Close to the water
Demi Taylor
SEASON 1 - EPISODE 3
Watch the video and learn what Demi loves about riding a surfmat.
“I'm not really fussed about what other people think, because I'm the only person I'm catching waves for.”
— Demi Taylor
It's a cold windy and rainy mid-winter morning. I am waiting at a car park overlooking a well-protected surf spot on the north coast of Cornwall, and while I shiver and watch the ocean, I think that in these conditions, I will never be able to able to create a short film with my blind date. And a blind date it is because the only things that I know are that her name is Demelza Taylor and that she is riding surfmats. When Demi arrives in her red Volvo station wagon, she beams at me, utterly unfussed about the miserable weather and says something in the lines of
"Ok, let’s do this."
During the following few hours, we talk and surf together. I learn more about her love for surfing and why she likes riding surfmats. And Demi shares how being so close to the water can give you a totally new perspective of the little and beautiful wonders in the surf.
“And what is it about mat surfing?
It's just fun, you can't have a bad wave on a surfmat. You're there and you're just grinning the whole time.”
— Demi Taylor
“There's nothing else, there's like no baggage with it.
It's very grounding (and) makes you very humble.”
— Demi Taylor
Author, journalist, surf film festival director
When I met Demi, I had no clue how deeply she is entangled with surfing culture. She is the author of numerous articles about surfing for the British press and has co-written several books on surf travel and culture with her partner Chris Nelson. Both are the masterminds behind Approaching Lines and the co-founders of the prestigious London Surf Film Festival in which Demi acts as the festival director.
Cornish born lady-slider
Demi definitely grew up close to the water and has travelled the world surfing. She rides all sorts of different surf craft: Shortboards, longboard and everything in between and she does not shy away from sliding more fringe surfing vehicles like handplanes, bellyboards and surfmats. The latter she prefers to ride underinflated and always with a big smile.
“I feel a bit out of control and I really like that, because you don't always make the decisions, sometimes the mat makes the decision as to what's happening.”
— Demi Taylor