Wheels & Waves 2018 - Log competition

Things I wish I’d known before travelling solo for surf as a woman

Hi there! Finally back after a very busy summer, made of (little) surf, (lots of) work, surprises, sun and joys :) I admit I missed writing here, but this summer I decided it was time to spend the spare time left just enjoying the season. I hope you're not mad at me!

To start this new season, I would like to introduce you to Amy from Unleash, a remote working experience for surfers with wanderlust.

Today she will share a few tips for female solo travelers I'm sure you'll find useful :) Trust her, she speaks from experience !

Pollution // The hidden face of Maldives

Hello there! Sorry, it's been a long time since last post, but I've been busy... ehm... surfing. But what is a surf blog without surfing, eh? 

Spring swells have been consistent lately and blessed us with some longboard clean peelers and offshore winds. What else could we ask for? 

But today I'm here to talk about some important issues: water and beach pollution and marine litter. Some time ago I was talking with a surfer friend of mine who had recently come back from a surf trip to Maldives. A dream come true! But as usual, often Paradise has a dark face, hidden under a layer of golden sparkles.

Looking at his pictures, I could understand that even in this dreamy place something was wrong: a beautiful tropical landscape was the background of piles and piles of trash that had been dumped on local beaches like no-one cared. But we do and today Andrea is here to show us the hidden face of Maldives and explain what we should do to prevent what's going on in there.

Surfing in Cornwall // Part 2

Hello guys! A few days ago I published the first part of the series of Surfing in Cornwall, written by the amazing Emma from the blog Salty Skin Sandy Toes.

Emma is not just a blogger, but a super stoked cold water surfer. Today she is sharing with us all the second part of her Cornish surf tale.

Be ready to book your next flight ticket to England!

A few things you didn't know about surfer girls and a note to my fellow mermaids

Some time ago I was reflecting about stereotypes, especially in surfing, and how they affect people's perception and behavior.

Surfer girls are described by media, ads, social networks and magazines as magic creatures. Exotic mermaids with toned bodies who walk down the beaches around the world spreading their aura of perfection, conscious they are not within everyone's reach. In addition to that, they are good, extremely good at riding waves, taming the big giants with undiscussed grace.

So, here comes the pressure every time summer approaches. We go to gym, get hair highlights and do a tanning session before hitting the beach. All this just to fit in that perfect image of the surfer girl we have.

Well, I'm not here to rain on your parade, but maybe there are a few things you didn't know about surfer girls yet.

Surfing in Cornwall // Part 1

A few weeks ago I received an email from a super stoked fellow surfer girl. Emma Fraser-Bell from the blog Salty Skin Sandy Toes was excited to share her passion with me and I asked her to tell us here more about her surf life in Cornwall.

Cornwall is a South-Western area in the United Kingdom which creates a peninsula. Surrounded by the ocean, the Celtic Sea, its coasts are renowned in the UK for welcoming oceanic swells all year round.

I was so happy to learn more about Cornish waves and Emma put all her stokedness (this word actually exists, I checked!) in this tale of her English surf experience. It was quite long, so we decided to split it in three parts, all of them equally enjoyable!

Have a read and enjoy these amazing pictures.

How to pee in your wetsuit // 8 rules

Hey there! Today I would like to repost here one of my favorite articles from the blog Allons Rider. The original post is in French, but I thought you would have enjoyed it. So I translated and shared it here with you today.
(*UPDATE: I would like to add a mention to this article - which I found after writing this post - as a source of inspiration)

The topic could seem gross to many, but not to surfers. Peeing is commonplace in our community, especially in winter. So, have a read and stay warm!


The question no longer arises between surfers. Pissing yourself is a normal thing. And yes, on a winter morning after drinking a huge coffee, peeing in your wetsuit keeps you warm. 

There are, however, two types of discourse: surfers who openly admit to pee in their wetsuits (about 90%) and others who do that, but do not dare to admit it (9%).

Blue winter // A surfing day in the cold season

Last week it was too cold for me to surf. I had been in the ocean the day before, but two days in a row with 3 Celsius degrees outside and 11 in the water was too much for me.

Not for Andrea though. So, I took advantage of my time off from the ocean and decided to snap some pictures at the beautiful scenery.

The lineup was far from crowded, but despite the harsh conditions, some other brave surfers joined Andrea in the ocean and enjoyed this perfect cold surf.

The waves were just pure perfection and the contrast in colors made the whole atmosphere glacially ethereal. The blues of the water and the sky, the shades on the smooth surface, everything breathed winter magic...

Some things you didn't know about winter surfers

Yes, when it comes to winter surfing people always look with admiration at those brave men and women who stand up against the cold water and weather temperature to pursue their passion.

They're the winter fighters, willing to face the harshest conditions in order to chase those perfect waves in empty lineups.

These surfers are inspirational indeed, but there are few other things common people don't really realize about these winter waves riders.

As one of the latter (yes, I love freezing my butt in cold water sessions!), I would like to point out some characteristics of winter surfers that somehow not everyone notices :)

Surf & Spirituality // Discovering the sacred bond that connects surfers to water

A few weeks ago I wrote an article for Red Milk Magazine for their issue about magic and spirituality. This article was exploring the deep connection we, as surfers, have with water since the beginning of time.

I was so happy of what I came up with. That's why I decided to re-publish it here in order to let you know a little more about this addictive relationship we have with the ocean and the sacred experience of surfing.

The importance of fitness in surfing // Healthy habits for a healthier practice

Hey there! Today I'm so stoked to introduce to you a dear friend of mine. We met in the water some six years ago, when I could barely stand up on my board and he basically saw my whole process of getting addicted to surfing. Even if our lives took different paths, we still enjoy a good session together whenever we can!

