SurfGirl Magazine

surf+ snow

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fab trips you’d love to take

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Top trips you’d love to take

Style your perfect winter wardrobe plus: Best snowboard gear • Tattoo Queen Kim Saigh • J Bay • Sizzling undies Sarah Beardmore • Winter exercise • festive finds • Kassia Meador

Photo : Hélène Giansily

Featuring Vans Girls Apparel. Š09 Vans, Inc.

features issue 25 • january 2010

36 Who is Sarah Beardmore?

Sarah Beardmore was born in the UK but spent enough time living in Oz and surfing on the WQS to make her return to Britain something for the girls over here to take note of. Will she be the first British surfer on the WCT?

38 Explore

It’s winter, but that doesn’t mean to say you have to sit in front of your TV for the next six months. Source some cash from anywhere you can and get the heck out of here. We show you a few tasty suggestions for surf and snow destinations that will whet your appetite for adventure.

80 J-Bay Crew

J-Bay’s got a rep for serious waves and scary sharks. But that doesn’t put the local crew off – hell no, they thrive on it! Meet the J-Bay surf girls.

90 The Christmas Gift Guide

Jingle bells, jingle bells – yes, it’s that time of year! But unless you want to end up with fluffy slippers again you’d best swiftly turn the pages to our Christmas Gift Guide.

08 SURFGIRL

O’NEILL KLUN

C

ontents

photo courtesy animal

departments: Page 12 intro: ed’s letter | Page 16 juice: what’s | Page 22 STYLE: sexy undies | Page 26 BEAUTY: protect yourself from winter’s assault | Page 28 RADAR: kassia meador’s album | Page 74 FASHION: style with attitude | Page 84 STAY WARM: tips to blast the cold this winter | Page 86 SNOW FASHION: winter gear for the slopes | Page 88 ECO: give the environment a helping hand | Page 96 happenings: UKPST, Euro’s and Ground Swell. in, what’s out and what’s been entertaining us

On the cover: Celine Gehret – lovin’ life! Photo: Lucia Griggi.

publishing editor assistant editor

Louise Searle

Kat Dawes

editorial consultants graphic design

Steve England, Chris Power

David Alcock

graphic design intern production director

Anna Gronlund

Mike Searle

photographers

Simon Williams, Mike Searle, Kirstin Prisk, Lucia Griggi, Tim Jones, Stu Norton, Michel Widenius, Rémy Barreyat. contributing writers

Easkey Britton, Rebecca Woods, Jane Chambers, Taylor Pinz, Shannon Denny. advertising

Contact the Advertising Manager, Steve England at steve@orcasurf.co.uk Tel: 01637 878074 website

www.surfgirlmag.com printing:

Advent Print Group, Andover, Hampshire.

Copyright 2009 Orca Publications Ltd. Reproduction (including by electronic means, such as commercial websites) without the permission of the publishers in writing will result in prosecution.

010 SURFGIRL

intro

Wilderness Running Why didn’t we think of this before? Sliding on snow is just as much fun as sliding on water, so this issue we decided to talk about two of our favourite things – surfing and snowboarding!

While the rest of the northern hemisphere snuggles up and hunkers down for winter, and far too many people bail for warmer climes, SurfGirl is of course getting excited about winter swells, but also about winter snows! This issue reaches out to embrace snow as well as surf, so it’s bursting at the seams with even more info and fun.

As this is the Christmas issue we’ve got a chance to talk about another passion — shopping. There’s so much cool stuff out there, and the fashion that came into the office this season was great — we’re bringing sexy back for the winter, and we had so much fun with it.

So let SurfGirl help you make the most of your every recreational moment on either kind of board with our guide to maximising your time, choosing boards, and where to go for the very best surfing and snow fun. There are so many events, girlie camps and amazing destinations out there, the choice is mind-boggling.

Get plotting your escape, get out there into the wilderness and have double the fun!

Kat Dawes, Assistant Editor

012 SURFGIRL

mark welch courtesy roxy

me last season. oh, all right, it’s roxy rider PAULINE LIGOCKA getting some crisp air on the half pipe .

SURFGIRL 013

gallery: new zealand

The end of the road

somewhere in New Zealand, a beautiful unridden wave goes by.

chris garden

“May all your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view…where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you.” – Edward Abbey

mike searle

juice festive fun

here are some tips on how to make the perfect christmas cupcakes Gemma Fryer Ingredients (makes 12): 100g self raising flour 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

win Go to www. surfgirlmag. com to enter.

animal watch relaunch

Animal have re-launched their watch range this winter to mark their 15th year in the industry. This year Animal have produced one of the largest and most diverse watch ranges to date – from freesport classics and technical models to more fashion-inspired pieces.

To celebrate Animal’s re-launch we have the Mooji to give away. It’s a smart looking watch that’s either sophisticated or shouting loud and proud! Go to www.surfgirlmag.com to enter.

016 SURFGIRL

100g butter or margarine 100g caster sugar 2 medium eggs 2 tablespoons milk

Buttercream: 80g butter or margarine 250g icing sugar

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until they are combined into a smooth mixture.

2. Place cupcake cases into a tin and fill them two-thirds full with the mixture.

3. Bake on gas mark four or 180C for for about 12-15 minutes. You’ll know when they’re cooked because they’ll spring back if you touch the top of them.

4. Once you have taken them out of the oven, leave to cool.

5. To make the buttercream, mix the butter and icing sugar. This is easier if you add the icing sugar a little at a time. If you want chocolate flavour then add a teaspoon of cocoa and a drop of milk, or for vanilla add a few drops of vanilla essence. You can pretty much put in whatever you desire – even a bit of Baileys! Spread this on the cooled cupcakes.

6. Now the fun can really start! Let your imagination go wild – you can get a lot of decorations from supermarkets these days, or buy some ready-coloured icing and make some little snowmen or holly leaves. It’s a bit like using plasticine! But most importantly, have fun with it, get messy and make sure you have a hunky man to do the washing up, preferably in a pinny!

To order gorgeous cupcakes, call Gemma on 07813332647 or visit her website, due for launch mid-December.

beach life

These cool new Christmas cards with an environmental message are from Surfers Against Sewage, £3.50 for 10. They highlight the problem of marine litter, which is a longlasting danger to surfers, beach users, and wildlife around the UK’s coastlines. If you want to help, sign SAS’s petition calling on the Prime Minister to implement a Marine Litter Strategy.

Visit www.sas.org.uk.

Compiled by Sarah Bentley.

HOT

white lounge, austria

Forget scuzzing it in budget accommodation, this has to be one of the coolest places to stay in the Alps this winter. It’s an igloo village situated in Mayrhofen, 2000 metres high on the Ahorn Plateau, so when you’re done with the slopes for the day you can get a few extra cold beers. It also has a huge igloo nightclub for party nights on a Tuesday. Or if you’ve had one too many you can stay in one of the ten artistically designed igloo suites and visit the sauna igloo. It’s open from late December to mid-April; see www.white-lounge.at.

roast dinners

www.mayrhofen.at

What better after a winter surf than a delicious hearty roast with friends…you’ve earned it!

arctic monkeys

Their music has always been good, but when did those guys get hot?

simon cowell

Although the nation is going gooey over saint Cheryl, we all know that the only opinion that the X-Factor hopefuls care about is the flat-topped one’s… ooh the power.

sequins

makeup

Lily Lolo create gorgeous mineral makeup and have just launched a range of gift boxes ideal for Christmas.

Save loads of money with prices from just £14. They also have a new YouTube channel – want to know how to get the best smoky eyes look, how to properly apply eyeliner and what finishing powder can do for you? Check out www.youtube. com/lilyloloofficial and wonder no more!

easy mulled wine

We felt a need to test this out in the office, so we used the microwave and got down to it. This serves two with a nice generous glass. Way better than those sachets from the supermarket!

Yes, you can use cheapo wine and yes, you can forget the brandy if you like. You can also put in lime juice, orange zest, ground cloves, a pinch of all spice…whatever you fancy really! Yummy.

You need: 1/2 cup red wine, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup brandy, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch nutmeg Put everything into a jug (or saucepan if you want to do this on the hob instead). Microwave on high for two minutes until hot but NOT boiling.

Stir. Pour!

– KD

On jackets, t-shirts and even on leggings. For the party season go for all-over shimmer for maximum impact or smaller details to create a more subtle look.

claw hands

You’ve stayed in the surf a little to long and are left with hands so cold that the simplest tasks like unlocking the car and getting your wetsuit off are now near impossible.

fruitless surfaris

You check the beach in the morning and it looks okay but you head off looking for better; six hours and over a hundred miles later you end up going in where you first checked – but you’ve missed the best of it!

excess baggage sting Heading off for your winter surf trip and the jobsworth at checkin tells you that your bag is over weight. You end up coughing up half your holiday budget to pay for it…damn that extra bikini!

NOT

SURFGIRL 017

Options:dog sledding Want to see more of the countryside than the snow globe of the resort? Book up on a dog sledding tour and get out into the wilderness. You can choose day trips, taster courses or full dog sledding holidays.

Dogsledding.co.uk offer holidays from four to 16 days and from £625 all inclusive (except flights). Check info@dogsledding.co.uk for itineraries and the perfect trip for you in Lapland, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Canada. On these holidays you get to stay in amazing chalets while having the chance to drive the sleds yourself.

There are also holidays which include igloo building, ice fishing, reindeer sledging, snowshoe walks, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, and in some areas you have a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights!

In some places, such as Banff, Canada, you can take a day off from the slopes and go on day tours where you are muffled up safely in a sled while an expert drives the team. The scenery around Lake Louise is breathtaking, and that’s a personal recommendation! Try the Banff Adventures.com website and pick a tour to suit you from $149.

To read an article about dog sledding in the Arctic Circle (the far north of Norway), check out Time Out’s ‘Adventure! Earth’s Most Thrilling Experiences’ book, £16.99.

– KD

music that’s ticking our boxes this month

Tongue ’n Cheek – Dizzee Rascal

Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons

Rebuilt By Humans – Newton Faulkner

From the East End of London’s and the dark

Popping up from the same gang that has

Multi-instrumentalist Newton Faulkner returns

streets of Bow, via the Mercury Music Awards,

already given us Laura Marling and Noah and

with his eagerly-anticipated second album

our man Dizzee is now a household name and

the Whale, Mumford and Sons are without a

Rebuilt By Humans, the follow up to his number-

bona fide star of the highest calibre thanks

doubt the next in line for mainstream success

one selling debut Hand Built By Robots. It is

to the consecutive hit singles of Bonkers and

with their heart-warming folk-pop. A ramshackle

aptly named after a career-threatening skiing

Holiday.

hoe-down of banjos, bluegrass rhythms and

injury left poor old Newton having to have his

horns definitely makes for a fun listen.

wrist quite literally rebuilt.

Over the years we have seen Dizzee gradually shedding the bad boy thug image

If, however, you have your intellectual head

Luckily for us, Faulkner’s incredible talent

and have seen the playful ‘Rascal’ take control,

on and are expecting the sincerity of Bon Iver

hasn’t been lost in the process of painful

intent on infecting the nation. The heavy grime

or the depth of Fleet Foxes, you may well be

procedures to fix him and what we have here is

of debut ‘Boy In Da Corner’ has gradually

disappointed. Listen to it with the intention of

a natural progression from the first album. Multi-

morphed into a chart-topping sound that has

having a damn good time and you won’t be

layered looped samples lay the foundations for

spawned the likes of the aforementioned Calvin

trying to get away early, you’ll want to stay at

Newton’s highly skilled guitar work and warm

Harris-produced Bonkers — a tune which

the M&S party all night long.

vocals, and the result is a collection of intelligent

without a doubt has been up there as contender

3/5

acoustic funk that is much refined from his

for summer anthem. This album is a barrage

www.myspace.com/mumfordandsons

debut effort and therefore well worth a listen.

of dancefloor-friendly beats and hooks and is

3/5

destined to send Dizzee to megastar status.

www.myspace.com/newtonfaulkner

Watch out Jay-Z. 3/5 www.myspace.com/Dizzeerascal 018 SURFGIRL

Ben Howard

becky stanhope Longboarder and artist Becky lives and works in Cornwall. Until recently she was a freelance designer, and her colourful, fun designs still pop up in all sorts of places, but nowadays her day job is with Gul. Kat Dawes went to find out more.

How old are you? 28 Where do you live? Perranporth, Cornwall.

How did you get into art? I definitely inherited the creative genes; all my life I have been making, drawing and painting things! In the last seven years I have focused my artwork and career around surf.

Have you studied it at all? I completed A-Levels and a foundation in Art and Design in Cornwall then went away to Nottingham to study a degree in graphic design. The degree helped me land my first job in the surf industry as junior graphic designer for Gul before moving on to work for Headworx and Balin. Now I’m back at Gul as senior graphic designer!

How would you describe your style? My style is quite illustrative and I often like to begin my designs by hand, by either drawing or painting, which gives my work a unique and soft feel. I later use the Mac to play around with the designs and create something that is both commercially viable and appealing.

What inspires you? My work largely captures inspiration from the nature and lifestyle of my passion for surfing and my home in Cornwall. I always have my camera close to hand to snap

patterns, textures and bits of typography that I can later use in my work.

Trends in fashion and colour are a good starting point too.

What projects have you got lined up for this year? I’m really focusing on my new job at Gul now. I’ve recently just got a new portfolio website together, you can check it out at www. stanhopedesign.co.uk. I am also planning to spend some time improving my digital photography skills this year. Projects seem to spring up so it’s hard to say what I will be working on but one of the more unusual commissions has to be assisting another designer in painting a life-size cow cast for exhibition! Plus, of course, I always try to leave enough time to travel and get in the sea as much as possible!

You’ve been competing recently, how’s that going? This year I set myself a goal of entering the BLU series, having come third at the English Nationals in the women’s longboard division last year.

I came fourth at the third contest of the series at Watergate Bay in June and I’m hoping to keep on improving.

Contest surfing is a whole new experience for me and it really pushes your surfing. Working out how to get the best out of a 20 minute heat, battling with nerves and being competitive are new skills that take time to learn.

How did you get into surfing? I’ve lived in Cornwall since I was young but decided to go to away to Nottingham to study Graphic Design. As time went on at Uni, I really began to miss home, so joined up with the uni surf club, this meant I could get home cheaply! There was quite an interesting crowd of us going down to Newquay, I hadn’t originally intended to go surfing but tagged along with the lessons put on for the club, absolutely loved it then ended up being the surf club bus driver!

What does a typical work day involve for you?

