The other day, I got an invitation to the birthday of a dear friend of mine. He works at some medicine lab and every time we meet, he doesn’t fail to tell me just how pleased he is that he made it on the final candidates’ list and that he managed to land on his dream job. He is a radiologist, from what I could tell – I have to say surfing, travelling, music and the ladies are as much as my topics of discussion stretch when I am surrounded by friends. So he’s some sort of a doctor, that’s for sure. He loves what he does. He’s young, in his thirties and he’s single. I guess all that studying didn’t attract a lot of ladies during his college years. So my main question now is – what on Earth could I possibly get him for his birthday?

I am never certain about this kind of stuff and I have to say that my friends are very well aware of that. My friend the radiologist shouldn’t get too upset if I am way off his idea of the ideal gift, but I truly feel the need to step up this year. And so I decided to do a little online research – hail to the WWW! – and I managed to find out quite a handful of information I was thinking about applying.

Those who pretend to be specialists in the art of perfect-gift-choosing recommend that I talk to my friend and find out exactly what he wants for his birthday. Okay, but what if my friend tells me he wants a Ferrari? Then what? Maybe I am overreacting, but enabling my friend to choose his own gift does not truly seam appealing to me after all, it’s not his wedding reception; it’s just a yearly anniversary. So I can’t afford to use my emergency piggy bank just now.

I could, however, try to find out what sort of music does my friend enjoy listening to. Or if he likes music at all. Or maybe what kind of movies he is into. That could work; a music CD or a film DVD should not cost a fortune and they could each be considered a nice and well inspired gesture.
I could also decide to run down to the gift store and have something recommended to me. Or I could be even more inspired and offer my friend a gift card; maybe a car gift card from a gas station, as he needs to do a lot of commuting.

I have to say that I love the kind of lifestyle that I have adopted and that I find the course of my existence to be truly exciting. I also believe that I owe a great part of that to the fact that I have been blessed with never-ending passion for surfing and love for life in general. And even though I recently started thinking about going out for the big win – start going to surfing competitions in California, for starters – I cannot say that my financial state is equally bloomy. I do have my restraints whenever I need to buy a new pair of jeans, and this is not pleasant at all. So, I have decided to start looking for a job that is well-paid and which could ensure me some additional perks in life.

One of my surf buddies recommended me to access this page, claiming that he personally found a great job in the field of medicine. He recently got a degree in physiotherapy, so he was thrilled to be able to find a permanent job that fast and on top of that, one that is in his field of preparation! And despite the fact that I am not truly the one who sits in front of a laptop all day long surfing for jobs but rather for tall waves, I found his idea appealing. So I started to check out this web site and even though I cannot truly say that I found something that would suit my needs there, I did find something: the inspiration and motivation to find a new job.

I guess I was seriously lacking all of that, so I felt the need to make things right. And I started using all of the job directories I could, and I am highly pleased with what I found. I made a list of the best alternatives I could opt for. And I have to admit that the best one that winked at me most was a job as a surfing trainer.

What else could I possibly find more pleasure in doing, anyway? And even get paid some bucks, while I am at it? A dream come true, undoubtedly. So I picked up the phone and I dialed the number and to my surprise the surfing center is just a few blocks away from where I live. I guess the universe is finally aligning its stars and pointing them right towards my empty wallet after all!

Disneyland was first on the list. I figured I would need the most energy for this so I could fully appreciate the magic of Disney. There are hundreds of rides- some big and scary, some small and fun. One of my favourite parts of Disneyland was Downtown Disney. This was considered “for grown-ups” and rightly so! There were so many funky bars, restaurants and shops- so I bagged myself a souvenir or two.

The Golden Gate Bridge also did not dissappoint. At 4200 feet I was treated to breathtaking panormaicc views of the Bay area of San Francisco.Visiting the iconic bridge also gave me the opportunity to visit Alcatraz prison…that was pretty creepy but so interesting historically! It held some of the USA’s most wanted criminals. You’re actually allowed inside the cells. In addition, I just had to go on one of the famous San Fran trams. The streets really are steeper than prices from a gang of builders in North London.

As a surfer I felt it was my obligation to take a trip to the Big Sur. The Northern coast of California was nothing short of awesome. Cliffs, forrests, mountains, giant redwoods, beaches and coves simply make the Big Sur something you must visit before you die. In the Big Sur you will find the Santa Lucia Mountains, Ventana Forest and Andrew Molera State Park…so there’s always something to see or do. I will be going back again and again…in fact I’m thinking of moving to the area!

