The Freeze Music and Snow Festival has been running since 2008 and offers us folk who haven’t been lucky enough to venture to the real slopes, a chance to see what some of the best in the world have to offer. The jump, standing at 100meters long and 32meters high, made of real snow, is certainly impressive on the eyes before anyone’s even thrown themselves down it. For the competitors it’s a chance to obtain world-ranking points, win prize money and gain coverage in a country where it otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

London traffic, motorway accidents and the capital’s classic red double-decker bus meant that it wasn’t till sunset on Saturday that we reached Battersea’s transformed power station ourselves. Unfortunately this meant we missed Friday’s Battle of Britain snowboarding and ski comps but we were told by all that it was a sick day and the Brits did us proud! Although, we were there in time to catch the final of the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup. Some may say this was perfect timing because by the time we caught a bit of snowboarding, grabbed some tasties from the wide array of food sellers and had a quick tour of the location, we made our way to the main attraction of the night, Mark Ronson and The Business International.

We were most definitely not disappointed. The set was amazing, the Halloween outfits were insane and the dancing was flowing, which meant Corinne and Jamie were more than happy and at home. The dancing continued later that night at the official after party at Fire, where we were relieved to find that the message about Halloween fancy dress we had been told about last minute, hadn’t stretched much further than Mark Ronson’s stage. The more common dress code being the snowboarder’s uniform we quickly became aware of; long oversized, snow jackets, hoodies and t-shirts and a wide array of styling beanies, and I thought it was hot in there! We all had a really fun night and it was good to be amongst the snow scene atmosphere.

Up bright and early and ready to soak up a Sunday of skiing we headed from the hotel to the power station via Chelsea’s finest for a quick breakie. Then the filming, photography, interviewing and witnessing some of the sickest ski jumps took place.  All of it was amazing but the final of the International Freestyle Ski Big Air was insane, with the Swedes killing it and getting the top three positions, Jacob Wester taking 1^st.  As well as the gasp forcing jumps and dramatic landings by the skiers the presenters from Channel 4’s Freesports, really got the crowd behind the competitors and the atmosphere for the spectators was really cool. We even got a sneaky peak of T4’s Steve Jones, to Corinne and my viewing pleasure!

The skiing was then over and it was time for WA’s finest DJ’s and arguably the world’s finest drum and bass DJ group to take to the stage to entertain. Pendulum was immense and it is honestly an impossible decision to say what the best part from the weekend was. Collectively, The Freeze went down well with us Newquay folk and it will definitely go on my list of recommendations for anyone’s ‘to do’ list. The sponsors did themselves proud and ran a really tight ship in terms of what was on offer, free head massages, photos printed instantly onto pocket size cards by LG, Nike 6.0’s Chrystal maze style competition and all the industry stands offered new and exciting products for enthusiasts. The Pizza Express stand along with paella, hog roasts and burgers from other stands meant everyone’s bellies were kept filled, so Corinne was at least a happy girl throughout the weekend!

Make sure to check out all the footage from the weekend we captured as well as the official Freesports coverage on Channel 4 and hopefully it will inspire one and all to make the trip to our very own Capital next year. After all Relentless bring the snow to London the least we can all do is go and have a blast of a weekend with it right!?

Harriet Frost

2X hours Flowriding  and Meal for 2

Meal for 2 at the loop Restaurant, plus one hour flow riding for 2 people.

Worth £150

Donated by Retallack resort and spa

Fox Accessories

Men’s and women’s limited edition Fox  accessories

Unable to buy in shops made for a fashion shoot.

Worth: unable to buy

Donated by: FOX

Separate lots men’s and women’s….

Mens: sunglasses, rucksack, belt, wallet

Women’s: hand bag, matching wallet, hat gloves and scarf set.

Busting down the door book

The Shaun Thompson book busting Down the door book, signed by Shaun Thompson

Donated by A1 surf.com

Worth: £20 without signature only one in U.K with signature.

Meal for 2 at Silks restaurant

Meal for 2 at silks restaurant

Worth: £80

Donated by The Atlantic Hotel Newquay

O’Neil wetsuit and Gul wetsuit

Gul wetsuit

O’Neil wetsuit

Worth £300

Donated by O’Neil and Harry & Vince Timson

Carve photo shoot.

A photo shoot or one with a Carve staff photographer

Worth: unable to buy

Donated: Carve magazine

Tiare Hawaii, dresses

Made and designed in Hawaii, Sunset surf shop the only shop in Europe to stock

them. Sold in LA and Japan in boutiques.

