Chris Harvey:Surf Kayaking Blog

Ke11y...the Legend!

2011-11-07T03:47:00.001-08:00

If you've been following the ASP world tour you'll know that Kelly Slater has just been crowned 11th time World Champ...amazing achievement that makes him one of the sporting greats, and as if to stamp his mark on it he pulled off an insane tube ride just after the final hooter in San Fran. yesterday... check out the very last replay in R4 H2 on: http://live.ripcurl.com/index.php?Search2011LiveControl ...legend!

Back Home

2011-11-07T03:45:00.001-08:00

Back from Portugal....bit of a mixture of surf during the back end of the trip. A few more pictures in the Gallery now. Had a great time and desperate to get back and check out some more spots!

Portugal So Far...

2011-10-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

What can i say!....sunshine...warm water....great hospitality....i might just stay here! I had great waves at Santa Cruz the first few days. Then a quick trip down to the Algarve for a storm swell and scored a small but very fun beach pound at a quiet little spot on the south coast (check out teh gallery...i only broke one fin!). Back up in Santa Cruz now but everything's pretty much maxed out. Been playing with some ideas and shapes with Bruno (watertech shaper)...very excited! watch this space!

Portugal...

2011-10-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Good forecast...week off...flights booked for Weds! Hopefully a recipe for a great week of surfing coming up!

My Favourite Shot

2011-08-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

It' gone flat today so steadily sifting through the GoPro footage. I love this shot!

Charging The ONA

2011-08-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

2-3ft Perfection!

2011-08-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

I'll admit i struggled to get up this morning...Yorkshire drizzle and aching body after yesterday's battering. Glad i did though as my local spot was 2-3ft of perfection. Quite hard to pull into the small barrels but made a few on the inside followed by a really nice wall. Only hit the bottom once!

A few more pics in my gallery:
https://picasaweb.google.com/chrisharveyonline/GoPro110811#

Belly of the Beast!

2011-08-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was massive with some really heavy breaks on the reefs! Managed to get some real chargers....the ONA is so fast down the line it's unreal. 6hours of fun wasn't without it's carnage though! Broke my camera mount and had 2 very gnarly wipeouts...amazed i didn't snap the boat or my back! Got a few shots but this thought i'd put this one up quickly before i head out this morning. Much smaller today but hoping to find something :-)

...

2011-08-09T01:53:00.000-07:00

The new swell started to kick in last night, but was accompanied by heavy showers and thunder storms. Managed to get inside a rainbow though, even if the barrels were a bit elusive! Cleaning up for tomorrow!

Swell on it's way!

2011-08-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Looks like a good swell developing up north. If the wind goes offshore this week there could be some great waves about! :-)

Searching for the green room!

2011-07-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

Summer's here and after a 6 month lull we've had some good swells in the last few weeks. With the summer holiday fast approaching and the GoPro camera in hand i'm hunting for a classic 'green room' shot. There's nothing like tucking in and feeling the lip throw out above your head as you charge the barrel and hopefully find the exit! I'm a long way from that perfect shot but despite a slight onshore wind, the small swell was dredging quite nicely on a local sandbar. (Couple of shots below to get you inspired).

2010-05-01T04:24:00.000-07:00

What a week! The spring swells have been pretty good the last couple of weeks. Squeezing in 2 sessions a day most days is great! Some exciting things in the pipeline this summer too...watch this space! Photo...A local reef; a tad messy but the ONA makes it smooth!

Still Here!

2010-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hello...from the deepest darkest depths of yorkshire! For those of you wondering, I'm still alive and kicking, just been a bit manic lately with buying a house!! I know I must be getting old...there's only so long i can live in a van! It's been a long cold winter up here with long flat spells but Spring's arrived and so have the waves. Had a great session this evening at Saltburn putting the Watertech ONA through its paces. :-) Really impressed. Locks in nicely on the steep fast walls and charges really down the line. I'm making sections that i don't expect to. It's slightly more locked in so harder to tail slash but that's a small price to pay, compared to the speed and effortless way that it roundhouses...feels great! Hopefully i'll be able to find someone with a camera soon to get some shots. Meanwhile, it's back to working on the house (between sessions), which in it's current state is only a small step up from my van!

