Yeppa!
I left the Basque Country and Surfakademin for this time, but I'll be back before I know it, for sure. I've got some more flattering iPhone photos to post here, from my amazing last two months of this epic summer!! :D
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The most awesome sunset with lightnings and thunder at our very own beach. It was, as puck would put it, pretty cool, yeh.
We had an evening surf with the crew in hendaye. We were almost alone and the waves were amazing, small and clean - just the way I like it. We stopped at mackie's on the way home, drive through on the car roof and dinner up there. Adam got picked up from the mental hospital as well.
Eventually we got it right.
We went out for drinks and met the boys from that weeks course. One dude looked like aviici (I'll never learn to spell that name) and they played that card pretty well, I must say. My first night out clubbing in Biarritz, untz untz.
Saturday Barbie Night! We had burgers and salmon burgers @ villa 1390 with new and old friends.
We went out for drinks and met the boys from that weeks course. One dude looked like aviici (I'll never learn to spell that name) and they played that card pretty well, I must say. My first night out clubbing in Biarritz, untz untz.
Get electrified from our grill! Yeppa!
Another awesome surf lesson to its end in Spain.
Another awesome surf lesson to its end in Spain.
That day when the swell picked up and the reef had scarily big waves - triple over head according to they who were there. I was happy watching and surf elsewhere.
Jonna was here! She came with me and jules for an evening surf, yeeeew! Spot x reunions are awesome :D
Morning walks by the lake, around the corner from our house
Around the other corner
The day when the waves fell flat and it was grey and miserable.
To cheer up, a mussel feast @ villa 1390!
Me and Isabel had to try that watermelon trick from YouTube. And pour a bit of rum inside. Delicious. Even Mirja liked it!
When parking in France, everything's okay.
Morning walks by the lake, around the corner from our house
Around the other corner
An awesome sunset picnic with the crew in Guethary
Drinks with a view. Pierre and his friend came to surf with us and Jonna. Jules and me met them up for sunset drinks!
There was also a dear in the bar - in leash..
One day Lucca came to visit us!
The swell picked up again at our beach
I came home after an evening surf to this: food, delicious foooood, and the cute girls
Hang in the boat bar before dinner at Beach House in Anglet
My last trip to San Sebastián for this year. The streets in old town are the cosiest and most confusing ones I know :)
I'm back home and have just started study to become a personal trainer, and I love it! But wow I miss this place, the surf and the awesome people!
Half time?
Well, I ain't gonna be a pro blogger that's for sure. But here are some photos taken with my iPhone over my last few months, working as a surf instructor in Biarritz, France :)
Pierre was here in the end of May with a friend and his van. We went for a few surfs together. And had an icecream of course!
Another dear friend from spot x came for a surf date! Arthur with his friends stayed in hossegor so they came for a surf sesh and a rainy day in town. A few days later, we tried to find waves in anglet but it was flat as a pancake everywhere. It was a nice time in the car though, our shortcut.. :)
Some days in the early summer were pretty cold. Adam and Mirja aka the frog people.
Swedish midsummer was celebrated at our house with the group. We ate and danced around the pole and had a good time in town afterwards.
San Sebastián is a beautiful town that we visit for lunch or dinner with the group once a week. The pinchos in old town are the best you'll find!
Picnic by the biggest reef break around Biarritz. The waves can be scarily big there, but just sitting in the lineup is pretty exciting ;)
Rose wine and sangria on a Saturday night with Julie and Annie
Kjell demonstrates how to surf in our garden.
Mirja and Isabel made a cool bar "KotteBask - Baren för varenda kotte"
The Danes
Elsa from spot x came to visit us the other day as well! We walked around and talked memories and took selfies.
Bilbao
No lesson Sunday. We drove a student to the airport in Bilbao and then walked around, me, Adam and Anton. Sightseeing, lunch and coffee.
Anton is cool.
Lifesaving course in Vieux Boucau
When becoming a surf instructor, you also need to do a lifesaver course. It's kinda important if someone is about to, you know, drown.
So that's what I'm did Wednesday to Saturday. I did mine a year ago (crazy how time flies!) so it's time to refresh it. 45 minutes north of Biarritz, but it took about six hours to get there by car, train, bus, bus and a walk. The place is called Vieux Boucau, close to the famous surf break Hossegor.
We practiced different situations of what to do when finding or rescuing an unconscious person. CPR, recovery position, how to examine the body if the person is breathing, how to handle a person with suspected spinal injuries and choking.
We practiced rescues in the water, with and without board. The first day we got to do it in the lake cause the currents were ridiculously strong. The next day there was a lot of swimming in rough ocean and running in soft sand, but it wasn't as tough as I was afraid of.
We were lucky with the weather as well! Sunny every day, yeeew. Everyone passed and that was celebrated with a few cold ones on the grass before dinner Friday.
And oh, the food was amazing! All ecological and delicious, dessert every night and you could eat more than you should .. I love food.
Lucca from Spot X picked me up and drove me back to Biarritz. We walked around and ate a bite. Great to see that kind-hearted Frenchman again!
Je suis en la France!
So. I'm in Biarritz! The surf city of France. Just on the border to Spain on the Atlantic Coast.
I'm an instructor for the Swedish surf school 'Surfakademin'. To get here Adam picked me up with the van back home in Linköping. We drove to southern Sweden to stay the night at our co-worker kjell's place. It was beautiful around there!
The next morning we drove for about 13 hours to Tim in Antwerp, Belgium. Great to see a friend from Spot X! And he's got a cool little place :) as per usual I forgot to take any photos though.
We went up pretty early the day after to continue to Biarritz for another 14 hours in the car. Finally we were here! We live in a small house close to a beach called pavilion.
The morning after we had the first surf lesson with four guys who stayed in the house at the time. I borrowed an 8'6 log. Surfing again was amazing! Just cross-stepping over those small clean waves.. Incredible!