Day to day, my job can vary loads. As the team at Gul is relatively small it means each designer gets involved in all aspects of the design process, whether it’s shooting team rider Celine Gehret in the new clothing range, rummaging through the archives to find old Gul ads and photos or designing next season’s clothing graphics.

What do you do after work? Summer evenings are all about surfing and the beach to me. Now the evenings have drawn in I’m trying to keep myself occupied with swimming, Pilates and the gym so I don’t miss surfing so much. Planning a trip to northern Morocco for early 2010 is keeping the spirits high too.

How would you describe your day in five words?

Creative, challenging, fun, bagels, tea!

SURFGIRL 019

skin deep

Kim Saigh is a celebrity tattoo artist, taking her inspirations from far eastern artwork, art nouveau, religious art, fairy-tale art and everything in between. When Kim isn’t colouring on people she’s a fanatical yogi and rocks out to heavy metal kings Led Zep and Black Sabbath. Kim’s produced a series of special artist collaborations with Vans this season, and SurfGirl found out more about the rocking tattooist.

tattoo diary anna grönlund SurfGirl’s fashion stylist Anna Grönlund decided to take the plunge and get her whole arm tattooed. Ouch! Here’s her diary of the process…

After consulting with Matt in the La Familia tattoo studio in Newquay I decided on a design of flowers, butterflies, waves, strawberries and snowflakes for my new tattoo, to cover my arm. Strawberries symbolise the summers in my Swedish homeland and snowflakes the winters; waves for my passion for surfing and the butterfly to represent freedom. Matt, with a degree in Fine Arts, knew exactly how to get it right.

Session 1: My palms were sweating. What had I gotten myself into? You can’t surf for about two weeks after having a tattoo. Could I cope?

Well, I had to. What if it hurt too much? What if it

How did you get into doing tattoos? I wanted to tattoo and had no idea how to get into it. I had drawn a tattoo for a friend and went to the shop with him to get it done. When he showed them the drawing, they offered me an apprenticeship on the spot and I wasn’t expecting that reaction at all – I was dumbfounded.

What was the first tattoo you did? Two tribal dolphins, jumping head to tail. My lines were supershaky because I was so nervous and the shop owner had to go back and fix them.

Go to www.vans.com to see Kim’s latest collaborations.

Matt. I sat down, we chatted, and time flew! And after five hours of tattooing, with the flower done on my upper arm, there was only one place to go: bed.

Session 2: I felt much more relaxed for my second sitting. It really hurt this time, and I only managed to sit for about three and a half hours, then the pain became too intensive. The crease of your arm is a sensitive area and Matt worked it! This time I managed to get the butterfly, one snowflake and the strawberries done.

Session 3: Matt decided to go over all the old work, and he added a passionflower. Since my tattoo is so colourful and shaded, it needed to be built up in layers; this way you get a nice intensity of colours. With the skin already being sensitive, the pain was worse than normal.

I had to put my head down and zone out to cope with it. Five hours of tattooing. Again, the only one place to go after that: bed.

Session 4: Finally the day of my fourth and last sitting mike searle

How long does it take to become a professional tattoo artist? I know some people who have been tattooing for 10 years and still can’t tattoo their way out of a paper bag, and people who have been tattooing for two years who progress at light speed! It depends on how hard the person works to learn the craft.

What’s the most complicated tattoo you’ve ever done? Recently, I tattooed a geisha/mermaid with sea-unicorn and origami fish. It wasn’t that it was complicated, but it was quite detailed and it took me about 15 hours.

What have you created for Vans? I created three designs with the idea of really tapping into my fun, light-hearted side, but still having a little bit of an edge.

When I walked into a Vans store after the release of my collaboration, I was blown away!

Where do you live? I live in Los Angeles and I love it! I love the beaches, mountains, and it’s a great place to be an artist. I love how progressive the west coast is – I don’t think I could move away from it.

Who would you invite to dinner? If I could invite anyone to dinner it would be Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.

How would you describe your life in five words?

Serendipitous, pure of heart, blessed, exciting, and humble.

ended up looking awful? I had to relax and trust

arrived. I had the vine leaves and another snowflake to go – guess if I was eager to get it done! Not being able to surf properly for almost two months takes its toll.

In Newquay it’s easy to swap out surfing for drinking, and I’d had enough! Let’s get this over with so I can get back into the sea! My last sitting was filled with joy and sadness. I loved every minute of the process. A massive hug and thanks to Matt, and one stoked girl with a new tattoo! Was it worth the pain?

Definitely! Special thanks to Matthew ‘Beef’ James (myspace.com/beeftattoo).

020 SURFGIRL

Bringing Sexy Back It’s cold outside, so turn up the heat inside.

Lace Trim Tank Vans £15 Go Everywhere Pant Vans £25 Skate Bunny Slippers Vans £25

Photographer: Michel Widenius www.michelwidenius.com Stylist: Anna Grönlund www.gronlund.co.uk Make Up: Jenny Katura for Lancôme Location: Black Room, Sweden www.blackroominterior.com Special thanks to: Oliver the English Bulldog, and India i Triangeln, Sweden

022 SURFGIRL

Left: Paisley Park Tank Vans £15 Datai Cotton Imprime-Pula Hipsters Pull In £25 Right: Isa-Make Up Set Pull In £25 SURFGIRL 023

Top: Underwear Top (comes with a slip in the same print) Billabong £42 Bottom: Lunar Cami Tank Fat Face £17.50 Kirra Stars-Beach Hipsters Pull In £25 Wellesly Sneakers Vans £45

024 SURFGIRL

Stockists: • Billabong www.billlabong.com • Fat Face www.fatface.com • Pull In www.pull-in.com • Vans www.vans.co.uk •

surfgirlmag.com news tips wetsuits travel environment video gear beach guides blogs events fashion competitions

for girls who ride

winter ros beauty: winter

sea and slopes

Cold slopes, colder oceans, drying central heating and airplanes – up your skincare routine to keep skin soft and clear all winter, and add some sexy fragrance and pretty colours to keep your spirits high.

Words Kat Dawes Photos Mike Searle.

Marie-Veronique With EFA rich emu oil and pearl powder, this light organic screen protects, repairs sun damage, moisturises, and gives your skin a lustrous finish.

Marie-Veronique uses only non-micronized zinc oxide, so no nanoparticles, no chemicals and no parabens.

This Works Turbo Balm

Zinc oxide is the only agent

100 percent natural multi-purpose

which offers protection

balm for use on hands, lips,

across the complete UVB/

face…wherever you need some

UVA spectrum. 50ml, £38

moisturising! Cute pot that’ll fit nicely

from www.puresha.com.

into bags and pockets. Contains monoi oil (a Tahitian beauty secret),

Aapri Scrub Gel.

coconut oil, rose oil and cocoa seed

A classic gentle face

butter – mmm. 10g, £10, from www.

scrub with apricot

puresha.com.

kernels to effecitvely remove dirt, grease and dead skin cells to inspire radiant skin.

Rimmel Royal Gloss

150ml, £3.99 from

Brand new Royal Gloss

www.superdrug.com.

in tasty shades with names like Moreish and Yummy. Protect your lips the fun way.

Enriched with vitamins A, C and E. 14ml, £2.49.

Body Shop Nutriganics Smoothing Night Cream

Smart Girls Who Surf Organic Face Stick

A new extra-rich moisturising

A 100 percent organic,

cream that conditions and

waterproof, fragrance-free Face

revitalises skin overnight.

Stick offering supreme UVA and

Provides long-lasting hydration

UVB protection with an SPF of

for up to 24 hours, helping to

30+ using zinc oxide and titanium

replenish skin moisture levels

dioxide. Ideal for surfing or

and smooth skin at the first

snowboarding! More information

signs of ageing. 50ml, £13,

from smartgirlswhosurf.com. $14.

www.bodyshop.com.

Ricci Ricci The latest fragrance from Nina Ricci is a

Elemis Visible Brilliance

fresh, floral, sensual perfume created for

This double-action serum brightens

026 SURFGIRL

and re-energises dull, fatigued and

Neutrogena Lips

women who are positive, confident, lively

stressed skin. Restore your inner

Moisture rich with long-lasting protection and

and fun. Its central ingredient is belle de nuit,

glow with this lightweight serum

SPF 20, a heavy-duty lip protector ideal for

an unusual flower that opens in the afternoon

that is easily absorbed and power-

the slopes. 4.8g, £2.88 from Boots.

and remains in bloom throughout the night.

packed with minerals and vitamins

The fresh top notes are rhubarb zest and

that are key to the improvement of

bergamot; the additional florals are Indian

skin function and cell renewal and

tuberose and centifolia rose, and the sensual

brings back your fresh, youthful

base notes are patchouli and sandalwood.

radiance. 30ml, £40

50ml, £39 from www.boots.com

ose

new look Here’s a couple of great looks for the party season.

Words Suzi Winter

midnight blue

Blue eyes are hot off the catwalk for this season and create an updated smoky eye that looks great with all skin tones and eye colour.

• Always apply eyeshadow before your foundation to avoid specks falling onto your face and making a mess.

• Start with your chosen blue eyeshadow, such as YSL Palette Horizon. Follow the shape of your socket, then make a pointy wing at the outer corners and blend well with an eyeshadow brush.

• Using a black sparkling eyeshadow like Maybelline Black Metal, work the colour into the outer corners of the eyelids for extra definition.

• Touch the middle of the eyelid with Barry M Dazzle Dust in 22 and take the colour along bottom lashes.

• Then apply a little sparkling silver to the inner corners of the eyes. I used L’Oreal Argent Vrai.

• Line the top and bottom lashes with a black kohl pencil, then curl and apply heaps of mascara.

• Apply foundation such as MAC Studio Fix Foundation and clean up any dark circles under the eye with a liquid concealer.

• Keep the lips muted by patting concealer to tone down colour and then slicking a clear or nude gloss on top.

• Finish with a sweep of MAC blush in Mocha across the apples of the cheeks.

metallic rose

statement lips

is versatile and suits all eye colours.

one classic beauty look, perfect for the

• Apply a highlighter like MAC cream colour

festive party season.

base in Shell Frost to the brow bone.

• Firstly apply a matt foundation such as

• Using your chosen rose/gold eyeshadow

Chanel Matt Lumiere to give a flawless

apply to the eyelid with fingertips and blend

complexion.

up to the socket line.

• Keeping the eyes simple, define the top lash

• Work a darker shade into the outer eye

line with a gel liner such as MAC Blacktrack

sockets and blend into the socket line. I used

Fluidline.

Expensive Pink by MAC. Take the colour

• Curl lashes and apply black mascara.

under your bottom lashes.

• For the lips, choose a bold, matt lip colour.

• Curl lashes and apply heaps of mascara.

Reds, purples and berry colours work best for

• Pat a pink cream blusher such as MAC in

this look; I used No. 7 Wild Volume in Ruby

Sweet William into the apples of the cheeks,

Glow. With a lip brush, start at the cupid’s bow

then sweep bronzer under the cheekbones

and work in short strokes outwards.

upwards, to create sculpted cheeks.

• Sweep translucent powder over lips.

• Using a lip brush, apply a lip colour like

• Finish with a rosy blush such as MAC Mocha

L’Oreal 254 Kiss & Blush, then finish with a

Matt Powder Blush.

This is a great look for day or night which

Matt red lips are on trend and the number

coat of H&M rich lip gloss in Frosted Almond.

Photos: Mike Searle. Model: Vicki Harris. Makeup: Suzi Winter. www.suziwinter.co.uk

radar: kassia meador

favourite things Kassia Meador is a pro longboarder, photographer, TV host, model and cool surf chica from Oceanside, California. For the past nine years Kassia has been travelling the world for longboard events, movie projects, photo trips and art exhibitions. Here are a few of her photos that sum up her world right now..

Check out Kassia’s cool website at www.kassiameador.com 028 SURFGIRL

Watches

Scented candles

Gear

Wallets & bags

Accessories

Books

Cool things for Christmas

available online at

orcashop.co.uk

SURFGIRL 029

Portuguese pitstop

18-year-old Coco Ho from Hawaii grabbed her first WCT victory at eh Rip Curl Women’s Pro Search in Portugal. But it wasn’t all work – the girls surfed, explored and partied on as well! Lucia Griggi was there to witness the fun and games.

Words and photos Lucia Griggi.

After tricky conditions for the men’s contest at Supertubos, which saw the contest site being destroyed by a big swell, the women’s event at the backup site of Belgas ran smoothly.

Coco Ho, stoked after her maiden WCT win in Portugal.

I

n the small country of Portugal lies the quaint town of Peniche, a fishing village widely recognised as having the best and most consistent surf spots in Portugal. The peninsula of Peniche offers both a north and south-facing coastline, resulting in the finest surfing conditions every day regardless of swell and wind direction. Within a 15 kilometre radius there are more than 20 waves to choose from, one of them being generally regarded as the best lefthander in Portugal – Supertubes.

While the men’s Rip Curl WCT event went on, the girls were busy surfing breaks from Belgas, Lagido and Supers to Molhe Leste. We had a good session at Molhe Leste with Rip Curl girls Jessi MileyDyer, Steph Gilmore, Alana Blanchard and Pauline Ado. Alana was busting out her fins while Jessi and Steph were riding the wedge nearer the wall and producing some great turns.

With the men’s event at Supers coming to a close, we congregated in the tent with Mick Fanning after his victory, where there was talk that the girls would be straight in at Supers. That would

Alana Blanchard, fins out, pre-contest warm up.

coco ho, stretching her rookie wings for the win.

have made my life easy – shoot Mick claiming his win, then back to the beach for the girls Round One, perfect. Then, to my horror, I saw the girls packing up their boards and disappearing one by one. We were informed we would be heading back to Belgas for Round One. Fitting in well with the whole idea of the Search, this spot does an endless disappearing act – to take the same route each visit would be near impossible due to its remote situation on the edge of a cliff someplace north of the second contest site, Lagido.

So – cabbage fields, mud, and carrying a full photographic rig down a 200 metre track. The 032 SURFGIRL

thought of going back there was traumatising.

However the end result was perfect six- to eightfoot clean offshore waves stacked to the horizon.

I soon realised that this was worth the pain; this was where we should most definitely be.

Climbing to the edge of the cliff, the girls were all out already, frothing on what was in front of them. Silvana Lima was charging the barrels and backdooring some huge pits, Chelsea Hedges and Coco Ho were ripping alongside Mel Bartels and her backhand barrels. Despite the remote site, the crowds started to appear, showing their support for these chickas.

The Portuguese crowds were by far the best I have seen.

