Well, where to start?? The last NOMB Surftrip blew our minds.. Over and over again.. Let´s see what head surfcoach Angie has to say about the 14 days in incredible Ghana..
´It doesn´t happen often that I am lost for words but right now I am struggling to put the past weeks surfing in Ghana into words.Maybe because with my heart and soul I am still at this little beach called Busua Beach in Southwest Ghana.
A couple of years ago NOMB Surfer Annette send me a photo of her surfing right there in Busua with the text: maybe a NOMB Surftrip destination?? And believe it or not, 2 years later Annette, myself and another 2 crazy NOMB Surfladies (Kiki & Tina) met at Accra International Airport – ready to go surfing. This was the first ever all-girls NOMB trip and to be honest, I was a little bit worried about how it would turn out. Turned out that I could not have asked for cooler chicas to join me on this African adventure, the group dynamic was amazing and trust me, there were loooooads of giggles involved 😉
After a night in Accra we made our way to our homebase: Busua Beach, a small town right on the beach. Traffic is always unpredictable (and exciting) in Ghana but the 6+hrs drive was worth it when we arrived at Ahanta Waves Eco-Lodge, our home for the next two weeks. Who wouldn´t want to wake up here??
Right behind the trees, crossing a little creek, passing the fishermen and their boats, there´s a nice beachbreak which works on most days. It can actually handle quite some size, too. That´s where we surfed the first couple of days, to get used to the boards and the energy of Ghana´s waves. We were super lucky to have local guide (and probably Ghana´s best surfer) Michael ´Ballack´ Blackboy joining us on our surfcoaching sessions.
After a couple of days Ballack thought we were ready to go and surf a nearby pointbreak. Nearby means a 20min walk through the jungle and the next small town. Twenty minutes can be pretty long when humidity and the outside temperature are extremely high. But we all took it with good spirits, serious board-carrying-sharing involved.
The next few days were spend surfing in and around Busua. But surfing wasn´t all we did. The people of Busua are so super friendly and welcomed us with open arms. A stroll into town would always take quite a while, stopping every few minutes for a nice chat, tea & cakes at the local coffee shop or a pitstop at Emmanuell´s, our favourite shopkeeper.
Busua´s young locals are a bunch of great people, motivated to make their community a better place. Like the guys from B.B.C.C. (Busua Beach Community Caretakers) for example. They meet every Wednesday and Saturday to clean up the streets and the beach of Busua. They are on their way to become a totally independent NGO and fund themselves by selling their T-shirts. Sure we all got one. They also have a GoFundMe campaign running, trying to come up with funds to finish all the paperwork to become a proper foundation. Check it out if you feel like supporting those amazing guys and girls. We did our best to support B.B.C.C. and joined their clean-ups whenever we could. That´s us ladies all dressed up and ready to fight plastic!!
The surfing of the girls improved really quickly. Daily surfcoaching and their efforts and concentration, helped by the amazing waves, paid off. Soon we were ready for our first daytrip. And what a daytrip it was.
Julia & Peter, the owners of Ahanta Lodge, joined by their cute dog Tiger, took us on a real adventure trip. After an hour drive we parked the car at a tiny village on the beach. Geared up with boards we crossed the tiny lanes of this tiny village. Seriously, it felt like we were walking through everyone´s living rooms. We soon crossed a bridge, then through the jungle, just to end up at a paradise bay. Just us, some local schoolkids and an empty eco-lodge. The perfect place to realize that yes, we really were in paradise. We got changed, left our stuff in the lodge, crossed a creek, through another jungle hill to end up in a deserted bay.
Imagine a bay framed by juuuuungle and a heaving righthand pointbreak at the end of the bay. Did I hear anyone say PARADISE???
During the next week we went on more very cool daytrips, even treetopwalking in Kakum National Park, visiting an old fort and jungle tracking to Cape Three Point. Ohhh, and did I mention the incredible beachwalk with sunset lunch and a never to forget sunset??
We also got our fair share of adventure (it was an adventure surftrip after all) when our daytrip to Cape Three Point turned into some serious getting-stuck-in-the-mud experience. Generally in September it doesn´t rain that much but this year was different. Tropical rain turned few of the roads into a real mudslides, making us get stuck four times, even with very experienced Peter driving a 4X4. Nevertheless, we had a great time during this adventure, especially when a motorbike with pounding tunes turned up. We nicknamed it the disco-moped because it even had little disco flashlights installed. Soo cool!
