Cycle Surf Count Down: How to fix a puncture!

The Big Friday cycle surf is fast approaching and although the Big Friday crew will be on hand for puncture repairs, we are girl guides at heart and like to 'be prepared'!   So when we saw this great little vid by the girls at Adventurely on how to fix a bike puncture we had to share it ..   thanks Adventurely, no excuses for us not to keep on riding now ..

Calling all Tropical Easter Bunnies

Easter 2014 with Surf Sistas, no wetsuits required ..but you might have to bring your own Cadburys Mini Eggs!

Searching for the Easter Bunny..

The big question at Surf Sistas HQ this week has been 'does the Easter Bunny visit in Bali and Costa Rica?'   We are not sure so we'll be stuffing any spare nooks and crannies in our board bags with lindt eggs just in case!

We have two amazing surf trips to choose from this Easter .. a Surf & Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica or a 10 day island surfari in Bali.  Both are great for all abilities so whether you want to learn to surf or are looking to progress, then these trips are perfect for you.

Our Costa Rica retreat runs from 12-19 April (Saturday to Saturday) and is based in the sleepy beach town of Santa Teresa on Costa Rica's stunning Nicoya peninsular ..  expect hot hot sunshine, amazing waves, pelicans swooping overhead, blissful Yoga, plenty of pool and hammock time, zipling in the jungle and reggae nights under the stars.

Our Bali Surfari runs 19-28 April (Saturday to Monday), and its co-ed, yes we are letting the guys come too, and run by our brother company www.bigfriday.com  .. think perfect waves, messing about in boats, snorkelling, laughing, exploring temples, eating Nasi Goreng and banana Jaffles, surfing until you drop and watching the sunset from an infinity pool.

What are you waiting for ..  email us now at info@bigfriday.com and reserve your spot ..

Sistas Snaps: Surfing round the globe with Debs!

Thanks to Debbie Jupp for sending us some of her favourite photos from her trips with Surf Sistas and Big Friday over the last few years ..  pics from France, Bali and Morocco. Keep living the dream Debs!

Front row seat for the Quik Pro in France

Best show on earth! 

Waves out front - Surf Sistas Morocco

Sun setting on another beautiful day in Morocco 

at the local cafe in Taghazout

navigating the streets of Biarritz

Sistas chillin at the Quik Pro

Capbreton

Boards at the beach in Bali

Stunning sunset on Nusa Lembongan

beach life in Morocco 

Don't miss the Black Friday Discount on Big Friday's Bali Surfari

Don't miss the 20% Black Friday Discount on the Big Friday Bali & Nusa Lembongan Surfari at Easter time.

Big Friday is our brother company so expect a similar service to our Surf Sistas trips just with some guys around too!  Check out all the details about the Easter trip here, the dates are 19-28 April 2014 & the usual price is £699 for 10 days, so you will get a whopping £139.80 discount if you snap up this offer and book by the close of Monday 2nd Dec 2013.

Email info@bigfriday.com to book and quote 'blackfriday' to qualify for the discount.

Bali Hai! 

Win a holiday in France with Oakley, Surfdome and Big Friday!

the Halo bikini

Don't forget to pop over to www.surfdome.com today and check out the Oakley collection to be in with a chance of winning 2 places on our amazing cycle surfari in France.   This is your last chance as the competition closes at midnight tonight!

We think its the perfect opportunity to add a little spice to your bikini collection, treat yourself!  We've been wearing Oakley bikinis for a few years now and the cut and colours always blow us away.  This year they have added cross backs to the collection which means we get a sturdy fit that won't leave us blushing in the surf but with no strain on our necks.. yew!

For inspiration here's our top 5 Oakley choices available on the Surfdome website right now .. some in the sale too .. hurray!


1. Halo Sports Bra Bikini - we LOVE the intricate back detail on this bikini, making a sports bra fit an altogether more feminine affair! Thanks Oakley!

2. This dotty print is from last years collection and we are really sorry to see it go, but the good news is you can still snap up a dolly bikini top in  this colourway in the sale for just £17.48 .. bargain!

dotty dolly bikini bottoms modelled by Nicole in Costa Rica in February

3. Oakley Bond Girl D Cup Bikini in a stunning cobalt blue .. this beauty isn't going anywhere when we surf!

4. Oakley Graphite Stripe Ellipse Bikini in Wave  cross back ties and made from Oakleys special swimmetry fabric which resists chlorine, sun bleaching and sand abrasion!  Top £23.19 and bottom £23.18 both in the sale!

