One year on: From Portugal to Taghazout

C-skins team rider and Robie-ambassador, Barnaby Cox is a face you would’ve seen on our channels over the years, at just 21 years old the British Champion has competed across the globe and achieved great heights in the surfing world.

Back in 2022, Barnaby attended The British Surf Team trip to Portugal, where he met and worked closely with breath-work coach, Antony Mullally (if you haven’t read our previous blog on Antony, you should definitely do so - such an amazing human!). During this time, Antony taught the team how to navigate the pre-competition stress, as well as how to manage awareness both in and out of the waves.

Photo Credit: Luke Gartside

Fast-forward to now, Barnaby has just returned back to the Cornwall after competing in the Rip Curl Pro Search Qualifying Series out in Taghazout Bay, Morocco with the rest of the GB crew. During this time, Barnaby had kept the training from Portugal fresh in his mind, ’breath-work has helped me see things more clearly, and act on stressful situations with focus and precision’ says the surfer, ‘It has been more of a daily practise than training for me.’

Antony teaches the young surfers how to rise their body’s CO2 levels to ensure they don’t panic, but according to Barnaby he hasn’t had to put these practises into play just yet, ‘I haven’t had many scary sessions since the Portugal trip, so I’m yet to find out!’

Photo Credit: Luke Gartside

Breath work hasn’t been the only training that has stuck with the surfer, the team have worked hard on honing in on their technique and watching replays of their waves to see where they can ameliorate, ‘I have definitely changed my surfing after the coaching from this trip. It’s great how a bit of video analysis and mentoring can really show you what needs improving and where the space for growth is’.

Bude-born, Barnaby is Cornish through-and-through, making him no stranger to the harsh winter waters our coastline delivers, a huge advantage when it comes to competing in climates like Morocco’s winter. ‘The cold doesn’t bother me much, especially as I am lucky to own very high-quality C-skins wetsuits’, explains Barnaby, ‘Morocco’s winter is very similar to Englands summer!’

Photo Credit: Ben Hartley

We asked the British Champion how he warms-up and re-centres after a surf, ‘I usually jump in my waterproof Robie, drive home and get straight in a hot shower. The surfing itself does the re-centering for me, so by the time I'm home I'm normally feeling better than when I left.

Photo credit: Will Jose

We can’t wait to see what the Cornish surfer does next and where he will be in another years’ time, stay tuned.