Then a storm came and messed up the waves, but we still had fun. We drive to a beach about half an hour away everyday. Everything's cruisy, no rush. A small group and everyone's here to surf and really loves it, which makes my job easy. About three hours in the water with a little break for a quick chat.
I get to surf as well which of course is the best part. We check the surf conditions and choose the best time and beach for the surf sesh next day. The people are cool and the city is so cute. I will definitely love it here!
March-Sep 2014
I'll do this one in English, since I'm so cool n international now. Back in Sweden after a year in 'Stralia. Thought I'd do a sum-up. I'm sick and bored. It got soooooo much longer than I thought, but this is just so that I have something to look back at and remember when I get old and nostalgic.
I really miss everything. Walking barefoot every day, living the easy life where the biggest trouble was that the waves were bad or that there were no seconds for dinner. What I miss the most is having people around me all the time. If I wanted company, there was always someone to chat to, play a game with or just watch a movie with.
If you just wanna read about the last six months of my trip, you got it right here.
Anyways, here we go:
MARCH
After a week in Thailand to visit my old home and friends with beach parties, Bangla Road, Phi Phi and diving with leopard sharks, I went to visit my old friend Ida (yeh she's like over 25 yrs old!).
Ida lives with her man Leo in Perth. I lived in a hostel in Freo for a week. It was fun. We saw a lot of beaches and hiked at Rottnest Island. Even though the signs were confusing or non-excisting, we managed to find our way around. A lizard ate Idas lunch and we did see a quokka. And Ida made a b-day cake for Leo that looked like a brown doodle.
APRIL
EBS (European Bartender School) asked me to come to Sydney to work. So I moved to Redfern and shared bed with Louise. That was cosy. We lived with two Korean guys who couldn't speak English. Before that, I lived at the school for a few days. Jocke lived there too. I closed the door but he didn't have the key. We tried a lot of ways to open that door. After an hour and a half, we finally managed to get in.
Bar Training
Flair training in Central Park
Pia is awesome
At the Opera Bar I had rose wine with Jossan from my hometown Linköping.
I worked with Pia and Patrik. They're awesome. The whole crew went surfing one day. I was stoked. And paintball another day.
At my birthday (10th of April), I ate heaps of chocolate cake. But Stål-Jocke was afraid of getting fat. Then Me and Louise made tacos and I got candles in the chocolate ice cream. It was a gooood birthday. I was full.
We had whisky and tequila tastings at the school with a guy who worked for Jack Daniel's. Me and Patrick drew funny things.
And graduation dinner was a meat feast with all you can eat. So I did. Ate. A lot. We opened the bar at the school and made cocktails and handed out diplomas before heading to Frankie's for an epic party night.
MAY
I started woofing (work for food n accom) at a hobby farm outside Yeppoon, close to Rockhampton in QL. I lived with a family and took care of the animals. We went to a bar where they had rodeo. That was cool. And Thor the alpaca had to get milk from a bottle. But when I fed the animals bread, there were four geese that chased me. They were scary.
When I left after about 9 days (I just wanted go suurfing), I stopped by Brissy for a night and went on a ferry trip around town.
JUNE
I found my home. Spot X Surfcamp. Kev from North England showed me around and Rossco from Scotland explained the 3 months instructor course I had in front of me. I didn't understand what they were sayin. Robin from Cornwall had one of my first lessons. Didn't understand him either. But I loved surfing!
I worked in the Photoshack.
Mon-Fri mornings (6.30 or 7 am) we had a 2 hour surf lesson, usually with Glen, Jimmy or Cuzza. Cruisy, blond aussie surfers (stereotypical?). In the arvo there was either theory or fitness. The rugby game on the beach was fun! The ocean mission not so much.. Run, swim, paddle, run.
"There are always waves to surf", Jimmy said, "so don't complain! Except today.." One day it was a lake! So we had a paddle comp and then we paddled to the Point. Me and Granny Annie jumped from the board and played in the water.
The Soccer World Cup was on! I went up before my surf lesson and watched the games in the photoshack at 5 am. It was cold and dark, but cosy. Usually I got company from a few. And when the finals were on, we got the TV channels in the movie room and could snuggle up there.
I lived in the Woman Cave, a small cabin just next to the surf school. In the bed above me slept my wonderful Issy. We went swimming together as soon as I got there, and down that road it is... ;) Ryan moved in to the Woman Cave and got a proper welcome. He served dinner in a dress and makeup. We had many nice evening chats in there, where Sarah gave good advice and taught us foreigners English.
I had my first experience with the sweat box and Kev's colourful dancemoves humping the ceiling. Robin had his cow costume and someone got NBO'd (Next Bus Out) for kissing an Academy girl. Katie missed clubbing, and Claudia didn't like snoring. Nat and Martin made amazing impressions. And the staff meeting was about yes to fuck farmers.
We celebrated Swedish Midsummer with games and dancing around the pole. That morning I got the surfboard on my chin at Mullawarra and it made a little hole. 3 stitches later everything was fine.
Team Sweden, we organised the Midsummer Celebrations :)
It got really cold in the mornings and evenings. I had socks in my thongs, which BrokeBackChris loved. To put on the wet wettie was torture. And the fingers were hurting when we walked almost to Corindi in the mornings. But the water was warm and nice.
JULY
The low season really started. More and more people left. That gave us some advantages. Pancakes or egg and bacon for brekki. Luckily 'cause Andi's porridge was just milk with some oats. Toasters for the wraps at lunch. And we always had lunch in the sun around the firepit.
We bought nerf guns to shoot people with. Ryan liked our spontaneous dance, buddy Andi danced funny, Lucca said Aha-ha and Collin was South African. We had a massage train. Charlotte was drunk. Rose taught us yoga. Almost everyone was called Chris.
