Tess

This month’s gidget is coming from Victoria. Tess was one of the gidgets who joined us at the Tropical Surf Escape last July. Here’s the interview with this beautiful and talented young gidget:

About you in a few words and how you got to surfing:

I can’t really explain that one, I was self taught. I was always just instinctively drawn to surfing. There were no other girls I knew surfing in my hometown but I asked for a surfboard for my birthday and had my Mum take me out after school when I wasn’t at dance class, and on the weekends.

Local break:

Cape Bridgewater

What I love about surfing:

There is something very humbling about being in the ocean. You learn that you are not in control, and that it’s okay.

What I hate about surfing:

Those days you can’t seem to surf to save yourself. Nothing can put me in a bad mood like a bad surf can.

Favourite surfspot in Oz:

Growing up in Victoria I love any chance to ditch the wetsuit so I love visiting friend in Byron. There’s a really playful surf scene there in northern NSW which I love. But I love my hometown Portland, the coastline is rugged and wild and it’s one of the few places left where 5 people is a crowded day in the water. Every surf has a sense of adventure to it; dirt roads, climbing cliffs, battling rain and hail. There is not much that will stop the surfers down here. It’s a really unique surfing scene here.

Favourite surfspot overseas:

If I told you I would have to kill you ;) Gidget land :)
Portugal is a spot I continually go back to, it’s beautiful raw coastline and powerful waves remind me a lot of Victoria, without the Antarctic winds! Also the Philippines is a really fun place to explore the coastline!

Favourite surfboard:

I’m not overly fussy about hardware. Honestly I’m excited to get out on whatever I can! However I definitely have a gravitation towards biscuity boards and fishes.

Favourite surfer:

Carissa Moore is a stand-out female surfer for me, really powerful and technically brilliant. I love watching soulful surfers like Rob Machado, they have so much style and look like they’re always having so much fun.

Favourite surf movie:

On the soundtrack alone I am going to say Thicker Than Water – it has been the soundtrack to the past 10 years or so of my life and I still have it on high rotation. I also love Thomas Campbell’s The Present, a beautifully filmed and really fun film. It has the best dress-up surf comp feature I have ever seen in my life.

What you do when you are not surfing:

I am a Graphic Designer by trade and I also run a health and wellness blog called Natural Minimalist, sharing simple recipes, remedies and information to help people transition to an all-natural lifestyle.

Natural Minimalist –
naturalminimalist.com
@naturalminimalist

Mila – Design
mila.net.au