Rosy Hodge, Coco Ho, Chelsea and Steph were the standouts. With a great victory from Hawaiian chick Coco, the girls were soon ready to party with a gathering at Lagido’s party spot.

With the fires alight and everyone full of great barbecue food, the dessert soon came out with Paige and Sofia tucking right in, complementing the free alcohol which was to follow! The dancefloor soon opened up, unleashing the night’s eager break-dancers to entertain us.

Stef Gilmore, Brook Farris (ASP Women’s Tour

Portugal served up some quality solid surf during the girls’ event.

With the fires alight and everyone full of great barbecue food, the dessert soon came out with Paige and Sofia tucking right in, complementing the free alcohol which was to follow!

Bec Woods, Sofia Mulanovich and Paige Hareb enjoying some victory party cake.

bruna schmitz schmacks it.

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Portuguese Manager) and myself amused ourselves with a game of pork or fork: a hot guy walks through the door – ‘pork’. Not so hot – ‘fork’! As you can imagine, this got quite out of control after the third bottle of red.

Just a week later, Sofia took out the Movistar Peru Classic presented by Rip Curl, beating two-time defending event winner Steph Gilmore.

The girls had offshore three- to four-foot waves at Lobitos and a huge crowd watched home girl

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Mulanovich kill it on her backhand.

Sof’s win boosts her to third in the title race, with Gilmore retaining a slender lead in her contest for a third consecutive World Title.

She said, “It’s going to make the ratings really interesting and it’s keeping things really tight and close between everyone. It’s going to be an exciting finish in Hawaii.” Silvana Lima rests in second with Coco Ho fourth and Chelsea Hedges fifth. The Tour now moves on to the highly-

anticipated Hawaiian events, the Gidget Pro at Sunset, 24 November to 6 December, and the grand finale, the Billabong Pro at Honolua Bay on Maui, 8-20 December. For more information log on to www.aspworldtour.com.

SG

Thanks to Brittany Ferries for their support. Go to brittanyferries.com/surf for information on ferry crossings to France and Spain.

Silvana Lima, in second place on the world tour and finding plenty to laugh about.

“It’s going to make the ratings really interesting and it’s keeping things really tight and close between everyone. It’s going to be an exciting

finish in Hawaii.”

Portuguese pit stop – Silvana Lima in action.

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S lucia griggi

arah Beardmore

Sarah Beardmore is a fiercely talented Aussie/Brit surfer with a penchant for partying and a dab hand at painting.

Best mates with pro surfers Rebecca Woods and Sofia Mulanovich, Sarah now rides for Britain. Will she be the first British surfer on the World Championship Tour? Kat Dawes went for a surf with her to find out more about the exuberant Ms Beardmore.

Photos Mike Searle.

here did you grow up? Western Australia. We moved over there from England when I was five. When I was 11 I went to school for a couple of years back in Bournemouth. Then my parents decided to go back to Australia. I started surfing when I was about 16 then moved over to Ballina on the east coast.

Since then I’ve been a bit of a nomad. I’ve been away doing the WQS and trips more than I’ve been home. I surfed for Australia, but this year I’m here; it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, surf here for England and do the UK tour.

What about the World Qualifying Series?

I’ve been on the WQS for four or five years. I made it to 11th one year and then I did my medial ligament in while I was surfing the day before the comp. There were only two or three events left as well, nightmare.

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So I’m going to see what the WQS schedule is like next year and make my plans. My goal is to be the first British girl to qualify for the WCT. How old are you? I’m 26. My surfing still feels like it’s improving – I’m still not at my peak so I’m going to keep going. I’m studying too, Business and Marketing. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it; hopefully there will be be opportunities in the surfing industry.

Where’s your favourite place to surf? I really like southwest France, Lennox Head and Indo. I’d like to say somewhere around here but I haven’t surfed around Newquay enough yet!

How do you think you’ll get on in the UK? I think I might struggle with my fitness, getting the motivation to go for a run or whatever when it’s cold, or even surfing all winter. It’s hard here

sarah ripping at fistral.

– I love Penguins and Jaffa Cakes, going to the amusement arcades – nostalgia I guess!

Your paintings are pretty impressive. What influences you? Travelling and things like that.

It’s more lines and shapes that I like, I’m not a landscape or realist artist. I’m not really so much influenced by the ocean, but I’d like to do a few more pieces that would be a bit more expressionist, with bold colours.

How did you get into it? I was in the national football team when I was 17, when I snapped my leg. So I started painting because I couldn’t do anything much else. It’s like one door closes and another one opens. I went to uni for a year and did a Bachelor of Fine Art and that got me started. Then surfing took over.

You throw some pretty impressive moves on the

I think what I might struggle with over here is my fitness, getting the motivation to go for a run or whatever when it’s cold, or even surfing all winter.

It’s hard here – I love Penguins and Jaffa Cakes, going to the amusement arcades and so on, nostalgia I guess! dance floor! Yeah but sometimes I am not sure it is quite breakdancing, more like just throwing myself on the floor! My theory is, if there is a dancefloor then it has to be used. Every time I go out it’s kind of expected by my friends, and I can’t let them down!

Who do you hang out with when you’re on tour, and what do they think of you turning Brit?

Most of my close friends who I travel with are on the WCT so they double up for some comps and do QS events – usually Sofia, Bec Woods and

Paige. Nicola Atherton, Jessi, Ornella and Serena are my other good friends but everyone hangs out anyway at comps. I have always been called a Pom as everyone has always known I was born in England. They have been really supportive with the changeover…they have got used to the fact it’s now Marmite for me, not Vegemite!

How would you describe yourself in five words?

Silly, driven, happy, grateful and right now bruised (from last night’s break dancing battles)!

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“"All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost."

JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

randy lincks

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simon williams

Wherever your gold is – high up a mountain or deep in the sea – find it this winter with our inspirational travel features.

“Now more than ever do I realise that I shall never be content with a sedentary life, and that I shall always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.� Thus said Isabelle Eberhardt, an explorer, writer and linguist born in 1877 who travelled the world dressed as a man in order to fulfil her desire to learn and see new places.

Take inspiration from Isabelle and our own surf and sun-drenched pages, and strike out on an adventure this winter!

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lucia griggi

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America’s hot new talent, Courtney Conlogue shredding.

Bali High

Warm water, amazing surf, epic shopping, great food, friendly people – what’s not to love about Bali? As eight teenage girls from Billabong’s International Junior Team found out, it’s a surf girl’s paradise!

Words: Taylor Pitz • Photos: Tim Jones

B

ali is a dramatic balance of pandemonium and peace, very different from anywhere I’ve ever been. Arriving at the airport you are instantly plunged into chaos. First, you manoeuvre your way through customs, then you white-knuckle the car ride through the absolutely mad traffic of motorbikes and trucks weaving everywhere through the bustling city. In other areas, Bali is the most peaceful place in the world.

The cities turn to rice paddies and jungle, and cows and chickens soon outnumber the motorbikes. As you stumble down the cliff to the beach all you hear is the rumble of waves and wind chimes hanging from the house windows. You wake in the morning to the sound of the pitter-patter of rain on

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the leaves.

After we arrived at our Bingin house we couldn’t wait to shake off the jetlag by jumping into the warm ocean. After a surf, we returned to our amazing house complete with ocean view, hammocks, deck, and pool.

Everyone decided to jump in the pool for a sunset swim, and I didn’t think twice about it. However, after only five minutes, my hair turned completely blue. Having platinum blond hair, I’m pretty used to my hair turning a little green, but this was completely unprecedented! I couldn’t believe it! It took weeks for it to wash out and made for a very interesting start to the trip.

We ate like kings in Bali. Every day we drank fresh, mixed fruit juices and

Courtney Conlogue 17, Santa Ana, CA

We were all frothing to surf after the f light; we prepared our boards as we watched a perfect left peel off the outer reef of Dreamlands. The wind was the light offshore breeze that every surfer dreams of. As we cruised down the dirt path and stairs I got a glimpse of Bingin for the f irst time. It was nature's wave machine. Every wave seemed perfect, enabling you to just have fun and improve your surf ing.

We went to Lembongan island and spent a few nights there and enjoyed the crystal blue water. The people there were super-nice and worked really hard. They created seaweed farms in the water outside where the boats anchored. When the tide went to low tide the people would go to the seaweed farms and cut what they wanted.

Taylor Pinz.

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Alessa feeling right at home in Bali’s tropical climate.

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Alessa Quizon 15, Oahu, Hawaii

My experience in Bali was amazing! When we f irst arrived I didn’t know what to expect. But as soon as we got out of the airport I started to notice some familiar things - the air was as hot as in Hawaii! The water was warm and the waves were just perfect. I felt at home, and that I didn’t stand out as much as the rest of the girls with my brown skin.

The f irst place we surfed was Bingin, a nice shallow left that barrelled as soon as you took off. Later we all surfed Keramas, a right that is really great on high tide. I loved that wave so much, it was just so hittable and easy to get a perfect ride. Plus there was a little food place there where you could order noodles, jaff les, pancakes and so on. The jaff les were amazing and the food in Bali was super cheap.

I love Bali - everything was just so chilled out. Hanging out with all the Billabong girls, surf ing and having our little dance parties at night was super fun. Bali just had so much to offer. The culture and religion was very strong. It's one of my favourite trips and I hope I can go back soon!

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Ellie-Jean’s Balinese backhand hack, done with style.

smoothies and ate banana pancakes and ice cream. The Indonesian Mei Goreng and Nazi Goreng, as well as the Thai food we ate, was really incredible too. None of us had ever even heard of a jaffle, but by the end of the trip everyone had fallen in love with the pannini breakfast sandwiches filled with peanut butter and bananas.

We definitely put in our shopping time on this trip; I think we shopped a couple hours every day we stayed in the city. All the girls went a little crazy buying $1 DVDs, bracelets and sarongs.

Dimity was by far the most experienced and skilled haggler of the group — she’d quarter the original price and oftentimes just pay whatever price she felt was fair and walk away. To be honest, I think most of the shopkeepers were too intimidated to deny her.

The cool thing about this trip was that we got to see so much of Bali and interact with the Balinese people. We stayed in three totally different locations and drove all over the place looking for waves. I expected the gorgeous scenery, but I never expected the people to be quite so awesome. The Balinese were some of the most friendly, warm, and peaceful people I’ve ever met. We were even fortunate enough to become really good friends with one of the local Balinese surfers. The people down there just seem so content with a simple and pure life; it really made me think about how little you need in life to be happy.

The little island of Nusa Lembongan literally took my breath away. We took a small ferry loaded down with all our boards and luggage to get there. The aquamarine water, pale white sand, lush palm trees, and little stack of houses piled up to the top of the hill in the main bay was stunning. We stayed in an awesome house at the very top of the hill overlooking the whole bay and complete with its own pool. We arrived at high tide in the morning, so we were shocked to look out over the bay to find all the water had drained away to be replaced by the locals’ seaweed plots on the afternoon low tide. It was crazy!

The following day we took two outrigger boats on a trip to the other side of the island in search of waves. We ended up circling the entire island, and got to surf a fun little left. Although we only stayed a couple days, I loved Nusa Lembongan and can’t wait to go back someday.

I had an amazing first trip to Bali and I can’t wait to spend more time down there in the future! The Billabong girls were all awesome, and it was a blast hanging out with all the crazy Aussies. The waves were super-fun and we had many memorable sessions.

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Ellie-Jean Coffey 14, NSW, Australia

I loved Bali! Our Bingin villa was the most amazing place I have ever seen. Over f ive days we surfed Bingin and Keramas, went shopping and just enjoyed hanging out in Bali, surf ing, watching DVDs and going out to dinner.

Next we took a boat from Sanur over to Nusa Lembogan; it took about 45 minutes to arrive on this beautiful tropical island and we stopped at Chinigans for a great surf, then headed back to our place for some photos and fun.

After a few wonderful days and some delicious food, we headed back to Kuta for some mainland Bali experience. I really enjoyed the shopping and the food, especially Mi Goreng. On the last day I went to a spa and had a body massage. I got my nails painted and tried to teach the Balinese how to say "G'day mate" and "How's it goin’?" with an Australian accent - we all ended up in tears of laughter, even the Balinese.

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material world Easkey Britton and a band of well-travelled surfers – Rebecca Woods, Sarah Beardmore, Nicola Atherton and Ornella Pellizzari – left the wilds of the Mentawais for the man-made version of surf stoke at the Sunway Resort wave pool in the middle of Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur.

The experience was different to say the least! Here’s Easkey’s report. words: Easkey Britton • photos: simon williams

I

t was so bizarre to walk through a shopping mall in the middle of material gaga-land with our surfboards, ready to hit the waves! Sunway Resort in Kuala Lumpur is massive. It has several uber-class hotels, the biggest shopping mall I’ve seen in my life, theme parks, every kind of restaurant imaginable, nightclubs and of course Sunway Lagoon, home to KL’s local surf spot – the wave pool.

The wave pool feels like it’s part of an Indiana Jones movie set piece. The wave surges up below a big fibreglass volcano and the pool is surrounded by temple ruins, carvings and statues of strange creatures and gods. All around the pool are towering hotels and resorts. We had come from pumping, raw power of Macaronis in the wilds of the Mentawais to this, man’s attempt to recreate nature’s energy, and it was surreal.

There’s less buoyancy in a wave pool because there’s no salt water, and the chlorine stings big time if you wipe out. The wave pushes up and peels right and left every couple of minutes. It’s everything nature’s waves aren’t. The timing of the wave’s arrival never changes, it’s totally predictable and breaks in the same spot, the same way, every time. Because the area is pretty compact the wave is small and doesn’t pack a lot of juice, but the left has a steep wall and after a few tries everyone was busting some turns. Potog Swilly had the easiest water session of his life, the first with no fins, just standing The girls trying to look inconspicuous on a day trip to the mall.

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Bec Woods getting airtime at KL.

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Sarah Beardmore bustin’ out.

The set-up looked like something from an Indiana Jones movie set.

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in the same spot able to nail his shot every time. We took turns splitting the peak and everyone was easily able to get their quota of waves. It’s also pretty handy if you want to work on the same turn over and over again. All this noted, in the end I was quietly happy that despite all our so-called advancements we couldn’t quite recreate or capture nature’s essence.

Five girls were then let loose in one of the world’s biggest shopping malls: danger, danger! The entrance is under a giant gold Sphinx and it was like entering Aladdin's cave. I never knew so many different clothes shops could exist! We wished we had a genie though, because our credit cards were hurting big time. We literally shopped ’til we dropped and still didn’t even cover half the place. This is an awesome place to head to if you have a stopover in KL. Apart from the wave pool and shopping, there are about five other adventure-themed parks, an ice rink, lush hotels and a feast of restaurants. A material world, but a seriously fun one and an amazing contrast to an Indo boat trip.