Oh, and Mike made his first dinner speech but thought his name was John. Would you have an icecream that tastes like poo or poo that tastes like icecream?
Kev and Bear left for a month. So we were free to play. Me and Sarah organised Camp Cocktail. It was Julie's first night. I helped everyone to make their own cocktails. Mojitos, orgasms and some other yummy stuff. It became an epic party! But the limes were too many..
And then the night with the Dirty Dancing jumps when the lamp broke!
In the end of July, there was a storm and Stuey got lost in a rip in Byron the day after they left camp. Everything was horrible. So I moved to Mojo Byron for a little while. We had the paddle out* at Watergos with flowers and drank Irish whiskey, Jameson. It was beautiful.
* you gather in a circle in the water with surf boards to honour someone
I drove the troopy with Izz n Bryn to Byron.
I lived in a cold tipi without electricity in the Arts Factory with Lois from London. We went skydiving and that was amazing!! And a lot of us made tattoos from Stueys drawings.
AUGUST
After 10 days in Byron I went back home to Spot X. We had a Cake Off in memory of Stuey. All departments made their own cake. The nightstaff and Gary's kids were judges. The kitchen crew won (surprisingly).
I worked in the kitchen and went farming for a few days. And then daystaff. And then both kitchen and day. And then kitchen. And then back to the photoshack in the end.
My board was unlucky before I bought it from Katie and got 5 dings. Benavitch fixed it and the day before my surf test I finally got it. The test went shit but the weekend course was fun. Me and the two Frenchies, Lucca and Justine, drove to Coffs in the troopy and they sang Pokemon in French.
And the boys were always singing Disney songs in the showers so everyone could here. And Lloyd was playing the guitar and singing every night so Emil fell in love with him. Paula was a guapa but Tom was fucking annoying. Aled always wore pj-pants with comic book dudes.
The twins Vic and Lloyd showed us a fun game where you try to lift a carbon box from the floor with your teeth without touching the floor with anything but your feet. And we had a fun game of charades in the photoshack!
One night, we actually left camp (!) and had a night out in Coffs (in a real nightclub!) with some of the new farmers. Tom got kicked out for taking his shirt off. Me and Toby got kicked out too. I only closed my eyes and then we had kebabs.
We went rafting in over head waves and Ben abandoned us so Carlsy, the only guy living in the academy house, took command. We got smashed.
We spent a lot of evenings in Bens work shack just watching boards get shaped. Rossco Krypto had a cool design by Bryn Byrd.
We were about 5-10 peeps in the academy lessons this month. One day, there was one client. And the academy house was almost empty. My two Swedish gals were both away on different adventures in Asia so I didn't speak Swedish at all.
When Lloyd and Vic left :(
I love the spelling
SEPTEMBER
I finished my surf lessons. Issy and Nat came back! Later Ryan and I left the woman cave to live with the boys and Kat in GHQ next door. We had 5.30-surfs in the mornings. That was awesome! It started to get brighter in the mornings and warmer again.
Crab shakka
There were a lot of beers for Eddie with the tailgina (and a little bit of vodka) and fires by Benzys tent. We sat and talked the whole party night without realising, Ben, Eddie and I.
Tim had 8.000 followers on Instagram (was up to 10.000 before he left). Jordo came and made bad jokes that Nat couldn't stop laughing at. Truck off! And they're still together in Tassie :D Issy left us which was sad. But Fatima joined team Sweden! (Or was that in October?)
The awesome girls of the Woman Cave
Me and Emil went full moon surfing. Siiick! The waves were hip high and slow, I had a perfect right-hander the first wave! But it was hard to see each other. And the academy house started to fill up again. The German party girls who liked Nutella came.
Oct 2014 - March 2015
This is a sum-up over my last six months in Australia. I spent it at Mojosurf Spot X Surf Camp where I at this time worked in the photoshack taking photos of the surf lessons, uploading them and showing them to the clients. I had just finished a three months instructor course but failed the surf exam.
I think you had to be there. Anyways:
OCTOBER
We had a dress up-surf for Kat's last day. Before that we played a fun game with two balls but no rules. It got intense. I hurt my toe and Ben got a black eye. Best. Game. Ever.
And then all the horror movie nights in the academy house started. That was so cosy! Fatima screamed. Puck scared everyone and Nose-Dave wasn't a fan of the fan. But he liked singing Let It Go with Elsa. The babies came and it got harder to find space for the movies. One night we were in Puck, Joe and Nadia's room. All we could hear was Ryan talking outside and sometimes Hana and Rekha laughed a bit. But mostly just Ryan talking. ;) And Fatima's occasionally screams, ofc.
We went to the rock pool
Nadia did NOT like when Emil dropped in on her! But she made nice beanies for all of us. I think so yes. We went to Amble Inn, the pub in Corindi. We danced to the live band and saved Rachel from her stalker. Canada-Adam had some moves! And we all went night swimming. Puck woke up with a scary sight when a local dude was sitting in the sofa staring.
And the three of us passed our second surf test! I got to wear the red rashie instead of the orange.
That was cool.
Then the FESTIVAL finally came!! It's tradition, one to start the season before summer, and one to end the season before winter. (Aussie time here, summer is winter, remember?). Hundreds of people were there. Slip'n'slide, volleyball, BBQ and sofas on the field of dreams. And all the live bands! The theme was NAUTICAL and in the evening we dressed up. Anne, me and Jules were waves and Tim was Poseidon. That day and night was one of the best!!
I got to choose Emil's outfit
Sunni was the jellyfish on stage ^^
Mojo-Nat stage dived but no one caught him. Pepper didn't feel too well. Eirik didn't either. And John found someone that Kirsty had to put to bed. And Adam cleaned vomits. We danced on the roof of that cool bus!
The night before was pretty sick too. We danced to Abba on the empty stage in the dark with some 50+ Aussies.
