government who introduced legislation to enable the police powers to disband groups of 3 or more people getting together which was introduced to prevent outdoor Raves in the late 80 & early 90's.

So talk of banning this party in Torbay has overtones of a police state...we are supposed to be a free democratic nation after all. However it's almost guaranteed that thousands of drunk party goers will leave tonnes of trash in their wake and many will have little or no respect for the environment they are stomping all over, so perhaps a beach isn't the best place for a party of this size? Perhaps a field away from town, although not such a cool location, would be a better place to party?.....

What do you think? Your comments are welcomed...

"Police say they may bring in an alcohol ban to help thwart a giant beach party at a south Devon resort this weekend.

The event planned for 4 July in Torbay is being advertised on networking site Facebook as a "night of mayhem".

Officers have not applied for the drink ban yet but said it was a possibility as they pledged to halt the gathering. More than 7,200 people have said they may be attending what organisers describe as the "biggest open party Torbay has ever seen".

The town's police commander, Supt Chris Singer, said safety was always the main consideration after lack of planning at a beach party in Brighton in 2002 ended in the death of a woman who fell on to railings and a man who died of a heart attack.

He said: "Public safety is paramount and this is why the eventcannot go ahead.
"The so-called planners have taken no steps in respect of sanitation, first aid and access.

He said: "This is a public safety issue, there are high spring tides and, mixed with alcohol, this is particularly dangerous."

Seizure powers

The police had a "large number of resources in place" to prevent the event happening, he said.
"We are seeking to make sure we are in a position to disrupt it," he added. He said it was irresponsible for people to advertise such events on social networking sites.

He said: "Police have - and will use - powers to seize sound equipment and will arrest offenders."

We shouldn't laugh....

Ok perhaps we should.....if only the kid had chosen to learn real surfing his embarrassment may have been spared.


Beach Boogie Faceplant - Watch more free videos

Surfers vs paparazzi. Re-match this weekend?

According to LA TV news it looks like the surfers of Malibu and the paparazzi are squaring up for a re-match this weekend. The confrontation 6 days ago was little more than posturing and a few punches thrown....pretty much your average Saturday night in the pub stuff, but its made headlines the world over.

However some of the guys involved looked old enough to know better so perhaps handbags should be left at home and a little surfer dignity restored? (besides the swell last weekend in Malibu looked sooo clean, why the hell were they worried about what was happening on the beach!!)

Surfers brawl with paparazzi to protect film star

Strange but true...a gang of surfers came to the aid of film star Matthew McConaughy this Saturday at Malibu, when photographers started to take pics of him surfing. I guess being stalked by paparazzi is a hassle, but there are worse things in life to have to deal with....perhaps a traditional waxing of the car windscreens might have sent the message rather than slapping them about?

Then again having a personal longboard body guard posse to step in whenever I got a bit of grief might be fun :)

“A brawl broke out on the beaches of Malibu Saturday afternoon when a group of surfers attacked paparazzi who were snapping pics of Matthew McConaughey

One shutterbug told police that a mob of surfers approached the photogs near Paradise Cove where the often-shirtless actor was surfing with friends. The surfers demanded everyone stop filming and taking pictures, but when that didn't happen, things got physical.

"[The surfers] formed a semicircle in front of his camera and they said [McConaughey] didn't want him to film," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore told the LA Times. "They got into an argument, and [the photographer] indicated that he received injuries...[The surfers] took the video camera and threw it in the water."

There are reports that another paparazzo suffered a broken nose.

Detectives are investigating the melee.

McConaughey's people have yet to comment.”

Source/Pic: PacificCoastnews.com

NZ Surf rage assault leads to charges

Heres and article from a New Zealand paper "Hawkes Bay Today", which may resonate with many of us who face more and more crowded surf spots. I'm sure most of us have experienced a bad vibe in the line up at some point (or in our case from the local beach fishermen, who feel they own the beach and can't quite get their head round surfing!) I guess theres no real answer other than taking the lead from the Hawaiians who worked it out many years ago....surf with an Aloha spirit

A Te Awanga man has been charged with assault following an alleged surf-rage incident.

A 58-year-old surfer was arrested on Monday, said Clive constable Alan Daly, who would not name him. The man will appear in Hastings District Court next week.

Another surfer, Susie Smith, claimed to Hawke's Bay Today a man slammed into her board last week, and held her head under water for more than five seconds.

