Learn to shred with Quiksilver and Roxy top team riders in Chamonix this winter.

This time it’s for the keen skiers and snowboarders, Quiksilver and Roxy offer a unique experience with ‘The Boardriders Winter Week’. Your opportunity to shred Chamonix with quality coaching from some of the top team riders whilst staying in a luxurious guesthouse ‘The Club House’. One week of shredding in an exclusive environment; guests will hang on and off the slopes with Quiksilver and Roxy team riders such as Markku Koski and James Stentiford, plus have the use of instructors from Evolution2, experts of the mountains. It will be an unforgettable week of coaching, backcountry riding and freeride sessions in one of the best mountainous resorts in the world- in the heart of legendary Chamonix.

OUTSTANDING COACHING
6 days to perfect your technique with the Quiksilver and Roxy riders on hand to help. From Brevent to Courmayeur, the students will have access to an amazing playground of 6 areas. As well as confirmed team riders, the Charlet brothers, Chamonix locals and freestyle/freeride legends will be around to shred for the week too. Not only your company on the slope, the riders will be staying at the chalet so your chance to hang with them in the evenings as they share their experience and passion on and off the slopes.

EXTRAORDINARY SESSIONS
Two one-week courses (February 12th-19th, February 19th-26th) are open to skiers and snowboarders (male or female) over 14 years of age who are at an intermediate level. The program includes freeride, freestyle, backcountry aspects as well as educational training on security, avalanche training, crevasse rescue and glacier evaluation.

If snow conditions permit, students will be filmed and photographed by the coaches so that an evening debrief can assess progress and correct faults.

Each coaching week has 16 spaces and guests will stay in ‘The Club House’ chalet with a full package of meals, specialist instructors and tuition from the pro athletes. All for a fixed price of €1540 for under 18’s and €1830 for adults (prices exclude transport).

Week 12th-19th Feb
Hosted by Markku Kosti and James Stentiford from Quiksilver. Lena Stoffel and Basa Stevulova from Roxy.
Week 19th-26th Feb
Hosted by Markku Kosti and James Stentiford from Quiksilver. Andrea Binning and Margot Rozies from Roxy.

Reservation and information at www.boardriders-week.com

Russ gave me a lot of help with my surfing technique. It was really helpful to have him in the water with us because you got feedback straight after you’d had a wave. Also with Russ surfing around you, you pick up a lot of things just by watching the way he surfs. Russ has obviously had a lot of experience in competitive surfing, and he told us how he prepares for surfs and wins the comps! He trains hard physically and mentally and is very focused. It was a real eye opener as to how hard we would have to work to get to the same level as Russ.

Here’s a few of the tips Russ gave me – they definitely improved my surfing.

Widen your stance
One of the main things Russ would tell me was, “Laura you stand too tall!” Heaven knows how many times I heard him say it but it paid off. By the end of the trip I wasn’t standing so tall and I was feeling like, through widening my stance, I had much more control over my board.

Maximum drive
Russ was always plugging at me to put more weight on my front foot. This was so I could drive off the bottom and the top of the wave better so that I had more control through my turns – which in contests is very important as you get no points for falling off!

Extending and compressing
Extending and compressing is very important for creating speed and completing manoeuvres successfully. This was a huge fault in my surfing as I stood so tall that I had nothing to extend from as I wasn’t compressed. I had to start to really emphasise my extension and compression so I could really feel the difference. And it worked – I could feel my turns were more powerful and that I had more control over my board when in a top turn. Plus the more that I compressed when I landed moves, the lower centre of gravity I had and the better balance I had coming out of my turns.

Power turns
Russ told me to compress through my turns at the top of the wave so that I had enough power to push away from the lip or carve off the top and create a better turn. The extra power makes the turn more powerful and moves more spray – which the judges like.

Catching more waves
At the start of the trip I was holding back a little with fighting for waves as the boys on the trip seemed to be pretty dominant in the water. So I kind of sat back and waited till there was a free wave and tried to jump on that. After the first few surfs Russ could see that that’s what I was doing and he told me that I should be the one catching all the waves, “Laura you’re a girl, the worst they can do is shout at you!” He said. “They can’t hit you so get out there, flutter your eyelashes, and you’ll be on every wave going!” After this little pep talk I went back out and made friends with a few locals and then they began calling me into waves — so Russ was right once again!

