I`m a New Zealand surfer currently working as a surf guide in the Maldives. A summer issue of SurfGirl magazine ended up at our centre a few weeks ago which was awesome reading for us magazine-starved girls here on the resort!

The image of Keala standing in that epic barrel was great to see but as much as I admire the unquestionable talent of pro-surfers, female and male, it`s the tenacity and perserverance of self-funded Average Joe and Janes that really inspires me.

I`ve attached an image of my fellow surf guide, Amy Kotch. Originally from California, this 5′4″¯ dynamite girl has been following surf seasons in tropical paradises for a few years now, truly the epitome of Living The Dream. Here she is, having paddled into a premium standup barrel, on the biggest, most-perfect day seen in the Maldives (North Male Atoll) in the last few years. Only a handful of guys braved this swell over the two days it was macking, so to say Amy is an inspiration, is an understatement. She`s a legend.

I hope you are all enjoying a great summer of waves up there in the UK and its good to see a well-rounded surf magazine on offer for the ladies.

Kind regards,

Danielle Clayton

Enough with all the dudes on the boat. Have you seen the girls lately? Steph Gilmore. Alana Blanchard. Bethany Hamilton. Tyler Wright. They are the vanguard of women professional surfing these days, and it about time they joined the Tip 2 Tip mission and heated things up this week.

Getting them all together for a couple of weeks, however, is not easy. Steph is not just a world champion anymore, she is an icon. Mainstream mags just as much as surf mags want photo shoots, interviews, quotes… and on and on with the weird requests. Alana, you have certainly noticed, commands her fair share of mega-attention these days. Bethany has been working with Hollywood on a big-budget film about her life story, called “Soul Surfer. And Tyler is busy etching her mark in women professional surfing history since becoming the youngest winner of an ASP World Tour event the Beachley Classic in 2008.

Clearly, these girls are in-demand. But when we told them it was their turn to go searching on the Quest 1, suddenly schedules cleared and emails went unanswered. “I’m in Indo for the rest of the month,” the out-of-office replies read, “and you won’t hear from me until I get back.” Perfect.

Not even a day into the trip, the girls seemed to forget just how big-time they are, and the switches turned off. Suddenly they were just friends on a surf trip. Themselves. And just as they discovered yet another fresh side of Indo on their leg of the Tip 2 Tip mission, so too did we meet a new Steph, Alana, Bethany, and Tyler… and it got pretty entertaining.

Watch their adventure on www.ripcurl.com

You can follow the “Tip 2 Tip” Search project online at www.ripcurl.com <http://www.ripcurl.com/tip2tip/>

Supertubos is a powerful wave that is fueled by the long and deep swells coming from the Atlantic Ocean, which can reach up to 4-5m in height. Because it looks so similar to the Hawaiian Banzai Pipeline, many surfers have nicknamed this wave the ‘European Pipe’.

Go to www.ripcurl.com for updates.

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I was lucky enough to run the very first SurfGirl and Surf Sistas with Oakley coaching week from Ripcurl’s ESF surf school in July.  It’s similar to what I do abroad in Spain and Morocco, but this time actually based in the heart of the UK’s surf mecca; Newquay!  It was a great group of girls, who were all super keen to learn and get out there; we had theory work, practical lessons, an Indo board demo with it’s creator Hunter Joslin and a surf specific yoga class.  We also spent an awesome afternoon at the flowrider, sampled coasteering and took part in even more surfing (including dawnies, video analysis and fancy dress!)  We’ll be putting together a full report of the whole week as soon as possible!

Talking of Surf Sistas with Oakley…. Hossegor will be our home for the first ever surf and pilates boutique holiday there.  I just love South West France and September is THE best time to be lapping up the endless golden beaches, sunshine and firing sandbanks!   We’ve hired a stunning pad just by the lake and will be enjoying pilates classes with Amy Swanson, surf lessons avec moi, gormet veggie food, road trips, shopping trips and the odd night out of course…

There’s actually a couple of places left so if the thought of summer being over way too soon is giving you the heebie geebies then email lu@bigfriday.com pronto!  All details are on the website www.bigfriday.com

“Chicks with Sticks” has been going strong in 2010 with the Art Rumble and the Surf Off, which ended up being simply a Man Off!  We raised about £400 for Surfers Against Sewage, gave away some amazing prizes (huge thanks to Surf Maroc and Big Friday for the holidays), donned our fave 80s outfits and danced the night away.  Check out the blog and website for more info!

Finally, I just returned from an incredible secret mission with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Brigitt Bardot Foundation, representing Chicks with Sticks and Surfers 4 Cetaceans.  I joined an unmarked vessel, an international crew, which included S4C’s Howie Cooke and travelled around the Faroe Islands in a bid to protect the pilot whales that inhabit the area.

It was an incredible experience and a true eye opener.  Check out the news on www.s4cglobal.org www.seashepherd.org and stay tuned for more details on the Faroes campaign.

Time for me to get some waves! I’m joining Big Friday’s cycle-surf tour of South West France tomorrow, as head of surf, and frankly I couldn’t think of anything better after 3 weeks with no surf and no sun!!