NOVEMBER
As a thanks for the hard work at the festival, we got a staff BBQ at red rock. We jumped from the rope swing. Anne landed funny. And I saved Sunni from the strong current.
Me, Nat, Lucca and Glen had a fun weekend in Cresco. We listened to Nat's impressions the whole night and laughed our asses off.
Matt, Sam and the other farmers organised a cross dress party. It was Arthur's first party night so we had to make him pretty (prettier). And John got some hilarious photos that I can't show anyone, unfortunately. Just trust me, they're funny.
The soccer games England-Germany that we had sometimes got intense. Dennis loved it.
My dear friend Frida that I worked with in EBS Thailand came to visit for a few days!:)
I started instructing more frequently. Me and Bryn drove to Byron 4 am for one lesson. Then I started guiding and instructing. Guiding means bringing a group from Sydney to Spot X and be their babysitter for the next five days. Just hold their hands if something gets scary. Then bring them partying in Byron before getting a new group from Sydney.
Me and Anne had a fun pre-party by ourselves at the porch to GHQ before the shit shirt-party. We played beer pong. And went to the beach in the end. It was fun.
The next Saturday we had a Glow-Party. We all dressed in bright neon!
Lucca made a sushi night for us where we made our own sushi. Delicious!!
Me and Olly went to Anna Bay for a week. Surf lessons and lifesaving for 16 year-old Melbourne girls. We ate cakes every day. And made a Ripple Cake that mysteriously got eaten in the fridge.
We thought someone got bitten by a crocodile. And played spoons and cricket. In Newcastle, me and Olly had pizza and a litre of chocolate ice cream. We like eating.
DECEMBER
The peak season started. The academy house was full. The clients went from 1-20 in the winter to 80-150 in the summer. The staff started to fill up. More Scandinavians came. It got busier, which was fun in another way. I loved the calm winter but this was actually fun too!
Especially since I didn't have to take photos anymore. That would've been stressful. And the academy promo video was done as well, the one that me and Anne were pulling our hair for more than a few times. Thanks to Martin it turned out pretty good. Although I missed my funny clips in it. ;)
I took some days off and spent a long weekend in Sydney in a nice hotel. It was great, having my own room. Just being naked and go to the toilet with an open door, luxury! Hadn't done that since Thailand.
I met BBC (BrokeBackChris). Then I co-judged the EBS Cocktail comp where they dressed up as reindeers, bananas and made the Titanic scene. It was hilarioous - but the cocktails were pretty shit. Me and Pia had ice cream at Anita's, of course. To make JD Steel jealous. Then we went to Ikea and had Swedish Christmas food.
I also went to a Swedish Christmas Market and watched a Lucia train. And had a meatball sandwich, obviously. Arthur and Calum were in Sydney too. We had beers. Went to Manly. And watched the fireworks in Darling Harbour. And we watched Interstellar at imax.
Since I was a guide, I brought my first own group up to camp from Sydney after that weekend. Five days later, I brought them to Byron for a party night. They didn't want to party, but the academy guys that went up for the weekend, they did! I came to their hostel and the we went to Woodys. It was fun!
As soon as I was back at camp, I jumped in the troopy to Red Rock. Staff party was on!! I was first out from the car and the boys attacked me and carried me upside down to the goon punch to drink with my feet in the air. Later I did a front flip in the water (it was more shallow than I thought) and hurt my neck and back. Stupido. Olly cut his foot on oysters. Then everyone tried to wrestle Bear. Sausages and sauces were flying!
The food fight continued at camp. So did the party. Me and Fatima were laughing at the whole situation.
Then CHRISTMAS came! I surfed in my Santa costume. It broke. But Joe found my hat, thank god. I played Christmas songs all day. We had lussekatter that we made the day before.
We made a sandman. Ate cake. And the Swedes/Norwegians got meatballs. We danced around my mini Christmas tree. And went to the crowded pub where we owned the dance floor.
Obviosly I had to decorate my tent that I moved in to a couple of weeks before
Then my beloved Issy came back! She lived with me in my tent. (Yes, it's a tent. Yes, we had beds and electricity (after a few weeks). Yes, I loved it.) Unfortunately Nat moved with Jordo to Tassie before that, so the Swede reunion didn't happen. But it will. At some point. :)
Then the cadets moved in to the two cool buses.
NEW YEARS! We had a dress up surf comp. Olly and Ryan with their cut up feet were judges. Me, Joe and Ross were Team Awesome, a bit spontaneusly. We tried surfing together. At least we had the most fun. Sven. Noah, Matt and Felix were the hottest of them all.
Fun New Years party with karaoke (Mamma Mia, what else?), scavenger hunt and other games. Watched a few fireworks at the beach at midnight. Me, Julie and Olly were hungry so Chris was kind and gave us chocolate. The pizza place wasn't open, actually.
JANUARY
I started in-house guiding with Matt so I didn't have to do the trips anymore. I met people that came off the bus and showed them around. That was nice. I did that because the front flip I tried at the Christmas party gave me more and more problems with my back, so the bus trips to Sydney (10 hrs one way) were horrible. For a week I didn't surf or instruct. It was depressing. I wasn't even allowed to swim in the ocean, the doctor said. So I did nothing. I read a book. And ate a lot.
Then I got better! The waves were awesome and I loooove surfing. :D Anyways, in January it was pretty calm. I didn't drink much alcohol and just had nice movie nights and stuff. Although we did have a fun beach party!
In the end of January, Rob the head coach sent me to Mojo Byron to help the new team of guides/photographers. Everything works a bit different there since they don't have a camp at the beach. The clients either live in the Mojo Tipi Village by the hostel Arts Factory or they just go to a surf lesson and live wherever. We lived in the same tipis that I did when I was there half a year earlier. It was heaps warmer which was nice. I got to play boss and make a new checklist for their tasks plus I had to find a new team leader.