Check out Laura’s website at http://www.lauracranesurfer.co.uk/

There is a multitude of ridiculously amazing neoprene goods to keep you warm this winter. By purchasing the kit that is in this year’s wetsuit guide you can actually spend most of a session without actually getting cold, the seams and fit are that good. Check out the latest wetsuits on offer this winter in SurfGirl’s winter wetsuit guide.

But how about the bits out of the sea? That’s when you’re most vunerable to the cold, here’s some tips to make it more bearable.

In the water with the right kit which fits properly you should be fine surfing through the winter. But the bit in between leaving the car and being in your wetsuit or in the other direction when you have got out of your wetsuit but aren’t in the car are the truly painful bits. So make a plan. That’s when an organised surfer really comes up trumps:

• Remember to wax your board, organise what’s happening with your car key, take out contact lenses, prepare your seat covers if you’re driving home in your wettie or any other faff that you need to do as early as possible. Not when you are prancing around in your underwear in the snow.

• Next up, have a mat of some kind to get changed on. Get a Frostfire Moonbag, you can stand on it while changing which will stop your feet from getting cold and you can use it to put your wetsuit in afterwards.

• The second that you take off your jacket, jumper, t-shirt, you are going to be totally exposed to the elements and that’s when your core temperature will take a dive. So invest in changing towel like the Robie Robes. They come in a range of cool colours!

• Don’t forget to protect your extremities as it affects your core temperature. There’s a selection of wetsuit boots, hats, and gloves available at the Orcashop, with last season’s prices. Check it out here

• When you get out of the water, if you have car seat covers and you’re not too bothered about your cars interior, get in and drive home. Try these van seat covers from Northcore. It’s a top tip to remember to take off your boots though as they carry loads of sand and often a good amount of water so can create a big mess quickly.

• If you can’t drive home then wear loose fitting, warm clothes as they’re easier to get on.

So get out there and enjoy the winter surf, just make sure you’re prepared!

As a result, we have expanded the utility of the VOLUME CALCULATOR by employing a 3-tiered approach that provides suggestions for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced surfers. Visit the calculator here!

Our Reminder: The VOLUME CALCULATOR is only a guide! Physical variables will influence your decisionsuch as your ability, height and age, while the waves you surf and the water temp are also factors to consider. However, we have cross checked our VOLUME CALCULATOR formula against the preferences of a wide range of surfers and found it to produce a remarkably accurate suggestion.

A 3-Tiered Approach: The VOLUME CALCULATOR will produce suggestions for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced surfers. If a suggestion seems too big or small, make sure you have selected the calculator that best represents your ability.

Your Volume: The VOLUME CALCULATOR provides a MIN and MAX suggested volume. The lower volume indicates the MIN flotation for your Hi-Performance Shortboard, while the higher number indicates the optimum volume for a Hybrid or Pure Stoke model. Of course you will need to factor in your individual preferences before making a final selection.

“Firewire believes that refinements to the shape of today’s modern surfboards can only produce incremental performance benefits. Exponential improvements in performance require the ongoing development of new materials and construction methods which, in turn, will fuel new design opportunities.”

About Volume (from The SurfGirl Handbook)

Volume. Volume is crucial, and is often overlooked. In simple terms: the more volume you have the better your board floats and the easier it is to paddle and catch waves. But (this is important!) more volume doesn’t necessarily mean a longer board – you don’t have to stay on a minimal until you’ve got the upper body strength of Silvana Lima. Lots of shorter boards nowadays have as much volume as boards half a foot longer, so you get all the benefits of ‘less board’ without the arm ache and frustration.

With the above in mind, you should be saving a fair bit of your winter rubber wear budget to invest in some decent protection for your feet, hands and head. As we’ve banged on about before, wetsuit technology has advanced so far that the latest suits barely let any water in at all.

Make the correct choice from the excellent range we have prepared for you here.

Thurso, Scotland – Thurso East is a right-hand reef break over a flat rock shelf, best on a big north-west swell when it may hold surfable waves of triple overhead and more. The break’s reputation means that it’ll always be busy on a good swell, so treat the locals with respect and take your turn.

Llangennith, Wales – Possibly the most popular surf spot in Wales, with beach breaks all the way along its three-mile length. It’s always crowded when there’s a good swell running, but if you’re prepared to walk along the beach you should be able to find less busy peaks.

