The Terra Nova.

So, Edgar Evans was in fact the first person from Scott's crew to pass away on the expedition. He had cut his hand tending to a sleight and suffered from frostbite and exhaustion. Just before his death, he was described as turning mad - perhaps from the stress, illness or a fall. Here's an exerpt from Scott's diary:

"Saturday, February 17 - A very terrible day. Evans looked a little better after a good sleep, and declared, as he always did, that he was quite well. He started in his place on the traces, but half an hour later worked his ski shoes adrift, and had to leave the sledge. The surface was awful, the soft recently fallen snow clogging the ski and runners at every step, the sledge groaning, the sky overcast, and the land hazy. We stopped after about one hour, and Evans came up again, but very slowly.

Half an hour later he dropped out again on the same plea. He asked Bowers to lend him a piece of string. I cautioned him to come on as quickly as he could, and he answered cheerfully as I thought. We had to push on, and the remainder of us were forced to pull very hard, sweating heavily. Abreast the Monument Rock we stopped, and seeing Evans a long way astern, I camped for lunch. There was no alarm at first, and we prepared tea and our own meal, consuming the latter.

After lunch, and Evans still not appearing, we looked out, to see him still afar off. By this time we were alarmed, and all four started back on ski. I was first to reach the poor man and shocked at his appearance; he was on his knees with clothing disarranged, hands uncovered and frostbitten, and a wild look in his eyes. Asked what was the matter, he replied with a slow speech that he didn't know, but thought he must have fainted. We got him on his feet, but after two or three steps he sank down again. He showed every sign of complete collapse. Wilson, Bowers, and I went back for the sledge, whilst Oates remained with him.

When we returned he was practically unconscious, and when we got him into the tent quite comatose. He died quietly at 12.30 A.M. On discussing the symptoms we think he began to get weaker just before we reached the Pole, and that his downward path was accelerated first by the shock of his frostbitten fingers, and later by falls during rough travelling on the glacier, further by his loss of all confidence in himself. Wilson thinks it certain he must have injured his brain by a fall.

It is a terrible thing to lose a companion in this way, but calm reflection shows that there could not have been a better ending to the terrible anxieties of the past week. Discussion of the situation at lunch yesterday shows us what a desperate pass we were in with a sick man on our hands at such a distance from home."

Taken from: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/scott.htm

The Terra Nova expedition had been gifted many things by wellwishers, including coal, cigars, plum puddings (?) and even a piano. In this piece I am describing a woman being shown around the ship before deperature (as they often were), and standing at the piano. I have used the piano as a metaphor for the declining mental state of Evans, who is with her at that time:


The Piano Man

“The wood will warp, sat out in the elements like this,” she thought, “the moist conditions will wreck it.” It’ll look the same, of course, on the outside but the workings will deform. The ice will work into its belly and fatten the dampeners, and the frost will make the strings creep.

The effect will be gradual of course, changing ever so slightly over time. Getting almost imperceptibly flatter and flatter until one day it’ll sound so horribly out of tune that you’ll wonder how you hadn’t picked up on it before. You don’t notice these things though, not until the string is stretched so tight that it’s likely to snap at any moment.

She felt sorry for this piano.

She took off a glove, ran her hand over the varnished mahogany, before lifting up the fall and pressing a key.

The note sounded out, as clear as a bell. A nearby pony looked up lazily from its hay, regarding her with its listless eyes before returning to his meal.

She looked up at him; a big oaf in a sailor outfit, smiling down at her.

“You like the piano, miss?” he said.

“Yes, very much so,” she answered, before gently shutting its lid.

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Rise of the Beach Bunnies

Here's an article which I wrote for Uni about women in surfing. Enjoy:

Rise of the Beach Bunnies

“Surfing and sex are inseparable,” says inertia.com surf editor Tetsuhiko Endo, but with uneven contest prize money and sponsorship, do surfing and sexism come just as intertwined.