Days flew by so quickly, so many waves to surf and so many things to do. Bonfires, a serious drum-lesson, dinner at the lobster man´s house.. Plus we met so many inspiring people who happily shared their stories with us and let us be part of their efforts on changing their community. Like the guys from Teach On The Beach for example. Apart from having a daily schoolhour for the local kids to get help with their homework, every night, Monday to Friday, at 7pm they have a newshour. Together with the kids they watch international news, learning new vocabulary and discussing the happenings. What an amazing way to build a path for those kids to understand that there is a whole world outside their little village. What impressed me even more was the positive energy everyone shared!
The whole #Ghanarama trip has been an unforgettable experience.Ever single minute of it. But personally, what touched me most was the surfday we organized for the local community. Not in my wildest dream did I imagine how many people would participate.
The surfday was held on Sunday 22nd September at Ahanta Waves Surfschool right on the beach in Busua. I couldn´t believe it when more than 20 kids turned up to try to surf and join us in the waves. And especially when Emmanuell, the owner of our favourite shop, showed up bringing along the boys and girls of Future Uplifters. Emmanuell supports those local kids, making it possible for them to attend school by supplying school materials, uniforms and paying the tuition fees. What a legend!!
Thanks to all the instructors (and freesurfers) of Busua we managed to get all the kids into the waves. What a bunch of little shredders. I had some great moments with the local girls who were really keen to surf with me. They even told some boys to go away because they wanted to surf with me alone. I have grown up believing that I can reach whatever I want, that the world holds no restrictions for me, and even less because I am a woman. Being able to pass on some of my positive energy and empower some girls in Ghana, making them understand that for them too, the world is open, and how much they are worth being young, strong and independent women. That was a life changing experience that moved a lot more inside by heart and soul that I am, until today, still am unable to comprehend.
The free surfclasses were followed by a surfing competition. Believe it or not, about 40 surfers signed up for it. We ran a juniors, a ladies and an open division. And yes, the NOMB Surfladies Annette, Kiki and Tina joined the competition as well. Annette and Kiki even made it into the ladies final. The surfing in all three categories was impressive. As all kinds of surfequipment is really rare in Ghana, boards and leashes were shared and everyone shredded as hard as he or she could. In the end the winners were crowned with Prince winning the Juniors, Patricia being the Ladies champ and Ballack winning the Open. That´s the surfday in full swing..
Thanks to all our amazing sponsors and donors we had prices for everyone who participated: rashguards, tshirts, wax, sunscreen, fins, leashes, bags, finkeys, stickers etc.. What no one knew was that we had three surfboards to give away to the 3 winners. Imagine the stoke of Prince, Patricia and Ballack when they all receive a coconut-fin trophy, a surfboard and some accessories.
We, and I know I am also talking for Annette, Kiki and Tina, are super stoked to have left a positive footprint (and some cool goodies) in the beautiful Busua Beach community. Thanks for welcoming us with such open arms! Check out some more pics on our Facebook Site!!
Last but not least I would love to thank my NOMB Surfladies Annette, Kiki and Tina for believing in NOMB Surf and me, and making this trip such a legendary adventure. You girls rock!!
´People, not places, make memories´
NOMB Surf will be back in Ghana, sure this wasn´t our last trip to Busua Beach. Stay up to date with that´s happening at NOMB Surf . Until then I will keep all you beautiful people in my heart, sea you soon: Annette, Kiki, Tina, Suzzy, Freda, Richi, Louis, Henry, Ballack, Bebe, Click, Emmanuell, Love, Helena, Francis, Junior, Rusty, Ebenezer, Julia, Peter and all the Busua Beach surfers..
Love, Angie
PS: Ghana is an incredible country, with amazing people, coastline, jungle, music and waves. But what pictures don´t tell is the extreme humidity, heat and cultural challenges. We would love to see Ghana developing it´s tourism in a sustainable way and attract more visitors to come. However, we advise you, fellow surftravellers, to not underestimate the distances (30km can take 4 1/2hrs), the impact you leave in every community and the cultural differences.
.. was the slogan of this year´s 14 days intensive surfcamp in Galicia. Four motivated NOMB Surfers arrived eager to surf and to improve their surfing here in the Northwest of Spain.