Coldwater: Cayton Bay

2009-09-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Finally managed to run the Cayton bay event on Saturday. Thanks to everyone who turned up and helped make the day a success. It was especially good to see so many new faces...that's what it's all about. Well done to Gary Adcock for surfing to victory in style. Conditions were particularly difficult, turning into a 6ft beach dump, but a good day was had by all :)

Sea Kayaking in Guernsey

2009-09-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've just got back up 'tut' north and Autumn's arrived with a bang, but had a great week back home in Guernsey, Sea Kayaking, Surfing and generally chilling out.

The sea kayaking around Guernsey is amongst the best in the world in my opinion... 10m tides, Atlantic swells and loads of small islands to explore.

Mike (a colleague from work) joined me down there and we did a couple of short classics: a round island trip and accross to Herm. Windy conditions prevented us from doing anything epic but it nice to get a break. Got lots on the 'to do list' though! Will have to return soon!

Harvey Brothers Sponsored by Watertech

2009-08-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

My brother Adam (Junior World Champion) has just joined me in the Watertech Team...exciting times! I'm stoked about his surfing...he's really ripping, although it's getting hot on the heels!

check out the Watertech news at: http://surfkayak-watertech.blogspot.com/

Watertech Sponsorship

2009-08-30T15:20:00.001-07:00

Firstly a big thanks to Malcolm at Mega for his support over the last few years. However, i'm really excited to join the team at Watertech and start on a new journey. There's a new boat on the way and i'm looking forward to getting out in the ONA. I'm especially excited to get involved in the design process and work with the guys at watertech to drive the sport forward... watch this space over the next few months!

New Website Under Development

2009-08-30T15:06:00.001-07:00

You've probably noticed that things have been a bit quiet of late. It's been a busy season and there's a lot to catch up on. I'm working on the finishing touches of the new site but hopefully this will be easier for everyone to see what's going on in my world! Happy Surfing :)

Wave Chasing: Scotland's North Shore

2009-04-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

With it being so flat on the East Coast and a long weekend ahead i'm just about head north in search of some North Atlantic swells. It looks like the North Coast of Scotland should be preety sweet with 6-8ft clean for the nexdt few days...watch this space!

Outdoor Show

2009-03-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from outdoor show, where i was presenting a talk about the sport and my adventures...quite a lot of nerves this morning but all went smoothly (i think). Big thanks to Zach at RunandJump for setting that up. They've got some great new designs coming out at the moment. check out: www.runandjumpclothing.co.uk

Hatric at Santa Cruz :)

2009-03-23T07:21:00.001-07:00

photo by Caroline Woolward (in the good surf pre-event)

It's been a really tough event over in Santa Cruz with almost no waves for the first 2 days of competition. Somehow after taking off on rocks and a lot of jostling for the few waves, I scraped through the flat spell. I thought it was game over in my semi when my deck blew (first time ever) but the couple of wave i'd had were sufficiently high scoring to get me into the final. Although nothing like last year's waves, the new swell started to hit and there were some nice rides to be had from the point. A strong offshore wind meant I held back from going big on the lip but i got in sync with the sets and secured some nice rides and finished just ahead of local ripper Galen Licht. I think it's the first ever hatric at the event so that feels really good but as always it's just great being here, all the guys are awesome and event is really well organised. It's a lot of fun and great to see the likes of Marc Woolward (the only other UK competitor this year) and Eric Connor ripping it up. Thanks to Devon, Louise and little Fiona for putting up with me for a week again...it's great seeing you guys.

I'm working on getting some pictures over the next week so watch this space. Happy Surfing

A nice weekend

2009-03-02T00:26:00.000-08:00

It's finally a bit warmer (for a few days at least!)...and we've had a great weekend of waves up in the NE :)

Israel Coaching Weekend

2009-02-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

Well...here i am again...sat at the airport waiting for my flight home and hoping everything arrives back in one piece.

Israel may not be your typical surfing destination and my initial reaction when i was contacted by Omer of Terra Santa Kayaking was disbelief...surely there couldn't be good waves in the Med. Add to this the bad news recently and i had visions of flying into a warzone...how wrong i was! With the full length of the Medditteranean ahead of it, Israel picks up some suprisingly large waves...in fact Sunday...although messy...was double overhead which made coaching interesting!

