Pack a bikini and some eyeliner for a chilled-out surfing weekend in Cornwall. WORDS: Kim Smith.
Fun: ‘something that provides mirth or amusement’. It’s a definition that more than summed up my designs of a weekend learning to surf with 15 other girls. Nothing could be more side-splitting. Except a wayward board to the ribs, of course.
After watching Blue Crush, where die-hard surfer Anne-Marie Chadwick (played by Kate Bosworth) and her wave-chasing mates live in a beach shack in Hawaii, I’ve always wanted to surf like a star. Like most inspirational movie moments (I also wanted to smoke out the ballet moves after Center Stage) it’s never amounted to much. London’s not exactly congenial to the pursuit.
So, when I head to Newquay, the surf capital of Britain about a five-hour bus ride away, I’ve got a couple of waves under my wing, but nothing heavyweight. About 15 of us, mainly Londoners, pile into a bus on a Friday night and whizz out of the city, glossies, iPods and snacks at the ready. By midnight, the sight of our hotel, smack-bang on Fistral Beach (the largest and most popular stretch of sand in the area), is a relief and, after a swift night cap, it’s time for bed. A good dose of horizontal to increase our chances of standing up on the boards tomorrow.
I wake to the sound of waves lapping outside my window, and traipse along to a pilates class – a popular form of exercise for professional riders – to loosen my joints for the hang 10 I plan on nailing later.
As we assemble on the sand kitted out in wetsuits and rashies, our dishy blonde Australian surf instructor Josh, who had traded a bioscience degree for life on the beach, runs us through the basics.
“Lie flat on the board, not too near the nose, and paddle with both arms as the wave starts to pick you up,” he says. “With any luck, you’ll catch your first wave.”
It isn’t too tricky when there’s no standing involved. But when it comes to that part – Josh has given us several dry-land demonstrations – it’s a different board game altogether.
“Make sure you’re balanced and bend your elbows, then one leg after the other,” he says. Having been a skater kid when I was young and a keen bodyboarder in subsequent years, it helps in the balance and co-ordination stakes. My ride isn’t a huge pipe – more like a white water wash-up – but it’s a thrill.
Dog-tired and with frazzled hair, we head to the Windswept Café for a well-deserved and delicious feed, before the next integral ingredient of our girlie weekend: an indulgent massage, facial and pedicure at Fistral Spa. It’s exactly what we need before a night out on the Newquay town.
» Kim Smith travelled to Newquay on a Surf Diva weekend with Big Friday (020-8960 2471; www.bigfriday.com). Prices start from £75 for the Surf Bus (return London to Newquay) and £225 for a full weekend package.
» The TNT Eternal Summer festival is in Newquay from June 20-23. See TNT Eternal Summer
