Freakfish have been selling Northcore products for a while now, and have been impressed with their products & ethics, so we asked Northcore if they would give us some background in to what they are all about - here’s what they had to say.

Northcore™ is a British based, surf & boardriding company with an International heritage. Everything Northcore™ does reflects its roots in hardcore cold water surfing producing tough, practical hardware, accessories and custom surfboards of exceptional quality, integrity and design. As a company we aim to continue to support growth in British surfing, boardsports and the creative talent that thrives in our collective lifestyles, by working with the best athletes and by embracing progressive film making, music, art and photography to establish a true sense of a community.At Northcore™ we strive to maintain a socially responsible company ethos by continuing with our Carbon Neutral policy. We plant 750 trees annually to offset our carbon emissions and the long term support of environmental and recycling initiatives is central to our outlook. This years sees Northcore nominated for “The Surfers Path Green Wave Awards 2008″

Above all Northcore™ is about avoiding the soul less corporate pursuit of profit above all else. Of course we’re trying to make a living but is also about having fun, living the life we love, following a path less travelled and hopefully making the world a little better along the way.

Thanks to Northcore for this insight, all the best in The Surfers Path Green Wave Awards.

You can view the range of Northcore products we stock here.

To be eligable for a 10% discount on your order just write a review about any of the products we sell, and we will issue you a discount code via email. You don’t even have to be a Freakfish customer, it doesn’t matter where you bought your products. If you have purchased from us you can also include a review about the service you have recieved from us.

Our aim is to encourage a sense of community amongst Freakfish customers, sharing views on products to help each other make better buying choices. We also would like your feedback about the service we supply, it doesnt matter if the feedback is good or bad we would like to hear your point of veiw.

 We can then use the reviews to make a clearer understanding of what our customers want from thier products. We will also share this information with our suppliers so that they can develop their products.

The 10% discount excludes items which are in a sale or have a promotional gift.
All Reviews must be written via the main website alongside a product.

To write a review all you have to do is browse our website, find the product you wish to review, and click on “write a review for this product”. If you aren’t already registered with Freakfish you’ll be asked to do so before you can proceed.

Tips on writing your review.

Bare in mind others may not know what you know about the product so include as much detail as you can

Include pro’s & con’s as appropriate

Try to use plain simple words that everyone will understand

Small paragraphs are easy to read, sometimes bullet points help

Read your review when you’ve finished, remove any unnecessary waffle, and correct errors before submitting.

What you waiting for? Whether its a wetsuit, rash vest, or surf clothing, share your knowledge and experiences.

Don’t forget next time you’re looking for a particular product, come back and see what other guys are saying about it.

We reserve the right to disallow inappropriate entries.

New Surf Mugs Click Here to buy!

Stuck what to buy your surfer buddy or partner? These Handmade Portuguese mugs are ideal gift for any surfer that loves their tea or coffee.

When we were sent a sample we loved them and we are using them in the office. The mugs are real good quality and cost only £9.99

Rip Curl Search trip in Lofoten’s Islands presented by Sprite: On their way to discover Lofoten’s Islands!

After several days in Oslo, the Rip Curl Team goes to one of the coldest place in Norway, in the North of the Polar Circle: Lofoten’s Islands.

Coasts, fjords and Norway’s landscape are amazing, it’s well known…but there is in this country a unique place where this Nordic nature is even more beautiful, a small Norway with a gigantic landscape. It’s located in the north of the Artic circle in the Lofoten’s archipelago: a dozen islands spread on 120 km and where nature is abounding, first of all with the inhabitants who always lived thanks to the cod’s fishing, but also to passengers who are amazed by all those tresors. Our Team seachers’ arrival brought some curiosity: boards under the arm, wetsuits, californian surfer’s looking, photographs and cameramen. They were welcomed in the most beautiful place in Lofoten: The Kraemmervika Rorbuer. At the start, the rorbuer where little cabin on stilt, very simply furnished by the harbor’s fisherman. Today, they are used to accommodate tourists. The one where the Rip Curl Team is, had existed for 500 years and did not really change since. The owner loves to tell stories about lost fishermen in the sea during storms….while getting warm next to the stove in the living room.

