Charli the Kook
Name: Charlotte Ferrand
Age: 22
Job: Student and general lay-about
Years Surfing: 1.5 (but with a long break after my appendix burst!)
Habitat: Cardiff and Budleigh Salterton, Devon
Boards: 1
Quiver: 7' 3" custom 'Salt City' mini mal.
Local Break: At uni - Rest Bay. At home, it's a bit of a trek to Woolacombe, but that's my favourite. Occasionally we get waves down the road from my house at Sidmouth.
Places Surfed: North Devon, Cornwall and Wales.
Favourite Surf Films: OK, I know it's really really sad but I want to be Anne-Marie from Blue Crush. Ohmigod, I can't believe I just admitted that!
Worst Wipeout: The first time I properly scared myself. I paddled into a wave really badly and when I caught it, my board was literally gliding on it's side. Before I could even stand up I was under the water and it felt like ages before I got my head above the surface again. To make it worse, when I came up two guys were watching me, although luckily they weren't laughing.
Favourite Manoeuvre: Right now it's still just the feeling of getting up and surfing properly...starting to look less like a kook!
Worst Surfing Habit: Swearing blue murder because the waves look so big, then swearing again as I paddle into them.
Best Surfing Experience: Taking my new board into empty water at Fistral after recovering from appendicitus and riding my first wave on it. My board was a christmas present and I got ill at New Year. It didn't get any action until late March. So, so, so frustrating!
Weirdest Surfing Experience: They're all weird but probably interacting with the local seals at Towan Bay, Newquay, during my second ever surfing lesson.
Other Interests: Horse riding and showjumping (I have my own horse back in Devon. My dream is to be able to strap my board to him, hop on and gallop down to the sea for a surf!), Lacrosse (I was the captain of my uni team this year, get me!).
Windsurfing, keeping fit, dancing, drinking, going to as many drum 'n' bass nights as possible, listening to rock music really loudly and generally having as much fun as possible.
