Watching from the warmth of the van, the waves are still barely breaking as Ian Pierce, Jim Brookes-Dowsett and the rest of the crew start filtering into the water. But once they are half a mile downwind or so it looks like they are flying straight into the first sets of the day. Where in the hell did those sets come from? Well maybe Santa has got those Reindeers up and running and is starting to dosh out the presents? All of a sudden, Ross is twitching as he sees Ian crack a top turn right under an inviting barrelling lip as finally, this Welsh secret is revealing her true colours under the crisp morning sunlight.
It doesn’t take Williams long to throw together his 5.0 Gaastra Manic, attach an 80-litre Tabou Pocket Wave and, within 10 minutes he is out on the water tacking onto his first set wave.