The Best Surfing Video Ever!

Yesterday a friend sent me this amazing surfing video, and it has the single-greatest surfing move I have ever seen! As many of my readers and friends know, I am a huge surfing enthusiast, and often spend my spare time riding waves in Hawaii. If you enjoy surfing too, or just cool surfing videos, then you have to see this!

7 Tips for Traveling Surfers

After the October 15th extension deadline some of us who work in the tax industry get a two and a half month break before tax season. As the weather gets colder here in the United States, I usually head towards warmer locations to ride the waves. To help out anyone else working in taxes who like to surf, I have put together this list of 7 tips for traveling surfers.

1. Think Like a Local

Make sure you have sufficient information on the place you are going to surf. Study local maps, locate hotels, and find the best beaches. If you will be surfing abroad, make sure you know the local customs and follow them accordingly. Know the foods you are likely to be eating and what sort of attire is appropriate for a visitor.

2. Check Your Attire

There is nothing worse than traveling to a new place to surf when you unprepared for the weather. Make sure you know the weather forecast during your stay, and whether you will need a wet-suit or not. Also check to see if coral reef is present so you know if you will need booties or not. Hiking shoes, sunglasses, and a windbreaker are also all likely to come in handy, no matter where you travel.

3. Be Safe

When arranging your travel plans, use only the most reliable sources for travel information (including transportation, hotels, and recreation) to assure a safe trip. Although you will probably have to go off usual path to find the best surf spots, you should always play it safe and bring a surf buddy. Additionally, it is always a good idea to have a first aid kit handy at all times, since you never now what could happen during the hike or out on the surf. You should always be ready for emergencies!

4. Prepare Yourself

As fun as surfing trips are, they are also physically straining. Keeping your body healthy with daily exercise before you go is not a bad idea. Eating healthy the week before, drinking plenty of water, and getting decent amounts of sleep will greatly improve your trip and make it much more enjoyable.

5. Bring a Spare...

Having a spare leash, fins, surf wax, pair of sunglasses, and board are all good ideas. Although all of these things can be purchased abroad, it is much cheaper to bring your own. Also, if you are surfing somewhere miles from the closest town and you break a board, then it will pretty much ruin your trip.

6. Pack Smart

Before you even begin to pack, make a list of each and every thing you need to bring. Forgetting essential things like leashes or booties can really put a damper on your trip. It is also smart to pack light, as you will have plenty of luggage to lug around when you factor in your board or boards. Bring an extra, empty backpack so you don't have to unpack your entire carry on when you are ready to go out and surf. Having plenty of healthy snacks for the plane ride is a good idea too, as it is important to keep your body both hydrated and sustained for your upcoming trip.

7. Do Not Forget the Essentials

As with any trip abroad or far away, you will need to be sure to pack identification, cash, travelers checks, and back up documents. Find out if you will need a visa for your stay, because not knowing can lead to getting put right back onto the plane and one frustrating flight back home to get one. Keep a folder with all of your tickets, maps, hotels, and any other travel or trip documents. The more organized and ready you are, the more smoothly your travel time will go and the sooner you can hit the waves and have a fun time!

The 10 Best Places in the World for Surfing

Anyone who knows me will tell you that my two greatest loves are taxes, and surfing. Although I love riding the waves in Hawaii, surfing is an international hobby and half the fun in the sport is finding new spots to surf at. With thousands of great spots all over the world and more being found all the time, it is hard to know which ones are worth visiting. To help the readers of my blog with their own surfing adventures, I have gathered the following list of the 10 best beaches in the world for surfing.

1. Fuerteventura, Spain

Weather conditions are perfect in Fuerteventura. Of the coast of Morocco, it sits on the same latitude as Florida and Mexico. Known for its year-round good surfing and beautiful surroundings, it is the second largest of the Canary Islands. Because its large size, the island hosts multiple beaches that all make for great surfing.

2. Gold Coast City, Australia

Australia is known across the world for their excellent surfing conditions. With four main breaks and sunny skies, Gold Coast City has been named the “surfers paradise”. It features nearby shopping, entertainment, and tourist attractions that are convenient for surfers looking to have some more fun after hitting the waves.

3. Kandahar, Mexico

Surfers of every level can enjoy the waves of Kandahar. A wide variety of surf breaks allow surfers to advance their skills and have a fun relaxing surf all in one day. The beach is not overly crowded, but is known by surfers for it’s great weather year-round. But if you are looking for 15 feet waves then I suggest visiting Kandahar in either May or June.

4. Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa

Jeffery’s Bay is so popular among surfers that it hosts the annual Billabong Pro World Champion Tour on its beach Supertubes. Jefferey’s Bay is world famous for great surfing and great fun. The surrounding mountains and wildlife will leave you breathless, while the waves will shock you with their sustainability and variety.