Elise says: “I love being in those kind of places, mystik and magical. We feel so much things, it is so calm. And people are just so welcoming, nice and they show us their incredible culture.”

Eventhougt the waves are missing for now, the team’s schedule is tight. Yassine Ouhilal, the photograph, knows the place and took care to prepare some activities in order to show the team the thousands ways to live on this islands: angling of the cod (an aboundant fish in this region), walks on the snowy mountains, meeting with the Vikings, discovering the fauna and flora with Nina Jensen, the WWF marine biologist.

Finally, a little surfing but tracted down. Pablo is really excited and goes first in the freezing water (5°c). It was a really good first feeling for our Spanish rider.

Now our Team is waiting for the 2 winners, Benoit Dandine and Jonatan Svensson, who will arrive in a few days to live the Search with them.

Watch the best moments on Ripcurl.TV

More informations about the Kraemmervika Rorbuer
www.lofoten-adventure.com

The Kraemmervika Rorbuer - Jayce Robinson, the new Rip Curl fisherman - Elise Garrigue

Rip Curl search trip presented by Sprite at the Lofoten Islands: the Team finally together in Norway!

It was a fresh arrival in Norway (with a temperature of 4°C) for our Rip Curl riders. Pablo Gutierrez and Arnaud decarne, who arrived several days earlier, welcomed Tom Curren (US), Jayce Robinson (UK) and Elise Garrigue (FR) coming straight from the United-States ( Maui for Elise and Santa Barbara for Tom).

As soon as they got their coat on, they were ready to walk around in the Oslo’s streets. And there, in the middle of the city, they saw 2 surfers in wetsuits, board under the arm. They find out that there was a surf contest with running part (with the board!!!), running of oar,…at the end, several surf camp’s trip were offered. Nice promotion which puts directly our Rip Curl surfers in the atmosphere, with a 100% Norwegian’s humor .

The evening was great as well. Tom Curren played in live, in the famous Fugazi Bar in Oslo, with his group, Tom Curren & The Noah, for 2 hours of acoustic concert. More than 200 people came to enjoy the evening with our Rip Curl Team.

After some TV shows and few moments in studio, they just left today for the Lofoten islands and the first swell is forecasted for Thursday morning.

Watch the 1st videos/pictures on Ricurl.TV and everyday on Eurosport 2 at 7.55 pm!

Last weekend saw the start of the British Pro Surfing Tour, The event was held at Croyde beach in Devon .Santa Cruz has made a commitment in supporting our sponsored riders at these events. Providing not only a base for the surfers, but support during each of there heats.Arriving at the beach on Friday for a warm up surf is critical, as the event starts at 8 am sharp the following morning. Essential if your name is Thiago Tipas and you have never surfed in such cold waters before. Max was the first to surf on Saturday; his event was completed in the one day. He made the final unfortunately brining up the rear but a podium finish none the less.

Thiago also surfed on Saturday making it in to the seeded round on Sunday, were he was joined by Santa Cruz riders Danny wells and Mike Young. Sunday, first to fall was Danny Wells, leaving Mike Young and Thiago Tipas both surfed well in poor conditions, taking some big scalps along the way. Mike finishing a credible 5th and Thiago missing out on a semi final by 0.5 The next event is in Lusty Glaze Newquay in June