Surfing has always been, and probably always will be, a male dominated sport. Studies by the International Surfing Association (ISA) estimate that worldwide there are between 17 to 23 million surfers, and out of those surfers, 15-20% are female. But according to recent Global Industry Analyst reports, the worldwide surf market continues to become more female and older, and considering that it is expected to reach $13.24 billion (£8.34 billion) by the year 2017, this is no small movement. So, with these statistics in mind, why do the women’s tours stand first to lose events due to lack of funds, why do women surf the worst contest conditions and why do four of the world’s top seventeen women surfers lack a major sponsor?

 “The female side of the surf industry is about selling clothes, that’s where the companies’ main income comes from,” says Lucia Griggi, world-renowned surf photographer. And to sell the clothes, the surfer needs to look good, hence the reason why many major sponsors are more willing to give money to girls who fit the mould.  “What that keeps reinforcing in women,” says Queen of Teahupoo, Keala Kennelly to Endo on interia.com, “is that it is more important to be beautiful, than it is to have talent or skill, or to be accomplished.”

                                                             Keala surfing Jaws.

Women’s surfing does not attract the sponsors or audience of men’s surfing, and even though the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) set a rule that stating that any company who runs a World Championship Tour (WCT) event must stage a women’s event as well, this appears to be largely ignored. Louise Searle, editor of Surfgirl magazine says that “the surf industry is in a bit of a mess at the moment [...] which is why women who rip, like Paige [Hareb] are funding themselves. [The surf companies] need to stay strong and remember their roots, the women’s tour reflects this confusion and is leaving the girls frustrated, but the way they’re marketed means [that] frock sales are more important than a thrilling final in Hawaii.”

This would certainly explain why surfers like Hareb have no World Tour sponsor, as the brands would prefer to support younger, more commercial surfers such as Laura Enever or Sage Erikson. Griggi, who travels on the tours with the professional surfers, explains, “The companies don’t have [a large enough] budget to cover all girls, [so] they choose the most marketable.” This means that there are two types of riders on the tour, the few who are considered less attractive but have earned a reputation as a good surfer, and the girls who are not as good at surfing, but who look good in the clothes. Very few manage to straddle the line.

The girls are, of course, aware of this and tailor themselves accordingly. Even Nike’s 2011 Leave a Message film, which by many was viewed as a more credible girls surf movie showing “groundbreaking aerials and long barrels”, still has a suspiciously large amount of footage of Monyca Byrne-Wickey doing bottom turns in tiny  bikinis, not to mention Laura Enever surfing in a pair of fishnet stockings. And this is by no means a recent occurrence, Wendy Botha, a four times ASP world champion in the 1980s, posed naked for playboy. “It might be an indictment of surfing,” says the surfline website, that Botha “is better known for her spread in Playboy than for her incredible sporting achievements. That fact says a lot about the pro surfing reportage of the past 20 years -- that due to a male-dominated, and generally uninterested, surf media, some of surfing's greatest champions have been ignored.”

Pro surfer Alana Blanchard

Professional female surfers are aware that they are expected to walk the fine line between elite athlete and poster girl. But they do so at the risk of sabotaging their credibility and reputation, not to mention potentially compromising their surfing, as generally a smaller physique means less power in turns. And the question needs to be asked, are these surfers contributing to the objection by their compliance to these ideals, forming a perpetual cycle of body image obsession.  Unfortunately, according to the advertising, it is not considered sexy to be athletic and strong.

The general, grass roots image of surfing can be defined by mediums which are accessible to all. Of the top 36 most viewed photos, tagged as ‘surf girl’ on magicseaweed.com, only eight of those depict girls actually surfing. And one of those seems popular solely for the fact that she is about to run over a pelican. And if you type the name of Maya Gabeira, who is arguably the best all round, female, big wave rider in the world, into a Google image search, there are  no photos of her actually surfing until the third page. Gabeira actually took a step further in the sex appeal stakes by surfing naked for the ESPN Body Issue feature, which by its own admission enables the readers to “gawk” at professional athletes, appearing alongside Steph Gilmore, Claire Bevilacqua, and Men’s 11 times World Champion, Kelly Slater.