Photo (left to right): Kafir (Mr Top Turn!), Avi, Sharon, Omer, Me, Harri (sorry if that's spelt wrong) and in the front...Michael the human fish ;)

I flew out on Friday and stepped off the plane into a climate more like an English summer...with the water even warmer. In the middle of a drought...i was almost guarenteed to have sunshine and hot weather!...but it turned out the Gods had other thoughts and that night the heavens opened as the biggest storm of the for a year hit the coast... strong winds, thunder & lightning and rain so heavy it was like having a hose pipe on...(i'm now considering setting up business as a rainmaker!) Despite the weather which at a 'freezing' 16 degrees was almost too cold for the locals their enthusiasm kept spirits high and we rode the storm out, surfing Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. Evenings were spent eating great food and sampling the local beer :)

On Monday we got lucky...the wind dropped...the waves cleaned up and we had hot sunshine, surfing the day away on nice 4ft clean beach break with a good bit of punch to it. It was the perfect way to finish with everyone able to apply the techniques and skills we'd been practicing.

Unfortunately this time it was a flying a visit so i didn't get to explore the country, but it really is a great place. The hospitality made me feel like i was home, the food is amazing and the culture rich and the scenary breathtaking. And obviously surfing in 20degrees water was great too! A big thanks to Omer and all all the guys for being so welcoming and braving the 'cold' weather for the weekend. I made a lot of friends over the weekend, I was really inspired by everyone's enthusiasm for the sport and will definately be back in Israel soon...so as we say in Guernsey... 'a la perchoine' (until the next time)

Thanks to Adam for taking the photos. Check them out at: http://picasaweb.google.com/adam.dunsky/ChrisHarvey#

Happy Surfing

Coldwater Series 2009

2009-01-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

This is a new Kayak Surf Series in the NE England. Great prizes, including a cash prize in the finals! check out the website: www.coldwaterkayaksurf.co.uk for more info and online entry.

2009-01-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

Had a nice day surfing with Dan Green 'somewhere' up in Northumberland yesterday. Nice n clean ledgy reefs and sandy beaches...probably one of the nicest places i've surfed...just the freezing water to contend with! A few more pics in my gallery: click here

Thurso: Scottish Team Training

2008-10-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from a weekend at Thurso....another long drive! I've had a lot of fun with Scottish team who are spending a week training together. Sampling the waves has wetted my appetite to go back for more than a weekend and get some nice footage. Thanks to Tracey and all the guys for inviting me...see you soon :)

HP Finals: Gold

2008-10-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last week i travelled to Newquay (looooong drive!) for the UK HP Series Finals. After 10hrs driving i wasn't feeling great but managed to pull through in difficult conditions to take the Gold...feels sweet!

Buff Headwear

2008-09-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my latest sponsor; Buffheadwear who supplied the Peru Team with headwear which i'll be fashioning at forthcoming events :)

Autumn Update: World Cup Finals

2008-09-21T03:24:00.001-07:00

Hello world! I apologise to those of you who've been looking for updates recently...lots of time on the water and lots of working are to blame! I'm currently sat in a French cafe following a nice early morning surf :) Life is tough! I figured with a few hours to kill before heading back to the bleak North of England i'd catch up on my blog...

Peru: Awesome....awesome....awesome! What an adventure! Looking back on the trip still makes me tingle. I have to say the country was very different from what i expected and we spent the best part of the trip shell shocked and in sensory overload. Picture this....100s of miles of desert, extreme poverty & desperation, remains of civilizations 1000s of years old and far superior to any in the West, cultural traditions and practices that have surived for 1000s of years and some incredible waves with rides on Chicama of just over 1km! Unfortunately we also experienced the full wrath of Peruvian fog which made filming a bit tricky! The trip was as much a spiritual journey to the roots of our sport as it was about surfing and sitting on the beach in Huanchaco watching the fisherman paddle out in their reed kayaks, realising that this was the birthplace of our sport was an emotional moment. The fisherman were equally interestd in our kayaks as we were of theirs. Giving my Reflex to a local to try out was scary and exciting. Straight out back and down the line...if these guys had a chance they'd certinly be the best in the world!