O’Neill Psycho 2 Wetsuit and Mutant/Mod Boot Series Nominated for Best Wetsuit and Accessory of the Year SANTA CRUZ (April 3, 2008) The Psycho 2 wetsuit by O’Neill has been nominated by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association as the best wetsuit. The Image Awards gives the surf industry the opportunity to recognize fellow surf industry companies for their outstanding contributions to the industry.The goal of the SIMA Image Awards is to identify the surf industry’s most influential companies and recognize them for their efforts to advance and grow the industry over the past year.As the original wetsuit brand, O’Neill has been influencing the surf industry since its infancy but it is still rewarding for O’Neill to see the brand’s efforts recognized. “The product is at the heart of what we were about in the beginning and what we continue to be about today so it is satisfying to see the Psycho 2 and the Mutant Boot series be nominated in their product divisions,” stated Bert Aram buru, O’Neill Wetsuit Director of Sales and Marketing. The Psycho 2 full suit has been the premier cold-water wetsuit on the market for the last half decade, but O’Neill exceeded consumer’s expectations again b y further im proving the Psycho 2 in 2007. O’Neill made improvements to its patented ZEN Zip; a closure that was already the most sought after and imitated entry system on the market. T he Z.E.N. Zip was reprogrammed with performance upgrades including the new Deconstructed Barrier, a Bassline Drain Hole, and a Seam less Shoulder design for flexibility and comfort in key paddle zones. Add the new Firewall X-type with X foam, completely new D-tox Knee padz, and the Psycho 2 continues to be the ultimate cold-water wetsuit.

O’Neill’s commitment to Cold Water gear was also recognized with a nomination for Accessory of the Year for its Mutant/Mod boot series. Committed to designing the best perform ing boots available O’Neill took the Mutant boot series to the next level in 2007 by introducing the 6/5/4internal split toe, and Women MOD versions to accompany the 3mmAbout O’Neill: O’Neill, the original Californian surf, snow and lifestyle brand, was founded in 1952 when a young man named Jack O’Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her own game. Pioneering the world’s first neoprene wetsuit, Jack had successfully found a way to extend his surf session s in the bone-chilling breaks of Northern California. He opened up the garage doors to his first surf shop in Santa Cruz soon after. While many things have changed since those humble beginnings, Jack’s initial vision of producing functional and innovative boardriding products continues to lie at the core of everything the company does. O’Neill’s set of core values –innovation in style and technology – has seen the brand devote itself wholeheartedly to the evolution of action sports. From the first ever neoprene wetsuit and surf leash, to the world’s first stitch less board shorts and range of ground breaking wearable electronics, O’Neill’s spirit of innovation will always drive the company forwards. Today, O’Neill can be found the world over. In touch with its rich heritage and the universal stoke of board riding culture, O’Neill will always be committed to progressing that evolution and growing its reputation as one of the world’s leading youth lifestyle brands.

We Care about the Fjord Country

Just 7 days until the Rip Curl Team leaves for the Lofoten Islands.

Tom Curren (USA), Pablo Gutierrez (SP), Jayce Robinson (UK), Elise Garrigue (FR) and the 2 winners of the RipCurl.TV competition are taking off for 3 weeks, to the most beautiful spot in Norway; the Lofoten Islands.

The Team, guided by chief Searcher, Arnaud Decarne have a busy schedule ahead of them; they are on a mission to discover the most stunning places these wild islands have to offer. The 6 surfers will spend 5 days in the Oslo area and do some snowboarding with the legendary Terje Haakonsen, before taking off to the Lofoten Islands to discover the remarkable waves of Norway.

A surf trip that Rocks
For Rip Curl, being accompanied by Tom Curren, means to leave with a guitar under the arm, combining a surf trip with the sweet sounds of a concert being played in the middle of the fjords. On this occasion, Tom Curren and his band, Tom Curren & Friends, will perform 2 exclusive concerts: Sunday 6th April at the Fugazi in Oslo with the participation of the bands Paperboys and Surferosa, and Saturday 19th April in Svolvaer. All benefits from the show will be donated to WWF Norway for their environmental protection scheme in the Lofoten Islands.