After we got the retail therapy out of our system we went back for an evening sesh in the pool and this time all the local lifeguards joined in, some of them surfing pretty well.

Apparently in KL there are city surfers and

country surfers, like ‘East side, West side.’

There are some beachbreaks on the coast that work during the monsoon season and the rest of the year the Sunway pool is the local spot. It was unreal to experience a such a strong surfing subculture in the heart of KL. Chaos reined in the pool with lots of party waves, epic wipeouts and fun times.

Apart from all the fun we had, the whole wave-pool experience left me a little humbled, with a real sense of awe for creation and why we surf: to experience the uniqueness and beauty of every wave, the freedom and openness of the ocean, the unpredictable, raw, untamed energy. We still have a lot to learn from nature. I did enjoy not having to worry about reef cuts and sharks though!

How to get there: Kuala Lumpur is a stop-over destination on many long-haul flights to Oz and Indo, which is what most surf girls will be after! To fly there direct will cost you from £380 from London airports.

Accommodation: There are 1,234 rooms at the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, starting from RM 280 (about £50) per night and going up, up, up…

Temperatures: Ranges from 21°C – 33°C and the average humidity exceeds 82 percent. March to April and September to November are the wettest months.

Other activities: There are so many shops, restaurants, bars, skyscrapers, lush parks and resort activities in Kuala Lumpur that you won’t need anything else on a stopover – plus the nightlife has a great reputation. Outside of the urban sprawl, the Malaysian Taman Negara national park is a big tourist draw, and you can escape to the countryside in the surrounding state of Selangor.

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Celine on cruise control in Costa Rica.

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Costa Rica is a far-flung surfer’s paradise, situated in Central America. To the west is the Pacific and the east, the Caribbean sea. Its name translates as ‘rich coast’, and for surf girl and travel fiend Celine Gehret, this describes it perfectly – wave rich, that is. words: Celine Gehret • photos: Stu Norton

O

n my first trip to Costa Rica, my friend and I headed to a beach on the west coast that we were told had consistent perfect waves. All we had with us were our surfboards, a little bit of money and a tent.

We arrived at a small Tico town with dusty roads and smiley faces and walked down to the beach. It was beautiful, with white sand, palm trees and hibiscus flowers, and the waves were perfect. I pitched my tent

under a small palm tree that was leaning over so much I could sit on it and check the waves.

These are my fist memories of Costa Rica — camping on the beach, cooking on the fire under the stars, perfect waves out front and being woken up in the morning by howler monkeys and parakeets.

This was almost 10 years ago, and I have since travelled back to Costa quite a few times. Although it has changed a lot due to development and tourism, the things that stay the same are the perfect waves, the bathtub-warm water and the beauty of this amazing country.

Costa Rica’s diverse surf spots offer great surf for beginners right up to pro surfers. There is surf on both coasts; the Pacific coast is more popular and known for its classic beachbreaks, long pointbreaks and a couple of reefs which work all year round. The swell varies from two- to five-foot in the dry season (our winter) with light offshore winds blowing nearly every day and almost all day long. The swell gets a bit bigger in the rainy season.

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And then there’s the Caribbean coast, where you’ll feel more like you’re in Jamaica than Latin America, with turquoise blue water and lots of chilled-out Rastafarian locals.

Some of my favourite surf breaks would definitely have to be on the Nicoya peninsula down the coast south of Tamarindo. There are lots of cute little places that are a bit of a mission to get to – you’ll need a 4x4 to cross a few rivers on the way and the roads are bumpy and dusty, but it’s such an adventure and you will definitely be rewarded with empty perfect waves on beautiful beaches to yourself.

Apart from amazing beaches and great waves, Costa Rica has so much else to offer, from some of the most active volcanoes on earth to amazing jungle national parks. In fact, Costa Rica’s protected national parks make up 25 percent of its land mass, and you can find five percent of the whole world’s biodiversity here, which is quite amazing considering Costa Rica is only two-thirds the size of Scotland! From monkeys, sloths, iguanas, tapirs, ara parrots and toucans, to giant blue butterflies and fire red dragonflies, to dolphins and whales and cute sea turtles, you can see it all here.

WHERE TO SURF Tamarindo: Tamarindo, on the north-west coast, is where it all started, with great waves like Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point made famous in the classic surf flick Endless Summer.

The breaks around Tamarindo cater for all levels of surfer, short or longboard. Tamarindo is a great place to have some surfing lessons, soak up some sun and take in the surfing vibe. Today Tamarindo is a popular surfers’ town – there is a paved road with fancy new hotels and luxury golf resorts, though you can still find cabinas and camp sites.

Nosara: Further down the west coast on the Nicoya Peninsula, you’ll find uncrowded and empty beachbreaks. A nice little chilled-out town is Nosara, more budget and backpacker-orientated with fun and consistent beachbreaks that throws up the odd tube. Great for beginners to advanced surfers. The winds in this region are generally light offshores.

Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast: Puerto Viejo holds the jewel in the crown of Costa Rican waves – Salsa Brava. When it’s on it will do a pretty good impersonation of Backdoor Pipeline, with late drops and big hollow tubes. This wave breaks on sharp coral reef and is not to be taken lightly.

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Pavones: One of the world’s longest left pointbreaks. During the rainy season, Pavones comes to life, breaking over a cobbled reef. The wave is fast down the line with the odd barrel section and it can literally be leg-wobblingly long! You can walk back on the road around to the peak rather than paddle. And the water temperature varies between 27 and 28 degrees, just like a warm bath!

OTHER ACTIVITIES: If you want a break from surfing you can go to yoga classes, go horseback riding, rent a quad or just go for a hike in the jungle. Enjoy river-rafting and canopy zip-lining from massive trees through the jungle, plus enjoy the colourful underwater world by snorkelling.

HOW TO GET THERE: Continental Airlines has flights from Bristol or London to the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, with a stop in Newark.

Flights are around £550 and they charge 100 dollars for your board. Virgin Atlantic also has flights to Newark, then Continental to San Jose.

You can get to everywhere from San Jose in modern air-con coaches.

FOOD: The typical Tico food is ‘Casados’, which is rice with black beans, served with fish or meat, a little side salad, usually cabbage and tomatoes and some fried plantain (platano banana) and sometimes some fried yuka or chips. For breakfast or lunch it’s ‘Gallo Pinto’, fried rice with beans mixed up and some eggs and bread. You can find seafood and many Western foods from hamburger to pizza and pasta to sushi.

“There are lots of cute little places that are a bit of a mission to get to… but it’s such an adventure and you will definitely be rewarded with empty perfect waves on beautiful beaches to yourself.”

yehah!

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Maximise your Water Time

If you want to get the most out of your holiday and don’t much care about anything but waves, here are some tips to maximise your time in the big blue.

lucia griggi

kat dawes

Pro Rider, Pro Traveller

We all know that pro riders spend half their time travelling, so they also become pro at the dreading packing. So what do they consider essential? A few surf and snow loving girls share their tips here.

I lay everything that I want to take with me out on the bed... and then halve it! I know this sounds brutal but it's better than being stung 100 pounds for excess baggage.

My advice is take as little as possible! The airlines are a nightmare with surfboards and weight restrictions!

I normally try to just take my boardbag and use my clothes and towels as padding for my boards. A toothbrush is high up on the list of essential items, along with camera, laptop and iPod. Going to a hot climate, I would say take a big baggy cotton shirt - there’s nothing better than keeping as much of your body out of the searing heat as possible in places like Indo. The only thing you want to put on is cotton, and it should be very baggy for ventilation! Saved me 50 years of early onset wrinkles so far!

– Sarah Bentley, Cornwall

– Beth Mason, Wales.

– Rebecca Woods, Australia

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Before you go 1. Many places won’t have a decent surf shop, or it’ll be expensive… take what you need with you, and that means spare everything: fin key, fins, leash, ding kit, wax, comb, earplugs, leash strings, the lot!

2. Up your swimming/running/surfing routine and add some surfspecific yoga, Pilates, circuit training and core work. Whatever you’re into, double it! Sore neck and shoulders will be your enemy, so do paddle-specific work like swimming, rowing and press-ups, and check out the PowerStroke bungee cord video on surfgirlmag.com.

3. Print out a wannasurf.com guide to spots, buy a map and guidebook (or borrow from the library), bookmark forecasts for the area on your laptop: know where you’re going and what conditions are ideal.

4. Take people who are on your wavelength. It’s no good booking up to a surf camp in the middle of nowhere with your party-loving, hairdryeraddicted mate, or staying on the Gold Coast with someone who’d much rather chill around Byron.

When you get there 1. In some places, no-one bothers to go out super-early; in others it’ll be rammed with early-bird nine-to-fivers. Suss it out fast in order to minimise the crowds. The same with the tides and winds – don’t be too tired for the evening glass-off sunset session!

2. Go a bit further afield. It’s easy to stick to the main break, especially if you can walk to it, but surf travel is about new adventures and new breaks!

3. If you go for marathon sessions, make sure you stay hydrated. Even if you only come back in to suck down some water and slick on more suncream, listen to your body’s needs.

4. As with snowboarding, take someone who’ll push your surfing and your limits. Yes, you can surf shallow reef or climb down that jungle path to a deserted beach. And you’ll love the sense of achievement.

5. Although you want to surf surf surf, take a day or so to check out the area and the other things on offer. Your aching muscles will probably thank you. And spending some time in the local bars and cafes may make you friends who know that special place to go or can advise you on the best conditions for the coming swell. Local guys love travelling surfer girls! simon williams

What does a top pro take on a two week surf trip? Here’s Keala Kennelly’s run down on her surf essentials.

emma skinner cruising in the maldives.

• Lots of bikinis (some sporty ones for surfing and some skimpy ones for sunbathing) • Boardshorts • Walking shorts • T-shirts • Vest tops • Trucker hat • Couple pairs of sunglasses • One or two rash vests • Two towels (one for beach, one for shower) • One or two hoodies (for the

plane and if it gets cold) • One pair of long pants or jeans (for the plane) • One pair of trainers • One rain jacket • A couple pairs of slippers • A few bars of wax • Face and body sunscreen • Laptop • iPod • H20 audio waterproof iPod case and headphones • Quickfix ding repair kit • First aid kit for reef cuts • Four to six boards • Three or four leashes • Box of energy bars • A good book.

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“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.̦” American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson probably wasn’t actually thinking of great swathes of powder when he wrote this, but you get the idea – there’s nothing quite like jumping out there into the wilderness, pushing your boundaries and finding your joy. Check out the wonders that await you in the snowy season…

matt georges courtesy roxy

Roxy’s Torah Bright digging deep.

powder room There’s a bewildering array of snowy resorts out there for the keen snowboarder, but some will suit better than others. Is it the parties you’re looking for, or powder, or big fat ramps you can bust over all day long? Check out our favourites and hit up the search engines to get yourself a deal.

Jane Chambers and Kat Dawes

The awesome beauty of Vail is breathtaking.

vail resorts inc

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Vail, Colorado

Flights: Seven nights self-catering package, £805 from Heathrow with CrystalSki.co.uk.

Number of runs: 193 Lifts: 34 Website: www.vail.com Best place to party: Loads of bars that go on until the early hours.

Great riding and parks, good season airs, major party vibe. Very popular Swiss-style resort, one of the most expensive places you can go, but has heaps of space as it’s set on three mountainsides, and it’s all very snowboarder-friendly. The terrain park has three half-pipes, 12 runs and hardly any skiers! Your pass also allows access to nearby Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone.

vail resorts inc

Morzine, the snowboarder’s favourite Euro destination.

V. Poret

V. Poret

Morzine, France

Flights: From London to Geneva from about £100.

Number of runs: 66 Lifts: 67 Website: www.morzine-avoriaz.com Fly to Geneva and with only a one hour transfer it gets lots of the UK crowd, particularly from Cornwall. Has Europe’s first eco-snowpark, The Stash, cool park with lots of hits that feel and look natural. It also has a regular park. Loads of on- and off-piste riding with some challenges too.

Apres-ski, everyone goes to Bar Robinson, owned by two old Frenchies, serving only one kind of beer, known locally as ’happy beer’ – gets you on your ear in no time. In summer this place is a hardcore mountain biking area with some of the best downhill riding. Again lots of British hit it in the summer. Lifts stay open so there is easy access to downhill riding.

Coast Mountain Photography, www.coastphotography.com

Whistler — home to the winter Olympics.

Whistler, British Columbia, Canada Best of the rest:

• Verbier, Switzerland • Breckenridge, Colorado • Val D’Isere, French Alps • La Plagne, French Alps • Banff, Alberta, Canada • Les Deux Alpes, French Alps • Arinsal, Andorra

Flights: CrystalSki.com are doing a package for £885, seven nights room only.

Number of runs: 230!

Lifts: 33 Websites: www.whistlerblackcomb.com Best place to party: Look no further than the World Ski and Snowboard Festival held every April, with pipe and big air comps, live bands and DJs. Whistler is number one for parks, powder and nightlife in North America and it’s everything a snow girl could want. It’s hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, and Christmas and Easter are to be avoided unless you love crowds.

Whistler is also quite expensive, but there are tons of opportunities for work and thus accommodation. The terrain is all-time, with something for everyone – two mountains with tree runs, pipes, two superpipes, five – five! terrain parks and backcountry access. The nightlife absolutely rocks, with over 100 bars, restaurants and clubs, plus there are spas and a pedestrianised village with lots of lovely shopping for your downtime. The eye candy is also pretty good!

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pro’s good to go

As everyone starts to get excited about the coming snows, SurfGirl takes a look at some of the top girl snowboarders in the UK and gets the gen on the best resorts and tips for having the perfect snowy time!

KateFoster

m. weyerhaeuser/jdp

Team GB rider Kate Foster loves the half pipe and is an Olympic boarder. She spent lots of her childhood in Canada but now lives in Gloucestershire.

Age: 24 Hometown: Painswick, Gloucestershire Favourite destination: If you’re after parks my favourite would be Breckenridge, Colorado; for freeriding it would have to be the Portes du Soleil (Morzine).

What’s so good about it? The parks in the States are always so well taken care of! You’re always guaranteed a perfectly groomed pipe no matter what the weather was like the day before. And the Portes du Soleil, well, it’s great for getting fresh tracks in fresh powder and not getting your lift pass taken away!

Where's the best place to party? Cavern Bar, The Garage when in Morzine (Portes du Soleil) and in Breckenridge Cecilia’s is the place.

