We've set out to create a surf school for all those not born by the ocean, but still feel a connection to the big blue - no matter what age they come to that realisation.
We're Adam & Gemma...
...and we have a confession to make:
We we're not originally from Cornwall and we weren't born by the ocean (shhhh - don't tell anyone).
In fact we didn't start surfing until we were in our 20s.
Like many of you reading this, our love of the ocean and surfing came about later in life, and we still remember that unbeatable feeling of catching our first waves.
Thirteen years later here we are - owners of our very own surf and yoga business in Newquay, Cornwall.
We want Blue Surf School to help you fall in love with surfing and the ocean, the same way we did all those years ago.
Finding Our "Ikigai"
It was during COVID-19, when all of life's distractions were removed, that we (and millions of others) knew we needed to make a change.
Adam in particular, having spent nearly a decade working in London, had never felt like he belonged there. He'd always feel uneasy knowing the dreaded "where do you see yourself in five years" question was coming in his annual appraisal.
The pandemic gave us time to reflect and think about what we wanted from our lives.
One concept that has always appealed to us was the Japanese phrase "ikigai". It's the balance of:
- Something you're good at.
- Something you can live off.
- Something you're passionate about.
- Something that can make the world a better place.
Blue Surf School is our ikigai.
It took four years of planning, sacrifice, waiting, disappointments, set-backs and more than a little luck to get to this point... and we're soooo stoked to see the positive impact we can create with Blue!
A Little Bit More About Us:
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Adam
"There are two things I love: 1) getting to know people and 2) ANY activity that I can push myself in (do you think I'll get in trouble with Gem for not including her the top two? Ooops).
I didn't experience surfing until my early twenties on a windy and wet day in Cornwall - I still remember the wave that got me hooked! I loved being immersed in nature, that there was no ceiling on how good you could get, the stoke you can feel watching other surfers succeed, and finally, when the waves are pumping, I still need to conquer a small feeling of fear when I go out!
My work history is FAR less exciting then Gem's... nine years spent in business development and account management roles across London. No one's idea of a good time.
I want to help as many people as possible feel how I felt on that wet day in Cornwall ,while shaping their ideas on what surfing means with an emphasis on kindness, patience, perseverance, and resilience."
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Gemma
"I grew up spending my summers at Watergate Bay where we run our surf lessons from so it's an incredibly special place to me - I still can't believe we have a business there now!
I've always been up for an adventure... leaving home at 18 to travel the globe, I worked in luxury hospitality - winters in alpine chalets, moved to superyachts and sailed the seas, a live-in-nanny to global superstars, and finally left it all to become a full-time yoga teacher (and to spend more time with Adam but don't tell him that).
I was introduced to yoga by a colleague I was working with on a superyacht at the time. Like Adam, I came to yoga late in my early twenties, but loved the way it made me feel and the sense of community around it. It was the only thing that kept me going some days in grueling work conditions.
I'm here to bring yoga to Blue Surf School and show people that yoga doesn't have to be so serious - it can be fun, playful, and full of laughter".