Andrea Lamuerte is an Italian surfer, osteopath, surf coach and personal trainer.
He is ambassador for SORT OF LOOSER, an Italian beach and surfwear brand based in Genova, and he works in Portugal during the summer season. During the rest of the year he's training surfers with his first city Surftraining projects (Glide Surftraining Torino and Roofless surf academy).

Today he is here to tell us more about the importance of good exercising before and after surfing - something that the most of us (guilty!) don't take into much care ;)
Whether you are a PRO OR FREE SURFER it's important to take care of your health!

River surfing in Montreal - Canada

As winter creeps up on us and we feel the urge of locking ourselves inside instead of joining the emptier lineups, I always wonder about the brave-hearted who despite the cold (and sometimes the snow) challenge the season and go surfing.

When I met Chloé Mocombe from Canada and learnt how passionate she was about surfing a river wave in her home town Montreal I was really impressed!
I had already heard about river surfing, but definitely wanted to get to know more. Mix this with extremely cold water and weather temperatures and then I'm sold, colpletely intrigued.

Today Chloé shares with us a "typical"(if we can say so) surfing day in Montreal, Canada.
Enjoy it and get stoked!

Soft Light

This article I previously published on Salt Water the day after an incredible October sunset. I was so amazed and couldn't help taking some pictures at that magical moment.

That day I took on a walk by my house and found this amazingly beautiful sunset suffusing everything with its soft light. The ocean was a carpet unwinding its smooth surface. The tide too high, the surfers hadn’t paddled out yet and everything was quiet.

Hungarian adventures by the ocean

A few weeks ago, I received a beautiful email from an Hungarian girl telling me about her first surf adventures. Her name is Luca and she was just SO stoked!
I was happy to hear read it because, man, surfing is all about the stoke! And this girl's enthusiasm made me smile :)

Being originally an "inland surfer", I understand what it means having to drive for hours just to find a decent spot with surfable waves. And when you finally get to the ocean, all your dreams come true!

That's why I decided to share Luca's ocean adventures with you guys. Hope you enjoy it!

Pink sunset session by Bubblerock

Last August I had the chance to meet two amazing people from New Zealand. Steph and Robin are a beautiful couple of photographers and the proud owners of Bubblerock. Couple in business, couple in life!

I have been lucky enough to spend the whole day with them here in South-West of France. They really are wonderful people and I'm so happy I got to know them! We did two amazing photoshootings together, one during the day with my lovely Filippa Edghill and one during the evening with my beautiful friend Sirikit Harivongs. But I'll show you the pics later on another post ;)

At sunset the light became so magical and we decided to snap a few surf shots. The pink atmosphere all around us created such a soft vibe inside and outside the water. My words can't describe it better than the photos will do.

Sunset is my very favorite moment of the day and that day was definitely one of the best sunset sessions so far.

Enjoy the pictures of the talented Steph and Robin from Bubblerock.

September swell

Here we are, September, again. Summer flew by and the tourists crowds have finally (partially) left the beaches to the lucky ones who can enjoy them in the off-season.

With the fall breeze smell coming, more consistent swells start hitting the Basque coasts. The first one this past weekend.
I'm not a huge fan of big waves, I prefer the smooth smaller glides on my log. But still I love watching those beautiful water avalanches breaking in front of my home on the first day of a bigger swell.

As usual I couldn't help but capture those moments in my own way.

Surf and Yoga // The Perfect Alchemy

It is well known that a regular yoga practice will benefit not only our everyday life in general, but also our performance in the water while surfing. I'm not a regular practitioner (yet), but every time I do some yoga poses, I can suddenly feel the good effects on my body. Which translates in a better control on my whole self on a board and in the water in general.

If you still don't know the link between these two practices or want to know more about it, today is your lucky day!
Today Yeni from Salti Hearts is here to tell us more about the relationship between Yoga and Surfing and how you can take the most out of a regular exercise and bring it on your board.

Salti Hearts offers surf and yoga camps for women of all ages in the tropical island of Bali. At Salti Hearts they believe the practice of both surf and yoga creates the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

Longboarding: Surfing on Asphalt?

A life far from the coast or a flat ocean can sometimes keep us away from the waves and from the fun of being on a surfboard. That's when longboard skate comes into play.

I'm still a newbie of this kind of board, but every surfer would agree when I say there is a strong link between surfing on a surfboard and surfing on a longboard skate.

Today Ryan, a longboarder for the longboard skates brand Magneto Longboard, is explaining us in detail this strong relationship between the two practices and how we can make the most of our longboard skate session (even if we are beginners!).

Fuerteventura TRAVEL GUIDE // Part 1

After several weeks since we came back, I finally ended writing this guide for your next trip to Fuerteventura! This is based on my own experience and filled with some little tips no-one tells you about before you take your flight there :)

I hope it'll clear some of your doubts and quest for answers, if you already decided to visit the island, and it'll make Fuerteventura your next travel destination if you haven't decided yet!

In this first part you'll learn more about this beautiful island, how we got there and everything you need to know before you paddle toward the lineup.

How to surf in a new spot

This post was previously published on July the 6th, 2015. I'd love to repost it here today as a reminder for those of us who are getting ready for an upcoming surf trip. (i.e. me, yaaaay!!!!!)
I am so excited to be discovering new places and surfing new spots! At the same time I understand the cons of paddling out towards an unknown lineup, without having all the info I need for avoiding bad situations.

I hope this article will be useful and will help us all make the most out of new experiences :)