My first night there Hailey came up with a group so we went out for a party at Cheeky Monkeys. Fun!
So I worked a lot with planning and papers, but I also went to a couple of lessons, hung out in the small Mojo shop and watched them fix the tipis. It was fun! We went surfing at Watergos one morning, me and Ben. It was a really nice wave! Better than when I went by myself to the Pass, which was way too crowded. It was cool watching all of the awesome grooms (young surfers) who were ripping though.
Australia Day, 26th of January, was calm for me. I had a surf lesson and then I just went to the beach to chill with FroYo and fruits. I had a movie night when everyone else was partying. The big thing with 'Straya Day is Triple J Hottest 100. A radio channel that lists the top 100 tracks of the year, which people get to vote for. And of course all BBQ's.
I did yoga here one morning
One evening, it was a Talent Show at Arts
It was a good and different thing to do, but I was glad to come back home to Spot X again. Tom was back after 4-5 months away as the new night driver. Unfortunately Henke just left one day, so I guess it was good timing.
I stayed at Spot X two days and then I did my last trip to Sydney, a weekend trip with only girls. We had a surf lesson in Umina and then went to Anna Bay, the same place me and Olly went to in November. The waves in Umina were huge and the current was really strong, which was a challenge. But everything went great. We went sand boarding at the largest sand dunes in the Southern hemisphere (Stockton) where they filmed Star Wars!! How cool is that?? I even managed to stand up on the board, that was fun fun fun!
The kangaroo Josie was rescued and chose to stay at the backpacker place in Anna Bay
We went on a dolphin tour and they had a fun slide from the boat!
Baby dolphin selfie
FEBRUARY
The Swedes took over the camp! We were maybe 10 Swedes plus our guests of honour, Arnie and Dale (my two workout buddies). The Fight Club Challenge started. As fast as possible: 50 pullups, 100 pushups and 150 dips. I did half in about the same time as the boys (if I jumped for the pullups).
This was an amazing month. As all of them, actually.
I asked if I could work with acitivities instead. No one was doing that and I had some fun ideas. So that became my new job, two hours in the arvo and one hour in the evening plus planning. Usually volleyball or soccer on the beach with music. The evenings could be ping pong tournaments (always won by Charley, Guus or one of the Swiss guys), quiz nights, fires with the guitar, movie nights or parties.
One weekend there was a storm. I picked up a group for a day trip from Byron to Spot X because the beaches were closed up there. Me, Cuzza and Lois brought them in the Mojo bus. When we arrived it was 11 am and the rain was pouring down! My job was to show them around and keep them happy until lunch at 12. Haha I made them play pingpong but dude, they were not happy! At their surf lesson after lunch, we were 4 coaches for 15 peeps and the current was just pulling them sideways. Crazy.
Because of that storm, me and Issy had to abandon our tent and move in to a tipi with Dale instead.
My first assignment in my new job was the FULL MOON PARTY! We had glow paint and a fun night in the sweat box singing karaoke (Mamma Mia of course - we were a lot of swedes there, remember?.
Since Saturdays were party nights, we had Hawaii Party, Valentine's Speed Dating and Rock Night. The last one was Matt's last night and I had made a rock music quiz á la the Swedish TV-show "Så Ska Det Låta". And then we brought the music bin to the beach and had another great beach party!
We went to the rock pool again.
MARCH
The month of goodbyes. It has always been the down side of Spot X, all the goodbyes. But in the end of February and during March I had to say bye to so many amazing people. Lucca and Julie left earlier, then Matt and Arnie.
Then a bunch of these guys left at once: Casper, Herbert, Tiger, Timo, Leo, Jason, Raz, Ellen, Caroline.
Earlier that day Judith, Guus and Gloria left as well. (Hope I didn't forget anyone.)
The next weekend was the worst goodbye I had done so far. Puck, Gee and the CARDINALS Kalle, Daniel, Jacob and Kajsa all left at the same time. It started pouring down rain and the music bin randomely played Let Her Go. Such a sad day! Puck came in September and even if she was away for a while, she'd been there a long time. She's my baby sistah :) All of them are amazing!
Sunni, Alex, Maria, Ylva, Charley, Cuzza, Jimmy.. There were so many that left during that time, I can't name everyone, it would be too long of a list.
The worst thing was of course when I had to leave. I was about to leave Sunday, then Monday but I stayed 'til Wednesday, the day before my flight to Sweden. I cried for two hours before I left and another hour on the bus. Spot X was my home and a big part of my mojo family was still there.
My soulmate Issy, obviously. My bosses Bear, Rob and Dan. And Niels, Ally, Benzy, Tanya, Dave, Ben, Michael, Pedro, Ole, Tim, Dan, Dale, Jade, Hailey, Elsa, Steffi x2, Jasmine, Emil, Olly .. oh shit I can't keep namedropping. I hated leaving each n every one! My wonderful friend Chris made me a photo slide show just before I went in the bus from my time at the camp. He's been there as long as I have.
Before all of those sad goodbyes we did have heaps of fun though! And that' will be the memories we'll bring with us :)
We went full moon surfing. The waves were shit but we had a good time!
Me and Niels went tandem surfing on a paddle board. It was sunny, but the photo didn't wanna show that.
Freaky Friday the 13th and Super Saturday the 14th was a great weekend! Big Boss Dan's friend had a bachelor party in the villa. On the Friday the facepaint from the full moon party came out again and we looked beautiful!
That Saturday was one of my favourite days! After my AM surf lessons, we had BBQ at the field of dreams. Then slip'n'slide! I managed to slide all the way, quite an achievement I must say. Volleyball and chill on the grass and the beach until dinner time. What a day!
We'll never know who's hiding behind the mask. It will forever be a mystery, that monkey.
We started the evening with beer pong outside the GHQ (or was that the weekend before?). Then the academy party was full on. After that, we went to the villa where there was a live band playing. Mojo Bluesmen, two homeless dudes who played sooo well! It was cool, they had this megaphone that they sang through. And that's where the party really started!
