Surf School Articles

“To my relief, the DVD my wife handed me had the more appealing title of Mr Pilates,” Mr Jekyll said. “Not really knowing what to expect, I kept an open mind, I guess I presumed it would be similar to yoga, more of a stretching and loosening up type of exercise.

However, I found it to be quite a serious workout, slow moving and precise.”
Part of a series of 15 DVDs, Mr Pilates has been specifically designed for men.

“Lots of guys hate fitness classes, but the DVDs mean they can do half an hour of Pilates every day in th4e privacy of their own home –any time of the day or night,” Ms Jaye said. “It’s also great for blokes who travel a lot for business – you just pop the DVD in your laptop or in the hotel room DVD player.”

Pilates, dude to the deep-muscle toning and focus on core strength can produce muscle tone in a short time, without the bulkiness.

“It’s great for building core strength and to keep muscles strong and flexible to minimise the likelihood of injury through high-impact sports,” Ms Jaye said. “It’s not just exercise; its a holistic approach to getting your body and mind into shape.”

From the bloke’s perspective, it seems the benefits of a buff bod are enough evidence to convince that Pilates packs a punch.

“I thought I was pretty knowledgeable when it came to fitness, flexibility and exercise, but I certainly learned a thing or five,” Mr Jekyll said. 

“After a few short sessions I felt a strengthening of my back and stomach and it definitely helped my posture by making me aware of how to better use my muscles.

I find surfing to be one of the best ways to keep fit, and now I incorporate a short Pilate’s workout before I hit the waves.

It seems I will be remaining in the company of the Hollywood movies stars and Desperate Housewives.

And after giving birth to our second child, my wife will find a copy of Mrs Pilates under her pillow this Mother’s Day!”

Media: Local Paper

She was chosen from more than 1000 entries received this year from pet-loving Bulletin readers. Miss Kippy wins a $1000 voucher from Posh Pets.

“We first got her when she was three and my husband’s friend had to go overseas,” Kerri says. “We were minding her for a month because the two other German shepherds on the farm were starting to attack her. She had about 50 or 60 stiches from one attack.

"We loved her so much and I did not want to give her back, so we got to keep her.”

Kerri says they have always lived on the Gold Coast except when Miss Kippy and the family moved to the Kimberly three years ago.

“During this trip Kippy was attacked by four dingoes and needed 160 stiches,” she says. “We were living in the Kimberly on a working holiday but there were a few dingoes hanging around the park.

"I let the ranger know this was dangerous because my daughter, Samantha, was only three-and-a-half at the time.

"One of the campers said: ‘Miss Kippy’s been attacked’ and we found her hidden under the step covered in blood.”

Kerri says she had been bravely fighting off the dingoes who were lurking as the family slept.

“She had been bitten on her stomach and the back of her legs, but she didn’t get one scar on her gorgeous face. Luckily one of the guys from a (Lake Argyle) cruise had seen her and threw bricks at the dingoes to scare them off. He brought her back to his place to look after her.”

The attack happened in the early hours and the nearest vet was 80km away.

“We found her and bundles her up in the car and arrived just as the veterinarian clinic was opening.”

Kerri says Miss Kippy has had an adventurous life and is a well-travelled dog.
“She even used to swim with freshwater crocodiles in Lake Argyle at the Kimberly’s.”

Miss Kippy also has a pet budgie called Princess, Kerri says.

“I was hanging the washing on the line one day and she was crying and looking up at the fence and she wouldn’t let me past,” she says.

"I was wondering what she was doing and I finally looked up at the fence and saw a little budgie that had lost its tail feathers because it was being swooped by other birds. She saves that poor bird, she’s very intuitive.”

From all the adventures, Miss Kippy has lots of scars. “She looks like a patchwork quilt; her fur is all uneven from being shaved for all the stiches. It’s as if she has an identity crisis and she can’t figure out whether to be a blue heeler of a red heeler because of her wounds.”

Miss Kippy really is one of the family: “She doesn’t like it when we’re apart. She sits on my beach and howls when my husband is in the water teaching surfing and me and the kids are on the beach.” Kerri says.

“She doesn’t know whether to stay on the beach with me and the kids or jump in the water with my husband.

It’s like she needs to round us all up. She’s like a little mother. She’ll love the birthday celebrations on August 12th when my son, Flynn turns one. Miss Kippy and I have birthdays two days later.

It’s going to be a big celebration for all three of us; she’ll love having us all together. 

I’d love to clone her, but her beautiful nature would never be replaced. So we’ll be getting her a nice big woolly coast with the prize money for being such a great dog.

We’ll be giving her a few hydro baths-day spa-because she used to have cold washes with the hose so we really want to spoil her. 

Her picture hangs on walls in England, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan and Cyprus.

A friend from Cyprus writes every week asking us to give her a tummy rub from him. He’s away from her for nine months of the year and misses her whenever he’s away.

Another friend has more pictures of Miss Kippy around the house than of her boyfriend.”

It was a struggle because being the lazy git that I am I had no strength in my arms to paddle out and big waves have a tendency to swallow little people like me. But my Surf Coach always had my back and even though I was falling off my board more times than I was on it, he had a way of talking to his students that made you feel like you could join the pro circuit in no time.

And another thing, I stupidly forgot to bring my board shorts so I only had an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini to go surfing in. So what happened? My arse kept trying to eat my bikini bottoms and so half the time I was preoccupied with yanking it out. It’s not especially lady-like being face down on a surfboard with your entire arse on display for your Surf Instructor. He heard me swearing under my breath, but all he said was, “Don’t worry, I’ve seen worse.”

It was the way he said it that made my embarrassment completely disappear and I was able to refocus on the next wave which I rode all the way back into the shore. I’d say that’s the sign of a great instructor.

Media: TNT Magazine - Mimmette Roldan

Thanks to the Get Wet Surf School, ph: (07) 5532 9907.

In addition to tis two-hour group lessons held twice daily, Get Wet is about to kick off the Summer Kids Club learn-to-surf group for six-16 year olds.

These lessons will be held Sunday mornings.

For bookings or more information call 1800 GET WET or go to www.getwetsurf.com

Learning how to surf is a great bonding experience for a parent and their child.

Media: Local paper

"I had considered myself of reasonable fitness, but after one-and-a-half hours of what seemed to be much more than paddling I retired to the beach to pass out," he said.

Between the puffing and panting, Mr O'Brien noticed to his surprise that all eight of the surf school students who had taken to the water at the same time, were standing and riding their boards to the shore with ease.

"The next day, I enlisted," he said.

Mr O'Brien signed up with Get Wet Surf School, and within an hour he had not only learned about surf safety, how to read the waves and surf etiquette, but he was also standing up.

"By my second lesson I was manoeuvring the board, and by my third, I was ready to tackle the pipeline-almost," he said.

Surf Coach Andrew Jekyll said surfing was one of the most enjoyable ways to keep fit. Experienced as a surf coach, his advice for those contemplating taking to the waves was to have a go.

"Get into it, but make sure you have a couple of lessons first," he said. "Any fears you have will soon disappear and you could save yourself from an un-necessary injury. The rush you get from surfing is the same as bungee jumping, your heart is in your mouth-especially the first time-and the feeling is unreal."

The facts:

What: Get Wet Surf School

Open: Seven days a week, subject to suitable conditions at Main Beach Spit

Cost: $45 for the first two and a half hours

Bring: Swimming costumes, towel and a 'have a go' attitude

Extras: A complimentary pick up service is available.

Call: 5532 9907

Media: Local paper