The assault was caught on camera, Mrs Smith claimed. The 62-year-old said she had been targeted by local longboarders since she and her husband, Phil, moved to Haumoana.

She said she was being intimidated and bullied because she was a good surfer.

But the "old guys" she says have threatened her, argue that the Smiths are the problem. Regular surfer Trevor Richards said the pair had been unreasonable. Surfers had to share the waves but the Smiths didn't.

The "over 50-year-old" said he had been pushed by Mrs Smith after he "dropped in" on a wave she was riding, after watching the pair take wave after wave: "It's so frustrating. It's like putting a whole row of 20c pieces on the pool table at the pub and playing all night - it wouldn't make you popular."

Mr Richards said he tended to wait for a surf until after the Smiths had gone in because of the "edgy atmosphere". He admired the Smiths for surfing aged in their 60s, but said locals had had enough: "They have to understand they need to be a little more sharing ... let others have a fair go."

Mr Richards hadn't seen the alleged incident with Mrs Smith but said if her account was accurate, "it's not cricket".

"It's quite sad for them and us. It's going to be pretty uncomfortable out there."

He hoped the situation could be resolved, possibly by mediation, but the Smiths should take responsibility for their role in the row.

Source-Hawkes bay Today: Rebecca Stevenson

Surfers tell tall tales

We've all done it before, chatting to surf buddies, stretching the truth a little to tell a better story. You know the kind of things, ..."it was easily double overhead", "...it was definately a 15ft great white that brushed past my leg".

We all love to talk and hear stories, it's part of what surfing's all about, but here I'm going to look at surf tales that are so ridiculous that only the insane would believe them. The idea was prompted by the recollection of a tall story I was told by a customer in a surf shop I worked in many years ago on the UK's North sea coast.

"It was mid-winter and the surf shop in question had no heating, unless the faint glow coming off the shop's single light bulb counted. The wind used to howl from the North, down from Scandanavia, into and under every gap the shop front had (which were numerous), turning the place into an ice box. One day a guy walked into the shop, which was unusual in itself, carrying a shortboard under his arm. The guy wore a heavy jacket and had shoulder length blond hair, he looked the part so I had no reason to doubt the initial conversation.

It turned out that he wanted to sell the 6'2" he was presenting to me, deck up, as it was an unwanted gift from his Uncle in Winnipeg, Canada, who had shaped the board for him. Of course doubts began to surface at this point, but I carried on. I asked the guy why he didn't want the board. His response was that it didn't feel right when he was surfing it, so I took hold of it and instantly felt the wax job.....which was all over the bottom of the board!

There were two ways to proceed, either be sympathetic and explain where the wax should really go, to let the guy know the game was up, or carry on with the conversation to see how far this mans bull*hit extended. So of course I decided on the latter. Next I asked him, where he surfed and he informed me that he surfed locally and actually surfed that very morning on the very same board (bit slippy was it?). So what wetsuit do you wear? Then the all time lie came tumbling out, he told me he didn't wear wetsuits. By now I'm biting down on my lip and mentioned that the water temp was around 5 degrees C (41F) and the wind chill about -3 c (26F) today and his response was all time..."I only need to wear boardshorts because I dont feel the cold"

Obviously the guy was immune to hypothermia! I never did let him know that his "clever" surfer story bluff was uncovered."

I havent heard such a tall surf story since but I bet there are thousands out there. If you have any similar kooky, way out, incredulous, surf stories that you've been told or have heard feel free to share them with us either as a comment or email us at contact at extremehorizon dot com and we'll published the best on the blog (clean stories only please!....we're a U rated site :)

Surfing for peace

As surfers we sometimes get a bit pi**ed off if the waves aren't good or the wind is in the wrong direction, but spare a thought for the boys and girls in Palestine. Their beaches were occupied for 38yrs, so until recently they couldn't surf at all but now that they can, finding equipment is a big deal for them.

This is why Dorian Paskowitz, a retired Jewish Hawaiian surfer, embarked upon a different kind of peace mission as he set out to bring a stack of boards to the embattled Gaza strip in a gesture of goodwill. He's hoping to get Isrealis and Palestinians surfing the same waves...as he puts it "Even God will surf with the Devil, if the waves are good".....

..... Amen brother




for more info on surfing in Gaza visit : http://www.gazasurfclub.com/Welcome.html