Surfing, like fashion, is all about finding your own. Once you get the feel for the wave it’s time to add some style and flair to those waves you’re riding!
I remember watching another Chica Brava instructor do her thing on a longboard and thinking, “WOW. That girl can surf!” Every time I saw her catch a wave I always knew it was her, even if I was sitting on the beach and couldn’t see her face. She made the way she controlled and moved her board her own. I realized that the way she surfed was really an extension of her personality; fluid, elegant, and always with a bit of excitement! The way her hands would rise up as she gracefully walked to the front of her board and the way her hips swayed as she moved her feet to get there. No one else looked like her. That was her style. And it was beautiful.
In order to add your personal style and flair to surfing all you really have to do is try. When riding your next wave try throwing your arms in the air. Move your hips as you walk the board or do a turn. Or throw a leg out in front of you when you crouch low on a longboard. Drag your hand in the wave behind you. Try a fun move when the ride is over and you want to get off the wave, like a diving off the board into the back of the wave. (Or as some past Chica Brava girls called it, mastering the After Bang!) Whether you sashay up and down a longboard to get to the nose or rip on a short board spraying water off the back. It’s all about how you express yourself! At first these moves may seem a bit strange or silly, but over time the moves become habit, habits become unique, and this uniqueness becomes your style.
Style and flair on a wave doesn’t have to be restricted to only surfing. Everything from your bikini or bathing suit, or wetsuit you decide to wear can be a direct reflection of your personal style. The shape of your board, the designs on it, and the stickers you might add. It’s all an extension of your personality.
So get into that bikini, bathing suit, or wetsuit! Paddle out on that beautiful board of yours, catch a wave, and throw those hands up in the air! Go be you and have some fun finding your style!