will bailey
foam Steve and his latest bit of urban art.
Steve Phillips
Known as Dog Shit Steve, he's the unofficial chairman of the LMBC- Llantwit Major Busy Crew, a permanent fixture in the line up and one of Wales’s top surfers. He never misses a session in the pub, and has a group of friends that have been described as drinkers with a surfing problem. Life hasn't been easy for Steve, from a very young age he’s pretty much had to completely fend for himself as well as growing up in the shadows of cousin and mentor Nathan. With limited finance, foreign travel only really came during the last few years all of which has been self funded but goes some way to explain why Steve has been somewhat of a late bloomer. Over the past few years his surfing’s been turning heads with a repertoire of power, tricks and airs combined with a saucy style. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you Mr
Where do you live? In a house in Llantwit Major. What do you do for a living? Painter and decorator, I’m currently doing a course to become an electrician to hopefully earn more bucks, also to allow me to get out of Wales and get some travelling done. What ’s your average week entail? Work, gym sometimes, sleep, surf if we are lucky enough to get any, I've surfed once in a month and that was two foot at high tide in Llantwit which is fatter than Southerndown! Also like to have a few beverages on the weekend. Gym! Dont make me laugh, there must be a bar in that gym somewhere! Hahahhaha I wish. You have a very unfortunate nick name (Dog Shit) that must scare the ladies away? Ha ha, yeah, it’s a bit rough, not everyone calls me that, mainly you and the Bridgend lot. To be clear it’s not cos I talk it, I tried breaking into your house and the stick I was using to break in with had dog shit all over it, and yeah it does scare the ladies away!
30 carve surfing magazine
underground hero
Steve Phillips
I’ve also heard that you’re a bit work shy? Who isn’t? we get so little waves here that you’ve gotta somehow get in the sea! Probably about as shy as you though! How often do you get to surf? I surf as much as Neptune let’s me, I work self-employed so pretty flexible so that's cool. Tell me about the best session this winter. Best session? Well we had about three really good days in March probably as big as it gets around here, the one day was about five foot and super clean, I think it was the same day as Porthleven was 10-foot! But anyway it was pumping for round here, had three surfs, must of surfed for about nine hours at a secret reef, well I say secret there were about 50 people out. I’m sure you turned up to shoot for an hour! Whats your favourite wave, and who do you surf with? Periscopes abroad, Llantwit and a few reefs locally, surf with all the old dogs like Nate, Vaunt, Guff, Troll, Glenn, Worm and the mighty Will Bailey.
You never seem to leave Llantwit why is that? Haha I love it, it’s a nice coastal town without the full rat race fairly close to cities of Cardiff and Swansea. Who would wanna leave there?
drinkers and pretty much all the boys could qualify for the keenest!! You’re pretty sharp at airs, whos influenced your surfing? Since I was young Nate was doing airs all the time an I just wanted to have a crack, Thought it was because you’re scared also Matty Capps, I spent a few weeks of missing a night out with the boys? with him in Indo and he defo knows how Well I do like a night out with the to boost. boys you can almost guarantee there will be some of the boys out literally any How do you find bigger waves? night of the week. Ok, it doesn’t get that big very often. We've had some size in Scotland All you boys seem to be really close and France a few times, it’s something and there’s always a massive group of different to what we get at home. you, why? I think it’s got something to do with the Any contests planned? drinking culture here as there isn’t much The Welsh nationals are at Llantwit so it else to keep the mind occupied! Most of would be pretty cool as I won’t have to us surf as well! leave Llantwit! Who’s the slackest and who’s the Any surf trips out of the Vale? keenest surfer? Well this course I’m doing has swallowed Slackest has got to be Nolan, although up all my cash but should be qualified you’re a good contender for that, and the in about two months and will be straight keenest is defo Vaunt I've seen him many to Indo. a time in the sea in two foot shite at 6am before he goes to work, fair dos to him. Any shout outs? All the boys and my sponsors – O’Shea, Drinker? DK surfboards and No Limit Wetsuits. Hahaha don’t think there are any slack