The local surfbreak, only 500m walking distance from our homebase, welcomed the surfteam with small but glassy waves. Perfect conditions to boost the take-off and timing skills. Galicia presented itself in it´s most beautiful way: sunshine, no wind and roughly 30degrees. Perfect weather to shred some waves and chill on the beach afterwards. What a brilliant start to #GalicianGalaxy, so much glaaaass..
After a couple of days finetuning the take-off timing and the pop-up the NOMB surfteam set off to use their newly perfected skills in a bit more powerful conditions. A beautiful beachbreak with noone else in the water. The waves were more challenging than the first beach as the ocean floor here was a bit steeper, producing still small but a lot more powerful waves.
Here the NOMB Surfers realized that positioning in the wave and reading the wave are crutial. Through video analysis and extensive surftheory surf headcoach Angie made sure that every single one of the NOMB Surfers understood the dynamic of the wave and developed the ability to read it, too.
But being able to read the wave is not everything. The reaction of what you see is even more important. Reaction drills under stress in the water (change directions, go, go, go… ) during the next sessions were hard in the beginning but the surfteam did fantastic and the results were clearly visible: a highly increased wavecount, less wipeouts during take-off and great positioning in the waves. Check out one of the beauties that was surfed on that day. NOMB Surfer Reto showing off with this bottom turn.
The next days were filled with double surfsessions and also a lot of surftheory. That doesn´t mean just sitting around listening to some presentation but involves a lot of differnet exercises. Twice the NOMB Surfers set out with surf skateboards to finetune their skills. During the first session they worked on overall positioning on the board, on flow and flexibility. The second session involved shifting weight on the skateboard, especially the backfoot, getting more sensible towards the reaction of the board: the first step to really learn how to turn your surfboard.
The surfteam also learned a lot of the ocean environment and understood how important it is to be aware of the constant changes in the water. Group exercises helped to deepen this understanding. Daily forecast updates and discussions about the same are always part of our dinner routine. Have you ever fallen asleep dreaming of tomorrow´s forecast?
Two weeks of daily double surf sessions physically challenge your body, even if you are a trained surfers. Our slightly crazy campchef Lindis made sure that all the batteries were recharged properly. Powerbreakfast included loads of proteins, carbs and sometimes even a traditional Swiss roesti. Yummy. Dinnertime, watching the sun set over the close by ocean, was a highlight and everyone enjoyed Lindi´s healthy and super nutritious meals. Thanks for joining us on yet another surftrip, Lovely Lindis!!
The 14 days went really quick and once in a sudden it was time to sit down for a final feedback. Headcoach Angie was more than happy with all the achievements, set goals were met and even exceeded. You don´t believe it? Check out the pics of the trip on our Facebook page,get hyped with the waves we surfed and the funny moments that made #GalicianGalaxy another unforgettable surftrip. That´s the dreamteam of this intensive surfcamp in Galicia.
Thanks for surfing with us A.K., Fabi, Reto and Romi. You guys really rocked the waves!! Muchas gracias goes out to Ramonski and the surfing Panda, our local surfguides, for bringing us to the best spots and joining our Schabernack. Thanks to head surfcoach Angie for coaching her brains out, what an epic trip. Simply #livingthedream 😉
Next years intensive surfcamp here in Galicia is already in the making, sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Instagram and be the first one to know dates and details.
.. what a surfholiday!! Great waves and uncrowded lineups in breathtaking surroundings.
Did you know that the Canary Island of Tenerife is practically one big volcano?? The Teide, with over 3.600m, is the highest peak of Spain. It´s top is often covered by clouds but it´s walls basically coneshape the island. It doesn´t get much better than surf great waves and be surrounded by stunning countryside and beaches, does it?? NOMB Surfer Michi was clearly frothing over the incredible lush cliffs around.
But let´s begin with telling you a little bit more about TENERIFE TAKE-OFF. The NOMB Surf headquarters on Tenerife were located right up on the hill, underneath the Teide, in nearly 1.000m altitude. A beautiful oceanview included of coures. The crew was lucky, it was nearly all private rooms this trip, each room equipped with a private bathroom. TENERIFE TAKE-OFF also saw the first ever surfing couple on a NOMB Surftrip: A.K. and Michi! It worked out great for everyone, we hope to welcome more fun couples like this one in the future!
