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TRAINED AS A WINDSURF COACH
"This course was probably the most awesome thing I’ve done - plus it
was a wicked break for the uni hols..."
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Learning to surf in Cornwall When I was 10, all I wanted to do was be a skater. I was crap at it. When I was 15, I really wanted to be a bmxer, but several cut shins and grazed knuckles soon put paid to that. You see the trend forming here? So skip forward ten years and several sports later and the competent snowboarder (contrary to what our snowzone editor will tell you) that I’d become decides he’s gonna try the sport for beautiful people, surfing. I mean honestly, how hard can it be? I know I’ve got balance, I know I’m quite flexible, and I know I can rock those boardies with the best of them. Three weeks later and the Previa is loaded up, the sun cream’s packed, the surf lingo’s been memorised and we’re heading westward.  Eight hours on we ended up in the beautiful coastal town of Bude, on Cornwall’s north coast, six of us crammed in to a mobile home on the Wooda Farm caravan park and campsite, our home for the next week, pending cabin fever. We booked four morning lessons with the Big Blue Surf School, under the supervision of four instructors - two per day - John, Becky, Richie and Sabine, plenty for the relatively small groups which they teach each day. At this early point in my surfing education, I should probably say that I was more interested in mastering the look than actually mastering the sport. The phrase ‘all the gear, no idea’ springs to mind. So it was with great dismay that my wetsuit made me look like a pvc-clad superhero with a touch of spandex. Anyway I digress. Spandex man was ready to ride the waves. Day 1 Surfing is hard, damn hard at first, and frustrating, and contrary to popular belief being good at other, similar-looking sports doesn’t give you an advantage. After getting all the gear, and still clearly having no idea, we were warmed up and advised of the safety signals to look and listen out for. I won’t go into them because I dare say those surfers amongst you already know them, and probably think I’m talking crap as it is. Budding surfers will learn as and when. The point is that safety is paramount. Even more important than looking cool, I’m told. On the first lesson you’ll learn a lot. You’ll learn the anatomy of a surfboard and how to carry it, how to pop up on the board in five easy steps, and how to catch broken waves. Hell, you might even learn how to keep standing up on a breaker and ride in. I didn’t.  On the beach, pop ups seem easy, but I found that once you’re in the water and have extra issues to deal with, like waves and hence balance, it’s difficult to get the right foot position and weight distribution - a fine line which I failed to tread and which can bring on a condition I affectionately call surf tourettes.After a two-hour session, I’d managed to catch six waves and stand up twice, and what a feeling it is when you do. I also tried to catch green, unbroken waves, but found these a lot harder. It’ll come, I guess. I celebrated my first day with beer and apple crumble. Day 2 On day two we were told to work on our pop ups and riding stance and try to make everything a bit more fluid - standing like a scarecrow on a surfboard does not look cool. After the thorough workout of all those unused muscles on the first day, I found the second a lot less tiring and more natural: I even managed to surf in to the beach a couple of times before I got cocky and ended up swallowing several gallons of water. Could have been worse I s’pose, could have been  Lowestoft seawater I swallowed. Day 3 Monster gale-force winds and no swell mean flat waves, so we went mountain boarding instead. Day 4 The fourth day involved adding turns to our runs (important I feel because if you were to drive a car in a straight line and didn’t ever turn, you’d ultimately hit stuff and stop). The key to turning is to look where you want to go, bring your weight backwards and turn your body in the right direction. While bending your legs and not falling over. Yes I know it sounds difficult, but it does work, and ensures that not all of the rail is in contact with the water so you’ll not ‘trip up’. I realised today that my all-in-one pop-ups weren’t working, so with John’s help I broke it down into stages, resulting in me standing tall, once. We also learned about the strong rip currents which will effortlessly drag you out to sea, and the beach etiquette with regards to off-limit areas and flag markers. I didn’t actually get to attempt a turn.  Day 5The last day was the one I’d been waiting for, the one where I’d stand tall and ride the waves like a Hawaiian king. It was not to be. Today we looked at wave selection, choosing waves that are not only green and unbroken, but single so they carry more power and are more rideable. With my stance more controlled than ever, I managed to stand up a few times, perfecting my pop ups thanks to John’s advice, before riding in to the shore several times. But before I knew it, the lesson was over and we were all out on our own in the big blue sea. I never did get to try to turn, but you can rest assured I’ll be back later in the summer to hang ten for real. Ollie’s top tips: - Learn which waves are the best to catch: there’s nowt more frustrating than catching a crap wave and having to paddle all the way back out. Having said that, it is good for the muscles. - Lean back, surfing’s all about balance, and if you lean forward you’ll end up diving for lobsters and looking damn uncool in the process. Plus you’ll find turns a hell of a lot harder. - Take time to find your perfect riding position. Being a snowboarder I automatically assumed I would be a regular (left foot leading) surfer, but after getting in the water, I found I was automatically popping up with my right foot forward (goofy). When I realised this it became a hell of a lot easier. Also consider where you’re standing on the board; stand too far forward and the board will nose dive, stand too far back and the board will shoot out from beneath you; it’s a fine line which comes with practice. - If your board starts to wobble, crouch down and grab the rails to stabilise. - When popping up, keep your hands on the rails until you’re ready to stand up. - Keep a low centre of gravity and bend your legs. Again, stability is key here. Holding your hands in the right position helps too. - Practice, practice, practice, whether you’ve got access to the beach 24/7 or you have to practice your pop-ups in the aisles at Sunday mass, do it until it becomes second nature. - Above all, have fun and relish the fact that when you look this cool, you’re bound to get laid. Instructor Richie’s top tips:  - Look where you’re going: sounds obvious but once you have a natural rhythm your board will automatically follow you. - Flexibility is the key. The more flexible you are, the less likely you are to hurt yourself, like pulling a muscle, and the more competent a surfer you will be. - J-Lo is a no-no. Don’t stick your bum out in an effort to balance yourself, it’ll only bring you down. - Most importantly, stand tall and look cool. This comes with practice, as when you start out you’ll probably feel more stable crouched down where your centre of gravity is lower.  Click here >> for the Big Blue Surf School Click here >> to email the Big Blue Surf School Click here >> for all our watery ideas Click here >> for all our UK ideas Click here >> for more adventure sports Words by Ollie Hudson. Pictures by Ollie Hudson, Becca Smith, Gus Farnes and Silki Brandon. Fine cuisine and poor Jamie Oliver impressions by Chris Sturgess. Minute bikinis worn by Amy Arbuthnot. |
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