Do you surf, and if so how does it compare to snowboarding? I do surf, but nowhere near as much as I’d like to. But I have been down to Devon and on our days off training in Oregon we make our way down to the beach and have a quick surf. The one big difference I notice is my lack of upper body strength from snowboarding, which is so essential for surfing.

JessicaVenables Age: 31 Home: UK/Chamonix Sponsors: O’Neill, Cebe, Dakine and Salamon.

What essentials do you take on a snowboard trip? The first and most important thing is snowboard equipment: without this a trip is ruined, especially if you go to a far away country where the closest they rent to a snowboard is a plastic sledge. I even pack extra straps in case one breaks. I check my boardbag a few times before I am happy I have everything.

Then I will put my passport and credit card together, plus I always check about visas…somehow no matter how far in advance I apply for a visa, I always get it a couple of days before I leave! Oh, and I make photocopies of important documents like my passport because it really sucks when they go missing.

Then the easy part: clothes, toothbrush, creams and sunscreen. For places like Pakistan, where I was in middle of nowhere, I took antibacterial hand gel and facewipes to wash with. Plus I always take little presents from Europe to other countries to give to the friendly nice people I meet. Lastly, I read up on local customs and laws.

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O’NEILL KLUN

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064 SURFGIRL courtesy roxy

Jenny Jones is the British Slopestyle Champion and has more podium finishes than she can count as well as eight seasons under her belt.

billabong/nathan gallagher

JennyJones

Age: 28.

Hometown: Bristol.

Favourite destination: Avoriaz/Morzine.

Do you surf? I love surfing and have just got a secondhand 5´8˝ fish, great for the smaller wave days in Cornwall and Devon. I can add it to my collection of one longboard and one shortboard. What I really like about surfing is that there are less consequences when falling over – of course I’m not surfing really shallow reefbreaks or gnarly big waves.

However, I am very much an intermediate and have had a lot less injuries from surfing compared to snowboarding.

How does it compare to snowboarding? Surfing is generally a sport I do in summer when it’s warmer. It’s all arms and not much legs in comparison to snowboarding, so gives your thighs a break for a few months. The main similarities are the stance and the feeling of riding powder; slashing powder banks and riding more with the back foot like surfing. It’s not always a good thing when I transfer to surfing, because for a while I had to learn to tuck that back knee in and not stick both knees out like snowboarding! I think snowboarders seem to keep their bodies more as a unit and surfers separate their upper and lower body more.

If you’re going on a snowboard trip for a few weeks, what are your top tips for packing? A good suncream and a bandana or face mask to keep off the sun or windburn. Goggle tans are not a good look I promise you, you just end up looking dirty. Butt shorts and knee pads if learning – I know your bum might look a little bigger, but at least by day three you’ll still be able to sit on it. Good thermals to keep you warm and stop the sweat. Lots of nice socks. Good boots stay dry and support your ankles – I wear Salomons, so comfortable and super tech. iPod and the charger! Nothing like a good few tunes to ride with. Flat light lens for shite weather days, English teabags, a little hip flask for a cheeky tipple for those cold days. Pack a massage therapist if you’re minted!

Any other tips? If you’re a good rider and going to a resort you don’t know, try and hook up with some locals as you will get a lot more out of the holiday, or even pay for a guide for a day. You will find more runs, enjoy more powder and then the rest of the week have a lot better idea of where to go in the types of conditions for the day.

AimeeFuller

Aimee Fuller was born in Kent in the UK and moved to the US capital of Washington DC at the age of 12; now she’s back in the UK and shredding up the European scene.

Age: 18 Hometown: Keston in Kent, but when I’m not travelling I am at University in Bath or home in Belfast.

Where’s your favourite destination? That’s a tough one; I’ve been to lots of amazing resorts this year but if I had to choose one in Europe it would definitely be Morzine, Avoriaz.

What’s so good about it? There’s such a variety of terrain to choose from, and every time I’ve been there we have had some awesome snowfall which is great as there is some great off piste for powder runs. There is a really

fun baby park for those looking to get into freestyle, with lots of different size kickers and boxes to suit beginners to advanced boarders. The whole area is huge, with about 650 kilometres of slopes. Avoriaz is also is situated in the middle of Portes du Soleil, this where 12 ski resorts link up and if you fancy an adventure you can ski over to Switzerland for the day on your pass.

Where’s the best place to party? The Caven Bar is right in the centre of the village of Morzine – expect good music and a generally friendly vibe, great for the apres-ski and onwards!

How does surfing compare to snowboarding? I’ve tried surfing a few times and I love it; the whole motion of standing on your board and balancing is very similar. I actually went on the Roxy camp in Portrush just a month ago, and I had so much fun. Candice (O’Donnell) has told me doing a slash on your snowboard in powder is similar to doing a cutback on a wave. I’m not quite at the level in surfing to do that yet though!

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Maximise Mountain Time vail resorts inc

Jane Chambers

before you go 1. Start to increase your exercise regime at least four weeks before your holiday, with particular focus on the core and legs. Go to www.surfgirlmag.com for exercises and tips. The stronger and fitter you are the more time you can spend on

the mountain!

2. Book your ski hire online in advance; this is often cheaper than doing it in resort. Then with the money you’ve saved you can elect to have the gear delivered right to your door. This is really worth the extra cash, as it means that you can get straight out on the slope instead of faffing around in rental shops.

3. Do the same with your ski pass – most places give a discount when you pre-order, plus they will have it ready and waiting when you arrive.

When you get there 1. Get out for first lifts and beat the crowds. Your body is at its best first thing as it has rested all night.

Most people will only be rolling out of bed as you hit the slopes, which gives you around an hour of uninterrupted riding. Pure bliss!

2. Take plenty of smaller breaks during your day.

That well-earned hot drink and great mountain fare will

feed your body with the energy it needs to keep going and fight the cold.

3. Listen to your body. Most people will get tired, and this is when accidents happen. Don’t be afraid to take half or even a whole day off to rest. This will make you even more amped the following day and gives you a chance to indulge in the local culture, i.e. shopping and drinking!

4. Watch plenty of snowboarding DVDs. The music and moves will have you so inspired, you’ll be riding like a pro in no time.

5. Try to ride with someone better than you. This will push your limits and keep you learning new things.

6. And lastly, the golden rule: ’No friends on a powder day’. If it has dumped down the night before, then grab one Go to mate and hit it. Waiting www. around for the group surfgirlmag. com for a full will slow you down and range of leg leave you riding trackedexercises. out sections.

O’NEILL KLUN

get the right kit Kat Dawes

Being cold is miserable when you’ve only got a limited time to get on the slopes and enjoy yourself. Clothing is super important, so make sure you’re prepared to spend some money on getting it right.

before you go Be prepared, get kitted up properly.

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Layers is the key word here. Layering will keep you warm by trapping heat, repelling the elements of wind and snow, and wicking away perspiration. Layering gives you the added benefit of being able to adjust your temperature easily – just remove a layer and tuck it in your backpack.

Start with a base layer made of synthetic material which will wick moisture away and trap body heat.

Avoid cotton at all costs. Polyester and polypropylene are ideal – look for brand names like Polartec which they go under.

Your second layer needs to be light and warm – fleece is ideal for this and easy to come by. Synthetics are best again, and fleece washes easily and dries fast.

The outer layer consists of trousers and a snowboarding jacket which need to be waterproof, breathable and windproof. Spend as much as you can to get snow-specific gear. Snowpants can come with padded bums – ideal for beginners! Try gear on while wearing your outer layers to ensure it all fits well together.

The body’s extremities get cold fastest, so choose socks with a wool blend which will keep you warm and also wick away moisture. Only wear one pair to avoid bunching up. Make sure your boots fit properly. Keep the blood flowing to your feet by moving your toes around on lifts and when resting.

Hat – a helmet is best (one good bang to the head and you’ll agree), but at least wear a good thick beanie. The old adage, ‘If your feet are cold, put on your hat’ is true! Mittens are the warmest thing you can wear on your hands, with obvious concessions to holding things like cameras! Lastly, goggles/ sunglasses/bandana/scarf – whatever you prefer to keep your face and neck warm. Goggles if you can bear the uncoolness of the goggle tan, and you’re ready to go!

courtsey roxy

How to choose a snowboard Buying a new snowboard, as with surfboards, is a big investment, so do your research before paying out.

1. What kind of rider are you? Boards are different for freestyle or mountain riding, and what you prefer doing will influence your choice of board.

2. Check on the internet, the info in snowboard mags’ board guides, and grab a load of brochures from shops. Get used to the terminology and start picking out a few you like.

3. Snowboards are measured in centimetres. If you’re a beginner your board shouldn’t be too long, or you’ll find it harder to turn. Somewhere around neck height is a good guide.

Width-wise, your toes and heels need to be pretty close to the edges when you’re strapped in, so that you can easily apply pressure to the rails to turn. At first, look for a softer board which is easier to manipulate. Stiffer boards holder their edge better in harder snow.

4. Go back to you local shop/s and chat to the salespeople. If they’re real snowboarders, they’ll be happy to talk to you for ever about all the different boards and setups you can have.

Be honest about how long you’ve been riding and how good you are, and let them know exactly what you want. Take your time over choosing a board and ignore the pretty designs…

5. If you get a chance, try out a board before you buy it. Lots of shops do demos as brands are keen to get you on their equipment, and resorts often have demo days which will often include pro riders and the very best information and advice. Ideal!

– KD SURFGIRL 067

photos courtesy roxy

first timer

Candice O’Donnell is one of the UK’s top longboarders – she prefers warm waves to chilly slopes and has never been bitten by the snowboarding bug. So at the end of last winter SurfGirl challenged Candice to give it a shot and she how she would cope with swapping sand for snow. Would you believe it? In typical Candice fashion, she was getting air by the end of her three days in Morzine, with snowboard legend Lesley McKenna at the Roxy Snow camp. SurfGirl caught up with her to find out how she got on.

First of all, were you nervous? I was mostly nervous of all the other people on the mountain, and having enough control at all times to not crash into them.

Did you pick it up quickly? Yes, I did pick it up quicker than I thought. I was up and riding on the top of the mountain on day one, within hours.

How long did it take before you stopped falling over and started snowboarding properly? Well, I never really stopped falling, but I guess I was falling way less on day three!

You were doing airs at the end, that’s pretty impressive! Roxy’s snowboard champion Lesley McKenna definitely set me the challenge, and I accepted, but not without some funny wipeouts.

What was the best advice you were given? Have fun, go at my own pace and I remember Lesley always telling me to push my knees out to the sides, and open my stance up to make life a lot easier.

Are you going back this winter? Yes, I hope to go again this year. Chilling at the Roxy Snow Camp 068 SURFGIRL

chalet was so awesome – you get so much thrown in including all your food, Roxy goodie bag, lift passes, video sessions and yoga. What more could you ever want!

How does it compare to surfing? Snowboarding is very similar to surfing in many ways, especially when you are riding fresh powder. I think it’s a lot easier to progress quicker in snowboarding than it is in surfing. When you’re snowboarding you can try a trick over and over again on the same kicker or jump and perfect it, but with surfing the waves are constantly changing therefore you’re constantly trying to adapt to that change and work on your tricks at the same time. Challenging!

Pretty darned impressive for a first timer!

Candice looking a bit apprehensive on the way to the slopes.

Lesley runs through the drill.

All smiles, Candice loved it by day three.

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Crossover If you can’t decide whether to spend your precious holiday time on the slopes or in the sea, do both! There are places in the world where you can board in the morning and surf in the afternoon…here’s a quick rundown of a few of them.

Jane Chambers and Kat Dawes

Heavenly, California 4,800 acres in California and Nevada, Heavenly is a big mountain with hardcore terrain. Four snowboard parks and loads of backcountry opportunities. Situated on the shores of Lake Tahoe, Tahoe town is packed with everything you need including nightlife, and there are six casinos in the area.

Heavenly is one of the best of the seven resorts around the lake, with all

modern amenities (like fine dining at altitude), reflected in the price.

Lake Tahoe gets some windswell if a big storm whips it up, but for quality waves head to the Central Cali coastline. San Francisco is about three and a half hours away by car, so you could conceivably surf and board in the same day! Big 070 SURFGIRL

Hakuba, Japan You might not think to snowboard here, let alone surf, but Japan is great for both. Lots of Aussies and Kiwis do snow seasons here, and there is another resort further north which is also popular. There is a strong female snowboarding presence here, and good parks. They are pretty strict on off-piste riding and are known to take your pass off you if you are caught. They have great ‘onsens’, which are outdoor thermal, natural hot baths – warning, you have to go into them naked (but they do separate men and women), but they work wonders for aching bones! You can also do a trip to see the snow monkeys. Check www.

vail resorts inc

Heavenly by name, heavenly by nature.

name breaks are Maverick’s (if you’re brave!), Ocean Beach and Half Moon Bay but there are plenty more. Check out www.surfline.com and www.skiheavenly.com for more info.

hakubatourism.com and www.ski-resorts-japan. com for more info.

Surf wise, typhoon season sends swells towards the four islands that make up Japan from June until October – not exactly snow season though. There are waves in the summer, more on the east coast, so you’ll have to trust to

luck if you want to surf and snowboard.

There’s a beach on the west coast called Sunset, but we think it’s not quite the same… See wannasurf.com for PDF guides to the area.

Hossegor and the Pyrenees, France Based in Hossegor, Boardingmania runs surf and snow holidays — they’re only three hours drive from the nearest ski resort and say that in one week you can easily do four days of one and three of the other! They base their boarding in the small, olde-worlde and popular resort of Saint Lary. There are direct flights available from leading low cost airlines from UK cities to their three local airport pick-up points. Go to www.boardingmania.com to see more.

There are seven ski areas close enough to the famous surfing beaches of Hossegor to make a surf and snow holiday well worth the effort. Gourette is the closest resort to the coast, with fast and spacious runs dropping over 1000 metres, an area of seven hectares devoted to beginners and a snowpark and boardercross.

Check out www.gourette.com.

Scotland has classic surf and some decent snow resorts. will bailey

Scotland, UK There are five snow resorts in Scotland. Okay, the weather and snow conditions might not be quite what you get in the Alps, but on a good day, there’s plenty to be enjoyed (though it does get crowded). The Lecht is a small resort to the east of the Cairngorms with easy runs great for beginners.

If you’re game to surf Scotland in the winter, there are plenty of reefs on which to avoid the icy duckdives. From The Lecht you can head east to Sanded, Fraserburgh, Nigg Bay and Aberdeen. There are loads of other spots for the seeker… Check www.thesurfdirectory.co.uk for more surf info.

will bailey

Hossegor. Three hours from here and you’re on the slopes.