My last Saturday came. We made a big party for me and DJ Charley. First a few of us had dinner in the surf school. Then we went for the crazy academy party. Ben was drunk already. We danced and had an awesome time before heading to the sweatbox for more dancing. Yeeeeeew!
I stage dived. That was so much fun, haha!
The day after we went out in the water to take group shots. The waves were tiny but it was something magical with that morning. I really loved it. Almost everybody was there and we went for party waves and just laughed. The shortboarders didn't stay too long though. But I cross-stepped the shit out of my mal.
The last nights we had Harry P-marathon in the bus. And my group shot was at the bridge. We made it a few days earlier so that Issy could be in it, cause she was guiding when I was leaving. But she went surfing with Djarra and Dan. No Issy in the photo!
But I got her anyways
Me and Maddie got a ride to Sydney with the empty Loka bus. Luckily, 'cause my board's sooo long! 9'1, almost 3 meters. I stayed at WakeUp. Met Pia for a little walk and then had a beer with Matt - without the beard. The day after I met up with my former roomies Dale and Issy who both were in Sydney, whoopwhoop!
Went to Bondi. Body surfed and made a desperate try to get a tan. It was a beautiful day!
Then I caught up with Ida, who I visited in Perth a year earlier! Sick. A whole year. She was in Sydney for a few days, lucky timing! She and her friend waved me off when I got on the shuttle bus to the airport (which I got for 10 dollars instead of 24!).
A 24-hour flight later I was in Stockholm and speaking Swedish was weird. Everything was weird. I was lucky again, heaps of luggage got stuck in Dubai - so did my board. I had no idea how to get it on the train to Linköping, so that they would drive it to my door the week after felt pretty good I must say.
THANKS OZ FOR GIVING ME AN AMAZING TIME!
Livet i Oz
Sedan början av november jobbar jag om guide och surfinstruktör för Mojosurf Australia, samma ställe som jag varit på sedan slutet av mars. Trivs fortfarande som firren i vattnet!
Jag åker buss ner till Sydney, sover en natt, hämtar upp en grupp, har en dags surf med dem utanför Sydney och sedan tar vi alla tåget tillbaka till Spot X. Där har jag lektioner och aktiviteter med gruppen innan jag tar med dem till Byron efter fem dagar. Sedan börjar det om igen, eller så har jag en vecka utan resor.
I början av december var jag en vecka i Anna Bay och bodde på ett litet backpacker-ställe i skogen med fem minuters gång till stranden. Vi hade surflektioner med 24 st sextonåriga tjejer, vilket faktiskt var jättekul och med supergod mat!
Lucia-helgen tog jag ledigt och spenderade den i Sydney på hotell. Känslan att kunna gå på toa mitt i natten utan att klä på sig, med toadörren öppen (!), ja vilken lyx!
I Sydney träffade jag gamla vänner, åkte till ens o dömde en cocktail-tävling, julbord på Ikea, svensk julmarknad med luciatåg, en sväng till manly beach, fyrverkerier i darling harbour, fika i hyde park och iMax-bio där vi såg interstellar. En bra semester!
När jag kom hem var det dags för personalens galna julfest!
Julen på spot X var mysig! Jag började med att surfa i min tomtedräkt och därefter hade jag den på mig under surflektionerna. Dagen innan hade vi bakat lussekatter som jag lyckades spara till julafton. Vi gjorde en sandgubbe, fikade en otrolig massa gott, åt köttbullar och dansade kring min mini-gran innan det bar av till puben. Jag hade även julpyntat mitt nya hem, tältet.
Nyår var också superskoj! Vi hade en surftävling i lag där vi klädde ut oss och gjorde olika trick vi försökte surfa tre stycken på en paddleboard och iscensätta Titanic. Gick sisådär men vi hade garanterat roligast! Fest på kvällen med lekar, karaoke och fyrverkerier på stranden.
Surfinstruktör javisst!
Hallihallå i blåbärsskogen!
Här händer det grejer! Om vi börjar med festivalen som var för några veckor sen. En lördag med strålande solsken och en trehundra pers med strålande festhumör! Surflektioner på morgonen, BBQ mitt på gräsplan (field of dreams) i våra sköna soffor, slip’n’slide och volleyboll på dagen.
På eftermiddagen var det dags att klä ut sig, tema Nautical. Jag, Anne och Julie var vågor. Eller vatten. Eller havet. Vi kunde inte riktigt bestämma oss. Men vi var blå. Med whitewash i haret. Banden började spela på scen vid fyra-tiden och sen var det fest hela kvällen lång!
Det är den största händelsen här på hela året och det var fullt med folk överallt. En superbra dag där alla var sjukt taggade!
Veckan efter blev vi i personalen bjudna på en fantastisk BBQ som tack för ett bra jobb. Vi åkte en bit bort till en å där vi kunde bada och hoppa från ett rep. Wiihooo!
Och så var det ju dagen för mitt omprov. Vi åkte till en strand tjugo minuter bort, Emerald. Där brukar det vara större vågor än vi har här ute.
Jag var så sjukt nervös där ute i vattnet, jag ville verkligen klara provet! De första 10-15 minuterna klantade jag till det lite, men lugnade ner mig, fångade en hyfsad högervåg och sen gled det på finemang med en härlig vänster. Jag fick lite bakläxa men jag klarade provet! Så nu är jag en kvalificerad surfinstruktör! Haha, hur coolt?
Det var det jag ville få ut av min resa till Australien, helt sjukt egentligen. Så jaa, jag är inte lite stolt! Har gjort ett par lektioner här på Spot X och bara att få ha på mig instruktörströjan gör mig glad!
