Swansea Life
Legendary surfers launch book
Surfers from across established in 1966 in a chandlery in Swansea Eight-times Welsh champion PJ is considered as
South Wales gathered called Capstan House. Welsh surfi ng royalty after performing with the
in Langland on July British team for an entire decade, winning European
24 to celebrate 50
Welsh surfi ng hit the competitive scene in 1967,
and British championships, and travelling the globe
years of surfi ng in
with events in Langland showcasing some of
in search of the perfect waves. PJ has owned a surf
Britain. The event marked the South Wales launch
Wales’ best surfers. As the competitive scene
shop in Llangennith since 1978 and runs a daily
of The Surfi ng Tribe, the fi rst book to document the
grew, Llangennith became the place to compete
surf report. Although PJ has tackled some of the
history of surfi ng in Britain, written by Cornish surfer
in South Wales, with Port Talbot, Porthcawl and
most challenging, monstrous waves in the world he
Roger Mansfi eld.
Llantwit Major growing as popular breaks for locals.
still claims: “It all goes back to that fi rst ride at
Soon after, people across Pembrokeshire beaches
Langland.”
Surf legend Chris ‘Guts’ Griffi ths and Welsh champ were catching the surfi ng bug, with
Lloyd Cole compared the surfi ng equipment of past competitions being held at
and present. Guts took to the ocean on a classic Freshwater West.
60s longboard, while Lloyd demonstrated what’s
possible on a contemporary shortboard and super-
The country’s surfers were
fl exible modern wetsuit.
united when the Welsh Surfi ng
Federation formed in 1973. The
The Surfi ng Tribe documents Britain’s surfi ng history Surfi ng Tribe documents the
from the beginning of the British surfi ng scene history of Welsh surfi ng in a way
to the quest for the perfect wave. The section on that captures the free spirited
Wales begins with the story of Viv Ganz, Swansea’s nature of the sport, which was
fi rst surfer, who, back in 1960, attempted to particularly apparent at the time.
make his fi rst surfboard out of solid beech, which As the talent and confi dence
unsurprisingly was not a success. Ganz then built grew amongst Welsh surfers, so
a 12 foot hollow wooden board which he then did the international contests, with
successfully surfed at Langland. the likes of Pete Bounds, Linda
Sharp and Carwyn Williams setting
As the sport began to gather more followers, both
up a great reputation for Welsh
Langland and Caswell Bay became popular breaks
surfers. Talent was thriving and
with The Gower Surf Club, which formed in 1964
one of the Welsh legends making a
in Langland Bay. The Welsh surfers made their own
name for himself was Pete Jones,
boards and created wetsuits from the patterns of
better known as PJ.
divers’ suits. The fi rst retail base for boards was
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swansealife September 2009 9
FrontofBook_Sept.indd 9 24/08/2009 12:12:16
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