$90-120

donated by Sunset Surf (Amanda)

Tiki Wetsuits

Original Tiki wet suits from the 1971 very few left in mint condition

Donated by TIKI

Worth: unable to buy anymore

Oakley sunglasses

Limited edition sunglasses

Worth £150

Donated by Oakley

Globe Skateboard

Globe one off skateboard

£100

Donated by Globe

Boardmasters Rash vest signed by Marc Lacanau

A Board masters rash vest signed by the winner of the

2010 relentless Board masters

Worth: unable to buy

Donated by the UKPSA

John Severson signed poster

A signed poster by john Severson from his first ever colour film ,

John Severson is Founder of Surfer Magazine and Surfing Hall-of-Fame surf culture artist, Severson is noted for surf movies as SURF SAFARI, SURF FEVER,
 BIG WEDNESDAY, and PACIFIC VIBRATIONS.

Worth: unable to by one off signed poster.

Donated by: Driftwood gallery.

Coaching weekend with Russell Winter

A coaching weekend with, The English surfing Federation and Russell Winter. Coaching from The UK most successful professional surfer. For all abilities.

Worth: £199

Donated by: The English Surfing federation.

A1surf.com 1 years advertising banner

12 months advertising banner on the A1surf.com one the most visited surfing sites on the web.

Worth: £3600 for 12 months

Donated by A1surf.com

2X Tickets for the Relentless Big Freeze festival

What is Relentless Freeze Festival: Relentless Freeze Festival is where London, snow sports and music collide. Every year the world’s best snowboarders and skiers descend on Battersea Power Station to compete on a real snow ramp before some amazing music acts hit three stages for a banging party…29-31^st October with headliners marc ronson, roni size, and pendulum.

Worth: £180

Donated by Relentless

Hurley Tee

A framed Hurley tee shirt Signed by Rob Machado and Pat O’conell

Donated by Hurley

Worth: one of a kind

Quiver surfboard

Donated by Seabase. Custom Quiver board shaped by Luke Hart, the board will be custom designed by the winner and Luke.

Worth £320

Donated by Seabase

We want to change Newquay’s image nationally and get people to see that there’s way more to where we live than just stag and hen partying and boozing.

It’s time for this to stop. Right now. We’re taking a stand to let people know enough’s enough.

The more people we can get to join us, the sooner things are going to change.

But to do this, we need your help.

My a’th kar Newquay means ‘I love you, Newquay’ in Cornish.

We’re a group of young people who are trying to make things better. We love living in Newquay, and we want to show people just how awesome life can be here.  Part of it is about respect – we want people to respect our town, whether they live here all year around or are just visiting.

We’ve got an amazing professional artist on board, Matt McIvor, who’s helping us transform some of the ugly, derelict sites around the town. Excess Energy, a PR & communications company in Newquay, has got loads of experience working with young people and bags of enthusiasm is helping us run the media campaign. If you like doing media stuff, it’s a great chance to get some work experience on a real project and try something new.

What we’re looking for

We want to push My a’th kar Newquay to the max.  We’re starting to get support in the local papers and with local businesses getting on board. But we want to do even more – we want to get people across the country to sit up and take notice of what we’re doing. And we want to persuade local businesses to step up and support the project, too.

We want:

Young people age 16-25 who want to have their say in what goes on in Newquay.

• Artists/creative types who want to get involved in the hands-on, messy stuff, turning very big ideas into reality on our streets
• Social media gurus to spread the word about the project online on our blog, Twitter and Facebook
• Budding PR people to write press releases, set up photo shoots, talk to journalists, make viral iPhone films…

The artwork’s going to go up on high-profile sites all over Newquay and will get seen by thousands of people.  You know all those boring, empty boards around sites where they’re building new developments?  That’s what we’re going to transform.

You’ll get the chance to have your say on issues that matter and be involved in a project that’s going to make a huge difference to people’s lives. And you’ll also learn new skills - and have fun doing it!

Interested?

Get in touch with Fiona Egglestone on Fiona@excessenergycomms.com or call 01637 852130 to find out more.

Hope to hear from you soon!