Sennen Cove, Cornwall – One of the most consistent breaks in Britain on account of its exposed location, Sennen can hold good-sized waves and may have surf when everywhere else is flat.

Freshwater West, Wales - Freshwater is a huge beach with peaks all along its length so you can usually find a wave to yourself. The main beach produces some powerful and often quite large peaks, plus there are a couple of other good breaks in the small bays to the south. There’s also one of the heaviest, scariest reef breaks in Wales, generally not a break for beginners!

Croyde, Devon – Croyde is a popular, west-facing beachbreak with excellent tubey lefts and rights at low tide when it’s working. The beach is a couple of miles long, backed by sand dunes with a headland at each end, which provides some shelter. It has excellent powerful waves and can be very crowded with talented surfers when the surf is good.

For more info on where to surf in the UK go to  www.thesurfdirectory.co.uk. It’s your one stop guide to where to eat, sleep, surf and party.

Also get The Surf Girl Handbook for travel tips and advice, available from the Orcashop with a free Ted’s Shred’s air freshener.

That autumnal feel has just started to kick in so alongside talk of the impending mini ice age there’s it’s time to think of of thicker neoprene, well bonded seams and toasty wetsuit boots are hot topics.

Get yourself prepared for those winter sessions with a well thought out action plan. There are two broad areas that you can change to positively affect your winter performance: Body and Kit.

You can prepare your body by starting to get in to good habits now. Eat well, exercise 3 or 4 times per week, (Get your hands on The Complete Guide To Surf Fitness here) use sport specific training to focus on the areas that need to be kept fittest and cut out bad habits like boozing, pasties and cigarettes.
Preparing your kit is way more fun. Whip out that magic plastic card and treat yourself to the warmest set up that you can lay your hands on. Not only will it last longer than its cheaper rivals, it will likely fit better, flush less and most importantly of all, keep you in the water for longer and more comfortably.
The winter wetsuit guide will take the pain out of the shopping experience a little. Take a look at the stretchy new neoprene, the well thought out entry systems and the flush free seals. Then head to your local surf shop armed with the info to make an informed choice.

How to buy the right wetsuit for you!

When you hit the surf shops, make sure you go in with a game plan. Speed the process by knowing your height, weight, where you will be using the suit and during which months. Be well researched on the features that you like. Is it a front zip entry that you’re looking for? Do you require single lined material on your suits lumber panel? Know what you want rather than going in blind.

• Your standard sales assistant will be well versed in the suits that they’re selling. They’ll have likely had some sales training from the manufacturer and they’ll be ready to translate your info in to a suit sale as quickly as possible.

• You shouldn’t need to be trying on more than three suits. If you are, then either the sales assistant aren’t doing their job properly or you have changed your mind too many times.  By the time you’ve tried three winter suits on in a hot changing room you’ll be a hot, sweating mess.

• Remember, knowledge is king, so enter the shop armed with your trusty SurfGirl winter wettie guide rolled up in your back sky rocket!

For more tips on how to buy a wetsuit and other gear related info get a copy of The Surf Girl Handbook it’s stuffed with invaluable tips and advice and you get a free Ted Shred’s air freshener when you buy it at the Orca Shop.

Zip-It

• Quiksilver’s Fuseflex suit has a Hydro-lock dry chest zip which gets the zipper off your back to increase flexibility, but also locks out water leakage through the zipper for maximum warmth. It’s easy to climb in to and effortless to get out of.

Suits You Sir

• A made to measure service isn’t something that you hear much of these days but it still has the unique appeal of a comfortable fit, no rubs, no flushes and more flex in the right areas. Snugg’s service also has the bonus that if you happen to change shape (perhaps after one too many mince pies at Christmas) you can have your suit altered. Tailored to perfection.

Seams

• O’Neill’s super seam weld is 60% lighter than other seams available. The new seam is low profile so it offers greater comfort, stretch and durability. Less is more in this case for sure.

• Billabong are utilising a new stitchless welded seam construction in their SGX Xero model. Less seam restriction, more warmth, all good!

Entry System

• Circle One are offering a unique easy entry system. You don’t appreciate how easy they are to get on until you try them and zips are a thing of the past!

