Cornish fledgling flies the nest in ‘A Foray in Anahuac’, presented by Vans
The 18-year-old longboarder Izzy Henshall, native of Penwith in Cornwall’s southwest corner, surfs with a rare grace and poise, a subtle economy of movement, and fleeter-than-average feet. But until recently she’d never set either of those feet abroad, or at least not in a wave-riding capacity.
Then she got invited to the Mexi Log Fest in the colourful bohemian town of Sayulita – “a little pocket of wave-strewn dreams… rinsed with sea salt and sunshine”. Several dozen of the world’s best longboarders were also in attendance.
And Mexico… what a place. We were stoked to see Izzy off on her first ever surf trip, gave her a pair of suitably lightweight summer shoes for those feet of hers (hello, Vans Circle Vee), and waited impatiently for the results.
‘A Foray in Anahuac’
We were not disappointed. She surfed, she explored, she documented what she saw, and was documented in turn by filmmaker Seth Hughes.
You may remember Seth from ‘Stan Norman in So Many Words’, which we launched a few months ago, or from any number of visually ravishing online surf edits over the last five or so years.
Translating literally as “close to water”, Anahuac is the pre-hispanic (or Nahuatl) name for the ancient core of Mexico. Hence the sumptuous short film ‘A Foray in Anahuac’, presented by Vans.
Cornish lensman Toby Butler was also in tow, and took a load of stills (see below). Izzy herself, who is currently studying lens-based media, had her camera with her and came back with several dazzling rolls of film. Check out her gallery here.
Vans Circle Vee
A perfect fit for Izzy’s light-footed and inquisitive approach, the Vans Circle Vee adapted effortlessly both to the heat and to the varied Mexican terrain. The EcoCush bio-foam footbed is just the right mix of firm and squishy, which is what makes the shoe so comfy; the EcoWaffle outsole is made from responsibly sourced natural rubber rather than the petroleum-derived equivalent; and the upper-knit material (47% organic cotton / 47% hemp / 6% nylon) accounts for the natural, homespun, breathable feel.
A lithe and easy-to-wear summer classic. Shop the Vans Circle Vee on Surfdome.