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I feel that my heart is too big and at the same time too vulnerable. I am afraid that if I let someone in it, he will never leave. I have done the mistake of telling someone that I really care for him and this was the moment when everything was over, at least for him. It is like people are interested in you only when you are cool and don’t show your true colours. I mean when I don’t talk about my feeling everything is alright. But it is so hard. I mean, every time I am with him I want to tell him everything even “I love you”. But I know that if I do so, everything will be over. Love is so complicated, how can I be sure that when I tell him that I love him he won’t say thank you and lose interest in me. Men are like this, they want to sleep with as many girls as they possibly can. I have two friends, which work as builders north London based, and I can assure you that they have slept with more than 200 girls each and the truth is that they don’t care about any one of them, they just enjoy having sex, messing up with girls'heads, pigs.

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I may be an avid surfer but I will be the first to admit that I do enjoy other outdoorsy things such as hiking. My friends recently invited me to go on a hiking trip with them to the Bay Area and to say I was excited would be an understatement. The San Francisco Bay Area is rich in scenic hiking spots. The Lost Coast is one especially wonderful spot to hike and backpack.

When I look through the timber window frames of my home I see the seas and the beach every day, no hiking trails here. The Lost coast is located about four hours north of San Francisco in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties, and is accessible by small mountain roads. Visitors can also visit coastal communities via boat.

The Lost Coast gets its name from the population loss in the 1930s, as well as the lack of accessibility and developed roads and highways due to the coastal mountains steep and difficult terrain.

Backpacking the Lost Coast is challenging. The steepness and inaccessibility that discouraged road builders might also discourage hikers, too. While challenging, with steep narrow trails in some spots, and thick brush and fallen trees in other spots, the beauty and serenity of the region make it all worthwhile.

Generally, a three-day, two-night hiking trip is best to experience the Lost Coast. A popular route is to begin from the south, at Usal Trailhead and Camp, hiking the five miles or so to Anderson Gulch to spend the night. On the second day, hike the two grueling miles to Little Jackass Camp to spend another night on the beautiful black sand beaches. The final day’s hike retraces the previous two days'routes back to the starting point, Usal Camp. This last day of hiking is especially demanding, and can take most of the day.

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Need to brighten up your home? Or maybe you have a bro’s birthday coming up and you badly want to give him something special…something really creative that none of his other surf buddies would ever dream of. In that case, I reckon you came to the right place! Here’s what I did when I wanted to get creative – it’s a super cool idea, it doesn’t cost too much, and it’s worth doing for your soul, too!

1) First you need an image. Look online or flick through some old surfing magazines for a really cool picture that’ll blow his mind. Make sure it’s dynamic and simple! (Unless you’re an artist, in which case why would you be reading this article?! You must be really bored.)

2) Second, get inspiration for typefaces and stuff by looking on the internet at tons of Big Posters that you’ll remember from your childhood when every wave looked a hundred feet high. Then copy accordingly and try and put your own spin on it. It’s all about putting your own spin on it, dude!

3) Now for the sketching: sketch lightly with a 2B pencil, and always keep a putty rubber on hand. Putty rubbers are great because they are softer than normal rubbers. This means they don’t wear the paper down, which is really good when all you seem to be doing is getting the head wrong and the legs all strange…

ALWAYS be sure to varnish your painting after you have finished

4) When it comes time to paint, always use acrylics. Acrylics are good because they dry quickly, leave a great texture, and are generally favourable for beginners. You can also use newspaper to build up texture if you so wish – this’ll make the poster come more alive. You’re friend will be stoked on it, and immediately the nostalgia will commence!

5) Surfers have a habit of leaving their windows open; if they’re by the sea that means a lot of salt coming in on the air, ruining the painting. ALWAYS be sure to varnish your painting after you have finished. But be careful…too much varnish and you won’t be able to roll it up, which will be a bummer!

6) One last tip: if you need something to store the painting in until you hand it over, just use newspaper or brown paper. Wrap it up at the end to make sure it’s firm and secure, because the very LAST thing you want is for it to unravel before it’s time for the grand unveiling, right?!

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In my working life, I often feel alone. Don’t feel too sad for me – I’m surrounded by people all the time on phones and the like – because it’s not a bad kind of loneliness. It’s more like I’m missing something vital. Or sometimes like I have lost something.

