Last time your computer crashed?
September 2014; until you have a proper meltdown, you just don’t know how bad it can get. 4TB drive seemed a good idea; all my pics on one drive catalogued and easy access. Took a month to clean out the rubbish and sort out the good stuff but it was worth it, until it went down. £1200 later and there’s three lessons learnt. Double the disc size, quadruples the recovery cost. You don’t get everything back. Always have a backup.
Last time you shared a wave?
Everyone !, I’m one of those annoying sods that’ll jump on a wave with you hoping to learn something while probably wrecking your wave in the process, though there’s always one you remember. I’d just got over cancer and was topping out the scales at 130kg when I went to Ireland to watch the PWA. After the event was over I was out for one last session before heading home, gybing onto the wave in front of me was Bjorn Dunkerbeck, I took the next wave where I could watch his moves and try and follow suit (in my mind). His wave started jacking up when he looked over his shoulder and backed off to let my wave pick him up. To be honest I wasn’t sure what to do, follow suit and take the next wave, run down the wave and get out of his way or start screaming about how this was my wave ! Fortunately I was still deliberating when he waved his arm to indicate I should go for the bottom turn, as I did he fell into my tracks and mirrored my every turn. While I’m sure it would have been the least exciting wave of his life, the thumbs up as he called out “Good to see ya back” is a memory I will always cherish.
Last time you were in trouble with the Law?
That’s an easy one, speeding, actually that’s been my only but regular clash with the law. Best advice, be nice and talk, you might not get off but it’ll be cheaper in the long run.
Last time you went over the handlebars at full speed?
The Ray at Southend can be so smooth, going over the handlebars is something you don’t think about, though that’s when you get caught out. When the tide gets super low the chop no longer washes out over the far shore but bounces back to create a short sharp chop nearing the end of the speed run. The upper section is so smooth it’s easy to forget the impending doom, keep it pinned and you can make it over but sometimes survival instincts kick in and you ease off, which is just what you don’t want to do. During the ‘Driven by wind’ event two riders dislocated their shoulders while others just battered their ego’s. I’d like to say it’s friendlier to us locals but alas it shows no mercy and I can tell you first hand there’s nothing quite like it. One second you feel like the king of the world, the next you’re flying over your sail before smashing at fifty miles an hour into the sea, and yes, it does feel like concrete.
Last time you had a non-stressful day?
Stress is what you make it! Give me 12 months to do something and I’ll do it on the last day of the year, I guess I like the stress and in honesty the only day’s I don’t give myself that motivation is in hospital. Actually I quite like it there, even if you don’t want to, you’ve got nothing to do but doze, I sleep so much better there I bought a (posh) hospital bed for home. It hasn’t helped me sleep so I think it must have something to do with the nurses, not that the wife will let me bring one of them home!