Set to be bigger than Quiksilver and Billabong!
I vaguely recall reading this story on BeachGrit or maybe on another surf-themed gossip website but either way, here are the details. A man took pictures of a secret surf break near Plymouth (I assume America and not England though may well be wrong) and when he was finished and went back to his van the words “Surf Snitch” had been spray-painted in red on his hood (bonnet).
Now, this all seems like a paltry bit of localism without heft so maybe I read this story on The Inertia or maybe I didn’t read it at all. Boring right?
Boring until the victim, Ben Landricombe launched a fabulous new surf/skate brand called Surf Snitch and let’s learn all about it.
Ben Landricombe has launched his own clothing and sticker label – appropriately called Surf Snitch – as a way of sticking it to those who sought to sting him for uncovering ‘their’ Plymouth Sound paradise.
The Plymstock amateur photographer took stunning snaps earlier this year of rare waves breaking against a backdrop of ferries, submarines and warships.
But his images went down like a lead balloon with a section of the surfing community who were dismayed he had lifted the lid on their ‘secret waves’.
It all got nasty when Ben, 36, returned to his van one night only to find vandals had scrawled it in offensive words, slashed his tyres and filled the exhaust with rubble. He also said he received a number of other threats which sought to undermine him.
But now he’s bounced back with his ‘Surf Snitch’ fashion brand.
With the help of his wife Maria, he hopes the collection of T-shirts, car and skateboard stickers will take off and potentially become as big as Quicksilver and Billabong.
Speaking to Plymouth Live, Ben said: “It’s a little act of revenge – because they did do a lot of damage to my vehicle.
But Ben says it’s also his way of positively moving on from a weird time in his life.
“This is a way of showing how everybody can share the waves – there’s a big row between body-boarders and surfers.”
“I surfed their all the time and it was quiet. Hardly anyone used it. I don’t know why it got so out of hand.”
The Surf Snitch website will be launched in the coming days and in the meantime Ben’s started flogging his clobber on Facebook.
Tyres? A big row? Flogging his clobber?
It’s totally England, isn’t it. But I’m glad anyhow Ben wants to be as big as Quiksilver and Billabong. He can join BeachGrit which is also bigger than Quiksilver and Billabong because we haven’t declared bankruptcy yet. Also, I like how much it sounds like Stab magazine’s “Surf Stitch.”
Jump in, Ben, the water’s wonderful!