Ska börja jobba som guide och instruktör så småningom, men först måste jag hitta nån som kan ta över ansvaret för photoshack och träna upp den människan. Guide betyder att man åker ner till Sydney, kanske har en eller två dagars lektioner där, hämtar en grupp och tar med dem upp till Spot X för fem dagar. Umgås med dem, kanske har hand om deras surflektioner och aktiviteter och åker sen med dem upp till Byron för en natt där innan man tar med en ny grupp därifrån.
Det låter kul! I alla fall för ett tag. Ska bli kul att komma tillbaks till Sydney och hälsa på alla där. Kanske ta en glass på Anitas, det vore nåt!
Förra helgen åkte jag och Nathalie till vårt andra surfcamp Crescent Head. Vi hade en grupp på 20 pers och jag fick va instruktör hela helgen, det var sjukt skoj! Alla var supergulliga och glada och älskade surfing!
Och igår skuttade jag och en av instruktörerna härifrån, Bryn, upp långt före ottan. Alarmet ringde 03.41. Då var det dags för mig att inta förarsätet på vår coola troopie och köra upp till Byron, tre timmar norrut. Vi hade en lektion med 62 norrmän i 19-årsåldern. Alla älskade det och hade lätt för sig, superskoj. Efter att chefen bjudit alla oss instruktörer på lunch körde vi tillbaks hem igen, lagom till en surf före middagen. Helt okej dag må jag säga!
Whatup Whatup!
Vilken härlig dag! Imorse väckte klockan mig strax efter klockan fem. Det var fortfarande mörkt och iskallt! På med mjukisar och ner till stranden. Där väntade en halvtimmes yoga i soluppgången. Därefter en stabil frulle med havregrynsgröt (tyvärr gjord pa mjolk och utan salt - inget att rekommendera med det duger la at en hungrig stackare som mig), jordnötssmör och apelsinskivor.
Så slängde jag pa mig våtdräkten, vaxade brädan och begav mig ner mot stranden. Knappt några vågor, sa efter lite övervagande vandrade jag över kullen till nästa strand, Mullawarra. Vågorna var 'pumping'! (Nej, vissa ord går inte att översätta till svenska.)
Hade en av mina bästa surfsessions nånsin! Det bästa är att jag borjar överkomma min rädsla för större vågor. Jag börjar förstå vad vågorna ska göra, och genom att kunna läsa av vattnet vet jag också var jag bör vara. Det ar sa jäkla coooooolt! Att titta på en strand och se var vågorna ser bra ut (ibland går det bättre än andra gånger), paddla ut och se när jag kan komma över en våg och när jag maste göra en eskimåsnurr (snurra runt med bradan under vågen). Att veta var jag bör sitta, vart jag bör paddla, vilken våg som kommer att bli bra och vilket håll vågen kommer att gå. Det är häftigt!
Annars snurrar livet pa. Ar tillbaks i mitt kara photoshack, dar jag hor hemma. Ar teamleader tillsammans med danske Emil fran bilden ovan. Vi haller pa att gora en promo-video, det ar faktiskt jattekul! Lagger upp den nar den ar klar, kommer bli grym.
Vi hade en fullmoonsurf har forra manaden. Det var molnigt denna fullmane sa gick inte men nasta manad ar vi pa't igen. Det var en riktigt cool upplevelse! Man ser ganska bra nar man tittar ut mot vagorna, sen nar man paddlar far man ga lite pa kansla. :D
Folk kommer och gar har, men alla ar sa himla goa! Det ar alltid trakigt nar folk aker, men det ar alltid kul nar nytt folk kommer in. Det ar fortfarande ett par stycken som varit har langre an jag.
Dress-up surfing!
Hjalper fortfarande till pa lektioner nar jag far tid. Fick halla i snacket infor en forsta lektion, det var sjukt kul!
Slip'n'slide!
Nar vagorna nar for trakiga kan man ta sig till 'the rock pool', dar man kan hoppa i fran klipporna och bada precis bredvid havet.
Jag har njutit av lugnet over vintern, men nu gar det mot sommar, varme och 'busy times' - det ska bli spannande! Tjingeling!
Lev älska surfa
Hejhopp i blåbärsskogen!
Morgonsurf
Min alldeles egna longboard!
Jag kommer bli kvar här på spot x ett bra tag. Jobbar numera i köket 10.30-13.00 + 17.00-19.00 och de tiderna är perfa! Hinner surfa en-två gånger per dag, ibland assistera eftermiddagslektionen som surfinstruktörs-trainee (hur coolt?) och ibland träna eller promenera.
Jag hade min sista surflektion i förrgår, men jag vet vad jag ska jobba på i vilket fall. Livet går i samma mönster så jag har inte mycket att skriva här.
Mina två svenska tjejer kom tillbaka igår från resor, en i Thailand o en på Bali. Tossigt att prata svenska igen när man knagglat sig fram på halvdan engelska konstant i drygt tre veckor.
Vi hade jättevågor här förra veckan. Jättestora för mig i alla fall, instruktörerna var superglada. De största var kanske 10 fot nånting, så en tre meter skulle jag tippa. Över huvudet-vågor när man står upp, kanske t.o.m dubbelt över huvudet och oj, vad läskigt. Jag höll mig till hörnet där de var mindre. Men det var coolt!
Nu är det som vanligt här igen, 0.5-1.5 m kanske (knä-brösthöjd) och många sk close outs, dvs tråkiga vågor som man inte kan få surfa länge åt höger eller vänster då hela vågen bryter på samma gång.
Surfing är verkligen inte så lätt som det ser ut! Man måste kunna förutsäga vad vågorna ska göra innan de gör det, förflytta sig till rätt plats och paddla som en iddi.
Vi hittade en liten pytonorm på sisådär fyra meter.
Ocean rafting
Vi blev smashade.
Morgonsurf
Tillbaka på Spot X!