New Zealand. The land of the long white cloud is on every traveller's dream itinerary, and it’s especially ideal for surfer girls. You can surf and snowboard, Zorb, bungee jump…and the scenery is of course second to none. Rebecca Woods and friends had the good fortune to be shown around by local Paige Hareb. Here Becs tells us all about surfing, snowboarding, sheep and throwing yourself off hilltops in big plastic balls.

Arriving in the wonderful world of Kiwi-land on my way home from the US Open of Surf, the contrast could not have been any more extreme.

Huntington Beach can sometimes be a little overwhelming for a small town Aussie girl. After megaphones, signings and an absolutely packed beach, a 10-seater plane, a warm and friendly ‘Welcome to New Zealand’ in that distinctive Kiwi accent and single lane roads all had me feeling like I could breathe again!

So the trip started like it should, lots of sheep noises (yes we are original) and rugby jokes, but all in all Sarah Beardmore, Jessi Miley-Dyer and myself were very grateful to Paige Hareb and her family for having us.

We started our trip by checking out Paige’s local spot, Stent Road, and the surrounds of Taranaki, with rolling green hills running alongside the volcanic coastline and the snow-capped peak of Mount Egmont peeking through the cloud layer. New Zealand is an environmentalist’s dream. We even saw a calf, just born, trying to stand in a freezing field and stopped to take photos.

We then made the trek slightly north to Rotarua, where Kiwis and tourists alike head for the adrenaline rush of their choice. Our pick for the day was Zorbing. You climb into the middle of a giant ball and get pushed down a hill. All in all a very fun experience and no black eyes!

Zorbing one day and snowboarding the next — we moved on to Taupo and Mount Ruapehu where the sun was out and a fresh dump of snow made for the best snowboarding experience of my life. Generally in Australia, when you fall on the snow you land hard on what feels like rock, and to avoid knee surgery you put your hands down. If you’re lucky enough that your wrists don’t snap you roll onto your back to avoid the rock coming up and land sideways in a tree! Well I may be exaggerating slightly, but in NZ there are no trees and no rock, just thick, fluffy, white, dry snow!

photos sarah beardmore

mountains and sea

Fortunately us tourists picked up where we all left off a few years ago (when we all went together snowboarding in Australia). We could still turn and by the end of day two we were even following Paige and attempting tricks and boxes, some successful and some not so much, but it made for more enjoyment when we each had a chance to get pointed and laughed at.

We came down from the amazing heights and spectacular scenery of Mount Ruapehu and went to capitalise on the offshore winds blowing clean up the faces of Stent Road. Surfing with a snow-capped mountain in sight was a first time experience for me. The surf was so unbelievably fun, with long, walling righthanders perfect for carves. I had an awesome time and the 4/3 wetsuit helped! However, from first-hand experience, when your body starts to do the opposite of what you direct it to do and your speech is slurred due to hypothermia setting in I suggest you go back to land!

So to anyone thinking of going to New Zealand, you should do it because you will live it, you will love it and you can surf. What more could you want ay bro? Wicked baaah!

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Girls just wanna have fun Kat Dawes

There’s loads going on this winter, with snow festivals being a great way to ride and party, while girly snow and surf camps are the best way to gain confidence, have a good time and learn loads of new technique. SurfGirl take a look at some of the best fun on offer.

The Big Snow Festival From 14 – 21 March 2010 The Big Snow Festival hits Andorra’s premier ski resort, Arinsal. Offering a week-long rollercoaster of skiing and snowboarding combined with top music acts and pumping beats, it’s the must-attend festival this winter. Calvin Harris has been announced as the headliner and there’ll be tons of other cool DJs – see www. thebigsnowfestival.com.

Tahoe City marks the end of the skiing season with a city-wide ‘mountain Mardi Gras’. Art and skiing events line up alongside polar swims and snowsculpting contests,5-14 March 2010. Check www. tahoesnowfestival.com.

XXI Olympic Winter Games The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held 12-28 February in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler nearby. There will be 86 winter sports taking part in the Games, including, of course, snowboarding. The official website is at www. vancouver2010.com.

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The fifth International Free Ride Film Festival takes place on 10-12 December in Saint Lary-Soulan, French Pyrenees. Over three days, a selection of the best new releases of skiing and snowboarding films will be shown to the public and judged by an international panel. More info at www. festival-freeride.com

camps

Boardingmania A new camp for 2009/2010: snowboarding and skiing in the biggest station in

the Pyrenees, St Lary, with 100 kilometres of pistes at 2400 metres. Boardmania provide airport transfers, accommodation, equipment rental, lift pass and an introduction to the pistes and all the facilities.

Dates: To suit you Cost: £540 (basic package £270) Website: www. boardingmania.com

Roxy Snow Camps British snowboarder Lesley McKenna is hosting two Roxy-sponsored camps together with StarSki Chalets in Morzine. If you’re an intermediate boarder (happy on red runs) and you fancy a luxury chalet and top coaching, check it out.

Dates: 21 March Cost: £680 per week Website: www.

starskichalets.com/roxy/ index.htm

Breckenridge Women’s Ski and Snowboard Camp Board and party posh with this three-day camp – includes an evening reception, lunches, cocktail party, a gift and a celebration dinner. Aimed at intermediate level upwards. They also have a freestyle camp Park and Pipe taking place in February for $195.

Dates: 5-7 March, Park and Pipe 6-7 February Cost: $370 (three-day lift pass costs an extra $117) Website: www.breckenridge. snow.com/breckbase/ includes/ski_ride/specialty. womens.asp

Jackson Hole Women’s snowboarding Camp Julie Zell, three-time World Extreme Snowboard Camp, leads this camp aimed at confident riders. You get coaching, lift pass, video analysis, lunch and evening activities.

Dates: 20-23 January Cost: $1100 Website: www. jacksonhole.com/info/ski. ac.womenboardcamp.asp

Roxy and SurfGirl Surf Maroc Girls Week SurfGirl has joined forces with Surf Maroc and Roxy for an exclusive Roxy Surf Maroc Girls Week at their

morocco.

The Animal Snowcamp 2010 Animal Snowcamps are offering a 10-day trip to Japan in February as well as three week-long trips to Austria throughout March. Ride in the powder paradise of Niseko on Japan’s Northern Island, Hokkaido, in the company of Animal pro Johno Verity. Soft powder landings mean bigger jumps than you’ve tried before and grin-inducing fresh lines! The 10-day trip includes tips and training, video analysis, CAA Avalanche training certification, visit to an Onsen (hot spa), trip to the Toyota Big Air comp and two nights in Tokyo!

Dates: Japan 9-20 February. Austria 27 February – 6 March 6-13 March 13-20 March.

Cost: Japan £1190 + flights; Austria £720 + flights.

Check out: www.animalsnowcamp.com.

amazing beach side villa in waaay back when and Taghazout, Morocco. It’s an the best damn holiday/ indulgent week of radiant sunshine, perfect warm water waves, bespoke all girls surf coaching

by BSA instructors and Roxy team riders and a revitalising yoga session each day, massage available the algarve, portugal. and delicious food.

Dates: 25 January – 1 February, 24 surf break you’ll have! The February – 3 March, 21-28 south of Portugal boasts March, 12-19 April, 3-10 some of the best all-round May. conditions in Europe.

Cost: £475 Mix this with some of the Website: www.surfgirlmag. best eating on the planet, com flexible beach locations plus The Surf Experience, dawnies or lates whenever Portugal needed. Whether learning or The original surf tour and improving this is the perfect school set-up. company Dates: Your choice founded on Cost: £322 for one week love and Website: www. tenderness surfexperience.com

ricardo bravo

Snow Festival

Free Ride Film Festival

dale adams

Events

l r i G f r Su s y a d i l Ho

Get away for warm waves and plenty of sunshine at our friendly girls-only surf camp weeks.

Northern Spain Morocco Fuerteventura www.surfgirlmag.com

Bring out your inner rebel and feel free to express yourself, attitude rules!

Photographs by KIRSTIN PRISK kirstinprisk.co.uk Styling by ANNA GRONLUND gronlund.co.uk Make up by SUZI WINTER suziwinter.co.uk Model JODIE CRANGLE 074 SURFGIRL

This page: Tomorrow Jacket Quiksilver Woman £100 Band Hoody Oakley £39.99 Leather Fingerless Gloves Sohos.co.uk £5.50 Opposite: Connie Shirt Billabong £50.00 Crew Neck Tee Vans £20 Suomi Jeans Rip Curl £65 Studded Belt Vans £25 Twin Strap Bobdage Shoes Drooth.com £44.99 SURFGIRL 075

Truffles Styled Tee Gul £25 Dandy Fleece Rip Curl £60 Lumber Earflap Oakley £24.99

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McBeth Dress Kuccia £35 Chic Skull Purse Vans £35

Break It Up Dress Quiksilver Woman £80 Omi Leggings Billabong £24 Christy Combo Scarf With Matching Gloves Billabong £38 Twin Strap Bobdage Shoes Drooth.com £44.99

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This page: Lisa Pullover O’Neill £119 Robyn Shirt O’Neill £49.99 Badges from Sohos.co.uk Opposite: Nona Jacket Billabong £100 Lambay Shirt Animal £34.99 Cancun Fancy Animal £29.99 Arapa bean Animal £14.99 Leather fingerless gloves Sohos.co.uk £5.50 Badges from Sohos.co.uk 078 SURFGIRL

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ANIMAL: 0870 2646264 - BILLABONG: 02392 465577 - DROOTH: 01202 749440 - GUL: 01208 262400 - KUCCIA: 07862 285517 - OAKLEY: 01462 475475 O’NEILL: 01243 673666 - QUIKSILVER WOMAN: 020 74935900 - RIP CURL: 0800 0284859 - SOHO'S: 0845 3703773 - VANS: 00800 82677625

crew: south africa

meet the j-bay girls Photo Lucia Griggi.

South Africa has a coastline of over 2,500 kilometres and offers cold snow mountains and warm water barrels. The jewel in South Africa’s crown is Jeffreys Bay. Meet the girls from the hood.

Sharawarah Pronounced ‘shar-far’. She’s the one with the electric smile, bubbly personality and big afro. Passionate about life and surfing and always keeps us all laughing in the water.

Margreet or Margreekels She’s our Dutch midwife, to be found

catching big waves on her longboard when she’s not catching babies or running around like a headless chicken at her clinic. She’s fearless and has a heart of gold.

following them around, but not too closely, as their surfer dad Alistair is always nearby. You’ll find them ripping it up at the point just around the corner from where they live.

Emma and Gina (seated) The surfing sistas. These two always have a whole entourage of hot groms

Ruby Rose Also known as Ruby Roo, she is only two but has had her fair share of

waves while mom (Mandy) surfed with her in her belly.

Mandy Mandz is mom to two little tots and always looking for a babysitter so she can go surfing. She’s a musician and is passionate about her surfing. You’ll find her giving the boys a run for their

money at Supertubes or catching too many waves at the Point.

Lindi Linds is the fit one. When she’s not out running a marathon or something crazy like that, she can be found stroking into a wave on her longboard at the Point.

Zoe Cheeky in a cute way, an eager little beaver full of fun and with sisters like Emma and Gina, she’s bound to kick some surfing butt in the near future.

Micaela Mix is the oldest daughter of J-Bay legend shaper Des Saywer. Micaela

is an artist and always loves a good challenge. She rides her Sector 9 skateboard with style and grace. She’s fun, adventurous and full of smiles.

date with the latest surfer girl fashion trends. Occasionally she’ll go for a fun surf with dad and ripping little bro Stevie.

Daniela Danni is Micaela’s sister. She’s the model who loves to party. She’s fun and hip and always keeps us all up to

– Lucia Griggi

j-bay

where to surf, eat, drink and party in…

Photos Lucia Griggi. Words Lucia Griggi/Kat Dawes.

j-bay perfection.

Where to Surf Jeffreys Bay is world-renowned for the perfect righthand pointbreak out the front. There are waves all year round but the best waves are ridden during June and July, which is their winter season.

First up as you come into town, Boneyards has a fast wall that barrels in varying sections towards the main take-off zone at Supertubes. You can go left and right. Picks up more swell than Supers; definitely not for beginners.

Supertubes is a righthand pointbreak with a rock bottom, for advanced surfers only and one of the best rights in the world. It gets pretty crowded when there is swell, so a lot of patience and politeness is required. On a good day you can get a run all the way from Supertubes to Impossibles, with numerous barrel sections. Sections on smaller days. Best in a southwest swell or west wind. Through Supers and past Impossibles you might have more chance of a quiet wave.

Tubes is a punchy fast-breaking lefts and rights over a shallow reef around the corner from Supers in front of the Beach Hotel; for advanced surfers. The Point is a fun righthand pointbreak, also breaking over reef, good for intermediate surfers, popular with longboarders and with a less competitive atmosphere.

Kitchen Windows, so called because the guy who named it could see it from his kitchen window, breaks left and right over a rocky bottom and is playful and mellow; beginners are welcome. Albatross is the last break before you run out of 082 SURFGIRL

ocean, a smaller and mellower version of the Point.

From there, grab your mates, hire car and a guidebook and you can keep going for a good long while!

Other Activities There is a beautiful waterfall just outside of town which the locals head to — it has a zipline and you can also slide down the waterfall on your bum when there is enough water flowing!

There is a dive school in J-Bay and you can also go sandboarding, horse riding, bungee jumping or any and all of the watersports ever invented; there is also the opportunity to cage dive with sharks! The nearby Noorsekloof nature reserve has a hiking trail of between three and seven kilometres and you’re bound to see some amazing bird and animal life. Dolphin and whale watching opportunities are plentiful.

If you‘re going to SA, you have to go on safari. The game parks and nature reserves are vast and incredibly beautiful; two of the best are the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the Kruger National Park.

You can do everything from a one-day safari, to a camping trip, to a luxury cabin for two weeks…

Where to Stay J-Bay has a choice of everything from hotels to backpacker hostels. Try the Island Vibe beachside backpackers for rooms and campsite with ocean views from R70 per person per night (about £5.50) or R350 for a room. The

three-star Savoy Hotel offers rooms from R250 and is 100 metres from the beach. At the top end of the scale, the Fijnbosch Game Lodge & Spa costs from R400 a night (about £30).

Nightlife Everybody goes to the Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar. It’s the vibiest place in J-Bay. A cocktail will cost you anything from about R30 to R150.

