Spencer Bridges

​Saturday January 17, 2015 - First day of the trip. Leave for Costa Rica Sunday.

Tuesday January 20th 2015 – I am having a great time here in Costa Rica! Travelling to get down here was a trip by itself – my flight from Newark was rerouted to land in Miami due to a medical emergency and then United lost our bags! I am training with Initiative Surf in Nosara Costa Rica. Alex (Initiative Surf coach) has been helping me fine-tune my bottom turn – get low and touching. Also we are really focusing on my first turn and making sure that is the biggest maneuver I do on the wave. I have a photo shoot Thursday with my friends and hopefully we get some good shots! –Spencer

​Saturday January 17, 2015 - First day of the trip. Leave for Costa Rica Sunday.

Wednesday January 20th 2015 – Been exploring the beautiful coastline of Costa Rica

Thursday January 22th 2015 – Trekked around northern Costa Rica today with my photographer and was able to get a couple good shots!

Monday January 26 2015– I was walking back from a session at Playa Guiones and saw this little guy going through the trash! It's crazy how many animals you see while walking down streets here; from stray dogs, to iguanas, to howler monkey's, and to red tailed squirrels. Yesterday I was walking into town from my hotel and I saw a howler monkey climbing on the power line, and the Costa Rican's around me acted like it was nothing. It's funny how different "normal" is in different cultures. 

Saturday February 14, 2015 - Last night my family went to Opal's Thai Restaurant on the North Shore of Oahu, but it was not your typical Thai dinner. First the owner of the restaurant (Opal) comes and takes your menus immediately after you sit down. Next he asks you to name 5 Thai dishes. After he asks you other questions about how spicy you like your food, what dishes you like, etc. He leaves and courses start coming without you actually having ordered anything (he chooses what you have to dinner), and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. 

Saturday February 21, 2015- I had a great session today at Haliewa thanks to a local calling me into one of the waves of the day. I was farthest out the back and a bomb set came in and I was the only one kind of in position, but if I were to go I would be very late on the drop. I hear one of the locals that was running the lineup yell at my go grom go! At that point I have no choice, but to put my head down and go. I ended up eating it on the drop because I was so late. After he asked how the wave was and I told him I ate it. He said, "It doesn't matter that you fell on the drop, it was very impressive that you spun around and went on it super late." 

Friday March 6, 2015 - What a month it was in Hawaii! I am so grateful for being given the opportunity to stay there and train. Reflecting on the trip my favorite wave ended up being Backyards after I figured out where to sit and which waves were good. My favorite restaurant was no doubt Opals Thai (talked about in Feb. 14 post). My favorite food truck (which are famous on the North Shore was either Crispy Grinds (Acai bowls) or the Elephant Thai food truck. The most memorable session was my first session at real Pipeline which I will never forget - how serious the line up was, Da Hui, and how square the waves were. I will never forget that month in Hawaii and I have nothing, but great memories (and a lot of reef scars) 

Saturday March 7, 2015 -  The first couple of days in Australia have been great! I am in Torquay which has one of the worlds most famous waves, Bells Beach. It is an amazing right hand point break that seems to never end. The terrain around Torquay reminds me of that in Cornwall, England - except much much better weather! The crowd is not as bad as it is hyped up to be. This morning there were probably around 50 guys at bells out, but everyone was friendly and almost everyone that paddled past me said "g'day mate!" I am here for two weeks and then to the Gold Coast (home of the famous super bank Snapper Rocks) for another two weeks! 

Tuesday March 10, 2015 -  I have been surfing and training with Adam "Robbo" Robertson everyday either at Bells Bowl or Winkipop. Here is a frontside cutty of me at Bells Bowl this morning. 

Wednesday March 18, 2015 -  My time in Torquay was amazing! Reflecting on my two weeks, here are a couple of my favorite things: 1. The People - I met some amazing people while I was here (just to name a few - Adam "Robbo" Robertson, Cahill Bell-Warren, Cody Robinson, and Jordy Gibson) and I just want to thank them for welcoming me into their community and having me in their great surf town! 2. Winkipop/Bells - They are the best waves I have ever surfed, you can get 8 or 9 turns on a wave. 3. Late Machine - I stayed at Whites Beach Bed and Breakfast and the late machine they had here was a life saver. Thank you Torquay next stop SNAPPER!!

Thursday March 26, 2015 - The Surfing Australia High Performance Centre has been amazing! My typical day training there starts at 7:30am. and ends at 4pm. I get there at 7:30 and load my things into my trainer's, Tim MacDonald, car. We look for surf and I am usually in the water at 8. I surf from 8-11 then we head back to the HPC for video review. Next, I have a 30 minute break for lunch until 12. From 12-1 I have physical training with the personal trainer, Josh. After that I pack my things back into the car and we head out for another surfing session from 1:30 until 3:15. After the session we go back to the HPC for video review of that session from 3:30-4. At 4 my work day is over, but then it is time to go home and do schoolwork for 3 hours! Tonight I am going to dinner at the Kirra Surf Club to watch Australia take on India in the Cricket World Cup! 

Wednesday March 18, 2015 -  Today I surfed with the local high school surf team in Coolemgatta. They have an elite surf program there for students. If you don't live in the town you can apply to get in to the school for that specific program. The program includes participants being able to train with the school coach from 8-9:45 Monday - Thursday instead of going to first and second periods. I was invited to tour the school afterward and overall it was a great experience. 

Tuesday April 7, 2015 - Thank you Snapper! The last session of my last day was undoubtably the best session (and most fun) I had on the goldie. The waves were clean 5 foot and absolutely pumping. All the boys, Clancy, TMac, and Stromy, came and surfed for 3 hours. Thanks to the surf coaches, Tmac, Clancy and Samba at the HPC for taking the progressive side of my surfing to the next level. Thanks to Josh for training me in the gym in between surfs and thanks to the whole crew at the HPC for their hospitality. 

Tuesday April 7, 2015 - 3 days at home and I am back on a plane to surf in the NSSA East Coast Championships! Hope to get some fun waves in Smyrna for the contest!