Russell Winter weilds sword; Receives suspended prison sentence

Today in WTF: The UK’s most famous-ever pro surfer, 39-year-old Russell Winter, has been handed a fine and suspended jail term after threatening another man with a sword. Yep. According to the Cornish Guardian, the Fuzz were called to St George’s Road in Newquay at 7:30pm on July 6, after reports of a public order disturbance. Allegedly, three men walked down the street, a bottle smashed, and Russ confronted them. With an ornamental sword. Reading between the lines – and giving Russ the benefit of the doubt – it ain’t hard to imagine how the scene might’ve played out in IRL; three gents rolling between pubs in not-very-quiet fashion, one smashes a bottle, Russ sticks head out window and tells them to keep it down, shouting match ensues, Russ grabs closest object and runs outside to scare em off… After pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article and directing it towards another, as well as using abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause a fear of violence, Russell was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge. Russ was the first European surfer to ever qualify for the world tour, bringing powerful frontside work and famously beating Kelly Slater at Sunset. It’s unclear when he started collecting ornamental swords.