5. Last but not least some amazing colour, we are thinking this gem will look good on a tropical beach, set against jungle and palms and a white sandy beach .. ok we are dreaming a little and this will look just as good with a rolled down wetsuit in a windy car park in Devon  ..   more cross back styling from the Fluid tie-dye ellipse Bikini in neon yellow! 

Remember this contest closes at midnight tonight so be sure to get involved today!

surf. cycle. explore

 surf. cycle. explore

Surf Camp in France with Big Friday

Join the Big Friday crew for a week long surf camp in South West France 21-28 September 2013 - Its a 7 day trip staying in our stunning and spacious French farmhouse style villa right by the beach in Labenne Ocean.  Surf each day with the Big Friday surf coaches who will help you really progress with your surfing and take it to the next level, whether thats riding your first wave or improving on existing skills.   Back at the villa the Big Friday chefs will be cooking up a storm with delicious and healthy breakfasts, lunches and evening meals, and there will be plenty of opportunity to explore the local area and local nightlife too!    This trip coincides with the start of the Quiksilver Pro so not only are we guaranteed to spot some of the pros at our local breaks we can also go and check out the contest when it starts!  See you there .. 

NEW DATES: Cycle Surf in France

Due to popular demand we have added an extra cycle surf for this september, still a couple of spaces left on the first week (31 Aug - 7 Sept) but now you can choose to head back the other way with us as well .. we'll be headed Lacanau to Hossegor by peddle and paddle from 8 - 15 September!

This is the ultimate summer adventure, surfing great waves, sleeping under the stars to the sound of the ocean, peddling through sleepy French villages, meeting new people, eating good food .. enjoying the outdoors!

Check out all the info here

Surfgirl Magazine: Travels with my Bike

Arriving in South West France after a three month stint in London's urban jungle I am excited but nervous about our plan to cycle from Hossegor to Lacanau in search of uncrowded surf and life off the grid.  I love camping and being outdoors but I am definitely no exercise junkie and I am seriously wondering if Facebook can survive without me?

the simple life

Oakley team frother Gwen

The thought of sunshine, endless golden beaches, pumping surf (by pumping I mean 2-3 feet and mellow obviously), boardwalks, sand dunes, moules frites, croissants, and shady pine forests, spurs me in and we enjoy all of this and more! Team morale is aided by the presence of Oakley pro rider Gwen Spurlock, who has come along for the ride and takes the word 'frothing' to a new level. 

the hook option

"Note to self: Adopt Gwen as personal surf coach and little sister"



We cycle almost the whole journey by cycle path, just a few short road sections and a ferry journey to cut out a huge pedal around the arcachon basin.  The paths come in gradients of flat, flatter and gentle incline.. sometimes I long for a hill just to get some freewheeling in. But on the whole with a surfboard to deal with as well, the flatness works out perfectly.  Between us we are using a mix of side hooks to carry short boards and mules which drag mini mals and longboards behind us.  I've got a mule and once I get used to it and some of the things to avoid, like big kerbs and sharp turns, it works a treat. Every now and then I even forget its there - which is a definite no-no!

Jess with the mule option 

Our journey takes us through Hossegor and Seignosse, via Vieux Boucou, Contis Plage, Mimizan and Biscarosse Plage. Sometimes the paths take us inland around sections of military land and through tiny sleepy French villages where we can reward ourselves in the patisserie and have a quick snooze on church steps, patch up a few punctures and then hit the road again. Getting a little bit lost en route is all part of the fun, one day we find ourselves relaxing on day beds by a lake in an Ibizan style bar by a lake, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

the reward

Early morning glassy surfs and 'reward surfs' after a sweaty afternoon of cycling feel thoroughly well deserved and looking at the map and knowing that you covered every inch of the journey under your own steam is beyond satisfying!

local foods

The team from Big Friday who have organised the trip in association with Oakley Europe, pitch our camp each day in a new destination, each one seemingly more picturesque and escapist than the last. By the end of the week the enormous Pyla sand dune is reflecting the setting sun onto our evening feast while para-gliders swoop overhead, it is truly spectacular.

125 miles of peddling, paddling and sleeping under the stars later, we are all surfed out, saddle sore and 100% stoked, no-one has updated their Facebook status for 7 days and we can't be located by GPS. We are well and truly off the grid: mission accomplished!

Originally Published in Surfgirl Magazine September 2012 Issue 39

The next Cycle Surf is 1-8 September 2012 - find out more here or email info@bigfriday.com