Posted by Rick Civelli | 05.28.2012 | Surfer of the Week, WB Surf Camp News

Instructor of the Week 5/28/12: Grace Brown

One of the most exciting parts about summer is our awesome, diverse staff that come from all over. One of our newest additions this summer is a bright and cheery young lady from…well, all over! She was born in New Zealand, spent time growing up in and attending an International School in the Netherlands, and has been most recently attending uni in the UK. To add to her repertoire of travels, Grace Brown will be a member of one of our stellar Teen Overnight and Day Camp teams. We’re looking very much forward to getting to know her and watching her pass on the stoke to some very lucky surf campers this summer!!

1. What drew you to a position at WB Surf Camp? I have so much respect for the instructors that introduced me to one of the best sports in the world, so I really wanted to pay it forward and pass on the stoke! This is also the first time I have lived in the US, so I really want explore this amazing country and what could be better than teaching surfing along the way?

2. Who is your favorite surfer and why? The girls on the Women’s ASP World Championship Tour are so inspiring. I was lucky enough to see them in action last summer in Biarritz, France. It was so exciting to watch them compete in real time. Usually I’m streaming the competition on my laptop with a dodgy internet connection. But watching their powerful but flowing style for real is incomparable! However my favourite surfer would have to be my favourite person to surf with, my good friend Clara. She has the best attitude. One time she broke her nose on her surfboard and was still out with me the very next day! We’re never out of chat to fill the lull between sets 🙂

3. When did you start surfing and where? When I was 12 at a break called Piha, on the North island of New Zealand. Unfortunately I never got the chance to surf regularly until a few years after that, but I was definitely hooked from the beginning.

4. What is your favorite surf break? Côte des Basques, Biarritz, France. A break I know really well from returning every summer for 6 years. It feels like my home break even though I don’t live there. It was where the 2011 Roxy Pro was held. It’s always a clean, fun wave with some perfect evening glass offs- my favourite!

5. What inspired you to start surfing? I think it was when we were back in New Zealand to visit family on a holiday when I was 11. We were sitting on the beach eating good old NZ fish and chips watching the some surfers. I can’t exactly remember but I must have got it in my mind that I wanted to try it and pestered my parents incessantly afterwards, as a few weeks later they got me a surf lesson for my 12^th birthday!

6. Where was your most memorable session? It would have to be during my trip out to Tagazhout, Morocco last Easter. We had been waiting all week for the chance to surf the legendary Anchor Point and on the day before we left it started working! We were so excited to get the chance to surf this famous wave. Even though I thought I was going to die when I jumped off the rocks between sets, and though I only plucked up the courage to make the drop on 1 wave- it was one goooood wave!

7. What is the worst wipeout you’ve ever had? I am a bit of an expert on wipeouts, but thankfully the only thing I usually hurt is my pride! One of the worst that springs to mind was on a particularly busy and fairly big day for the break right below the place we were camping at in Biarritz, France. I had caught a wave and was going along when I saw a guy had also caught it further down the line up and we were racing towards each other, hmmm! Before either of us could jump off the back, we crashed. After a few good washing machine cycles I kicked back to the surface only to be slammed in the throat with other guys board! I was just fine after a few minutes and calming breaths, but I did have a dramatic cut running down the front of my neck. Everyone was very intrigued and thought I had been a victim of some horrible attack!

8. What are some of your interests outside of surfing? Sports, field hockey is probably my favourite after surfing. I love swimming, keeping fit, the occasional run, reading, hanging out with friends especially when on a beach. I also love snowboarding. When I’m not planning my next surf trip, I’m scheming a way to get myself to some snow. I try to go at least once a year but what I would really like to do is get a job and work a whole ski season in a mountain!

9. What is your favorite movie? Hands down- Blue crush. OK, so not the most factual surf movie ever, but it was a few years ago when I was a young and impressionable and fancied myself as a Kate Bosworth-esque surfer haha. I have wanted to go to Hawaii ever since though. I will get there eventually!

10. What is your favorite music? Ben Howard, a UK singer/songwriter, musician and surfer what better combination? If you like Jack Johnson, this is your thing! He is touring the US very soon, make sure to check him out 🙂

11. What is your favorite food? Breakfast! I could eat it for every meal! Yoghurt, fresh fruit and a bit of muesli is a big fav for me.

12. Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully in New Zealand studying Medicine. Having only lived in my home country for my first 5 years, I really want to experience it some more for myself and Medicine/Health is always something I’ve been interested in. You never know though, plans change- I might decide to become a professional surf/snow bum instead, very tempting!

13. In your eyes, the three things you value most are: Sincerity, family and friends, fun