Being located so high up, sure, it was a little bit chilly at the house but the lush garden of our rural homestay, the woodfire oven, the pool and the sauna (in daily use) made up for the little chill outside. Check out our pool!!
What you don´t know is that we lasted only about 2min in the pool 😉 The water was freeeeezing. Surfheadcoach Angie and NOMB Surfer Chris wanted to take advantage of the pool and do some duckdive training. They got changed into their wetsuits, got the boards ready and ufffff, so freezing cold. Duckdive training was called off but the pool fun continued.
The not too sucessfull practical duckdive trainig was part of the daily surftheory sessions. Either after breakfast, before heading to the beach or snuggeled up next to the fireplace at the end of the day. Our NOMB Surfers learned a lot about ocean awareness, the beach environment, the formation of swell and waves. They also learned how to correct themselves through photo and video analysis. A strong and great tool to improve. Often our perception of what we are doing is totally different from reality.
Our surftrips are designed for our participants to improve quickly and efficient. Theoretical and mental training out of the water are as important as the correction of chains of movements and direct coaching in the water. Always depending on the local conditions and the needs of the group headcoach Angie and local instructor Emilio decided on their daily strategy. We always have a local surfcoach on our trips. Not only for showing us the best spots at the right time but also to help in the water. Emilio made sure everyone knew the dynamics of the surfspots, entered and left the water in safety, found their spot in the lineup, got loads of waves and had a great laugh. What a legend! Thanks for being part of TENERIFFE TAKE-OFF. That´s Emilio, the NOMB Surfcrew and campchef Lovely Linda.
Happy faces in and outside the water. Apart from surfing a lot the crew got up to quite some cool stuff. Beach yoga for example, to stretch and relaxed those worked muscles. We were lucky to count on sweet Noella, a great yoga instructor and a surfer herself. Noella focused on creating more strength in the core area, stretching the tired muscles in the neck and shoulder areas and also on the essential breathing. Great classes down at the beach, listening to the sound of the breaking waves. Even yoga novice Michi started to like this thing called yoga 😉
The surfcrew also got to explore a bit of the local culture of Tenerife. Surfguide Emilio took the crew out for dinner one night, to a typical restaurant. They are called Guachinches and can be found all over the island but mainly in the North. It´s a different type of restaurant where you are served local dishes and homemade wine. The food is delicious although not isn´t particular healthy (french fries mixed with fried eggs and chorizo sausages for example) but it was great night and the local food and wine restored the batteries of our surfcrew.
Part of the crew set off to explore Spain´s highest peak and the breathtaking view at the ´mar de nubes´ (ocean of clouds). That´s Lindis and Luzia casually posing in front of the Teide 😉
Unfortunately, shorty after this photo was taken, someone broke into our car and stole a couple of backpacks. An ugly setback, sadly something common to be found in pretty much any touristy spot worldwide. Luckily the stolen backpacks contained ´only´ beachstuff, (well, and Chris´s glasses) but no wallets or phones were robbed. However, the crew had to make their way to the local policestation to report the incident. Angie took over the cooking duties that night, a warm house and dinner ready were waiting for the crew upon return to the homebase. So proud that the spirits where kept high, what a crew of legends!!
As usual, the 7 days ran by way too quickly and after one last surfsession and an afternoon chilling on the beach TENERIFE TAKE-OFF was nearly over. One last tasty dinner, a few drinks and loads of laughter next to the fireplace. Check out the #Tripnotes photos on our Facebook page to find out even more about this fantastic trip (soon to be repeated for sure!!) to Tenerife!
Thanks to all the NOMB Surfers: A.K., Chris, Luzia, Michi and Miri for surfing with us!! Thanks to campchef Lindis for spoiling us and being the crazy woman she is! Thanks to local guide Emilio Slater for welcoming us and showing off with the best ever expressions, you deserve a book (´Luzia, this is a surfing class not a diving class, don´t go looking for fishes..´ Emilio to Luzia after a head first wipeout).
It´s been a great trip, we can´t wait for more and hope to sea you all soon on one of our upcoming trips.
… nothing better than starting the surfday with a MC Hammer warm-up routine!! And a little chat on a stone wall in a random Irish town on the Wild Atlantic Way!
For the third year in a row the NOMB Surfcrew returned to the world famous D-Place, a little town in the Northwest of Ireland. Home to some amazing waves, James Palace, Good Old Lee and the best Irish bar north of Dublin. But let´s start at the beginning.