 

And the pros feel the pressure, 2011 Red Bull Women’s World Champion Carissa Moore stated on her blog that she often feels judged on her looks, stating that she has “trouble with her weight” and can feel self-conscious performing “in front of thousands of people in a bikini”. But as Searle remarked, “If I was Carissa, I would feel self conscious too, but I can guarantee no one is watching her for looks, but for her surfing skills.” However the question needs to be asked, why would one of the sport’s top female competitors feel the need to conform to a physical ideal. And could women conquer the balancing act of being feminine and powerful, or in the eyes of the surfing community, are these mutually exclusive.

But this is set to change as more and more girls join the line up. “I see way more girls out there,” says Jon, 37, a local Glamorgan coast surfer who has been surfing since childhood, “it used to be a surprise to see a girl paddling out, but there’s definitely more now. And they’re getting better and better.” A sentiment which seems to divide local surfers, as Jamie, 39, says, “Having a girl in the line up changes the mood, all the guys start to get all competitive and macho trying to impress her. At the end of the day, I surf to get away from my missus.”

“I prefer to surf with women,” says Porthcawl resident Jessica, 31, “the vibe is friendly and less competitive. I feel that men judge the women first on their looks, and then watch to see if we can actually stand up on a board.” Griggi illustrates, “Some men have a little lack of respect [for women surfers], and will drop in on you as they expect you not to make the wave [...], if you were a guy they would not do this as much.” Many female surfers will be used to being judged when they surf, especially in spots which are considered more challenging. The impromptu audience feeling will probably be all too familiar, guys want to know if you can handle yourself, and the best way to counteract this according to Griggi is to “get a wave [and show] them you can surf, then they will leave you alone!”

However, regardless of the stereotypes, the surf industry cannot help but take notice of the changing face of women’s surfing. Surfing hardware is catching up to the standard of the men’s as the demand for quality women’s wetsuit and wetsuit accessories increases. Pro longboarder Kassia Meador has designed a fashion conscious wetsuit range for Roxy, and the breadth of choice in women’s suits has increased noticeably over the last few years. And the women themselves are proving to the men that girls can surf just as hard as them, from Justine Dupont’s October  tow-in session at a massive Aileen, during which she scored some of the biggest tubes ever ridden by a woman in Europe, to Lakey Peterson’s technical air reverses.

 

And the effect is global, through the Gaza Surf Retreat Project, girls are breaking down the gender barrier in Palestine where the first female surf lifeguard has just been appointed, and in Cuba, women bond through their love of surfing in a poverty stricken, isolated country where trade embargoes mean that even the most basic surf equipment is inaccessible.

Between us we are getting bigger barrels, taking steeper drops, boosting higher airs and we are all contributing to the changing the face of women’s surfing. “Most women and girls bring something more than beauty and a sociological/psychological shift to the lineup,” says Surfermag’s Rob Gilley, “they bring understanding. They bring grace. They bring joy. To a pack of posturing men they bring the rarest commodity of all: they bring smiles [...]. And if a girl happens to paddle out, I want you to think long and hard before you snake the living daylights out of her.”

So, with girls charging harder than ever before and pushing the boundaries further and further, women all over the world are standing up to be counted, and it seems only a matter of time before the phrase ‘You surf like a girl’ will be a compliment.

'Sick'

So, Creative Writing assessment time has rolled around again and I've decided to be more technically adventurous! I ended up writing two pieces, both of which I'll post up here.


For the piece below, I used third person objective perspective, defined by some random on Yahoo! answers as:


'Third person, is when a story is told by a narrator not involved in the story itself.

Objective third person means the narrator only knows what someone watching would know (so they don't know people's thoughts, but rather actions and words)'


So basically, everything needs to be shown through the characters dialogue and external actions, no inner thought.


