Being able to fall asleep anywhere is a blessing and a curse. When it comes to air travel it certainly is a blessing, so when the row of seats in the opposite isle didn’t fill, I knew sleeping certainly was not going to be a problem. It was only an hour and a half flight, but this was going to be the best one and a half hour plane sleep ever!! Arm rest raised, jacket folded as a pillow, head laid back, legs stretched out, and of course my fastened seat buckle in plain sight to ensure undisturbed sleep. Soon dreams of my next ski trip (and heroic rise to skiing stardom) sent me off to a blissful sleep. Living in Chamonix for 2 weeks was sick! learning to ski something I had always wanted to try tick off the list.As I’d expected I thought I might… I loved it! Hooked for sure, almost as good as surfing. The trip of course became more expensive than planned but what the hell, it was my first holiday in 2 years.

Were it not for dwindling funds and the fact it was my nephews first Christmas I would have stayed out for longer. For the first year in a long while I was really looking forward to Christmas and as any aspiring ‘cool uncle’ would, I had bought Max his first bike. He’s still a bit short to self propel, but he did get his first push along. He had his hands on the grips straight away like a natural. Max’s gift certainly went down far better than the ridiculously strong french cheese I got for the family meal. 3 very small cheese wheels. I often wonder if the people who make and invent strong tasting foods do it just to see if there are people dumb enough to actually eat it. Mind you, I was once dumb enough to eat a Birds eye chili, thinking that Captain Birdseye (the fish finger guy) wouldn’t make strong chilies’. I quickly discovered the Captain has nothing to do with birdseye chillies. Lesson learnt the hard way. Of course I encouraged everyone ton try this cheese it was quickly tried by tested and thrown away.

Whilst I was away in France, the UK surf conditions were almost, as good as it gets. I very nearly flew home to surf. Ultimately I’m glad I didn’t and fortunately the surf was up the day after boxing day, the winds were right too! It was time to swap the ski’s for the surfboard. Best of all my favourite left hand point in the UK was doing it’s thing. With groomed left hand waves peeling on  either side of the stony estuary.

The water here is always a shade of grey, it appeared more so today reflecting the drab sky. Despite the drab sky the view from the water was as ever amazing, with Exmoor dramatically plunging into the sea. I took a few beatings but it had been a while since I’d surfed, so to be expected. We practically had the break to ourselves with only 2 other guys out at one point. The set waves were perfectly groomed by a light offshore wind and despite my arms aching from not surfing, (or any other upper body exercise for that matter). for the best part of 2 months, I was out for what seemed like ages.As the tide rose i moved further up the point, changing from the peeling lefts which loose there size with tide. Instead picking off a few cheeky rights at the high tide A frame.Same again tomorrow i wished, shivering whilst changing in the car park. On looking families on their post boxing day walks clearly questioning the sanity of anyone jumping in the water on this cold day. Unfortunately mother needed her car back the next day, as i headed back along the Exmoor coast I stopped to watch the high-tide steadily consume the swell.

Luck shone again on the Thursday, the wind and waves combined once more. So a little trip down to the North Devon beaches was in store. Settling on marine drive, probably my favourite place in North Devon as my arms were still sore from the Tuesday session. Surfing can be like therapy at times, and this session was that definitely that, after having some not so great news the day before. Thankfully the waves were small enough for my aching arms to cope, yet the set waves were big and consistent enough for an awesome surf. Steep drops and clean faces to carve it was just what i was after. Best of all there was hardly anyone in the water, and I was able to pretty much have my pick of the waves. Usually the sacrifice for empty waves is less quality but today the spot was giving up it’s gems. As I ran back along the beach to get warm again it became clear I still loved surfing more than skiing.