Winner of the Leisure Provider Of The Year and Winner of Winners at the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2008 - Winner of Silver at the South West Tourism Awards for Leisure Provider Of The Year 2008 - Winner of Silver for Sustainable Business at the Visit Cornwall Awards 2008 - Silver Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme 2008 - Winner of Surfer's Path Travel Operator of the Year 2007 - Shortlisted for Cornwall Tourism Leisure Pursuit Provider of the Year 2007 - Nominated for Sustainability Awards 2007 - Highly Recommended by the Fat Face Guide 2007 - Official Sponsors of Surfers Against Sewage environmental campaign group

GB SURF SCHOOL Instructors

Chris Brown
GB Surf School Head Coach

Age: 23
Sex: Male
Years surfing: 10
Years coaching: 5

Qualifications:

  • BSA Surf Coach Level 3
  • NARRS National Beach Lifeguard
  • RLSS National Pool Lifeguard
  • SCUBA diving level 1

Other hobbies:
Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Diving, Socialising Favourite waves: Praa shore break, Gwenver / Sennen, A 30 second North Coast left hander, which will stay secret, Hossegor (France) and my second home – Portugal.

Favourite waves:
Porthleven

Places surfed:
France, Spain, England, Wales, Morocco, Portugal... and so on!

Boards owned:
6’1 Black and White Performance Short board, 7’6 Semi-Gun for those big days. And numerous other shapes and sizes for all conditions.

Philosophy on surfing:
The most addictive sport you can ever take up, with the chance to travel to foreign places in search of picture perfect waves.

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Tim Elks
GB Surf School Coach 

Age: 28
Sex: Male
Years surfing: 15
Years coaching: 2

Qualifications:

ASI Surf Coach Level 1
Surf Coach Lifesaver Award
Marine Leisure Management Fdsc
RLSS National Pool Lifeguard
JSLA and CSLA Sports Leadership
 
Other Hobbies:
Playing music, whether on the beach with my guitar or in a reggae band with seven good mates. Bodyboarding heavy shore dump and travelling.
 
Favourite Waves:
Praa Sands, Lev, Porthtowan and some other little gems around Cornwall.
 
Places Surfed:
Kernow, Portugal, Canary Islands, Indo, NZ, Australia, Mexico, Barbados... and the mighty Wales!
 
Boards Owned:
5'10 Rusty Dozer, 5'10 Hobie retro fish, 5'7 fat pin tail and a few others dotted around the shed and garage.
 
Philosophy on Surfing:
Surfing has been a major part of my life since coming across it when I was 12. Since then it has helped sculpt my personaility and the way I live my life, the places I have been and the good people I've met. I surf because I'm a better and more peaceful person afterwards.

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Steve Hancock
GB Surf School Visiting Coach 

Age: 26
Sex: Male
Years surfing: 6
Years coaching: 4

Qualifications:

BSc Sports Coaching
BSA Surf Coach Level 1
RLSS National Beach Lifeguard
RLSS National Pool Lifeguard
JSLA and CSLA Sports Leadership
 
Other Hobbies:
Snowboarding, Travelling, Football, Cricket, Keeping Fit, Swimming, Reading and the occasional game of poker with the guys on the CPT.
 
Favourite Waves:
Lower Trestles in California and Crack Pipe in Fiji. Gwenver/Sennen and Gwithian back home in Cornwall.
 
Places Surfed:
Cornwall, Wales, Sri Lanka, Bali, Lombok, New Zealand, Fiji, California, Mexico, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
 
Boards Owned:
Two 6’3” squash tails (Matt Adams and Bourton). 6’10” Lost Quad Shark for the bigger days.
 
Philosophy on Surfing:
Surfing gives back what so many sports cannot, a chance to really connect with the elements and your surroundings. For the chance to experience this feeling in so many exotic countries around the world is truly amazing and what makes surfing so special to me. I feel very lucky that I am able to bring this experience into my working life.

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Jon (JP) Parlby
GB Surf School Visiting Coach

Age: 23
Sex: Male
Years surfing: 9
Years coaching: 6

Qualifications:

  • BSA Surf Coach Level 3 - youngest ever to qualify for a Level 3 surfing qualification
  • NARRS National Beach Lifeguard
  • RYA Levels 1,2,3 Sailing
  • Power Boat Levels 1 & 2
  • RYA Windsurfing Levels 1 & 2
  • 2 Star Kayak

Other hobbies:
Love my music and DJ ing, mentoring underprivileged kids, DIY, travelling, keeping fit; swimming, running, tennis etc, making and repairing surfboards.

Places surfed:
Kernowfornia of course, France, Spain, Portugal, Northern Italy, Carribean, Ireland and hopefully Indonesia in the very near future.

Boards owned:
6"0' lost speed demon 2 (thanks to the Pauls' at Black and White surfboards) 5"10' quadfin (B+W) 9"1 longboard.

Philosophy on surfing:
It drives me mad with frustration, but then it is the thing that I love the most as it can take your mind off anything and keep you focused and driven and also opens doors with career options.

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