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LAURIE MCCALL.
Out of the water it would be hard to notice him really, super humble, reserved and definately not a limelight seeker. In the water however, he stands out with his featherweight frame flying all over the shop wether prone or on the knee. This chilled nature transfers in heavier waves too, never being one to back down, and always calm in heavier situations. I have watched him pull into 6ft closeouts again and again one february in icy weather with not a soul in sight and the most horrendous paddleout, just for the fun of it. The poor lad has been drydocked in the smoke recently though, luckily I know hes in good hands with a strong willed northern lass to keep him in check! If you've never met this slight straberry blonde from a serene little valley in Cornwall then hopefully this sheds a little light on one of our nations most underated bodyboarders. Anyway, no more wheeto licking, here's the interview.
TQATD - Firstly, hows London treating you? Are you wearing a tie and driving a Megane yet?
L.M - Ha ha, no tie or Megane yet I'm afraid, just a worn out oyster card and an 'I'm New' name badge. A tip to anyone reading this, if you contact an employment agency and they ask if you're interested in working for a telecommunications company, say no, unless you enjoy trying to sell Iphones to 80 year old ladies while a sweaty manager breathes down your neck. London itself is cool, but the distance from the sea just hasn't been working for me, A move back to the coast is on the cards in near future, if all goes to plan.
TQATD - Saw you for a few swells this winter, you didn't seem to be bogging rail at all. How do you manage not to get london legs? when i lived there I suffered hard.
L.M - Escalators at the tube stations are always a good workout on the way to and from work ha ha. Apart from that I go for a run every now and then, and try and do some exercise at home while watching The One Show, to be honest though I've definitely not been feeling in my prime since moving to the big smoke. As for not bogging rail, I save that for when no-one's looking, its a secret pleasure of mine.
definately not bogging.
Chilling gremlin at D-Dubz.
TQATD -you come from a long line of wave riding gingers. Where did you spring into this world?
L.M - I was born in Devon in a little seaside village called Budleigh Salterton. I was only there for six months before my parents decided a family migration to New Zealand was required. I come from a longish line of wave riders, sadly not all ginger though. My Dad and his Brother grew up in Brighton where they both learned to surf. Legend has it my uncle Chas was one of the first guys to make a bodyboard in the UK. He worked on a building site in his teens and found some insulation foam which he thought would work well as a surf mat, from then on Chas and my father dedicated a lot of their lives to the sponge. Chas moved to Cronulla, Sydney at around 20 and was one of the first guys to surf the infamous Shark Island. While visiting him in Byron bay a few years ago Chas showed me a collection of 80's magazine cuttings of himself air dropping at Sharkies, sporting an impressive black beard and a pair of metre long diving fins, absolute gold. My mum, my dad and all my brothers and sisters bodyboard so I've always had someone to surf with whilst growing up. What more could a grom want?
TQATD - when did you move Cornwall? I remember you telling me about a family immigration trip across the world.
L.M -I moved to Cornwall in about 1998. Before that I'd lived in New Zealand a couple of times, Dorset and had a brief spell in Australia before settling in Cornwall, I must have been to five different primary schools during that time! My parents have a thing for long-haul flights.
Bird bones.
TQATD - How did you get into dk? not many riders around down here.
I remember the first time I got up on one knee at Chapel Porth in Cornwall, I must've been about 10-11 years old. I was riding this bananered (bent) 42'' tie-dye machine I had borrowed off my dad, it went like a dream! After that I was hooked.
L.M - Where do you like to surf at home the most?
There will always a be a place in my Heart for my home break Perranporth. 98% of the time it's a fat mushy wall populated by longboarders and goatboaters, but on the odd occasion it turns on and produces some dreamy uncrowded wedges. Lushies at Porthtowan is another favourite of mine along with a few spots down in Cornwall's nether regions, best not name them on here though as I know how protective the locals are!
TQATD - Haha, yer we are! Tell me about your aunty at shark Island?
Well apparently she surfed it whilst up the duff with my cousin Winston, must be why he turned out to be such a ripper on the sponge.
Crystal voyager.
TQATD - and about being dragged out in heavy waves by your cousin?
L.M - Yeah, while visiting the family in Byron Bay a few years ago Winston came back home for a few days between gigs with his band Parkway Drive. We got a up at the crack of dawn and he drove me and my Friend Sam Werkmeister out to a spot in Ballina. We weren't really sure what to expect as this was the first time we'd surfed with him. When we arrived we were first faced with a paddle across a river mouth between two break walls, there were some solid walls of whitewater washing through so we didn't really know what to expect when we got to the other side. Winston warned us of sharks and the odd biting eel which boosted our confidence sky high. The surf on the other side of the wall was pretty fooking big and we were the only people out there, brown wedges of doom and a rip from hell made it a pretty scary experience. I continued to get beat down after beat down while Winston tore the place apart, pretty eye opening stuff!
TQATD - do you like screamo?
L.M - In moderation! Check out Goatwhore, they're my favourite...
TQATD - what are your plans for getting amongst some heavy terries soon?
L.M - I'm heading back to Cornwall for a couple of weeks in June so I'm praying for some epic swell while I'm down. If the swell gives up on me though I'm planning a slip n slide session in the field behind my parents house which should provide some rib breaking action and a nice bit of fairy liquid induced pink eye.
TQATD - Lets do a trip this Autumn. Where you want to go?
L.M - Why don't we go on a camping trip to Fistral Beach, I hear their are some great rollers to be caught in the middle of the beach at mid-tide. If that fails then a Trip Scotland or Ireland is something i've wanted to do for a while now. I could do with a dose of huffing terries sometime soon.
TQATD - Sounds good to me! cheers matey, see you drecly.
Laurie Is also a talented illustrator and designer. You can check out his work by clicking the button and then employ him so he doesn't have to sell Iphones to grannys.