I'm currently sifting through the footage and Steve's busy processing photos. The next step for us is sorting out the Kayak Session Articles. Meantime i'm trying to get more surfing footage and we're hoping to build a Cabillito de Totora in the UK to round things off...then use the footage to make a documentary film...watch this space!

World Cup: So A week ago i arrived here on Ile D'Oleron on the west cpast of France for the World Cup finals. My opening round was great, with nice air in about 6inches of water and the highest score of the day. After that it went flat.....very flat! And stayed flat! Fortunately we held out all week until Saturday when a new swell arrived, providing 3ft surf. I progressed through to the quarter finals ok but with closeout conditions it was very much a wave lottery and very tough to compete in. Once again i progressed to the Semis but failed to find any decent peaks within the 14 min heat and finished 3rd...AGAIN! 3rd in the world's not a bad result at all and 3 years in a row demonstrates that i'm consistantly at the top of the sport. I'd be lieing if i said i wasn't a bit disappointed as i was definatley aiming for the Gold. It was frustrating that the wave didn't allow me to perform any of the moves i've been working on this year. Training on fast clean waves has made me technically better and i feel like i'm riding smoother and more dynamically than ever but it wasn't to be this time.

Adam Harvey: It was really exciting for me to surf with my youngest brother in France and watch him compete. He's progressing at an amazing rate and is right up there with the big boys! I was stoked that he was able to get a wildcard for the Junior World Cup and finishing 3rd (as well!) is a top result and great experience for him to build on the future...the pressures on now...which Harvey will be World Champion first!?

Home Internationals: This year Guernsey (big cheer!) managed to put a team into the Homes. We finished 3rd, just behind our rival island, Jersey, but with everyone exceeding all my expectations we got some real promise for the future. As well as Adam, David Duport showed real skill and is also progressing fast. Well done to the whole team and a big thanks to Richard Agnelli (manager) for all the hard work he's put in.

Looking Ahead: In the next month i've got the finals for the 2008 UK Series in Cornwall and the British Championships in Norther Ireland so keep watching for updates, news etc.

Projects:
Film: I'm currently filming as much as possible trying to accumulate footage to use for the Peru documentary and future video projects.
Magazine: I've got a few more articles to complete my series for Canoe Kayak UK and should wrap it early in the new year. check out www.canoekayak.co.uk
I'm also writing competition and travel articles so keep your eyes on the glossy pages for those.
Looking ahead I plan on editing and combining my technique articles into a booklet and hope to publish towards the end of 2009.

I think that's it...everyone's up to date...i'll try and be more regular over the Autumn/Winter. Thanks for bearing with me...if there's no updates it's probably because i'm out surfing somewhere!

Take it easy. Chris

Kayak Chicama: Peru Expedition

2008-05-27T06:40:00.001-07:00

Next month I will join a team travelling to Peru to re-trace the roots of kayak surfing. During our 2 week expedition we will be gathering photography and video footage to produce magazine and film documentaries, re-telling the story of the ancient Peruvian fisherman and surfing Chicama, the longest left on the planet. For more information check out: www.kayakchicama.com

RunandJump Clothing

2008-05-26T02:46:00.000-07:00

RunandJump Clothing is a small company of really sound people passionate about kayaking. They are my latest sponsor and i'm pleased to say that I really like the clothes. Very comfortable and some nice designs...check out the Signature series :) The Harvey...yes I am sad enough to wear myself! The hoody's are my favourite...nice and warm in the colder climes of the north. Thanks to Zach at RunandJump for his support.

Hola :)

2008-04-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hola from Spain! Last night I arrived in Bilbao with boat in tow ready for the Mundaka World Cup event. A nice low swell provided some waves today but Mundaka definately wasn't working very well. I managed to make the most of what there was to score the highest of the day (75pts) and progress to quarter finals tomorrow. The best session of the day however was after the comp..inshore of the main peak with some really punchy lefts and rights, barrels to be had and sections to hit...oooh....and 27 degrees!! .....happy days!

