So Wilma, when did you start painting?
I’ve painted since I was a little girl – I was inspired by my uncle who was an artist. He was very eccentric and charismatic and made his own clothes out of sheepskin and carved tables out of tree trunks. He used to let me watch him paint in his studio or on the beach. It seemed like a really amazing to be able to do, so I started painting to create my own fantasy world when I was bored.

Do you now earn a living from painting?
It’s not easy when you’re a single mother with three kids and a neoprene habit! It’s a bit of a gamble – you work your guts out for a show and you never know until the opening night if you’re going to sell everything or nothing at all. I was on a bit of a losing streak, so I decided to write the book, which has been great.
What’s really funny is that I sometimes felt a bit guilty leaving the studio to go surfing – but in the end it was a good career move because since the book came out, the prices of my paintings have gone up!

As a naturist what’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done?
Hmm, where to begin? Sometimes I look back and wonder how I did it! It could be appearing in nothing but body paint at the Royal Opera House, or a week long live-in performance in a London art gallery where people used to come and watch us cooking breakfast naked, or maybe flashing in the British museum!

What attracted you to surfing?
I think it was that Old Spice ad with Carmina Burana playing in the background! I never thought I’d actually do it, it seemed like something that happened in California or Hawaii. Then I married a surfer, but he completely put me off by taking me out in a blizzard in a huge swell in South Wales. (I think he might have done it on purpose so I’d be the one staying back on the beach with the kids!) Then I ended up living in Guethary so close to the ocean that I could see this beautiful wave from my bed… I thought if I don’t do it now, I never will.

Was becoming a surfer one of your biggest challenges?
Yes definitely, I’d never done much sport and was 44 and totally unfit when I started. I’m not sure how I kept going actually, it took me months to stand up, and I used to come out of the water black and blue.

What’s it like living in France?
Guethary is just outside Biarritz and it’s really the Basque country, so it’s nothing like you might imagine a little French village – a million miles from A Year in Provence. It’s also right on the border with Spain – I went down to San Sebastian for breakfast this morning because I was a bit bored!

What’s the biggest surf you’ve been in?
I used to be terrified when it got over about a foot, but I’ve surfed a few overhead waves now which is pretty exciting. Guethary gets enormous, but my limit is about a metre and a half – although I sometimes go out when it’s bigger just to watch and keep my adrenalin levels up. It breaks a long way out, so it’s easy to underestimate the size and arrive out there feeling like you’ve been dropped into a gnarly surf movie by helicopter.

What’s the best thing that’s happened to you since you took up surfing?
Getting to my feet was a big moment, because it took me months, but I was still in the white water with the Mamas surf club. So I think when I got good enough to paddle out to Guethary alone and take a wave without anyone holding my hand. It still feels faintly miraculous every time I do it.

Any regrets?
Living on an empty point break in Ireland for ten years and never getting in the water!

Wilma’s book Surf Mama is available from Amazon.

The first journey (Byron Bay to Bondi, Australia, 2009) successfully highlighted the plight of humpback whales and the threat faced by Japanese whaling fleets.
The second (California, October, 2011) traces the southern migration of Blue and Grey whales from Santa Barbara to Baja, Mexico with an emphasis on engaging key coastal community groups and drawing awareness to the causes they support.

Webisode 2 contains vision from the second week of the month-long TransparentSea initiative which includes an arduous 17 hour long mission from Leo Carrillo to Palos Verdes that saw the group pushed to their physical limits after losing their way in fog. Go to www.transparentseavoyage.com for updates, news and info on how you can help.

Life in the notorious favelas in Rio de Janeiro is tough, with its immense poverty, drug crime and violence on every corner, but if you look out over the horizon you are met with views of some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, replete with the stunning ocean perfect for surfing.

Rio Breaks is the moving feature documentary that follows the story of two best friends as they try to escape the pitfalls of life in the slums by riding the waves on their favourite beach, it makes its DVD debut on 3 October 2011 courtesy of Mr Bongo Films.

13-year-old Fabio and 12-year-old Naama live at Favela do Pavao, an enormous slum near Arpoador Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pavao is home to Commando Vermelho, or Red Command, one of Rio’s most heavily armed drug gangs, who rule the community. Their presence is ubiquitous, with gun-toting “soldiers”, mostly teenagers, patrolling the hills and shooting a warning every time a police car comes into sight.

Raised by illiterate grandparents, Fabio cannot read or write and rarely attends school. He is a prime candidate to become involved in Rio’s drug war. His best friend Naama lives nearby and although brought up on the streets he goes to school and wants to become a sporting champion.

Arpoador Beach is the birthplace of surfing in Brazil and holds some of the best waves in Rio. It’s where the favela kids go to surf to escape from the poverty and violence of the hills. Under the watchful eye of Rogerio, the Favela Surf Club offers a sense of community and belonging away from the hardship of everyday life. Surfing gives the kids a water-bound freedom and a hope that one day they can become the next world champion.