Ernest Hemingway was pretty much the dude at this, he described his technique as like an iceberg, ie. only a small part of the story is showing meaning that most of it is hidden:

See what you think...

Sick

“I look sick, do you think I look sick?”

“No, I don’t think you look sick. Why?”

“No reason. Maybe it’s the light in here.”

“Yes dear, maybe.”

She plunged her hands back into the scalding water and groped for the scourer.

“Darling?”

“Yes dear?”

“I was thinking maybe we could take a trip soon, you know, just us. Maybe go to the coast.”

“Yes, maybe.”

“Because my sister said she could have the kids and it’d be nice to have some time for just the two of us. You’ve been working such long hours recently.”

“Uh-huh.” He closed his newspaper momentarily, opening it on the next page.

“Yes, I think that would be nice.” She resumed scrubbing.

“Simon got an A in his maths test, did he tell you?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Good isn’t it? I was never any good at numbers, he must get that from your side.”

“Yes, he must do.”

The water in the bowl was hot enough already, but she added more. Underneath the marigolds her hands were scarlet.

“I was thinking of getting my hair cut short, what do you think?”

“What?”

“My hair, cut short. Do you think it would look nice?”

“Why would you do that?”

“Oh I don’t know, I just fancy a change, freshen myself up a bit. I thought maybe I could get it done like that newsreader you like, what’s her name?”

He let out an exasperated sigh, “I don’t know who you mean, dear.”

“Of course you do, she’s on at 6 o’clock. She’s got glasses, and short brown hair. In her early 30s.”

“Oh yes, I know.”

“Do you think it would suit me? Make me look younger maybe?”

He glanced at her over the top of his reading glasses, “If you want to then do it, but I think your hair is fine as it is.” He went back to his newspaper.

She looked at her reflection in the window in front of her and flicked her head back to hide the lengths of her hair behind her shoulders. The overhead light wasn’t particularly flattering, it pooled on her cheekbones exaggerating the dark circles under her eyes and spotlighted her sagging jowls. She used to have beautiful skin, he used to tell her that all the time, he used to call her ‘luminous’.  It was hard to connect that girl with the middle aged woman who stared back at her from the onyx garden.

She lifted the oven dish out of the bowl and scrutinised it. It sparkled under the overhead lights but if she ran her fingers along the walls she could feel little bumps along the burn line. She pushed it back under the water and resumed rubbing.

She paused.

“Did I tell you?” she said “I saw Hamish on Monday.”

“Oh, yes?” he looked up suddenly, “Did you speak to him?”

“Just briefly, he was in a rush somewhere. Him and Heather are getting a divorce, did you know that?”

“I don’t think so, no. Well, maybe. There are so many rumours flying around the office you don’t know what to believe.”

“I suppose so.”

She inspected the dish again, it still looked greasy. Her arms were aching even though she kept transferring the sponge from one hand to the other. It may look clean but it was important to get all the bits off, if you didn’t get them off properly then they would build up gradually over time and the dish would be ruined.  

“It’s a shame really. I wonder what will happen to the kids, they’re so young”

“It’s not really any of our business.”

“No, I suppose not.” She turned over the dish and began scrubbing the bottom.

“Did you notice I’m wearing the earrings? The ones you bought me on our honeymoon.”

He glanced up “Yes, very pretty.”

“You used to say they made me look beautiful. You said you liked seeing me in them and nothing else. Do you remember?”

“That was a very long time ago.”

“Yes, I suppose it was.”

She turned on the tap and turned the dish beneath it. The suds parted as a curtain revealing the pristine glass beneath. Holding it in both hands she took a moment to view herself in it, her reflection appeared both radiant and distorted under the harsh kitchen lights. She rotated her body as if to place the dish on the drying rack, but then continued a little further. She looked at her husband not looking at her, before letting it tumble to the floor.

x