I work in the field of customer data management and, if you didn’t know, that means I manage a lot of data and try and look at it and see what it means and how we can do better as a company. Interesting stuff! But not half as good as surfing…

See, surfing, for me, fills a void which nothing else can. Nothing else even remotely touches it. When I’m out there with my boys and girls, there is the most unique kind of bond between people and the atmosphere and the ocean. I feel alone and in my own little world, but at the same time I feel isolated like I’m constantly in one big warm hug. I know that when the surf is up for the day and I go back to shore, we’ll be laughing and talking and watching the Sun go down together, as a unit. There is something phenomenal about that, whether you like the idea of battling the waves or not.

on any given day we’ll be out there, regardless of if anyone is watching

I’ve given up trying to explain this to people at work. They don’t get it and really, it’s not their fault. How could they ever understand? The only way to properly get it is to come out here with us and feel the amazing mix of pleasure and pain and friendship and achievement.

People think surfing is all about long hair and fashion and showing off. But the truth is that on any given day we’ll be out there, regardless of if anyone is watching. For us it’s more personal than just the way it looks.

Man, it’s about the way it feels inside. It’s like a drug, that thing, there’s no denying it.

I can’t see a day when I stop surfing, but when that day comes, as it must, I’ll know that I gave it my all and went for it as well as I could. That’ll make me feel like nothing else matters, like I can die peacefully now and everything is all right.

It’s never too late to surf, you know. If you have even the smallest desire to do it, there’s no time like the present, my friend.

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Allow me to be more specific:

When I head outside, the Sun is just starting to come up. Starting. It’s not up enough for me to really see in front of me too well, and on the drive down to the beach the lights go on.

Now, sometimes during the drive – just a short trip of around 10 minutes – I switch my lights off. Reflex action.

The weight of the moment. It’s this that I try to convey to people. It is this force of nature which, unless you have experienced it, you can never know

And when I park up and get out I feel the Sun on me. In the distance, the sea roars and laps and as I set foot on the stand, breaking into a run with my board, I realise that the heat and everything is all part of the experience. If you were to take just one of these near perfect elements away the house of cards would collapse on itself and I’d be in an entirely different reality which I wouldn’t even be able to recognise.

As I paddle out I feel the water all around me – sense the depth of it below me, the horizon broken wide-open with a wide band of bright light as the reflection of the Sun dazzles me, forcing me to look away – and sense the power of it all. The weight of the moment. It’s this that I try to convey to people. It is this force of nature which, unless you have experienced it, you can never know how critical to all of us it is.

After my session I am exhausted. But in a good way – my body conditioned to deal with this and growing somehow stronger yet weaker all the time.

It is all this which no amount of money can replace. No independent financial advisor , with his flashy car and expensive holidays will ever, ever be able to recreate this feeling.

Why? Because he doesn’t even know it exists in the first place. He or she will, tragically, never feel what it is like to be truly free of the grapples of society.

I don’t care. Not as long as I am surfing.

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Personally, I don’t go in for meditation or using some kind of special gel on my body. When it comes to de-stressing I go – and always will go for – surfing. The feel of the water rushing beneath my board is enough to calm me down. It’s enough to humble me and put me in my place and remind me of who I am and how no matter how big my troubles get, there’ll always be the surf.

And if you’re still not convinced, what’s stopping you from just taking a board out and lying down on it and cruising a few waves? You’ll soon forget all about that recruitment software at work, or how you’re missing your girlfriend. Out there, the stress is nowhere to be seen. Mainly because you’re having to put all your concentration into keeping yourself on the board and out of trouble.

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1) Determination: or just being really stubborn. Are you the kind of person who won’t listen to anyone and always follows his or her heart? Then you might well make a great surfer.

2) The ability to over-ride fear: not everyone can do this, but it’s essential for us. Once you learn to do this there is no going back! Somedays, I’m not joking: I feel superhuman.

3) A mind which can accept things which you don’t understand: some people are scared of the unknown – we embrace it. It’s the only way to completely feel the ocean. And yeah, I know how much of a cliché that sounds but honestly it’s the truth.

4) Brotherly spirit: you need to be able to look out for your girls and bros. You know? I mean both out there on the waves and on the beach if a fight kicks off. This is one of the most important core attributes that a surfer can have.

Have a think about this: do you think you could hack being a surfer? If so then we look forward to see you out there, whether you work in a printed tins factory or in a garage, it doesn’t matter to us, just as long as you love the ocean and follow the rules.

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