PS: Check out our blog and Twitter!

http://iloveyounewquay.blogspot.com

Twitter: iloveyounewquay

Ground Swell CIC the only non-profit making surf company devoted to young surfers has just launched its latest and coolest project “Pull In”.
Starting this week a selection of 16 to 25 year old surfers from around the Cornwall will enrol onto a European first; a project tailor-made to each student to help them achieve success within their chosen area of the surf industry.

Students on “Pull In” will gain help in areas such as surf coaching or starting a surf business, surf photography or event management, to name a selection. The three month programme will help them gain the right qualifications, guide them to make the right choices and ensure they receive support not found anywhere else. Funded by Learning and Skills Council and European Social Fund the project is set to break new barriers.

You can follow their story via the website (http://www.groundswellcic.com), if you are under 25 and into surfing, at whatever level, wherever you are in the country, you can join for free to receive notice of the latest opportunities in courses, funding, travel and events!

Already this year Ground Swell has held advanced surf training days, all girls surf days, a surf exchange to France, surf media course and raised fund to ensure the Pro Junior event was held at Saltburn and Fistral as part of the UK Pro Surf Tour all free of charge!

And if that was not enough Ground Swell has secured grass roots funding to provide a mobile, highly equipped surf school to provide free surf coaching in all areas around Cornwall and to follow us at each pro junior event around the UK. With a full range of Quiver surfboards, softboards and the latest West wetsuits

We need your help

If you are under 25 join today by clicking here or by contacting pete@groundswellcic.com
If you are a company that can provide support, discounts or sponsorship contact chris@groundswellcic.com

Once a member you will be kept up to date with the latest trips, opportunities, work, surf coaching and everything else Ground Swell does.

Plus you will have access to a massive list of discounts see here.

So if you are over 10 years old, and under 25, into surfing and want to join fill in this membership form.

Different we thought, but sounds interesting. The project will include Dj’s, MC’s, street dance, video, photography and surfing!

They will teach us what we need to know so if you’re interested give us a shout.

pete@groundswellcic.com or 07968 892829

The four week FREE lifeguard and BSA surf coach course starts on the 1st March 2010. If you miss this one, don’t panic! We are running two more in April and May 2010.

For more information go to http://www.realideas.org/real/news/2010/01/29/cross-step-now-recruiting

The Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) has been working with Chris Thomson, Managing Director of Errant Surf Holidays and Cornwall Business Awards’ Young Business Person of the Year 2009, to set up Cross Step. Based on the success of other similar vocational schemes such as Fifteen Cornwall and RIO’s Xtra-Vert, Cross Step is a fresh project aimed at giving young Cornish people a new and accessible way to improve themselves and help get them into jobs, courses or apprenticeships.

Through practical and theory sessions, one on one training and plenty of water time, The ‘Cross Steppers’ graduate with a NARS Beach Lifeguard Award and a British Surfing Association (BSA) Award, as well as work experience and further surf coach training. On top of that, the recruits have the chance to grow marketing and presentation skills, develop their CVs and build industry contacts; fully equipping them to forge bright futures in the world of water sports.

The first ever group of Cross Step graduates were put through their paces by Chris and his team at Errant Surf Holidays during the summer 2009 season. Thomas Jarman, aged 24, Naomi Jane Webb, aged 23, both from Falmouth and Mitch Corbett, aged 22, from Newquay, graduated with qualifications that now allow them to work anywhere in the world as surf instructors and lifeguards. Naomi has gone on to secure a position at Falmouth Surf School and Thomas is keen to get into surf coaching and lifeguarding abroad. Mitch meanwhile is going on to be an ambassador for RIO, helping to spread the word about the organisation. In return RIO has agreed to sponsor him in surf contests over the next year.

Mitch Corbett says of the Cross Step scheme, “I am really stoked to be going on to be an ambassador for RIO as they do such great work with young people. Because of Cross Step I now have qualifications that can help me get a job and compete in surf competitions all over the world. It’s a real bonus to have proper qualifications in something I enjoy doing.”

Jodi Redgrove, founder and Project Manager Cross Step says, “We’ve had such a good outcome from the pilot Cross Step scheme because we’ve been able to tap into something that is not only relevant and exciting for young people but is also sustainable and useful. We’re hoping to build on this success and get even more young people trained up for 2010.”

The next Cross Step course starts in March and is open to all young people across Cornwall and will take place in Newquay. The deadline to apply for the first course of the year is 15 February and to qualify you must be aged 16-25, unemployed and not in education.

If you are interested in finding out more about the next round of Cross Step, get in touch at hannah.barattini@realideas.org.