Useful websites www.wavescape.co.za – all the surfing news and goss zigzag.co.za – surf mag website www.swg.co.za – girls surfing magazine www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za – governing body www.5fm.co.za – events, gigs and music www.jeffreysbaytourism.org – vast amounts of info

Food 3FatFish is the restaurant to eat at. They offer anything from delicious seafood to juicy steaks, sushi and the best pizza in town.

A meal out including your drinks and desserts will cost you anything from R150 to R250 per person and it will be worth it.

If you’re self-catering, fruit and veggies are cheap, and the choice of fish and seafood is incredible. If you get a chance go to a local braii (barbecue), try boerewors — sausage made of beef and mutton. Biltong, cured strips of meat (all sorts of meat) is a local delicacy. As for drinks, Banks and Windhoek beers are world class, and the Cape wines are excellent value. Or you can try the local firewater — homemade fruit brandy called mampoer or witblits.

Hazards There have been about three minor shark attacks in the last 15 years. It’s not common to spot a shark in these waters as there are plenty of fish for them to feed on. Surfing early morning or late evening, near seal colonies, in muddy water or near rivermouths should be avoided, and don’t bleed into the water! Mind out for crocs and hippos too!

Crime can be a problem but if you follow all the necessary precautions and stay aware, you’ll be fine. You should travel around in daylight. Localism can be a problem at crowded spots like Supers; show proper surfing etiquette and you’ll be fine.

A Few Possibly Useful Facts About South Africa • In 1991, South Africa became the first country in the world to protect the Great White shark. Eek! • South Africa has the oldest meteor scar in the world, at the Vredefort Dome near Parys. The scar is 2 billion years old.

• South Africa is the first, and to date the only, country to build nuclear weapons and then voluntarily dismantle its entire nuclear weapons programme. Nice one!

• Afrikaans is the youngest official language in the world.

• South African Breweries (SABMiller) ranks as the second largest brewing company in the world. It supplies up to 50 percent of China’s beer. Don’t send it all away now!

wct surfer rosy hodge is south africa’s shining light.

How to Get There Flights to Durban start from £570 from London; the drive from Durban to Port Elizabeth and J-Bay is around 12 hours.

Getting Around The cheapest and best way is to hire a car for your group at about £70 a week; fuel is cheaper than the UK (as it is pretty much everywhere!). And bonus, they drive on the left!

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mike searle

winter tips: staying warm

snug as a bug As you drag your winter wettie, boots, gloves, hat, thermal rashie, hot water bottle, Thermos flask and handwarmers out of their summer storage and prepare to do battle with the winter storms, remember that there’s more to optimum surf warmth than just all that neoprene.

SurfGirl and the pros show you how to keep warm in the surf this winter.

Words Kat Dawes

Before Have everything ready and as clean and dry as possible…simple advice which often proves hard to follow. Make sure everything fits properly, and patch up any holes as soon as they appear.

If you can’t bear that wet wetsuit, dunk it in a bucket of hot (not too hot) water beforehand and bag it up. Drive to the surf with your stereo on full, heaters full blast and a warm mug (or metal bottle) of tea in your hands. Check it quick and don’t give yourself time to chicken out by standing about in the cold listening to old people 084 SURFGIRL

tutting at your madness.

If you can drive or walk to the beach in your suit, get changed at home, as wind-chill is hideous. Inside or outside, pull your gear on as quickly as you can. If your suit is wet, make sure your swimmers and rashy are at least dry – a cold wedge of neoprene on those most sensitive areas will have you making monkey noises of pain.

nice, but when you bring them out…you only feel colder. Keep your hood on unless it really is that warm; you’ll be protecting your ears from surfer’s ear if nothing else. Bomb sets on the head will also make you wish you’d just worn it and stuff the ugly/deaf factor. Peeing in your suit is a timehonoured tradition, but it’s up to you (you need to be the dedicated suit-cleaning kind to do this!).

During

After

Paddle around. Don’t sit there doing nothing or you’ll feel yourself beginning to stiffen up.

Tucking your hands under your armpits feels

Run back up the beach if you can possibly manage it! You can start the engine and get the heaters going again now. Stuffing a quick

snack in your face or a gulp of tea can also bring the smile back.

It’s almost impossible to get totally dry with the quick rubbing you can bear to give yourself with your towel while standing outside getting changed! So take a tip from the snow bunnies and pull on a synthetic base layer first – granny-style thermal vests and longjohns will warm you up and wick away residual moisture. Then pile on a fleece, hat, some lovely fleecy boots and anything else you can get your hands on.

Jump up and down a few times to get the blood back to feet and hands.

Alternatively, if you’re not far from home, whip off your gear down to rashy and swimsuit (or whatever you wear), stick a towel around yourself and put a bin-bag on your seat to drive home. Then just jump straight in the shower. The problem with this is that once you’re warm and cosy, it’s hard to go get all your stinking gear and wash, dry and hang it properly. Do it, it’s worth it for when the cycle begins all over again!

tips

Candice O’Donnell, Newquay Before: Eating a bowl of hot oats always does the trick. Pre-make a hotwater bottle and another separate bottle filled with hot water ready for when you exit your iceberg session. During, I know that a lot of people like to pee in their wetsuits to keep warm…I don’t recommend this for hygiene purposes, but if you have to go you have to go! After: This is where your pre-made hotwater bottle and hot water come in to action. Hot water to be opened and poured over hands and feet and hotwater bottle to be places around your freezing cold kidneys on the drive home.

Tassy Swallow, St Ives To stay warm after a surf in the winter I bust out my trackie b’s and a hot pasty… (chicken, broccoli and sweetcorn).

Gwen Spurlock, Swansea Staying warm before going surfing is pretty easy, either keep inside or layer up with t-shirts, jumpers and coats.

Make sure your feet are super warm as well. My feet and hands get affected most in the surf in winter. It’s important that they are warm before you go in otherwise you have no chance of staying in the sea for very long. Ugg boots or woolly boots are perfect for post-surf as well. Before going in the sea maybe go for a little run and do some tuck jumps because it gets the blood pumping around the body. I personally swing my arms around in the sea when I feel like I’m getting cold because this helps the blood get to my hands. When getting home, get in the shower but make sure the water isn’t too hot.

The contrast to your skin temperature can be big and you don’t want to get scalded!

Kathleen Spears, Croyde Best method of staying warm…book a six month adventure to Hawaii, Australia and Indo! Yey! Apart from that, Ugg boots, coffee, built-in wetsuit hood and some seriously good knitwear!

Stay paddle-fit with a bungee workout Lee Stanbury

Winter’s pretty much here and – for most of us – the darkness means spending less time in the water. Stay paddle-fit and ready for that magical morning when it’s pumping AND daylight with the Power Stroke bungee.

Whatever your excuse – ‘I have to work till 5; my 5/3’s two seasons old’ – the reality is that winter means surfing less and consequently losing some surf fitness. The irony is that when it’s on, it tends to be properly on, and you’ve got jelly arms after your first five duck-dives.

Keeping paddle fit is tough. It’s hard to simulate paddling without, well, paddling. A Power Stroke bungee gets pretty close though, and slotted into an exercise regime will increase your paddling power.

How does it work?

‘Resistance bands’ have been around for years and play a major role in many general fitness programmes. The beauty of them is that you can set your own agenda and push yourself as hard as you want, and you can use them pretty much anywhere.

The Power Stroke bungee targets all the major muscle groups used in upper body surf movements and in paddling: triceps, deltoids and lats. It improves muscle strength and endurance, and also develops mobility and range of movement. Having attached your bungee to something secure, there are three main exercise movements that you can have a crack at: Multi-Directional Paddle.

Let your elbows come out and ‘push down’ as you move over the stroke; imagine you’re powering toward a bombieset (but keep your movements steady!). This works the whole spectrum of paddling muscles and is the closest you’ll get to paddling out in your living room. Start off with one minute sets and build up duration and intensity as you improve and become fitter.

Single-Armed Paddle.

Still moving forward and back, alternate your arm movements: try to imagine you’re a cross-country skier (but cooler). Again, this is great for general mobility, for strengthening your shoulder and back muscles, and also for co-ordinating your arm movements when paddling.

Parallel Arms.

Keeping your arms moving together, this is a great way to warm up and get into a rhythm. Keep your head down and move your arms through the full range of movement, from right out in front of you all the way through to behind your back. This exercise keeps your shoulderblades mobile and helps to develop your back muscles.

Lee Stanbury is a qualified fitness trainer; go to fit2surf.co.uk for more fitness tips. The Power Strokes are £29.95 and available from www.orcashop.co.uk

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srtyle: on the slopes

let it snow , let it snow, let it snow!

The snow’s falling so what are you waiting for? Get out there and shimmy and shake your stuff in some fresh new gear.

Stylist Anna Gronlund Photos Mike Searle.

Addiction Jacket Nikita £99.00 Ava Insulated Ski Pants Vans £150 Veil Snow Boots Vans £220.00 Ollie Pop Snowboard Roxy £345.00

Christy Beanie Billabong £17.99 Neleane Vest Billabong £64.99 Chacha Scarf Billabong £37.99 Malu Long Sleeve Top O’Neill £29.99 Golden Door Multi-Coloured Ski Pants Roxy £125.00 086 SURFGIRL

Shooting Star Knitted Hat Roxy £20 Cecile Jacket Animal £159.99 Matsuri Pant Rip Curl £110 VIK Goggle Rip Curl £50 Sky Line Boots Art £140

Letterman Beanie Vans £15 Wollastonite Jacket O’Neill £129.99 Overdrive Pant Rip Curl £160

ANIMAL: 0870 2646264 • ART: 07769694463 • BILLABONG: 02392 465577 GUL: 01208 262400 • NIKITA: www.nikitaclothing.com • O’NEILL: 01243 673666 RIP CURL: 0800 0284859 • ROXY: 0207 8417040 • VANS: 00800 82677625 SURFGIRL 087

eco: going green

sea change How green is your wave? Shannon Denny offers ten top tips for a more eco ride.

stu norton

1

Bruce Brown has a lot to answer for; his 1964 classic The Endless Summer practically invented the concept of surf travel, and boardriders ever since have yearned to join the jet-set. If you’re lucky enough to fly to far-flung waters this year, reduce the damage of your air travel by buying carbon offsets when you book; try www. carbonfootprint.com.

2

Wax on, wax off – or so a wise man once said. The truth is, wax has a way of working itself off your board and into the water, where it can harm critters who make

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3

As quiver-carriers go, a vehicle with four wheels is hard to beat, and sometimes there’s no better way to scout the best break on the day than by car.

So if you must drive be efficient about it. Consult maps and guidebooks beforehand to minimise wrong turns. The latest Wavefinder guide is great, and how’s this for a tree-friendly feature: you can buy chapters online as PDFs then print only the pages you need at www.wave-finder.com.

Coralreefprotectionprojects.

4

Coral is a handy little organism, producing peeling rights and spitting tubes from Costa Rica to Bali. But scientists say there’s a link between dying coral reefs and the 6,000 tons of sunscreen that slides off our skin annually. To play it safe, use plant and mineral-based rather petroleum-derived products, and rely on physical barriers that reflect UV rays instead of chemical ones that work by absorbing radiation. Active ingredients zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are the ones you want – try Trevarno’s SPF15 Elements Balm – it combats anti-chafing too (£10, www.trevarnoskincare.co.uk) or Lavera’s waterproof SPF20 Sun Spray (£8.70, www. lavera.co.uk).

5

For a dainty environmental footprint, use your own locomotion whenever you can.

Besides, the key to better surfing is not that little sliver of metal that fits in your car’s

ignition. If you want to rip harder, then drive less, and run, skate and cycle more. Give Lush’s Samba skate a whirl; it’s the ideal choice for a longboard that behaves like a surfboard – www.lushlongboards. com.

6

To dress for the planet’s success, go green in the water. Xcel’s latest Infiniti and Drylock suits feature earth-friendly lining made from bamboo charcoal that’s been fused with recycled fibres.

Gul’s Recore ECO wetsuits use recycled polyester, bamboo and solvent-free lamination, while Rip Curl Planet swimsuits are made from recycled polyester.

7

If you’re literally sick and tired of dodging chemical pollutants and plastic, then join the efforts of Surfers Against Sewage (www.sas.org.uk) or Surfrider Foundation (www.surfrider.com). “The effort to secure healthy coastal water quality comes down to one thing: the individual,” says Surfrider Foundation’s Matt McClain. “The choices we make as individuals are what make the biggest impact on coastal water quality.” Take action through membership, events, fundraising and campaigns.

sas

Jetsetandislandhopping.

the ocean their home. Opt for biodegradable, petroleum-free and non-toxic versions; ecofriendly sticks are wearing Magma (£1.50, www. aldersportswear.co.uk) or Matunas organic surf wax (www.sas.org.uk).

photo courtsey rip curl

You may have noticed swell fanatics seem more concerned about the environment than non-surfers. Why? “Because we are immersed in nature,” says Animal team rider Easkey Britton, who holds four Irish National Championships, not to mention a brand-new honours degree in environmental science. “It’s the heightened awareness of the ocean’s moods and seasons and how that effects us that makes us take more notice,” she continues. “We’re also much more exposed to the damage we cause as humans. I’ve gotten sick from pollution and untreated waste at some of my favourite surf breaks. We see dolphins and sea life washed ashore tangled in gill nets or suffocated from plastic bags. So the harmful impacts on the environment aren’t abstract to us, they’re real because we experience them first hand.”

The irony is that pursuing a passion for waves has a carbon footprint implication. What’s a girl to do? You can start by following these tips for countering climate change as you search out swells…

Join an SAS beach clean!

8

Good gear does not belong in the landfill. Modern surfboards and wetsuits are built to last, not break down, so if you’ve got old kit, sell it or give it away.

Post your pre-loved booty on Secondhandboards.

com or Rerip.com, and donate old wetsuits to Rip Curl’s Project Resurrection, which sees old neoprene reborn as sandals.

9

Kate Czuczman

For landlocked surfers planning a domestic getaway, incorporate a ride-sharing scheme into your exit strategy. Groups like the London Surf Club offer online forums to co-ordinate drivers and riders, while the Big Friday bus ferries city surfers to breaks on a weekly basis. Find out more at www.bigfriday.com.

Big Friday...

10

The pure pursuit of surfing has a seriously ugly underside.

Until recently, most boards contained polyester resin, toluene, polyurethane and polystyrene – a cocktail of toxic nonbiodegradable fossil-fuel nasties that release huge amounts of CO2 during production. But there is hope on the horizon in the form of plant-derived foam blanks, epoxy and linseed oil resins, recyclable EPS foam cores and bamboo.