For the preservation of the Lofoten Islands
Rip Curl presents this nature-oriented event in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. Rip Curl Europe is among the 10 “strategic partners” of WWF and has created the label Rip Curl Planet that is a label for environmentally friendly products and events. During the “Search” in the Lofoten Islands, the Team will be joined by WWF’s Marine conservation officer Nina Jensen who will show them all the environmental programs that are carried out.
Watch it exclusively on Eurosport 2
Eurosport 2, the New Generation Sports Channel, has since 2005 confirmed its status as the European Surfing Channel, being the first European television channel to broadcast LIVE surfing competitions, like the Rip Curl Pro Hossegor for 2 years.

Charles-Antoine Moulin, Deputy Director programme Production Eurosport2/EurosportNews, says, “We are delighted to offer innovative surfing content from the stunning surroundings of the Lofoten Islands. Eurosport 2 aims to go beyond the sporting event and give viewer fans the chance to discover and experience sports in new and exciting ways. We are delighted to partner with Rip Curl to present this exceptional surf experience in one of the most naturally beautiful sites in the world.”

Eurosport offers surf and nature fans the possibility to join the adventurous Rip Curl “Search” team on this incredible expedition. Surf and nature enthusiasts can follow the hottest event of the season including breathtaking images and world-class surfing, with daily 3’ short format programmes aired on Eurosport 2 every evening at 19:55 pm, and with video highlights online on Eurosport.com, eurosport.se, eurosport.fr, eurosport.sohu.cn, eurosport.yahoo.com and uk.eurosport.yahoo.com.

The 6 surfers are off to explore unknown surf spots in the Lofoten Islands, an adventure that we can share with them live on RipCurl.TV

Check out the start of the adventure from 10th April
More info
Tom Curren & Friends :
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=162684298
Paperboys :
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=115525430
Surferosa :
http://www.myspace.com/surferosa

Kelly Slater (USA) has today claimed the Rip Curl Pro presented by Snickers and rung the bell for the third time. After launching a huge air to earn a last minute score and beat Bede Durbidge (AUS) in the final, Slater has further asserted that he is one of the best surfers on earth.

“It feels awesome; it feels really good, ” Slater said. “The Bell is arguably the best trophy you can win in surfing. I do have a couple, but to get there and have the chance and get a third one feels really good. I’ve just joined my good friend Sunny (Garcia) with three, and I think MR (Mark Richards) and MP (Michael Peterson) have four or five – those guys are crazy.”

Slater trailed Durbidge for the first 27 minutes of the 30-minute affair. Surfing his fourth heat of the day, the 8X ASP World Champion was tired and had all but given up.

“I thought Bede had me,” Slater said. “I wasn’t trying to worry too much or stress – I was happy just to be in the Final – but before the heat I heard Rabbit (ASP President) say something about going up to Rincon so I thought I would sneak up there to see what I could find.”
What he found was a ramp from which to launch a daring double-grab aerial. He was awarded an 8.83 (out of 10.00) for the massive maneuver and took the lead.

“I was really surprised Bede (Durbidge) let me paddle up to Rincon by myself,” Slater said. “I thought that when I looked back, he would be 10 yards behind me, but when I looked back, he was still in the Bowl. Then that wave came that let me do that big air.”

Slater retains the World No. 1 rating and fellow finalist Durbidge has moved to World No. 2 with the result.

“There are murmurs of Bede being a world title contender and I would say he’s up to that challenge,” Slater said.

Durbidge was disappointed with the loss but his performance at Bells Beach has positioned him as a clear contender.

“It’s pretty frustrating, but he’s the champ and freakish things happen to him,” Durbidge said of Slater. “I saw him paddle up to Rincon and I just let him go. He just got one and went pretty freakish, did a big air, rode it all the way through and got the score.”

Durbidge’s final berth today was the fourth of his four-year career. He finished World No. 5 last year after winning the last event of the year in Hawaii and started 2008 with a semifinal showing.

“I’ve just been getting through heats and I’ve been going all the way to the end so it’s been going pretty good for me,” Durbidge said.

Durbidge eliminated California’s Bobby Martinez (USA) in a one sided semifinal affair today.

