Cornish Pirates

following their gig rowing in Mounts Bay earlier this year, players took time out to widen their skills on the briney at the opening of the O’Neill Surf Academy

The Academy is the brainchild of Californian and O’Neill professional rider Richard Schmidt, the base at Watergate Bay is the first all year round Academy

Participating at the opening, with another high profile ‘XV’ – trainee chefs from the Jamie Oliver inspired ‘Fifteen Cornwall’, were Dan Seal, Rhodri McAtee, Nick Makin, Alan Paver, Chris Cracknell and James Moore, as well as Team Manager Adrian Edwards and Strength & Conditioning Coach Simon Raynes.

A lot of us are used to surfing the net nowadays, but this was the real thing, with instruction given by British surfing champions Sam Lamiroy and Robyn Davies. .