The last couple of weeks I’ve been in Lagos in a Camp doing the Roxy 2.0 intermediate week. After 3 years doing this program, this Camp kind of format, it’s still new for me. And down South of Portugal, have so many special places that I want to show the ladies. This mixed feelings between, sleeping relax at night, with nothing but the teaching to worry about, and the wondering how am I going to deal with the difference between all the girl’s levels, is actually stressful. So in the beginning of each week, at the welcome meeting, the first thing to do is to know them all, the best way possible. And because they arrive expecting to upgrade their level, the most important is to find where are they stuck in. I throw a bunch of questions, and by their story, and the body language they use while telling it, I collect everything I need to know. And the outcome is very commonly going to rely on one of this things:

1. You learned to Surf alone, with friends, or in a big Surfcamp, and by now you’ve been repeating the wrong movements patterns, and you became so good on that bad patterns that you can catch and enjoy some waves, but that bad pattern is not going to let you go up levels. You are stuck!

2. You have the wrong board for your level! 3. You are choosing the wrong spot for your level! 4. You are not respecting yourself!   In next posts, I am going to develop all of this thematics (2,3 and 4), but right now, I want to focus on point number 1. But please let me tell you: we need to consider all points, all together, OR there will be no improvement! So, Big issue! I am very sorry to tell you that 95% (at least, and this is because I have in my personal contacts, lots of competitors and really good surfers), of all “surfers” I see at the beach, have been practicing wrong patterns of movements, that by now, in your intermediate level, will not let you grow any more from there! So during this week, I have to decide if either I am going to create a chemical and psychological conflict in your biomechanics program, or if we are just going to have fun accepting that either may be too late to correct them or we don’t have the time to, because it’s not easy to go back on the whitewater and big soft boards where we can actually correct basic issues like your pop up or your basic stance on the board. It’s really simple to correct it! So it’s actually a change for all of you, BUT, you have to: 1. Understand my teaching method, and learning process, that is suited for EVERYONE! I repeat EVERYONE because I am focused on individual issues. Either physiological or biomechanical,  or social and psychological issue. 2. Really really want to learn and improve. If you just want to have fun with what you have, it’s also perfectly ok, and I accept and respect. Especially in a Camp, full of nice distractions, drinking some beers, making new friends,… 😉😁 I get it! I really do! 😌 And I will also be happy to just push you in the best waves… And I say “just” because there is a lot more you can take from this woman with 20 years experience, teaching sports! If these 2 points are ticked by you, and we can manage a way of learning the correct basic Surf stance, and if you have a good control of your board, I mean, if the board is simply part of your body, instead of you feeling that stability “aboard” is still an issue. I can talk or write for hours about so many things about my teaching method, but also have a big pile of books to read, sitting on my desk, that tells me that, there is still so much more about the essence of surf biomechanics and its movement patterns,… I am new at this blogging stuff, but also, feel the need to pass on my legacy, because all the mistakes see other instructors doing at the beach with their clients have been in the past my mistakes too! I see a big improvement in Portugal around the competition, but none for almost 2 decades in this kind of camp services. I saw these 2 last decades, the Surf services birth in Portugal, the accommodation getting upgraded, beautiful decoration, better service, friendly and professional hospitality managers, and nothing getting much better in the Surf service… The vans are still rusty and dirty, the surf instructors are still smoking weed, the boards are always full of sand, dirty and crashed, the wetsuits are smelly and have holes, and no one has really brought nothing new to the beach, about their service. And when you go with a nice project to the best local accommodation, or to the biggest company, that you think may match their service,… It’s just a big disappointment… (and no more comments about it,…) For now, i see no vision,…   My biggest question is – the youngest party boys and girls I get it! The more mature adults with a budget, I don’t get it, why they still pay a bad service,… Because you already have some good services around. And don’t get confused when it’s called luxury. That is not what I am referencing; you need to search for quality!   So with this text, full of confused ideas, let’s start a new journey, where I will be sharing with anyone interested, the legacy of my last 20 years studying: the essence of all sports biomechanics, the human movement patterns, and my pedagogical point of view, and spread a WORD about Good Surf Good Love – RESPECT! Next Post I will let you know what is the first thing to learn about Surf, if you really really want to be a good one – Respect all the elements you have to deal with if being a surfer. No Newton laws or vectors or anything like that. Just a collection of 20 years teaching, researching and consulting in Sports. Hope you can join our Manifest of Good Surf Good Love of Mood and behaviour!