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SEMPA SURF

September 19, 2021

Custom Parlez board made by Ollie Parker of Sempa Surf.

Photography by Elliott Cole

When did you start surfing and how did you get into it?

My first surf trip was in around 2001, me and my old man headed down to Cornwall from Essex in an old clapped out Transit camper van and spent a few weeks skating, surfing and breaking down loads! I suppose I got into surfing thanks to my dad wanting to find me things to do that kept me on the straight and narrow. Kinda worked…

Where did the brand name/logo come from?

The brand name came from an old skate deck one of my mates gave me. He had chopped up a Supreme sticker to spell Semper, which simply means 'always'.

And for the tree logo.. It comes form the east coast of Barbados, an actual Palm tree with a perfectly spiralled trunk, perched just above one of my all time favourite surf spots. Barbados has become a second home for me and where I have spent many of my formative surfing years. The Sempa palm is on google maps as a shrine if you would like to pay homage lol.

What’s your favourite board to ride & what’s your favourite board to shape?

That’s a tricky one for me, I like riding and shaping all kinds of surf craft to keep it fresh and to continuously unlock new feelings and push my shaping and surfing boundaries. Any thing a little less on the conventional side gets me pretty excited.

Where’s your favourite place to surf?

The beauty of surfing for me is discovering new spots and scoring different types of waves all over. But nothing beats sharing a peak with familiar faces at home in Kernow.

How can people connect with you if they want a Sempa custom board?

The best way to connect with me is through Instagram @sempasurf or via email at sempasurf@gmail.com