Loco SUP Inmates Blow Up at Saltburn
Loco SUP Inmates Blow Up at Saltburn - After what seems to have been an endless swell famine on the East Coast the swell Gods finally relented to the masses and sent a long overdue pulse of salty loveliness yesterday. The original plan was to head down to Scarborough to check out some of our beloved coastline’s hidden slabs but the swell height didn’t really justify the mission so it was decided boss man Joe would meet up with Welsh ripper Steve Laddiman and son Ollie down at Saltburn.
Joe had been up in Scotland the previous day supporting the Coast 2 Coast Surf/SUP Sprints event so he arrived about lunchtime hopeful of catching the push only to discover both Laddimans smashing it in some small but beautifully formed waves. It wasn’t long before the boys came in for a rest so Joe decided to catch up with Garry Rodgers from Saltburn’s Surf Shop and let him see some of the new Loco surfboards. Both shapes seemed to hit the mark with the UK former National Champ so we’re pleased to report he’s kept hold of both to demo!
Loco SUP Inmates Blow Up at Saltburn - After the Welsh boys had refuelled it was decided Steve would head out on his 7’4” short SUP and Ollie would give our 10′ nose rider a spin while Joe played camera man. Man alive those boys were like duracell bunnies on angel dust smashing wave after wave without even breaking a sweat! You could certainly tell they both live and breath all things SUP. Steve had certainly come on since last time Joe had paddled with him dialling in vertical smacks and roundhouse cutbacks left right and centre. No wonder he’s killing it in competitive SUP!
Despite the 10′ nose rider being quite big compared to Ollie’s usual 25” wide 72L rip stick it didn’t stop him bringing that U16 Champ flare to the every wave, making our long board-style SUP dance. Back foot rammed up against the kick tail he was squirting brine all over the place!
After a good 45 mins of continuous slaying Ollie came in and paid his dues behind the camera while Steve and Joe had a play in some windy and lumpy conditions with less success, although Steve commented that longer boards are so much fun in cruddy conditions and certainly showed some flare hanging five and dialling in some fluid roundhouses on the nose rider.
Again it was time to swap camera duties and Steve manned the tripod while Joe and Ollie headed out to catch the dropping tide as the wind swung offshore and cleaned everything up. Joe was rocking his standard 8’9” Pro and managed to pick off a few open waves erring to stay clear of the throng of SUPers all competing for the same peak where Ollie was running a schooling session of the highest order on his VERY sinky custom. We have no doubt Ollie will be giving the likes of Matt and Aaron a run for their money at this year’s Nationals from what we witnessed yesterday and he looks poised to better his performance at La Torche later in the year.
It was soon 7pm and conscious the boys had to get back to Wales, Joe called it as he was broken after 2 full days in the water. Rumour has it he had to take ibuprofen just to drive home but that’s exactly the sort of dedication we endorse at the Asylum. Dare say he’ll be back out there today if the swell’s still kicking around this afternoon.
If you’re looking for a lightweight and durable SUP, surfboard or directional kite board, stay tuned for the unveiling of the new range over the next week or so. We’ll be offering a discount on pre-orders and are now well placed to speak to UK shops and foreign distributors about all things Loco. Note all boards in the photos were powered by K4 Fins which are now available in our shop.
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