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Surf classes in Montreal
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For the last few weeks I've been teaching group and private surf classes in Montreal, and they have been a huge success. Everyone has come out of the classes with river knowledge, safety minded attitude to surfing on rivers, and of course, having had a great time and learned a lot.
I've been putting them all on the Dragorossi Swallowtail, and it makes such a differance to learning... wide and stable, it takes hours to be up and riding the waves.
Here, one of todays students, Mohommed, give a thumbs up after having stood up for the firtst time on a wave!
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| Andreanne has been taking lessons from me for a few weeks and she is now up and riding and making some sweet turns. Billabong girl... she is totally decked out in Billabong - looking every bit the part of the surfer girl. She has a lot of tallent - I think we'll be seeing more of her. |
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| Of course I take every opportunity to go out and get some waves myself when I can... sometimes as a demo for students who need to be shown something, and sometimes when they're taking a break... I get to have a few rides just for me, which is always fun! |
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| I'm on my latest board - a 5'11" squashtail. Super thin and very very fast, with a twin fin set-up so I can easilly do 360 spins etc.... I love this board.
In fact, Jean Louis took it out for a spin, paddled in, and gave me a deposit to shape him one right there.... This thing rocks!
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| Really, the best instruction is from the wave - the ability to give direction right there as its happening, rather than 10 mins later after the action is all over.... |
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| Did I mention that Andreanne is a real comic?
Olivier.... watch that girl!
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| Jean Francois took a private lesson, and was instantly surfing away out there... a good time was had by all, this is for sure. |
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| Coaching Andreanne onto the wave... the sweet spot to catch it is super hard to figure out at first....
Last night Andreanne and i went out and did a late session - 8pm to 9pm (sundown) and it was just the two if us out there - the real soul surfing experience, and she really started to put some rides together.
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| Coming out of a 360... see that weird rotated spray around the board.... this move has been my bane for some time, so I'm stoked to bet getting it down now... |
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| Did I mention I LOVE my new board!! |
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| Jean Francois learning about edging, and making the bard surf side to side without the use of hands etc... just the rails. |
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| Of course I get to take rides in between the rides of the students (I stay on the wave, coach them on, tell them what to do on the wave and then when they fluss off, take a 30 sec ride while the next student arrives... not a bad living if you ask me ;-) |
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| And then all of a sudden,the wave walls out and it gets superfast, and smooth, like carving up silk. Hard to go aerial as the lip is not well formed, but bottom turns, lip turns, nice power S turns, 360's, and more power dirves... super fun!!! |
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| This is it... time to get up....!!! |
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| DOH! |
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| Did I mention that the wave walls out from time to time... look at that face... ON A RIVER WAVE!!!!
Aargh... why wasn't I on the wave then?
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| OK... time to get up now.... this is his first try getting up, and it was a success.... that board is just so wide and stable and easy, it's nuts!!! |
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| KACHING... SOLD. One converted surfer right there. The first time you feel that sensation of being up and riding, you're totally hooked! NO one can resist. |
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| Then my roommate Jean Louis showed up, trucker hat and all, and went out for a surf or two, helping me with the students when he could. |
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So of course the showdown starts... we have totally different styles... I'm a power carver - I like to pump the board, generate speed and carve out the bottom and up to the lip, doing smashes and power turns. Jean Louis prefers to cut through the centre of the wave, more of a jibber style, doing ollies, even riding switchstance sometimes. |
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| Missed opportunity.... not looking AT THE WAVE.... dummy. |
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| Mohammed, totally burned out from surfing, took his boogie board out and went for a surf....
We have something in common... we both love latino dancing, so we spent most of the time off the river talking about dancing and the different styles, clubs etc.... not very surfer-like I know, but hey....
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| Jean Louis pushing that 6'3" roundtail like it was a 60 Squashtail... good man! |
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| Right along the lip... nice one! |
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| I think he's happy with his ride... minutes up - off the wave! |
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| You'd also look happy if you lived my lifestyle ;-)... hot, sunny, $1000 in cash stuffed in your shorts from giving lessons... ;-) |
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| One of the local surfers going for it out there.
Errr... he's in a full wet suit, I'm in board shorts... something not quite right here.
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| Doh... here comes the police!!!
Lucky for us... HE'S A SURFER TOO!!! Sam Cote... here to serve and protect... I wonder, is he wearing board shorts under that uniform, and is that a gun, or wax, in that belt?
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| Oh... quick word of warning...
There is someone going around breaking into cars at habitat stealing stuff... don't hide your keys on your car... bring them to the river with you.
And and one more thing... after 1 minute... GET OFF THE WAVE. Someone else wants to have a surf... today....
C ya out there soon... I'm off to Italy.
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