Enjoy September ladies!

The initiative comes as part of the Corona Save the Beach campaign which aims to promote the preservation of European beaches and is relying on a public vote to decide which beach to save.

Earlier in the year, the programme teamed up with environmental artist HA Schult to build the world’s first rubbish hotel – literally a hotel made from rubbish (yes, you heard that right) – with supermodel and eco-warrior Helena Christensen being the first through its doors.

The campaign has now turned its attention to recovering a neglected European beach and is working in partnership with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and the Blue Flag programme. Head on over to www.coronasavethebeach.org to have your say, you’ve got until Sunday August 29^th to make your vote count…

Get a  10% discount on short breaks (3-6 nights) at Rocklands in Newquay for Surfgirl readers arriving between 4 September and 29 October 2010. 

Visit www.escapetorocklands.com to view the apartments the offer is valid on. 

Quote surfgirl10 when booking online or by telephone 0845 680 9425

The SAS Invinci-Ball is just two weeks away now and things are shaping up for a fantastic evening.  The SAS Invinci-Ball will take place at the Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Chapel Hill Porthtowan on 3^rd September and will witness a party to rival any other before it. The setting is stunning and is perfect to celebrate the amazing work of Surfers Against Sewage.  

The theme is Invinci-Ball and revellers can expect big things from the event with some exciting developments from previous years. As is tradition at the Ball, the line up is a secret, but here is what can be expected; 

Over 15 amazing acts

 Theatre performances

Main Stage 

Amphitheatre Stage 

Skinners Ales Bars

Barefoot Wine Bar 

Happy Hookahs Lounge

Local Cornish Food suppliers 

Local traders supplying all your party needs

Tickets are still available at www.sasball.co.uk   

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Here’s a couple of Mickey’s shots the one below is of Tom Lowe. For more of Mickey’s images get the October issue of Carve out on September 24th.

As surf girls we strive to feel confident out in the water, and there’s nothing like a big dose of learning, training and exam pressure to get you to the next stage. Becoming a qualified lifeguard doesn’t necessarily mean you get posted straight onto to the beach, if you complete the course there’s then further training before you can work for the RNLI, and if you’re taking the course in conjunction with a surf coaching qualification, there is also your instructors course and preliminary hours to complete.

Regardless if you’ve enrolled for employment purposes, the lifeguard course is bursting full of crucial first aid, coastal and emergency information.  It’s also great for team building, and improving your confidence full stop.  You will, without doubt, get to hang out with a great bunch of people all week, and chances are make some good friends. Surf Girl recently undertook a weeks NARS course with Era adventures, which was physically and mentally exhausting at times but an incredible challenge we can’t recommend enough!

The first day began with an introduction to the week, our instructors and the other participants.  We then headed straight for our first session on the beach which consisted of a 200 metre run, swim, run.  This was slightly daunting alone, even after a spot of training prior to the course, but also as conditions were huge with onshore waves, howling winds and a sweep taking you from North to South Fistral in 2 minutes flat.   Luckily our instructors were rather understanding, not expecting us to get outback with the rescue boards and moving the rescue area to the inside due to the crazy currents.

During the week the conditions dropped and we worked through rescues using the boards and peterson tubes, simulating conscious and unconscious casualties for each other in rotation.  We also learnt procedures for spinal injuries, CPR techniques for adults, children and infants as well as receiving extensive first aid training.

Our workbook contained all the theory work we needed – which we would go through daily in the classroom, and homework sheets provided all the revision needed for the upcoming exam. After a mock exam to clarify all the relevant information was in our brains and staying there, it was time to tackle the real thing.  And despite any nerves, anticipation and a foot injury – it was in the bag – we passed!

Stuart Parry from Era gives us the lowdown;

How old do you have to be to take the NARS and RLSS courses? 16 years old, but you need to be 18 before you can become a beach lifeguard.

What do the award allow you to do once you qualify? This qualification is the back bone to so many disciplines in outdoor water based activities such as surf coaching, coasteering and of course becoming a professional beach lifeguard for the RNLI.

How much are the courses and how often are they run? We run courses every week and the cost of the courses start around £235

How long do each of the courses take? 5-6 days depending on the course.

How long do the qualifications last for? RLSS is valid for 2 years, NARS you have to do a competency test yearly.

Check out www.era-adventures.co.uk for all the details

What Surf Girl noticed was the ratio of guys to girls; 2 girls to 8 guys.  But for any of you anxious about the divide, don’t let it hold you back.  The guys were super supportive and even though some were clearly stronger and fitter we never felt too far behind, and that they were always willing to wait for us to catch up. It would be great to see that ratio even out, so if you’re considering a change in career or are keen for a new challenge, then take it from us – the lifeguard course is well worth it!

Carve and SurfGirl have teamed up with Era Adventures with a special offer to anyone taking the lifeguarding leap.  Quote “Carve Mag” when booking your lifeguard course and receive a voucher to take a mountain bike course,  a coasteering session, a surf coaching session or a bodyboarding lesson absolutely free. Go to www.carvemag.com for further details or phone 01637 878074

Article by Natalie Fox. Photos by Mike Searle.