The crew met early on Saturday morning at Dublin airport. And what a crew it was on this years Ireland trip. Annette from Germany, Basti our Canarian campchef, Ian from New Zealand, Sebastian from Germany, Sean from Australia, Thomas from Switzerland, Thomas Thorsten Merkel from Germany and headcoach Angie of course. After a coffee break and a supermarket shop the crew headed straight to the homebase: James Palace. There is no better name for this beautiful cranky Irish house that comes with the best host ever, James! The view from James Palace is incredible, looking straight at Killer Point, the surf break right in the heart of the D-Place. Killer Point didn´t work this year but there are some great memories of ripping it last year.
From the road straight into the water! With a pitstop at Narosa Surfschool, where the crew picked up boards, surf equipment and local surfguide the legend Good Old Lee, the NOMB Surfers headed straight for the first surfsession. Other than in the years before the Atlantic Ocean swells had a westerly direction this year. Bringing to life spots that the NOMB Surfcrew had only surfed a couple of times before. Up in Northwest Ireland you can find some great beachbreaks, in unbelievable settings. How about this one??
The focus of this 7 days intensive surfcamp was to improve the surfing skills of the NOMB Surfers. As the group had an advanced level of surfing local guide Good Old Lee took them to some great and clean shaped waves. The Atlantic showed off during the week with waves of all different sizes: everything from kneehigh to overhead (our double overchest how Lee would say). A couple of sessions the crew encountered even glassy conditions, the rest of the time offshore winds were shaping the waves.
Head surfcoach Angie couldn´t believe the luck that was thrown at her. Having clearly shaped waves made it possible for the surfers to precisely work on their skills. While Annette and Sebastian perfected their timing, positioning and line in the wave, the rest of the crew started working on surfing´s most important manoeuvre: the bottom turn. Once a surfer is able to manage take-off and timing and travel down, or even along, the face of the wave the bottom turn is the next step. Through compressing, leaning into the turn and extending the body the surfboard travels through the trough of the wave and then up the face. The bottom turn is not an easy manoeuvre to learn, it takes time and 1.000 of waves to manage to get it right. Luckily IRELAND INTENSE was run as an intensive surfcamp, giving the NOMB Surfers loads of watertime.
On day 5 the surfcrew was challenged with a large ground swell rolling in and howling offshore winds. You think they would chicken out?? No way, they could´t even wait to get into the water! Campchef Basti took the wipe-out skills to another level with this beautiful wipe-out, titled ´The falling tree´.
Generally Ireland is not know for it´s warm weather, especially in November. Back in the D-Place the NOMB Surfers always always get asked: You are here for surfing? In November? What´s wrong with you??? But actually, cold water surfing is not that bad if you are well prepared and equipped. Here is a little list of what you need to bear the cold temperatures:
a 5.4mm wetsuit
neoprene booties
neoprene hat
neoprene gloves
a hot soup for in between sessions
a cracking warm-up routine
The surfteam was fully equipped and therefore managed to sneak in two surfsessions per day. Campchef Basti made sure that everyone´s soup flask was filled up with a hearty and hot soup to warm up. Surfing with booties, hat and even gloves takes a little while to get used to but generally after a couple of surfs you are used to it.
The week passed really fast, filled with loooads of surfing, photo analysis, a breathing & breath hold session, yoga and surf theory sessions. Basti spoiled the group with nutricious and tasty food, chilling out in front of the fireplace or a trip down to the legendary Patsy Dans finished the great days out in the cold Irish waters.
So what is it about this warm-up routine?? Mc Hammer?? Are you joking?? Well, find out for yourself.. hihihi..
IRELAND INTENSE has been another epic NOMB Surftrip! Thanks to the surfcrew for joining us, you guys rocked! Thanks to James for your beautiful hospitality and a big thanks to Good Old Lee for another year of excellent guiding and coaching, we will be back!
Check our Facebook album for more photos of this great trip. And maybe book yourself into one of our upcoming trips. Next stop: TENERIFE TAKE-OFF!
.. no problem for our NOMB Surfcrew!! Another incredible NOMB Surftrip has come to an end. This time our surfteam explored Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands.
The Canaries are known for it´s warm weather and great waves. Well, last week mother nature decided to show off a bit to the NOMB Surfers. 70kph winds, sunshine, rain, sunshine, hail, sunshine, little tornados.. And that´s only on our small island. Imagine how stunned we were to find out that it had been snowing on Gran Ganaria?? Check out the crazy early morning sky over Famara, our homebase.
