Joe’s banner has been all over the world and surfer Tom Butler had taken the prize banner on tour to Sri Lanka

Arugam Bay was firing for the final day of the UKPSA Sri Lankan Surf Championships. An increase in swell overnight provided 4-6ft barrelling right hander’s for the remaining competitors. In heat one of the quarter finals Micah Lester took full advantage of the conditions scoring the highest wave of the event (9.4) earning him the return ticket from London to Sri Lanka donated by Sri Lankan Airlines. 

The remaining quarter final heats saw outstanding performances from Richie Sills (South Africa) and Newquay surfers Alan Stokes, Mitch Corbett and Tom Butler.

In the first semi final Richie Sills and Sam Lamroy (Newcastle) surfed consistently to edge out Lee Bartlet and Micah Lester.
Four Newquay surfers made up semi final two. Alan Stokes dominated from the beginning with two high scoring rides. Mark Harris scraped ahead of Mitch Corbett to take second with Tom Butler fourth. 

Matt Way Joe’s Dad said “I love Sri Lanka I had two trips years ago surfing with a welsh crew at Ram’s place so it was very fitting for my late son’s banner to do a trip, we are really grateful to Tom who has helped us along with the rest of his family with the amazing fund raising for the Precious Lives Appeal raising over £51K in just over 12 months in Joe’s memory” 

Alan Stokes who has also helped the Way family from Newquay along with his sister Lottie Stokes with fund raising joined Tom for a photo with the banner. 

Log on to Joe’s story and also learn about the Joe Way Paddle for life at www.joeway.co.uk 

GRPro based in Pool Business Park, Redruth were commissioned by Barcelona University Academy of Science, to manufacture one of our remotely operated rolling roof observatories for their Baker Nunn Telescope project. The project involves the installation of a 1 meter telescope ( which was purchased from the US Army and had previously been used in the cold war to spy on Russian satellites) that will be remotely operated from the University Campus in Barcelona, some 300 miles away.

Situated on top of Serra Del Montsec in the Pre Pyrenees  LLeida, Spain at 6000ft. The observatory is 5m high x 12m long and 5m wide and is constructed in Glassfibre composite. The observatory was built  in panel form and originally constructed and commissioned at the GRPro factory prior to dismantling and shipping to Spain. The build took 10 days in January 2009 when we experienced all manner of weather conditions including a hurricane that swept through the North of Spain/South of France resulting in the strongest winds in 14 years and the most snowfall on site for 16 years. Jeremy Rainford M.D was assisted by Phill Reeves (pictured) and Kevin Rainford in the construction with crane operation by STG transports’ Wayne Wills and Adam Johns.

Matt Way approached us in February asking if we would take some photographs with the Joe Way banner to help publicise their magnificent fundraising effort as we were about to return for final commissioning. The sun was shining and we got a tan!

Great nan Ada Clayden was 100 years old on the 3 june 2009. So Sophie Burgess and her husband Pete decided to take the Joe Way banner to London.

Sophie has helped fund raise for Precious Lives in memory of Joe as she worked with Matt at Hendra and has continued to be a family friend