Hello surf friends of the world!
Welcome to Star Surf, Carcans style! My name is Richard Morris AKA Captain Frothbeard. The name derives from my noticeable beard. I am the Head Instructor at Carcans and alongside a team of 2 professional coaches and 4 surf mad Surf Assistants, it’s my job to make sure the team is doing the best they can to help all abilities progress in the water (whilst having a buttload of fun, of course!).
I couldn’t have been given a better Surf Team. They work hard, surf even harder and are always happy to help out and work as a component of friends living the dream. As the season unfolds we are still learning lessons together and it’s been great to watch everyone develop in their own personal coaching skills. I have been particularly impressed with the Surf Assistants who more often than not have excellent tips and suggestions to help improve your surfing! I try and manage the team with the ethos that we are all working towards the same goal. To help people enjoy the ocean and learn to surf and in return, surf ourselves damn right silly! Any problems that arise are debriefed, resurrected and put into action for a more personal and professional service.
I’ve been an Instructor for 6 years and whilst I’m qualified to teach Windsurfing and Sailing, Surfing enables me to go to the places I want to go and meet the people I want to meet. I’ve just spent 7 months in Sri Lanka and came home feeling so enriched and blessed to of had such an opportunity. Fun surf everyday, coconut trees for miles and miles, monkeys keeping watch and some of the best (and spiciest) food to touch your mouth. Surfing has taken me places I never dreamed of going. Once you’ve done one good surf trip, your life as you know it, is over. You suddenly realise it’s more important to make a life, then to make a living.
After such a long time living in the jungle I was scared that moving to Carcans to live in a tent in the middle of the pine forests was going to be too similiar an isolation I experienced in Sri Lanka. I was utterly wrong. It’s all about pimping your tent and from the day you arrive you will be on the bike hunting for the best palets around town to make yourself a fancy new shelf or maybe a head rest for your bed! It’s really important to make your tent a home, especially if you’re here for the whole season. Get yourself a big glass jar, a load of candles and hey presto, you won’t think about a light switch for 4 months! You can also forget about bringing shoes, you won’t wear them. You’ll notice everyones always got dirty feet, but hey if you’re surfing everyday, who cares!
Staying energised and healthy is very important when you’re putting your body through a lot of surfing, sun and serious ping pong competitions. Never fear, Alice the resident Chef is totes amazeballs at anything edible and Wednesday the stretchy Yoga Lady will keep your body feeling good and flexible. Life in a tent makes you appreciate what you have and in some ways it’s much easier to live a simplistic life compared to being engrossed in the consumerist world which I strive to stay away from.
Au Revoir, Bonjournée!
Richard Morris, Head Surf Instructor at Star Surf Camps