Being surfers means being outside and in touch with nature. A little bit of wind and rain?? No problem for the NOMB Surfcrew. Guided by our local instructor Melly we did find great conditions every day.
The first day we surfed a beachbreak on the eastcoast. Strong side-offshore winds made it a bit tricky to stay in position but the team was focused and Melly helped them find the peaks. Surfcoach Angie monitored from outside, taking photos & videos. These were used for a personalized analysis the same afternoon. On the beginning of each NOMB Surftrip Angie sits down with each student individually and reachable goals of improvement are set for the time of the trip.
Markus for example wasn´t aware of the fact that the timing of his take-off was a bit too late. Imagine how stoked he was to find out in the next surfsession how much faster he can travel down the face of the wave when getting up earlier and at the unbroken part of a wave. Here are Batze and Markus sharing a little party wave, waiting for the wave to reform.
After a powerbreakfast dished out by chef Basti the team was ready to wavehunt on day 2. The strong winds the day before brought waves to the Eastcoast of Lanzarote. The team wavechecked a few spots with surfguide Melly and decided to jump into a wave right in the middle of one of the touristy towns of Lanzarote. A mellow peak pealing left and right into a bay was waiting for the NOMB Surfers. A perfect wave for longboarder Casper.
After getting changed in the carpark the team walked down to the beach, and along the esplanade, carefully watched by tourists sipping their Mojitos in the beachbars, a funny scenario. After a warmup and the spot introduction the team paddled out and found some great waves. The little bay was framed by two wavebreaker walls, providing clearly marked ripcurrents. It hardly gets any easier to get straight to the peak.
Motivated and prepared through the surftheory session about take-off timing in the morning the NOMB Surfers caught great waves and improved their skills. Happy faces, and tired arms, left the water. But all energies were quickly restored and the team found themselves jamming the famous Sunday Session in Teguise in the afternoon. Spanish live music, little quirkly bars, friendly locals, a great way to experience the spirit of the Canaries. This is our surfspot the second day, you can see we were hiding behind the esplanade 😉
The next four days were marked by surfing, surfing and more surfing. Our local beach Famara started working and held some surprises for the NOMB Surfteam. On Monday the regional government issued a storm warning, cancelling all outdoor acitivites. Briefed and prepared for having to jump out of the ocean any second the NOMB Surfers got changed in the house and walked down to the beach in the pooring rain.
Once the arrived on the beach the rain stopped, the wind stopped blowing and the whole team was totally stoked to find glassy (!!!) conditions. And even better, noone in the water. We surfed a great reefbreak at the corner of Famara, heaps of waves and stoke for everyone! Check out NOMB Surfer Tina looking for the barrel 😉
But the NOMB Surfholidays are not only about surfing, we also take some time out to let our muscles recover. And use this time to explore our destination. Even the pouring rain didn´t stop the surfteam to discover the little oasis called Casa Lagomar in Nazare. Nazare you think?? No, it´s not Portugal´s big wave spot but a small town in the middle of the island, home to a umique piece of artwork: a house build into one of the volcanos. Definately worth a visit.
Back on the eastcoast for their last day of surfing the NOMB Surfers went underground, some 25m below sealevel. The ´Cuevas de Verdes´ are some impressive caves showing what´s going on inside the island. It help quite a surprise for our group. You wanna know which one? Then check this photo and try to find the ilusion.. You will be surprise, too!!
After sooo much surfing, and soooo many hours of laughing it was hard for the team to say goodbye after a week. Kiki was the first one having to leave early Saturday morning, Kiki and her laughter were dearly missed at breakfast time.
Lanzarote Legacy has lived up to his name and left us with some unforgettable memories. Head surfcoach Angie is super stoked about the improvements of each single NOMB Surfer and about the harmony of the surfteam. In times when surfing holidays are being ´consumed´, and surfschools operate in masses, it´s great to see how effective personalized surfcoaching can be. NOMB Surftrips are a different experience, where new friends learn and improve in a peaceful, respectful and fun environment. Big hugs go out to the whole Lanzarote Legacy surfteam: Batze, Angie, Melly, Tina, Markus, Kiki, Casper and Basti!