Maya Gabiera talks about Rio Breaks

Maya your experience of growing up in Rio was totally different from the guys featured in the film Rio Breaks, but can you convey to us the kind of life they lead?
Its a difficult life , with very little money and opportunities . And they all face at a young age the possibility to go into traffic and make more money on an easier but much more dangerous way.
That’s why the sport and education are so important for them…..it’s a chance to opt for the good path in life.

What’s it like living in Brazil in the Favelas?
It’s the poor areas , they have to work a lot to make money and it’s definetly harder to chase their dreams without having much opportunitties and incetive. But there is so many amazing people and for most they are great communities.

How important has surfing become to these guys?
A way of escaping crime , being healthy , having a dream to become professional in surfing and travel the world. And more than this is a passion that leads them to be a better person..

How did you meet them? What are they like?
I met them in the surf school on the beach. I grew up surfing with all of them. They are cool humble people , inspiring people.

Is Rio all poverty and crime ridden? We don’t believe it is…
Of course not . Rio is a city of passionate people , happy people and people that are not afraid to chase their dreams.

What was it like for you growing up in Rio?
A blessing. I got to see both sides ….poor and rich. Have different experiences and that made me more prepared to leave home and succeed abroad.

Are there a lot of female surfers in Rio?
Yeah , there are more every year.

What do you think of the film, can you sum it up in a couple of lines?
It’s inspiring , really shows how a sport can change those boys’ lives. And that those kids need the chance to chase their dreams and have a better life. They are all capable of succeeding – we just have to give them the tools.

We have five copies of the DVD to win. To win a copy of the DVD simply answer the question below;

At which beach do the kids from the favelas surf in Rio?

Place your answer below, the competition finishes on 15th October.

Cover-Up was started by Suzanne Crawford who started to make poncho changing towels from beach towels for her surfing friends on the East Coast. “They were to help make those cold winter changes after surfing a little more bearable and to help us girls get out of our wetsuits easier in the beach car parks after those long summer surfs!” says Suzzane.

Cover-Ups are all made by hand on Suzanne’s old singer sewing machine in her small beach bungalow, on a cold windy cliff top in Yorkshire. Each towel has a huge cosy hood and wide arm holes for easy changing. Suzanne sources the towels from all over to make the Cover-Up’s in unique designs and bright colours, using nice quality velour toweling.  This makes each design limited and  new designs are added to the collection all the time.

Suzanne says,  “I started making changing towels a couple of years ago just for my friends and they have just taken off from there. My boyfriend has a surf shop in Scarborough so I started to sell them there before opening an on-line shop about a year ago. I work as a fashion accessories designer as my day job and make my changing towels in my spare time. Sewing is a real passion for me and I love creating something that someone is going to enjoy using. It is so great to see someone at the beach using something that you have put lots of care into making. It makes me smile every time we see someone changing under one of our cosy cover-ups!”

‘Cover Up’s’ started life being sold in Suzanne’s local surf shop LowBrow in Scarborough, they now have an on-line shop www.coverupsurf.com and have sold world-wide to Australia, California, Europe and all over the UK.

We’ve a lovely Cover Up to giveaway, simply answer this question – what sort of car park changer are you? Do you let it all hang out or try to cover your modesty at all times?

The best answer wins the Cover Up. Competition ends on September 30th.

‘We are feeling really confident about our prospects for the competition, we are fielding our strongest team in years. So from a performance perspective we have high expectations.’

Unlike their counter parts in Europe, surfing in England is not recognized as one of the 46 sports to receive funding from Sport England and therefore receives no government funding.  The team’s entry  and membership fees are paid by The Rip Curl English Surfing Federation Surf School but in order to raise the necessary funds towards travel, food and accommodation costs to represent their country at Eurosurf 2011 the competitors have been selling Limited Edition Competition T-shirts which have been funded by sponsors who have contributed £100 each. The concept of selling the T-shirts to fund raise was the brain child of ESF Chairman Andy Sturt:

‘As ever the only real obstacle has been getting together the funding to send the team over to Ireland. The idea of selling the T-shirts is the most effective way of giving sponsors the necessary exposure and giving everyone else who is supporting us a tangible product to take away with them. This year we have had an upsurge of support from the community, so even though we are still quite a way from our sponsorship targets we are eternally grateful for the generous support we have received. If anyone is still thinking about supporting the Acorn English Surf Team our 2011 Eurosurf campaign then please get in touch’.

Veteran English team member Johnny Fryer stated:

‘I am so glad to be picked for the team again this year, Bundoran is a fantastic location for the competition. As a team we are definitely in a really strong position to improve on our 2009 placing. I would like say thanks on behalf of the team to everyone who has supported us in our campaign.’

Companies who have already pledged their support are Acorn Blue, Protest, Newquay Activity Centre, the Bodyboard-Depot, Alder, Carve Surfing Magazine, The Rip Curl ESF Surf School, Kahuna Restaurant, Adams Surfboards, Sunset Surf, Patagonia, Oneill, Prosport Sunscreen, Adventure Cornwall, Down the Line, Sanuk, The Carnmarth Hotel & Snugg Wetsuits.