Check out boards from The Eden Project, Tiki and Firewire, and if you add OAM’s new 100 percent recycled traction pad and Green Flex fins by FCS, then you’ll be walking on reclaimed bits of shoes, sandals and carpet fibres whenever you walk on waves.

clean and

green, naturally.

We all appreciate beautiful clear waters and healthy marine life. However, if you’re not using cleaning products that are phosphate-free and with reduced toxicity, you are contributing to the pollution of our seas and waterways.

Choose carefully though – not all green products are everything they seem.

Graeme Hume, the UK distributor of eco-friendly cleaning products Alma Win, has created this list of what to look out for: • Avoid products which contain phosphates, chlorine and petrochemicals as these substances can be deadly for aquatic life.

• To help identify which products really are natural, look out for an organic certification such as ECO Garantie or Soil Association.

• Choose concentrated products.

• Be kind to your skin – the chemicals in most cleaning products can lead to serious damage over time including mild burns and giving your hands a dry and wrinkly appearance.

• Choose a brand which does not test on animals or marine life.

• Demand 100 percent biodegradability. The minimum legal level of biodegradability for cleaning products is very low; many products claiming biodegradability will still cause substantial water pollution.

Alma Win’s wide range consists of over 15 products including washing up liquid, household cleaner, toilet cleaner and washing powder. Unlike most other natural brands, Alma Win declares all its ingredients and ensures full label transparency so you can be certain of what you’re responsible for putting in the water. They are fully biodegradable, suitable for vegans, concentrated, contain no GMOs, are organic and dermatologically tested. Alma Win products are available to purchase online at www. almawin.co.uk and from good health food stores, organic shops and selected garden centres.

Surfers Against Sewage 2009

TikiSuperbug...agreenboard.

It’s an exciting time for the UK’s leading clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage. Now approaching their 20th anniversary, their unstoppable campaign success has reached a new level this year with the launch of their Protect Our Waves campaign. POW aims to protect surf spots from environmental damage, negative impacts on wave quality and to safeguard waveriders’ rights of access. Thanks to POW, slabs like Broadbench are up for protection and they are already establishing projects to protect some of the sickest low tide reefs the country has to offer.

On top of that, SAS have just taken on a network of 20 regional reps who will be supporting the work of SAS around the country, organising events and actions for you to get involved with and acting as point of contact in your area. SAS are on Facebook or see www.sas.org.uk for all these campaign details and more.

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Subscribe to SurfGirl and get five fab issues, a fresh new SurfGirl vest and sticker and a pair of the coolest Skullcandy earbuds, all for £19.99 * While stocks last.

These Skullcandy Riot Buds (worth £20) leave other earbuds in the dirt. They’re sound isolating while delivering the range found in full-size headphones.

Lighter and more durable than most, the Riot Buds are a snug fit and they’re light on your battery.

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Kuccia Party Dress Love to rock a frock? Kuccia have loads of easy styles perfect for the festive season. Find your nearest stockist at www.kuccia.com.

christmas gifts Welcome to SurfGirl’s Christmas Grotto where you’ll find plenty of great ideas for Christmas Day! (And not a bubble bath gift pack in sight!)

Peeler Beanies

Rip Curl Dress

Winter’s arrived and what better way to keep the heat in than with a beanie from Peeler's re-knit range. Their beanies are 100% recycled and made by transforming pre-loved jumpers and cardi's into super comfy, cosy hats.

Ahhh...! The beanies come in two styles - regular £14.99, or oversized £16.99. Available from peelersurf.co.uk

A lovely Christmassy dress.

The Patchwork Dress by Rip Curl. £70 www.ripcurl.com

u o y r o f t Jus Fat Face Velvet Clip Clutch

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stma

This gorgeous clip clutch bag from Fat Face is an essential item for this winter. Made from luxurious lilac velvet and teamed with crimson flower detailing, this bag is just perfect for the festive season. And at just £20 it’s an absolute steal!! www.fatface.com

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Etnies Jacket

To beat the chill this winter, grab the Remm jacket. This cotton flannel jacket comes in a cool plaid, features a sleek fit and chunky collars and cuffs to help keep the cold out. £75 www. etnies.com Tel: 08707 503100

Vans Scarf set Comfy knit beanie, scarf and mittens - £20 each item www.vans.com

Violate Clothing Billabong Fleece

Brighten up winter with a quilted padded fleece by Billabong.

RRP: £95 www.billabong.com

Solid new label Violate Clothing’s stylin’ new collection of garments features the ‘Vandela’, with and full colour skull print with watercolour detailing: it’s a legendary tee… www.violateclothing. com Promo Code: surfgirlbaby = 30% off Vandela.

Don’t say we never do anything for you…

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Littlemissboutique Trinket Boxes

How cute are these cherry cupcake trinket boxes? Covered in icing and topped off with diamante sprinkles, they look almost good enough to eat! RRP: 22.95 Avaliable from www. littlemissboutique.co.uk

Fistral Spa

This is the ultimate pampering package!

Ease the aches of surfing with a Roxy treatment at Fistral Spa, Newquay. Including a deeply relaxing massage, this treatment with leave any surfer girl with a healthy glow – a perfect Christmas gift! 50 minutes, £50. See www.newquayhotels.co.uk/fistralSpa Tel: 01637 852 221.

Zuma Jay Surf Shop Can Am S Watch

The Animal Can Am S with its one piece chunky leather strap comes in white, black or lime green; its rock styling will definitely make you stand out from the crowd! £49.99. Available from www.zumajay.co.uk Tel: 01288 354956.

It’styale thing lifes Nalu Beads Beach Break Collections

Make a surf girl happy with a collection of Nalu beads this Christmas. The ever-increasing Beach Break collections have been designed to literally grow on you! Your favourite spot can be part of your growing collection as you visit new shores and travel the globe. £9.95 each, www.nalubeads.com.

Skullcandy Headphones

The Agent headphone features hi-fidelity sound and a contour so sleek it’s virtually undetectable by enemy radar.

RRP: £49.99 www.inthe-shade.com Tel: 01792484905

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Orcashop Vouchers

Can’t decide what to buy?

Then give your loved ones some vouchers to spend at the Orcashop. www.orcashop.co.uk

Slut Men’s Boxers

What better way to show your affection this Christmas than to treat your loved one to a pair of original designer boxers, from legendary Cornish fashion and debauchery outfit SLUT. £18 a pair, £30 for a giftset.

Buy online at slut.co.uk includes free P&P.

Rip Curl ESF Surf School Gift Vouchers Every surfer wants to be Stephanie Gilmore, so obviously the first step is to improve your surfing! These lessons are geared towards any ability of surfer. Or give coasteering a go, it’s the ultimate flatday fun. Presentation vouchers in giftcards from £30. Check www.ripcurlesfsurfschool.

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The Surfing Tribe

Lots of fantastic photos and stories. £24.99. Available from orcasurf.co.uk

The gift guide is also available on-line at www.surfgirlmag.com

O’Neill Wetsuit Boots

NEW Surftech Channel Islands – The Biscuit

Three new boots in the Psycho winter ’09 boot line reflects the expertly designed features and attention to detail you have come to expect from O’Neill.

The introduction of the new PsychoFreak Split toe boot to the O’Neill range, including its UltraFlex XDS Air Firewall and new Deep Split Toe for improved balance, makes this the best boot line to date. The PsychoFreak Split Toe Boot RRP: 5.5mm: £45.00, 3.5mm: £40.00.

The Psycho Split Toe Boot RRP: 4/3mm: £40.00, 3/2mm: £35.00 Web: www. oneill.com Tel: 01730 811460 Email: wetsuits.eu@ oneillwetsuits.com

A short and stubby tri-fin, the Biscuit rides free and easy in the smallest surf. Being a Surftech, the board is super light and responsive. On general release 2010, but main Surftech dealers have limited stock available for Christmas. Check www. surftech.com

Zuma Jay Surf Shop Performance Fish

The Zuma Jay performance fish is shaped by Dave Farrow. Its drawn-out shape and full tail make easy to catch waves and super-responsive. Available in several sizes and designs.

Demos available: www.zumajay. co.uk Tel: 01288 354956.

Roxy Snowboard

Play hard!

• Merr y

Christ

Roxy’s pro model snowboard, designed with world class snowboarder Torah Bright. 10% of the money from each board sold goes to UNICEF. The Eminence, RRP: £470 www.roxy.com

mas •

Future Fins

Upgrade your fins and take your surfing up a new level.

It’s scientifically proven: high performance fins can revolutionise your surfing. For more details go to www.surftech.com.

Freestyle watches Shark Classic

Rock out with your clock out.

Freestyle’s Shark Classic offers a functional retro watch available in a variety of colours. RRP: £45. Email: info@actionsportsdist.co.uk

Bilbo Surf Shop Goodies

Bilbo has an awesome range of surf and snow gear and is a veritable surfer’s grotto this Christmas. How about Farking Deckgrip (keep your feet firmly on your stick), Ding All Board repair kits, or the full range of Lib-Tech Snowboards – with the latest ‘banana’ technology.

Fill ya stockings. Web: www.bilbosurfshop.com Tel: 01637879033 Email: sales@bilbosurfshop.com

Resin8 Surfboards

This Christmas get yourself a 6'4" x 18 ½" x 2¼" pin-tail Tokoro. It’s handshaped, hand-glassed, ultra-strong, flexy, pro-surfer proven and shaped by world class shaper Wade Tokoro. It’s the ideal travel board. RRP: £570 www. resin8.com.au SURFGIRL 093

Roxy Jam Watch

A fashionable Roxy watch with gorgeous detailing. The strap is durable and complements the easy to read face perfectly. Plus it’s made from recyclable elements so it’s kinder to the environment. £55 Tel: 01392 877641 Email: liamestacade@quiksilver-tech.com.

Icon charm bracelet

A charming wax cord charm bracelet by Icon. £12 www.orcasurf.co.uk

Treat yourself • Merry Ch ristmas

Icon hair wrap

Funky your hair up with this cool hair wrap adorned with charms. £15 www.orcashop.co.uk

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etnies Snap

The cosy sherpa-lined Snap boots are perfect for keeping you warm throughout the frosty winter. RRP: £65. Web: www.etnies.com Tel: 08707503100

Surfers Against Sewage mug

Olivia Cassells

A funky picture for brightening up your home. By Olivia Cassells, £25 at www.oliviacassells.co.uk

Made from recycled plastic, these mugs feature the SAS watersports warriors. Great for the beach, and perfect for that post Februarydawnie hot chocolate! RRP: £5 www.sas-org.co.uk

Anns Cottage Surf Shop Icon scarf

Soft and pretty, knitted striped scarf by Icon. £16 from www.orcashop.co.uk 094 SURFGIRL

Surf DVDs

Get them for your boyfriend/husband/son or even better, for yourself, even if it’s just for the eye candy! £21.95 www.orcashop.co.uk

Beautifully designed regular length boot constructed from genuine sheepskin with delicate Animal branding.

Available in two leather colors at £79.99 from www. annscottagesurf.co.uk

The gift guide is also available on-line at www.surfgirlmag.com

the art of love 2009 Wedding galleries online now

Romantic. Personal. Creative. Passionate. Stylish. Beautiful.

Kirstin Prisk Wedding Photography Please visit my website for more

Call 07881 817 275 www.kirstinprisk.co.uk

gwen scoops ukpst title

photos: lucia griggi

happenings Welsh surfer Gwen Spurlock became overall Women’s Open Champion on the UK Pro Surf Tour over the weekend of the Animal Newquay Pro, 14-15 November.

nicole broke her board in the chunky conditions.

gwen estatic with her win.

Jo, Nicole, Lucia and sophie larking about at the post awards party.

Coming back in style after a serious head injury, Gwen has also taken home the Welsh Junior and British Junior title this year. Stormy conditions meant the event was moved from Fistral to Towan beach on day one, returning to Fistral on Sunday where a challenging chunky six-foot swell and a strong cross-shore south-westerly winds tested the competitors. The event was won by Gabi Rowe who also competes in the under 16 Girls division defeated the best female surfers from the UK to win this prestigious event.

But Gabi’s win was not enough to take the overall title from Gwen Spurlock, who won with thirty points to spare. The end of tour awards ceremony held at Fistral Blu was a great evening celebrating the achievements of the cream of the UK surf talent. Dave Reed the tour's organiser commented “It has been a great year for the girls; the level of surfing has gone up a gear. We are now all looking forward to next year’s tour”.

ground swell takes off Earlier this year a cool new project called Ground Swell, a non-profit making foundation was launched, aimed at giving young surfers in Britain a helping hand. SurfGirl had a chat with one of the founders, Chris Thomson, to find out more.

What are the aims of Ground Swell?

Our aims are to provide fresh opportunities for young people in surfing, regardless of financial, social and cultural background. This can be anything from help with setting up in business, funded overseas coaching trips, free advanced contest surf coaching, video-editing courses, CV-building, free training as lifeguards and coaches and so much more.

Tell us about some of your projects.

Since the start of the year we have run a number of free advanced coaching sessions with top pro surfer Micah Lester, run all-girls youth trips to Spain, trained people to become surf coaches and beach lifeguards, had video editing workshops in Plymouth for the guys and girls to edit their own surf DVDs and a trip over to France. We currently have a six week Surf Media course running, where a dozen people with an interest in photography and video can use the Ground Swell room, equipped with four computers and all the latest software and equipment.

How do people join Ground Swell?

Easy, it costs nothing and you can join us on Facebook, or better still on our own Ground Swell network which is at www.ground-swell.co.uk. The only thing we ask of our members is that they bring some great ideas and dreams to the table! for more happenings news, go to www.surfgirlmag.com

team result at european championships The Protest ESF surfing team finished an impressive fourth at the European Championships held at St Ouens Bay in Jersey, 26 September – 3 October, in challenging conditions. Sarah Beardmore finished fourth in the women’s event, helping secure the team a very respectable fourth place finish overall behind France, Spain and Portugal.

volkswagen british national surfing championships The event was run at Fistral in October, with beautiful weather and two- to four-foot waves and attracted over 100 competitors.

Sarah Beardmore won the Women’s title, pushed all the way by Swansea’s Beth Mason in an enthralling final in which Jo Dennison, also from Wales, and Bundoran‘s Nicole Morgan also shone.

Little Miss Boutique

Gorgeous gifts for girls www.littlemissboutique.co.uk

stu norton

Next issue

Wherever your path takes you this winter, enjoy the experience.

– SurfGirl’s back at Easter.

26

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