Widemouth...Adam Harvey's first comp

2008-04-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I loaded up again for the loooong drive to Cornwall. But well worth it to meet up with my younger brother Adam (14) for his first comp. Rain, strong onshores and 6ft waves...classic competition surf made me wish I was back at home...until Adam's first heat. I was stoked to see him paddle straight out the rip, keep a cool head, get 3 solid rides and take 2nd place. In his second heat he was against Darren Bason...so settled for second again. The second wave was awesome though nice drop...cutback, dropping again and up to the lip for a massive slash on the closeout (nice one!) 2 seconds...surfing well...confidence up...unfortunately the 3rd heat didnt work out as hoped, getting nailed inside, loosing his paddle and deciding to have a good look at the fish instead! never mind...With the handicap Adam finished 4th and showed us that he's got real potential for the future...Big smile :) I was there mainly to support Adam, but making the final was another good result, although with back-back heats and a narly shore pound I was knackered and my plan to go for only 3 waves didn't really pay off...I managed 2 nice rides but couldn't find a third...still 3rd place is another nice result :) Thanks to Simon Hammond for another slick event.

Guernsey Press Article

2008-03-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Check out today's Guernsey Press for a round up of the Santa Cruz competition:
http://www.thisisguernsey.com/2008/03/28/current-world-champion-beaten-by-golden-harvey/

Photos from Santa Cruz

2008-03-24T12:03:00.001-07:00

Starting to collect the photos from Santa Cruz..keep an eye on the Gallery for latest shots.
Here's a nice one by Jordan Deltscheff

Happy Easter :)

2008-03-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone.
With the HP event cancelled this weekend i've headed north with Sarah to the Cairngorm's and full on winter conditions. Yesterday we had a full day sking in some really nice conditions. With more snow overnight and a blizzard as i type, it looks like Monday could see some nice powdery conditions :) awesome! Hope you're all having a good bank holiday!

Gold at Santa Cruz

2008-03-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

So i'm recovering from jet lag slowly but really excited to have won the Gold at Santa Cruz. The conditions were changing from heat to heat on Sunday. Strong wind made the quarter finals particularly tough but i managed to remain unbeaten throughout and pulling off a nice air in the final, scoring a max 30pts for that wave secured the title...for the 2nd year in a row :) awesome!
Big congrats to Matt Radis (silver), Rusty Sage (Bronze) and Dave Johnston (4th) who helped make a spectacular final. Also cheers to Devon and family who put up with me for a week...Also seen a couple of cracking shots of Devon from his 2nd round heat...nice job!

Well done to everyone else in the Mega Flying Squad who put in excellent performances (full magazine report coming soon...watch this space). Great to see Malcolm out there too...still ripping!

Check out the Santa Cruz newspaper report: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_8601270
(nice quote by Rusty!) Unfortunately the photographer missed the final but i'm slowly collecting shots and putting them in my gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisharveyonline/SantaCruz2008

If anyone has any photos please email me at: chrisharveyonline@gmail.com
Watch this space for more pics!

Santa Cruz: Day 2

2008-03-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

A nice 10ft swell was producing some good surf at the Lane this morning and I was fired for up for a good heat. Hoping for a slot wave i went really deep to begin with but was unlucky and got caught on the inside, taking a good beating. With 5 mins gone and no waves, the pressure was really on. I secured a couple of solid rides with some nice smooth roundhouses, but struggled to find a 3rd good ride. However, the points I had were enough to secure another 1st and I progress through to the quarter finals tomorrow, ranked in 2nd place, behind world champion Rusty Sage.

Santa Cruz: Day 1

2008-03-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

Another hot day in California :) My opening round was late this afternoon, so I spent most of today saving energy and getting ready for the heat. With a good swell kicking in and a pushing tide, conditions were getting pretty good. With moderate winds and a good 150m, the paddle out was hard work and the heat was set to be pretty physical. My main rival was former Scottish champion, Neil Baxter, but I was feeling fairly confident going into the heat. The heat started really well, with a nice 10ft set after 30 secs, solid surfing secured a good start. Right through the heat the waves just kept coming and every time i got out back another nice set shaped up. (The surf Gods were certainly favouring me today!) Another 3 solid waves, including a small aerial on the inside (I think the only one of today), secured a 1st place and tied highest score of the day in World Cup Class. So a really good day and the perfect start to the event. My next round is an earlier start in the morning at 9.20, and the forecast is mixed but feeling confident for another good heat.

nice morning at the lane

2008-03-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

A bit of light rain seemed to put off the locals today and i had 3hrs of glassy head high surf with only a few people out....very nice :) Just chilling out now for the rest of the day, ad until the competition starts tomorrow.

