If you’re on our mailing list, you saw it first! We’ve officially posted ALL 2023 Longboard Surf House retreat dates on the schedule. Join SWA for an epic women’s surf retreat in Costa Rica in April, May, June, or July 2023!
Why so far ahead of time? This retreat location fills up QUICK!
Left point-breaks in the backyard
Delicious food
Refreshing pool
Cute accommodations
Jungle adventures
Plus the usual super frothy SWA team of badass ladies to support and encourage you in the surf!
What surf specific exercises can I do to prepare for my retreat?
Surf With Amigas’ head yoga instructor Reesie just made this perfect compilation of workouts and stretches that you should do to prepare for your next retreat with SWA. Expect to do pop-up practice, stabilizing core workouts, and a few juicy hip openers. After completing the exercises in this video (a few times) you’ll be ready to go!
Interested in more surf-related tutorials or workouts? Let us know!
There’s no shortage of inspiration when we look at the lives of SWA’s Co-Owners, Jackie George and Holly Beck. Now that you’ve all met Jackie, we’re excited for you to learn more about SWA’s founder, Holly! This former pro-surfer and mom of two has many incredible stories to tell.
MEET HOLLY BECK
HOMETOWN: As a child, Palos Verdes, CA. Currently rotating between Aposentillo, North Nicaragua and Pavones, South Costa Rica.
HOW DID YOU LEARN TO SURF? Well my mom told me that surfing was for boys, not something a nice young lady should be doing, and that if I surfed, I’d never get a boyfriend. “You should be sitting on the beach looking cute in a bikini, not out competing with the boys.”
Holly with her first surfboard
By the time I was 15 I’d bought myself a board and wetsuit from a garage sale and had friends with licenses to drive me to the beach. I was still a little wary that no one was going to like me if I surfed though, especially since there were very few girls that surfed in the mid 90s. Luckily, a couple of boys from the surf team took me in and I threw everything into surfing. I was totally obsessed. I papered my walls in surf mag photos, did every school report I could on something related to surfing, and really found healing in the ocean. I picked it up quickly and started competing right away. I got 2nd place in my first contest and then became super driven to get better and win!
FAVORITE BOARD AT THE MOMENT: I like to ride different things. I get tired of any one feel. I’ve been riding a 5’4 round tail twin fin quite a bit lately, but also enjoying the glide of finless boards.
WHAT’S PLAYING ON THE SPEAKER AS YOU’RE GEARING UP FOR A SURF? I’ve been into Rising Appalachia. Folky, female, and has a bit of a political stance.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERPOWER WHAT WOULD IT BE? To travel through time and space with the snap of a finger. Go back to that swell last week in Nicaragua and get tubed. Dip over to Pavones when it’s firing. Go give my kids a quick cuddle when they’re spending time with their dad, etc.
DAWN PATROL OR SUNSET SESSION? Dawn patrol without question.
NAME A SURFER THAT INSPIRES YOU: I love the way Steph Gilmore is always smiling, plus her super stylish but also radical approach to riding waves. My favorite male surfers are the ones that ride everything, can be goofy, but also rip. Ryan Burch and Rob Machado.
WILDEST SURF STORY… GO! Ooooo that’s a tough one. I have a lot of really wild surf stories from when i was on tour. Lately surf stories are a lot more tame, especially since I often have kids along for the ride. Probably the wildest story lately was when I was at the beach with my kids and the swell was pumping and my almost 4 yr old grom Soleo really wanted to surf.
I had a 7’6 with us on the beach. The waves were overhead and peeling down the line but there was a good channel and I knew the spot well (and most of the people who were out). I put him on the nose of my board and we paddled out. We had to pop over a couple big whitewash waves but then we paddled super fast between sets and made it out. We waited and waited, and people were tripping on us being out there in such big waves. Finally, a good one came. There was someone on it, but it was a friend that I knew wouldn’t mind us sharing. We dropped in on a well overhead wave and rode it all the way down the point. Soleo was super stoked and so was mom!
The cross step. Both graceful and functional, it’s how us long boarders really use the entire surfboard, from front to back & back to front. It’s how the most talented surfers dance and trim their way to the nose.
Ready to transform your longboard shuffle into a graceful cross step? Keep reading.
Surf Instructor Shelly cross stepping through Costa Rica
Start here: Practice on land!
Repetition of the cross step (or any technical surf skill) on solid ground will implant the physical movements into your muscle memory. If you can master the cross step on land, you’ll have a better chance of accessing the fancy footwork once on your surf board.
Cross step as you walk through the kitchen, while checking the waves, or while playing on your yoga mat. Practice it everywhere! Once the movement feels completely fluid and natural you can take it to the water.
The Setup:
The cross step setup goes like this- First, drop into your wave and get going down the line. Think about placing your feet closer to the inside rail of your surfboard, the rail that’s tucked into the wall of the wave. Then, it’s all about the stall. Shift your weight onto your back foot in order to slow down and steer the board up towards the top third of the wave. The stall often resembles a bottom turn, depending on the size and shape of the wave.
Surf instructor Chloe demonstrates the stall
Taking the Step:
After the stall, it’s time to take the step(s). Shift your hips forward then let the feet follow. The back foot crosses over the front. To start, just cross your feet, hold, then right step back into your normal stance. Step lightly. Once this movement feels more comfortable, try and take a few more steps. The end goal is to take as many steps as needed (usually 2 or 3) in order to get your toes all the way to the nose.
Check out this video of SWA Co-Owner Jackie styling through a stall-to-cross-step combo during a Surf With Amigas Morocco retreat.
*As always, remember to take it slow, laugh through the wipeouts (there will likely be a lot of them), and surf with other ladies who inspire you to surf more + have fun!
January 16th retreat highlights! Birthdays were celebrated and some bomb waves were ridden. The Amigas really came out of their comfort zone as the last several days of the retreat were met with some solid swell. Enjoy!
Part two of our January Retreat Highlights package – here’s more surfing action plus some horseback riding and the ladies give back with Waves of Hope by helping to finish the Olas De Esperanza High School project and get it ready for students.
After a few months off and a few retreats in El Salvador, the Amigas are back in Nicaragua for the dry season. The week of November 9th kicked off the new season with an awesome group of Amigas who were completely shredding in the water, upside down on the sand, and racing on horseback.
Introducing a new dance move called “the pelican swat” in between super fun waves at Sunzal, the girls from Amigas Surf and Yoga Retreats are always having a good time!
The “pelican swat” dance move originated when Holly was teasing Nadia about her tendency to arm flail. Holly happens to have unusually long arms (the better to carry your longboard for you!) and suggested that if she flailed like Nadia she’d end up swatting pelicans left and right. And just like that, a new dance move was born!
We’re doing retreats at this location in October! Come play! See the Schedule for details!
They may look like humans but their mermaid fins are revealed the moment they hit the saltwater. They nurture their muscles while mixing cement to build a high school for Nicaraguan children, then dive into the ocean at sunset after a few sips of cold beer. The life of an Amiga.
It’s super sunny in Nicaragua and we spend long hours in the surf. Our eyes get fried. Our lips blister. Wrinkles are multiplying! Fortunately, we came across these sweet little hats by Surf Munkey. They are really light weight and totally comfortable! We plan to order a bunch to include in our Suitcase Boutique very soon! Here’s a silly video from the first day we tested them out including some interesting synchronized surfing by Jackie and Jam Slam. Enjoy!