Efter tio dagar i Byron åkte jag tillbaks till Arrawarra och Spot X. Hann med ett fallskärmshopp dessförinnan, wow! Så sjukt roligt, måste göra det igen!! :D Känner mig hemma här på Spot X. Det är husen i skogen på bilden här ovanför. Kan inte direkt klaga på läget, att bo på stranden. :)
Slänger in lite random bilder. Här nedanför ser ni surf school. Claudia demonstrerar surfbrädans olika delar samt pratar om havet och vågorna.
Sarah gömmer sig bland våra 8.4 och 9.2 ft foamies.
En tårt-tävling där de olika avdelningarna fick bidra med varsin tårta. Det var dagen jag kom tillbaka så jag kan väl inte riktigt räkna mig till något av lagen, även om vinnarnas tårta från köket fick en himla ordentlig provsmaking av en riktig finsmakare innan startskottet. En himla massa godsaker vill jag lova!
Nån vecka innan jag åkte till Byron hade vi Camp Cocktail. Jag visade alla hur man kan göra sina egna drinkar. Mojitos, Strawberry Daiquiris, Cosmopolitan och Orgasms blev det. Och en rolig fest!
Huset där alla i academy bor. Academy är de som är här 1-3 månader och betalar för allt, dvs surflektioner, mat och boende. De slipper jobba med andra ord.
The Woman Cave. Här bor vi!
Och jag har sängen precis vid dörren. :)
Hela gänget på Cake Off-kvällen. Några är bara klienter för ett par dagar och några har åkt härifrån nu, dock.
Vi som gjort tatueringar från Stueys skissblock.
Söta Issy som lämnat oss en månad för Bali! Och Nat är i Thailand, så jag är ensam svenne-banan för tillfället.
När vi åkte till Byron fick jag äran att köra denna coola troopie.
Denna helg hade vi tre instruktörstesten. Vi klarade nästan allt, men alla tre måste jobba mer på att läsa av vågorna och våra bottom turns, sen kan vi bli certifierade surfinstruktörer yeew.
Där jag jobbade innan jag åkte till Byron. För tillfället är jag daystaff så jag diskar och sopar och sånt, ganska chill måste jag säga. Men kommer hoppa in lite i photoshack också. Och har jobbat några kvällar i köket. Det är kul med lite variation.
Mojo Spot X, Arrawarra Beach, New South Wales. :D
Sånt händer inte
I fredags begav sig tre killar från spot x för att testa lyckan i Byron Bay. På lördagsförmiddagen paddlade de ut för att surfa vid stranden Tallows. Det var stormvarning ute till havs och hela vår kust hade enorma vågor. Vår strand Arrawarra var relativt skyddad då vågorna kom söderifrån och vi har en udde där, men Tallows hade desto större vågor och frånlandsvinden var kraftig.
Killarna fastnade i en ripström, det som för vattnet ut till havs igen. En av killarna lyckades paddla hela vägen runt udden till nästa strand. Den andra killen kunde klättra upp på en klippa med brutet revben. Den tredje killen försvann och vi har inte sett honom sen dess.
Vi har bara känt varandra i knappt två månader men när man bor isolerade på ett läger tillsammans blir man tajta ganska snabbt. Speciellt med en person som alltid är glad, håller låda och drar roliga historier.
Jag var tvungen att komma bort från campet och åkte till Byron. Jobbar för samma surfskola med att ta foton precis som innan.
När vi kom hit i måndags träffade vi killarna som var med Stuey när det hände. Vi hade en minnesstund i havet när alla paddlade ut på sina brädor, bildade ring och slängde blommor i mitten. Så skickades en flaska Jameson runt och alla tog en klunk. Han var irländare och den irländska whiskeyn var hans favorit. Solen kom fram mellan molnen och det var väldigt fint. Några personer stannade en stund och surfade i stueys minne.
Det hela är så otroligt overkligt. Sånt händer inte någon man känner.
Våglöst..
Igår var det absolut platt. Inte en våg! Så på vår lektion simmade och paddlade vi. Det var min lediga dag så jag hade tänkt surfa hela dagen. Bra plan.
Vi gick till 'the rock pool' istället. En liten pool i klipporna precis bredvid vår grann-strand. Hoppade o badade. Himla mysigt!
Imorse vare surfbara vågor igen, yeeew!
Och så fick jag ta bort mina stygn idag. Och det har kommit en yoga-tjej hit så vi yogar på stranden några kvällar i veckan, välbehövligt.
Midsommar!
Sitter med ett stort vitt plaster pa hakan. Igar morse lyckades jag bli smashad av en vag och fa surfbradan upp i hakan. Blev ett par ordentliga bakatkullerbyttor i vattnet. Jag tog det sakra fore det osakra och paddlade in till stranden. Markte da att det blodde lite. Tankte att det ar nog bra att jag gar tillbaka och tvattar saret.
Val tillbaks i campet fick jag hora att jag tydligen hade ett hal i hakan. Rengjorde ordentligt men avvaktade tills idag. Magkanslan sa att jag borde aka till sjukhuset. Kom nyss hem darifran med tre stygn, sa det var val tur att jag akte in. Far inte va i vattnet i ytterligare tva dagar. Det suger! Finns inte mycket annat att gora har, jag har redan blivit deprimerad haha. Nejda. Men det ar himla trakigt! Och ja, lite ont gor det ju ocksa.
Aja, annars flyter livet o allt ar tiptop! Fick lite hemlangtan igar nar jag sag allas bilder fran harliga svenska midsommar. Men jag trivs fortfarande bra har pa surfcampet!
Igar gjorde vi svenskar en midsommarstang! Sen samlade vi allihop och lekte stafettlekar. Hoppa sack, apelsin mellan pannorna, pennan i flaskan, irlandsk julafton och spracka ballong-leken. Sen fick vi alla att dansa runt stangen. De tyckte vi var ganska dumma i huvudet, men alla hade kul!
