About Italian surfers

Now that I am back home - even if just for a short holiday time, I am realizing why I love surfing in Italy.

Pic by Lorenzo Barilla

Ok, I know, we don't have huge swells and waves are rare birds here, but when it comes to surfing Italians are the most enthusiastic people I know.

Pic by Giovanni "Sbrokked" Barberis

Italian surfers are noisy, loud, always joking in the water.

They usually live far from the coast and surf once in a month, but "last summer in Hawaii I cought that 10ft wave that Kelly shook my hand".

Pic by Ornella Leone

They are friends with everyone yet they protect their beloved spot as if they were the worst locals at Pipeline!

Italian surfers' boss think they will never make a carreer if they keep on making their beard grow and wearing their favourite Vans shoes at work.

This kind of surfers love to have a good chat with that guy next to them in the water, but "ehy, if you came half an hour ago the waves were better".

But Italian surfers are passionate, instinctive, always excited and ready to drive for hours and hours in search of some waves.

They are able to say no to grandma's sunday lunch, to go get 30cm January waves with a few mates.

They know Rob Machado's biography by heart and go to Indonesia for holiday.

Italian surfers LOVE surfing and traveling a lot.

Surf rules their lives and they know the meaning of the word "sacrifice".

Italian surfers' girlfriends think their men are affected by Peter Pan syndrome, but they're ready to go on the beach and take some pictures anyway.

Italian surfers are always smiling and ready to party for no reason, patting on eachother's back when the sea is flat.

Italians are a bizarre type of surfers, one of a kind in their specific nature.

Sometimes you can't stand their faces and strange noises when they paddle out with you. But somehow you'll find yourself missing them when they're not there!

M.