“I would have liked to keep on going but Bede stopped me in my tracks, Martinez said. “He deserved it he’s surfing good. I kind of got wave starved and was never really in it. If you are not on the good waves you’ve got a good chance of losing just because everyone surfs so good. Like I’ve said over and over again, anyone can beat anybody.”

Taj Burrow (AUS) was also bummed out after his semifinal loss to Slater.

“It was pretty frustrating to lose like that,” Burrow said. “I just couldn’t get a wave, it was really choppy out there. It was pretty hard to pick a wave, I don’t even know if there were any decent ones out there. Kelly had the right approach taking a lot of waves and maybe one of them would form together but I was trying to wait for that one and I couldn’t really find a clean face.”

Burrow was runner-up to the World Title in 2007 and hopes to be a contender this year too.

“Third is a keeper for sure,” Burrow said. “I was hoping to make a bit more ground on the guys at the top but I am stoked to be there mixing it up with them. It’s just all about the next one.”

Dane Reynolds (USA) fell to Burrow in the Quarterfinals but still leaves the event with his best result in an ASP World Tour event. Sitting equal 11th, Reynolds is the highest rated rookie on tour and his performance in the Rip Curl Pro did not go unnoticed.

“I think Dane might arguably the best surfer in the world right now,” Slater said. Just everything from barrels to airs to carves, he’s really got the whole bag of tricks and power and everything. He’s so well rounded, and I think that’s got us all pretty fired up.”

The Rip Curl Pro is presented by Snickers and webcast LIVE via www.ripcurl.com

Final Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.63 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.16

Semi-finales Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.50 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 4.50
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.33 def. Taj Burrow (BRA) 7.96

1/4 finale Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 13.00 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.33
Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) 17.33 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 10.67
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.33 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 10.67
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.34 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 2.80

Rating after Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach - No. 2 de l’ASP World Tour
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 2400 points
2. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 1908 points
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 1764 points
4. Taj Burrow (AUS) 1476 points
4. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 1476 points
6. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 1464 points
6. Andy Irons (HAW) 1464 points
8. Bobby Martinez (USA) 1286 points
9. Kai Otton (AUS) 1200 points
9. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 1200 points

SAS (Surfers Against Sewage) campaigners and over 60 volunteers turned up to Porthtowan on Saturday the 23rd of February to give the beach a spring clean. It was really shocking what the winter seas have deposited on the beach and in just 2 hours we collected more than 150kg of litter.The vast majority of this 152.2kg of litter was plastic. Plastics float and the predominant South Westerly winds push the litter onto our beaches all year round. However, over winter, stronger winds can bring in more litter and also big storms can churn up litter from the seabed. This is made worse with the high number of shipping accidents that have occurred this winter resulting in cargo being lost overboard. Plastics, and other types of marine litter are not only unsightly but can cause the death of dolphins, whales, turtles and other marine animals and injury humans.

Volunteers found hundreds of cotton bud sticks on the beach, these are plastic and, as with all sanitary related debris, is a good sign that water quality might not be great. So please remember to support SAS’s Think Before You Flush campaign, don’t use the toilet as a wet.

From the 152.2kg of litter collected, we separated all the identifiable litter and we’re sending it back to the manufacture. This is part of SAS’s ongoing Return To Offender campaign calling on the manufacturers to increase their anti litter message and reduce their packaging or at least look at introducing lower impact packaging.

Andy Cummins, SAS Campaign Officer: We were blown away with the amount of people who turned up to clean the beach in the middle of February. It just goes to show how many people out there really care for our beaches. SAS owes everyone who turned up a huge thank you! Unfortunately, even with over 60 volunteers we could take all the litter of the beach, that would have taken us weeks. But we should all be very proud of the 152kg we did pick up.

SAS would also like to thank the Blue Bar who provided free coffees and hot chocolates to everyone who took part and Freakfish Surf Shop who donated £80 of prizes.