Winter Wetsuit Retailer Guide

• Park your car in as highly-visible a spot as possible.
• Your car is a shop window for thieving blighters. Lock it, alarm it if possible and never leave the keys on or near it!
• Don’t leave valuables on show. If there’s nothing of value in the glove box (and there really shouldn’t be!) leave it open so thieves can see there’s no point.
• Keep your keys safe. Many beaches offer a key-minding service, but your best bet is a waterproof wallet like the Ocean & Earth waterproof wallet. Space for keys, cash, asthma inhaler!
• Or provide secure storage for your keys with the Keypod.
• If you don’t have a fancy electronic key, just string it around your neck. Wetsuit and leash pockets are an option too, but slightly less secure. Or get your key cut at a key cutters so you take your non chip key in the surf.
• After your surf if you’re popping to the pub or into town keep your boards safe on your car with the Lockjaw leash plug lock.

For more tips on equipment safety and theft prevention get The Surf Girl Handbook.

Getting 100% ready for your next surf requires a holistic approach. Without the right kind of food your body will never perform at its best. Have you ever tried running after a Whopper Meal?!

Don’t worry about going on a strict regime – instead, mix and match your favourite foods from our suggested list to create balanced, healthy, energy-boosting meals. If you need to shed a little weight, stick to lower portion sizes, but feel free to increase the volume on the days when you’ve been extra active.

Three squares or six mini-meals? That’s your choice. Eating small, frequent meals has been all the rage lately, but that approach doesn’t fit everyone’s lifestyle. Instead, focus on getting all of the recommended servings of each main nutrient group – it’s up to you how to arrange them. In other words, if you like to eat a big breakfast, it’s fine to have more food then – you’ll just compensate for it later in the day. Or, if you prefer to snack and nibble all day because larger meals slow you down, simply spread out your daily allowance and feel free to graze all day long!

Super Surf Snacks

Grab one of these balanced mini-meals for a quick, wholesome snack. Each one contains a portion of protein and healthy carbs designed to tide you over until your next sit-down healthy meal.
• Wholewheat tortilla spread with almond butter and banana slices
• Cold cooked chicken with an apple and handful of almonds
• Wholewheat pita bread with hummus, lettuce, cucumbers and olives
• Two boiled eggs and an orange
• Celery sticks spread with cream cheese and topped with raisins
• Wholewheat tortilla spread with mashed avocado, diced tomatoes, onions and
coriander
• Cup of black beans and brown rice
• One cooked mashed sweet potato mixed with cottage cheese
• Smoothie made with frozen berries and non-fat yogurt
• Small handful of Surfer’s Snack Mix (see next column)

Surfer’s Snack Mix

Mix together 1/4 cup each of raw, unsalted almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, raisins and unsweetened flaked coconut. Nibble on a small handful 30 minutes before surfing and watch your energy – and your performance – soar!

Bottoms Up!

Be sure to drink up to three litres of pure water every day – more if you’re a coffee drinker. This will keep you hydrated so your muscles can work and you can surf better longer. Muscle cramps usually come from dehydration, so drink several ounces of water before you paddle out and more when you come back in.

BOTTOM TURN

The bottom turn is the first and most important manoeuvre every surfer should learn. As you drop into the wave, the idea is to transfer your weight smoothly to the inside rail and turn the board along the wave. To do this, put more weight through your back foot and turn your board towards the wave face, keeping your knees bent, until your board is facing along the wave face. A good bottom turn converts the momentum gained from the take-off into the speed necessary to continue down the line, or into the next manoeuvre.
Advanced surfers will often carve smooth, low centre-of-gravity turns in order to generate maximum speed.

CUTBACK

This basic manoeuvre enables you to change direction and return to the steepest part of the breaking wave, the pocket, without any loss of speed. There are several varieties of cutbacks, from simple carves through to full figure-of-eight manoeuvres (‘roundhouse cutbacks’) – the type you can perform will depend on the wave’s shape and power. Small mushy waves require small snappy cutbacks to retain maximum speed. Large powerful waves allow the surfer to go way out onto the shoulder of the wave, then accelerate through a large powerful turn back into the pocket, before slashing back around onto the wave face.

MORE MOVES

There’s plenty more moves and skills you can add to your surfing repertoire, you can find out more about learning to surf in the Surf Girl Handbook, available to buy on the Orca Shop.