Santa Cruz 08

2008-03-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Santa Cruz on Sunday and have had a few days of nice surf to get used to going right after a winter full of lefts. A big swell started kicking in yesterday afternoon and i spent 4hrs at the lane this morning...it's tough to surf a great big peak with no wall though...argh! Still the next few days is looking good, with about 6ft clean swell. Saturday is going to be interesting though with possible 20ft faces coming...it wont be a contest of surfing, but more who's bravest!...watch this space!

Brits 07 (re-run)

2008-03-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago was the first big comp of the season. A very cold weekend in Northumberland, with a couple of feet of surf was pretty nice. I was pleased to progress through to the fials. I had a great semi and felt on top form going into the final, but just couldn't find the waves..everywhere i moved, the waves dissapeared!...very frustrating, however, another final and a 4th place isn't a bad start to the season :)

Photo f8: the latest shots

2008-01-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.photof8.co.uk/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=374

Thanks to Tim for all the photography work!

London Boatshow News...

2008-01-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Check out the News page for the London Boatshow...it's near the bottom and it's small but...a good thing for the sport :-) http://www.londonboatshow.com/news/81/69/

Happy New Year..surf's up!

2008-01-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Spent 5 hrs on the water today :) ...some really nice clean conditions. Been working on some shots for magazines so thanks for Tim for standing in the cold...good job. Check out a few of the photos in my gallery (click here)

Majorsporty Flyer

2007-12-24T09:10:00.001-08:00

Majorsporty have produced several thousands flyers and have used a shot of me from the worlds on the front...obviously great for me but also brilliant for the sport...click here to see the and print the poster.

Canoe & Kayak: cover shot and Articles

2007-12-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

Check out the January issue of Canoe & Kayak UK Magazine.

It features a cover shot from the worlds taken by Steve Childs and also marks the beginning of my workshop articles...click here to visit the magazine.

Canoe Focus Cover Shot

2007-12-02T04:46:00.000-08:00

Check out the Canoe Focus magazine this month: www.canoefocus.demon.co.uk

Thanks to Steve Childs for the photography

Earls Court Boatshow: 1st-9th December

2007-11-23T00:42:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited to be able to team up with majorspotry.com at the Earls Court Boatshow in a couple of weeks. Their stand will include my portfolio and on the 8th-9th I'll be there with my kayak and equipment so if anyone's interested in meeting up come on down...it should be a really good show and more great promotion for the sport :)

majorsporty

2007-11-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

Majorsporty: Online Store and Interactive Community

I'm pleased to have the support of majorsporty who are a great company with a real commitment to sport promotion and development. Check out their website which includes my profile which will be developed over time. Thanks to Richard Harpham and the guys for all the support.

Canoe & Kayak Interview Online

2007-11-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Check out teh CKUK interview online at: http://www.canoekayak.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?cate=10&topic=51&item=94

Guernsey Press Article

2007-10-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.thisisguernsey.com/code/showsportarticle.pl?ArticleID=017104 good write in the Guernsey Press yesterday. Got a good air shot on the back page too :)

WSKA...committee

2007-10-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that i'm now a committee member for the world surf kayak association. It's an exciting time for the myself and the sport and i hope that i can use my passion for surf kayaking to support the committee in the sport's development worldwide.

World Championship Final...

2007-10-28T05:25:00.001-07:00

Awesome weather and surf today...about 8ft clean, with bright sunshine...nice :) My plan was to go right and enjoy the heat. I pretty much managed that but did get a bit frustrated at missing the set waves. Still I managed a couple of nice ones, including a risky off the lip move right next to the rocks!...all or nothing eh!...anyway...i knew i could really have done with one more good wave and at this level that's costly. I finished 3rd (again!) which i'm really pleased with...3rd in the world isn't a bad result!!! Also i won the prize for best move of the contest which i'm really stoked about :) ...just trying to get the images together for the gallery...so watch this space...got 24hrs of driving ahead...back to the colder climes of Yorkshire. Hope to catch up with some of you on the water soon. Happy Surfing :)

Worlds Update (saturday)...