Armed with surfboards and beer we followed the Pacific Highway North and peeled off at Myall Lakes National Park to spend the night. A quick surf was in order to wash away the day’s driving and we found perfect peeling waves on Boomerang Beach, Pacific Palms. Once we’d tired ourselves out enough to sleep, we parked up on a quiet road and hoped that we’d make it through the night without being moved on. Thankfully the night passed with only the occasional possum to disturb us and we made a small detour to have breakfast on the beach. Eating bread and Nutella whilst watching whales cannot be beaten and we had to force ourselves to drive away.

We continued our trip North to a place called Yamba which is known for it’s prawns and surfing, close to the World famous Angourie headland. Having lived there last year for 6 months I was eager to return to perfect breaks and seafood! We wasted no time in hitting the water and paddled out at Turner’s Beach, where the Clarence River meets the sea. The waves were only a couple of feet high but the water was glassy, and we had the whole beach to ourselves with only a dolphin for company! We caught wave after wave, with both lefts and rights consistently coming through.

We spent the night at the Yamba YHA Backpackers, owned and run by a local family who are more than happy to tell you where the best waves are for your level. The evening was spent drinking beers and sharing surfing stories with other backpackers.

The next day we went out early for a surf at a beach called Pippi’s. The sandbanks couldn’t have been better and again we got perfect clean waves, great fun for longboards and mals! The afternoon was spent sailing on a yacht in the sunshine which is owned by a local who is always happy to take backpackers out for a spin.

Next stop was Byron Bay, a lively little town full of shall we say ‘interesting’ folk! The local population is made up of hippies and the smell of incense follows you around. We parked up in a camp site and went for a surf at Belongil Beach. Unfortunately our spell of good waves had come to an end and the beach was pretty much flat. We went out for a paddle but it was in vain as we decided to head back after half an hour of nothing. Drowning our sorrows in pasta, beans and yet more beers we called it a night.

As morning came we were up and ready to check the surf, hoping there would be more than the day before. Having checked Tallow’s, Main Beach and The Pass in Byron Bay and found nothing, we bought pies and headed for the Gold Coast. We took a detour into Coollangatta but again the waves were messy and not worth pulling on a wet wetsuit for.

Tweed Heads and Surfer’s Paradise offered us no more than Byron and so we continue North….

It all in the oats!

Gin is the cure
Well we all know alcohol is often a reason for feeling terrible during those morning hangovers. Gin is actually a really good cure for stomach problems. It’s been considered a cure since the 1800!

Burning calories whilst eating…as if!
A stalk of celery contains approximately 6 calories. But the mere act of digesting a stalk burns more than 6 calories, resulting in a negative caloric intake.

Chocolate IS good for you!
Despite chocolate (dark chocolate with high a cocoa content) being considered actually quite good for you, it is also considered to be really good for an upset stomach.

Quite Simply…
The top snack for pre and post surf is quite simply, a banana – a good source of carbohydrates and protein, a great energy snack. Plus it wards off cramps when you’re out there doing your thing.

Need some revitalization?
The Acai berry is a sweet and nourishing berry that can be had as a whole fruit or fruit juice. The choice is all yours. It provides energy and revitalizes you with stamina. Sounds perfect to have before a surf.

Words by Annabel Mitchell

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.

With her mom�s journal in hand and a mismatched gang of surf fanatics watching her back, Dana embarks on an odyssey along the breathtaking southern coast of Africa to fulfill her mother�s dream�one long, flawless journey down the killer waves of J-Bay.

BC2 also features many world-class female surfers from the Roxy team, including #1 Sally Fitzgibbons.

Check out the video to find out more about the movie, get to know the cast, and watch exclusive videos!!

http://bluecrush2.alloy.com/

Billabong British Juniors kicks off at Fistral this weekend and the competition looks to be even more fierce than last year.

The Billabong British Junior Surfing Championships will descend on Newquay, Cornwall the 11th & 12th of June. This years event is being supported by long time sponsor Billabong, Mojo Futuretech, Anns Cottage, Fistral Blu and Calypso. Come down and enjoy the competition, grab yourself some Billabong giveaways that are being fired out from the catapult or just chill at the beach bar while enjoying some Billabong films.

This years competition will be as fierce as ever with one of last year�s stand out�s Liam Murray Strout defending his under 14�s title. Reigning U/18 girls champion Laura Crane will have stiff competition this year from fellow British Team mates Gabrielle Rowe, Tassy Swallows and Jaide Lowe. Max Tucker and Tom Good in their last year of competing in the U/18 age category will be vying to take the crown off last year�s winner Luke Dillon. There will also be strong challenges from Harry Timson and last year�s finalist Jobe Harris.

Sam Carrier Men�s Marketing Manager for Billabong Europe �The Billabong British Juniors is always an exciting event bringing the top UK emerging young talent competing for the coveted British title.�

As always the event will include multiple divisions with there being the under 12s, U/14s, U/16s and U/18 boys along with the girls U/14 and U/18. It will be an enjoyable day with sponsors Billabong, Mojo Future Tech, Anns Cottage, Fistral Blu and Calypso ready to crown the Junior British Champions of 2011, so come down and join in!
For entry forms please contact Surfing GB who will be running the event with Billabong.

About Billabong
http://www.billabong.com.au/blog-post/45/history