The VGG team
CLAUDIA HIRSCHBERGER
Founding Gidget & Gidget coach
Claudia has turned her back to a career in advertising and founded Venus Goes Gidget to bring other ladies the joy she’s found in her passion that is surfing.
Claudia is an unlikely surfer. She’s a ranga for once and she grew up in a landlocked country (Austria). She’s only started surfing in her twenties when she moved to Australia. Determination and love for the ocean made her come a long way. From her first attempts standing up in the kiddies corner in North Bondi she worked her way up into the line-up all the way to the South End with the ‘big boys’. She’s even made it into the Austrian Surf National team and is keeping her dream alive of surfing in the Olympics if surfing ever becomes an Olympic discipline (remember Cool Runnings?).
She’s started Venus Goes Gidget as a blog initially and found real joy in sharing her knowledge and insights from her own surf journey. Through Venus Goes Gidget she has discovered her passion for teaching and mentoring people and decided to extend Venus Goes Gidget beyond a blog and developed her skills for personal surf coaching.
Claudia is also a certified Level 1 Surf Coach. She knows what it’s like to be a woman in the line-up and she still remembers what’s it like to learn surfing as a grown-up, which makes for a very compassionate Surf Coach. Claudia very much enjoys being your guide and mentor to help you along on your surf journey in the form of personal surf coaching that extends beyond traditional surf lessons.
LEXI CONNORS
Gidget Coach, Event and Fitness Gidget
Lexi is your ultimate surfer chick. Growing up in Newcastle, NSW her passion for the ocean started early in life, but it wasn’t until she moved to Sydney in 2011 that she turned her passion into a lifestyle. Ever since Lexi has been spreading the word about how good surfing is to anyone that’ll listen.
Lexi is a personal trainer and surf coach and uses her knowledge of fitness in and out for the water. While she’s passionate about health, fitness and salty skin, she’s got a real love for travel and hopes to bring a lot more trips both nationally and internationally to the VGG community.
Whenever she’s not in Bronte you can find her; trekking the Kokoda trail, surfing in Ecuador, hiking Machu Picchu or hanging ten in Margaret River. If there’s an adventure to be had, there she’ll be.
We are very excited to have Lexi on board. With her great experience in running retreats and surf lessons she’ll be sure to give our gidgets the experience of a lifetime.
ANNINA HELENELUND
Gidget Coach, Event and Fashion Gidget
Originally from Finland, Annina came to Australia on student exchange while at Uni. She was lucky enough to be living in Byron and got introduced to surfing, developed a serious ocean and beach addiction – and the rest is history. Fast forward, she has now lived in Bondi for nearly 4 years, loves the lifestyle and doesn’t function properly unless she gets to start her day with a surf, swim or yoga session. She works in marketing for a small creative agency and finds the ocean provides unbeatable balance to the days at the office.
Annina met Claudia in the surf at Bondi a few years ago, and joined a Surf & Yoga Escape and later also the first Tropical Surf Escape. Both were awesome experiences, and she loves the concept and values behind Venus Goes Gidget, so she is super excited to join of the VGG team!
As the Surf Fashion Gidget Annina wants to share her passion for fun yet functional surf wear. She loves seeing and exploring the myriad of small alternative labels that create different and fabulous wetsuits, surf bikinis, one-pieces, surf leggings, board bags as well as rad boards, fins and other hardware (and has quite the collection herself!). Annina believes the time when everyone in the lineup was wearing the same wetsuit, boardies or bikini is over – and that it is the ladies that will be leading in the way in transforming surf fashion. She is looking forward to keeping all gidgets up to speed with the latest and greatest in surf fashion, from Australia and globally.
Annina is also a passionate photographer, and will be sharing her own and her favourite surf and ocean photographers’ work with the VGG followers.
DO YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE VENUS GOES GIDGET TEAM?
We are always looking for inspiring people with a passion for surfing. Be it as a contributor, ambassador, intern or maybe you even want to get trained as a personal surf coach for Venus Goes Gidget… If you are interested in getting involved with Venus Goes Gidget in one way or the other, drop us a note at contact@nullvenusgoesgidget.com.