More photos of our first Canary Island trip can be found on our Facebook page, go and check them out.
Thanks for a fantastic week, cu in the water soon!
Your NOMB Surfteam
PS: If YOU are ready for your own NOMB Surf experience, check out our upcoming trips and get in touch!
… and other adventures!! A week that left us speachless!
For the second year in a row the NOMB Surf team rocked a little town in the forgetten corner of North-West Ireland. Let´s call it the D-Place, just to keep it a little bit more mysterious. This little gem is hidden away somewhere along the Wild Atlantic Way, one of Irelands most beautiful and breathtaking parts. The D-Place is a quite little place, the mainroad reaches maybe 800m length. Nevertheless they have everything you need: a little fruit&veg market, a couple of great coffee shops offering amazing food and a cup of tea, a butcher, a pharmacy, the best pizza joint in Ireland, a healthy food shop, 3 pubs (including the famous Oyster Bar) and of course Narosa Surfschool, our local partner. That´s the D-Place, isn´t it beautiful?
Loads of headlands, hidden away beaches, cliffs and west facing beaches made sure that our NOMB Surfers had amazing surf conditions every day. Our local surfguide Lee (the Legend) took the group to different breaks, the team seemed to always be at the right time at the right spot. Big thanks to you, Lee! Even though surfing in Ireland in November might sound weird to some people, our brave surfers didn´t mind at all. Getting changed into a full 5.4 wetsuit outfit, using booties, beanies and gloves in offshore winds, a very small price to pay for empty line-ups and incredible waves. To make sure that everyone felt comfy in those conditions head surfcoach and surf trip organizer Angie welcomed the NOMB surfers with a very special gift: a customized (with nametags in the back) warm surf poncho to get changed. Let me tell you, the NOMB team looooved them!! Here you see Nora, Jan, Thomas, chef Basti and surfcoach Angie smiling after a great session!
But let´s start at the beginning. The team met at Dublin airport on Saturday morning, boards and bags were stuffed into the mini-van and yeah, the roadtrip was on. DJ Thomas was in charge of the music, the mood in the car went up in anticipation of the waves that were expected to be seen, only one more hill, ohh maybe one more.. Once the group arrived at the beautiful little (still cold) house everything was thrown into the lounge, surfstuff was taken out of the bags and thrown back into the car, and the group headed straight to meet up with Good Old Lee and hit the water the same day. Fully kitted out and prepared our surfers started the 7days surf adventure at the local beachbreak only a few minutes drive away. Clean chesthigh waves rolling in, one after the other, it felt like paradise. Surfcoach Angie coached from in the water, making sure everyone was sitting in position and catching heaps of waves. Here you see Thomas dancing on one little jewel.
The next few days were spend with surfing, surfing and surfing. The second day we surfed Killer Point, the spot right in town. Coach Angie was frothing, having set her heart on surfing this wave last year but never gotten the chance. The setup was simply unreal. Hidden away behind a headland, on the bottom of some red and green cliffs, a rivermouth created cool waves for the team. Needless to say that it was only us in the water. The NOMB Surfteam couldn´t believe their luck. The third and fourth day held a challenge for our surfers. Lee took us to a different location, an open west facing beach that picks up every little swell and turns it into incredible waves. Working on confidence was the coaching goal these days. Surfing is a sport that makes you reach, and step over your limits. That´s the way to improve. After those couple of days in overhead surf all of our surfers where stoked on their achievements and improvements. Congratulations team, keep surfing those bombs!
The rest of the week was filled with surfing (of course), surf theory, photo analysis, video analysis, sauna sessions with Eddy from the Centra Shop, exploring an abandoned castle, getting blown away on Horns Head (Donegals most famous cliff formation), BBQ with Lee (+family+friend), sleep ins, long breakfasts, surf fitness workshop, chilled hours in front of the fireplace, sneaky Whiskeys for the warmth and spirit, and loooooads of laughters and unforgettable moments.
Big thanks go out to our chef Basti for spoiling us with delicious breakfasts & dinners, Good Old Lee and the team from Narosa Surfschool, headcoach Angie for making it all happen and last but not least of course a massive thanks to our NOMB Surfers.
You guys rock, it´s been a pleasure! Hope to see you again soon for more NOMB Surfadventures!
YOUR NOMB SURF TEAM
PS: as usual you can find more photos of our surftrip to Ireland on our Facebook page!
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