5. Half Moon Bay, California

With infamous waves ranging between 25 and 50 feet, Half Moon Bay is a mecca for surfers and ocean lovers alike. Rock formations cause the wave phenomenon from underneath the water, making the spot all the more amazing to visit. Although the waves are not the biggest in the world, they are certainly the biggest in California!

6. Banzai Pipeline, O’ahu

The Pipeline has both some of the best and most dangerous waves in the world. It is definitely no place for a beginner as their waves are so intense that even some pros shy away from. Although it is one of the most coveted and loved surf spots, the danger should not be ignored. More surfers have died surfing at the Pipeline than any other surf spot.

7. “Cloud 9” Siargao Island, Philippines

Well known for its perfect tubes, cloud 9 is a relatively newly discovered hot spot for surfers looking for a fun challenge. It is also the host of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition. Although many surfers love Cloud 9, it has recently been referred to as “crowd 9”, as it is has become quite popular over the past few years.

8. Tavarua, Fiji

Fun because of its “secret” element, Tavarua has 2 world-class breaks, beautiful scenery, and a breathtaking coral reef. Unfortunately, a private surf camp manages this island and only allows visitors by invitation. Fortunately, the island hosts multiple surf competitions each year that can be watched on television or online.

9. Teahupoo, Tahiti

Another site of the annual Billabong World Championship Tour, Teahupoo lets experienced surfers live out their dreams. Their beaches have waves reaching past 10 feet, a heavy current, and perfect barrels. Because of their perfect conditions nearly every professional surfer has been to Teahupoo at least once, and almost every amateur dreams to.

10. Mundaka, Spain

One of the most famous surf spots in Europe and the world, Mundaka offers the waves and speed that every surfer craves. The current is strong, making your ride more smooth and fun but also adding some danger. Only experienced surfers should head to Mundaka, as the tide is so strong it can only be surfed in shallow waters.

Successful Women on Surf Boards

As a fellow businesswoman who loves to surf, I was inspired by this well-written article by Nicki Gilmour of New York City, on The Glass Hammer. Below is a quote from the blog entry, but I highly suggest you check out the full version.

“Every summer, the beaches of Long Island are filled with women and girls on surfboards. I am one of them. As far as I’m concerned, if the sun is shining, the ocean is clear and the waves are clean, the best board to be on is a surfboard.

I am sure that there are lots of successful professional women among my fellow surfers. It’s a tough sport – I have the injuries and scars to prove it. It’s thrilling. You need stamina and strength, as well as some talent to keep improving. You also need a desire to conquer yourself, not just the ocean; in other words, all the stuff that you need to make it in the other ‘boardroom’ at the office.

The first time you catch a wave, it will rank as one of the best feelings in the world, like falling in love: the butterflies flit in your stomach, sending a signal to your brain that gives you a euphoric feeling of taking flight. You are flying on top of the wave even though it’s probably just the frothy white water breaking around you and lifting you along with it. Then you get bolder and better, paddling out further and taking many hits as the ocean drags you along the seabed like a spin cycle on a washing machine. A few hours later, you will emerge and you arms will feel like they each weigh 100 lbs. from all the paddling out and paddling in for the wave.

It’s all worth it.”

Paige Hareb Makes Surfing History

Teenage surfer Paige Hareb created surfing history by taking second place at the Junior Women's World Championship event in Sydney. She entered the event as wildcard and surprised everyone by making it to the finals. Hareb beat South African champion Nikita Robb in the quarterfinals before beating former champion Courtney Conlogue in the semi-finals. Hareb then lost to Sally Fitzgibbon who took the championship title. However, Hareb's performance earned a $3,400 prize making her the first New Zealand female surfer in the history of the junior world championships.

U.S. Honda Open of Surfing Begins

Today the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing will begin. The competition will begin with the men's and junior competitions at the Huntington Beach Pier. This competition is in it’s 49th year and is the North America's only six-star World Qualifying Series event. It will feature over 600 surfers competing for prize of $175,000.00. The men's competition begins on Monday and the women's competition begins Wednesday. The women's finals will be held July 28 and the men's finals July 29.

Slater To Retire From Surfing?

American surfing star Kelly Slater is rumored to be retiring from surfing after a poor performance in the Rip Curl Pro Search event in Arica, Chile. Slater holds the record as both the youngest and oldest world champion and won his first world title back in 1992. He’s won a record eight world titles in his career but lost to Dean Morrison during the fourth round on Tuesday. According to reports, Slater was extremely disappointed about the loss and booked himself on the next flight out of Chile to return the United States. For more information check out TheAge.

International Surfing Day Returns June 21st

According to Global Surf News June 21 has been dubbed International Surfing Day across the glob. This will celebrate the third occurrence of the holiday, which inspires surfers every where to take a day to share and acknowledge their love of surfing and beaches. "This is a great opportunity for us surfers to celebrate our sport by simply doing what we love to do most – going surfing," says Evan Slater, Editor of Surfing Magazine. "It’s also a great opportunity to remind everyone about the need and importance to protect our oceans, waves and beaches."