2007-10-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

This morning we completed the team finals and if my calculations are correct then Team Jersey finished in 3rd place...just ahead of England :) sweet! Due to the unsurfable beach dump at Bakio this afternoon, the Mens Finals will now be held tomorrow morning so it'll be another day until we can fight for the world title!

Worlds: Team Update

2007-10-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

With three 1sts today the team did really well against some tough competition and we've finished the 2nd round in 3rd place :) a great result and also means we're through to the team finals which will be held Saturday morning at Mundaka. A good swell coming in means it should be an exciting contest. I'm really excited about tomorrow, its going to be a lot of fun being in the HP final which will undoubtedly be a hot heat...really awesome to watch i'm sure!

Semi Finals...

2007-10-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

Another tough day!...after postponing the team event my semi final got underway at 3pm. With a head cold kicking in it was again a real struggle to get my energy levels up and focussed on the heat and a 5ft shore pound didn't help matters! The heat started well and in the first 7 minutes i was feeling strong with some good lip moves, including an air pretty much above rusty! The 2nd half of the heat didn't go so well, i found a nice walling left but a beat down on the inside really sapped my energy. With another close round it was a tense wait but i again pulled 2nd which means i'm through to the final on Saturday afternoon. I've got to say i'm really stoked to be in the final and hopefully with a rest day tomorrow can get over this cold and find my top form. Another bit of news...i made the local newspaper with my air shot from earlier in the week :)...that's fame for you eh!

Worlds Update...

2007-10-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today started with a really stacked heat...up against both the world and european champions, it could easily have been a final. Once again, conditions were tough with small waves and onshore wind making for very messy surf. A small aerial was enough to secure 2nd place tough and through to the quarter finals. In deteoriating conditions and with a stomach bug niggling, i was feeling far from on form and really struggled to get the rides i needed. By some miracle what i did was just enough to secure another 2nd so i'm through to the semi finals tomorrow afternoon...i'm praying for good waves!!...watch this space :)

Team Jsy Update

2007-10-23T01:19:00.000-07:00

Monday was little more than a beach pounding...but a nice air (photo coming soon!)...won me my heat and flurry of good results mean that after day 1 Team Jersey are tied 4th place. If we can hold 4th for the 2nd round then we'll qualify for the finals!

Hola...from Bakio (Spain)

2007-10-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update from Spain...in typical competition style, the surf's gone flat from the opening round but i somehow managed to scrape through to win my heat :) so its a few days of team event then the pressure's on thursday for the next individual round...gonna be a very very tough heat though. Swells just starting to kick in as we speak so off to Mundaka this evening for what could be some nice conditions. Also added some training shots to my gallery, taken by Steve Childs (www.alluringlight.co.uk) http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisharveyonline/2007WorldsBakio watch this space for more shots...hopefully getting pitted in Mundaka by the end of the week! :)

Bonjor!...training in France

2007-10-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

After a loooong drive from the NE, leaving behind some awesome surf. I'm in warmer climes, soaking up the sun and surfing hard. 5-6ft glassy clean condditions mean it's pretty much perfect. The last 2 days have consisted of 7 hrs surfing a day, with coffee and croisants in between sesssions :) probably going to head to Mundaka (spain) weds afternoon...watch this space

UK HP Finals: Silver Medal

2007-10-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Just returned from Cornwall and near perfect conditions. Managed to take the silver and £100 prize money so pleased with that :) I'll be putting together a report for majorsporty.com so watch this space for photos etc.

High Performance Series Finals This Weekend

2007-10-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Just arrived in Cornwall for the finals of the UK High Performance Series 2007. Had a nice afternoon of 2ft clean waves so hopefully it'll hold up for the event!

Freerange Sports Optics

2007-10-01T02:28:00.000-07:00

Just recieved some nice sunglasses from freerange sports optics!...check out their website at: http://www.freerangeuk.com/

Canoe & Kayak Blog

2007-09-04T04:44:00.001-07:00

http://www.canoekayak.co.uk/blogs/blogShow.asp?blog=7&post=48

magazine shoot...

2007-08-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Spent today with Canoe Kayak Magazine doing some 'lifestyle' shots!...lots of posing on the beach!!...funny! Unfortunately after yesterday's classic glassy conditions the wind switched and messed it all up but good fun anyway :) My interview's coming out in November so watch out for that...then i'll be writing a regular surf column starting with December's issue...watch this space!

hello from Cornwall

2007-08-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Just thought i'd check in to let you all know where i am and what i'm doing! Spent the last week in Cornwall looking for waves. Had a couple of days but mainly its been onshore messy!...still...cant complain...several hours water time a day and basking in sunshine! it's a hard life :)

HP Series 2 photos

2007-08-16T11:21:00.001-07:00

Just posted some photos from the HP series round 2: http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisharveyonline/HP207

Farne Islands: sea kayak

2007-08-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Had a really nice day sea kayaking around the Farne Islands (Northumberland). Bit of a breeze made for some fun choppy conditions in the channels. The islands are really stunning, set amidst the backdrop of Bamburgh castle and the Cheviot hills. We saw literally hundreds of seals and a few followed us all the way back to the beach...well worth a trip if you get the chance. check out my photos: click here

Flamborough Head: sea kayaking

2007-08-06T11:47:00.001-07:00

Just had a great day sea kayaking around Flamborough with Mike and Martin...really awesome sea caves...check out the photos in my gallery: click here

Canoe & Kayak Magazine Projects:

2007-08-03T02:38:00.000-07:00

I'm at the beginnings of an exciting project with Canoe Kayak Magazine, which will start off soon with an interview and lifestyle feature. As part of this we are hoping to capture some great surf shots. Following on from this I'm working on putting a workshop style column...watch this space!
Check out the magazine webpage at: www.canoekayak.co.uk

New Website Live

2007-08-03T02:05:00.000-07:00

Just relaunched my new-look website with photo gallery, video, blog etc which should be more user friendly and easier for me to get information out to the masses: www.chrisharveyonline.net

more summer swell...

2007-07-31T09:24:00.001-07:00

Once again another beautiuful day up here...12ft glassy perfection!

Awesome Session In the North!

2007-07-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Just got off the water after an awesome session at a point break 'somewhere north!' ...walls of over 20ft and rides of about 300-500 metres!....totally insane session... not another soul out there! :)

photof8: photography by Tim Harvey

2007-07-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Check out http://www.photof8.co.uk/ for some shots from Guernsey

New Blog Online

2007-07-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

At last!...i've finally got round to getting my new blog online. Thank you for visiting the new blog and thanks to everyone who's been 'encouraging' me to get the site up to date! The plan is to transfer most of my website into my google account so it's easier to maintain when i'm travelling around :) So over the coming weeks check into the Gallery as I post up photos from the last year of fun!

British Championships 2007

2007-07-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

The British Championships are fast approaching: training's going well and i've just finished putting together the poster, which can be viewed at: www.bcusurf.org.uk/britishchamps07 your support in disseminating this info would be great.

HP Series

2007-07-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

With a 2nd in the first round and 3rd in the 2nd, I'm currently placed 3rd on the Leaderboard and comfortabl;y through to the finals this October.

Gold in Santa Cruz

2007-07-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

This March Team Mega dominated in Santa Cruz and I took my first international win :)
Cruising around in and RV, surfing the coast of California is hard work but someone has to do it right!...I headed out a few weeks early and with some great waves made the most the the time to train and raise my suring to the next level. It clearly paid off and by the competition was feeling physically strong and mentally confident. With favourable conditions i made it through each of the opening heats with some of the highest scores, placing me close to the top of the leaderboard going into the finals. Tough heats ensued, facing British Champion Dessie McGlinchey twice and World Champion Dave Johnston in the Final!...Taking the Gold was awesome and to add to the excitment, the rest of team Mega (Tam Green, Chris Hobson, Dave Speller) all had top results...bringing the silverwear very much back to the UK!

Mundaka 07

2007-05-03T02:21:00.000-07:00

With very small (flat) conditions the competition was extremely tough...delay upon delay meant very short heats and disappointingly it wasn't my style and i struggled through only to the quarter finals. Well done to everyone who managed to make the most of the conditions...let's hope there's more waves in October!

Surf Kayak World Cup Finals 2006: Portugal

2006-10-29T12:20:00.000-08:00

Competition Report (coming soon)