My Story

Why Surfing & Saltburn?

My first Saturday job, at 14, was in a factory surrounded by heavy machinery, greasy tools, and the smell of melted plastic—and I loved it (especially the money). But after about a year, I began to wonder if life had more to offer. I asked myself, "Is this really what I want?" That’s when I realised I wanted more.

Born in Nottingham, I grew up in the East Midlands, the most landlocked area of the UK, so surfing was never on my radar. Still, I'd always dreamed of visiting Australia, heavily influenced by the Men At Work song Down Under and 1980s TV shows like Neighbours and Home & Away (Don’t judge me!).

After finishing university, in my early 20s, I decided to go backpacking around Australia with friends. That's where I discovered surfing...

Surfers at San Diego Pier, California and Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii

Discovering Surfing

Thanks to a stroke of luck, we bought an around-the-world ticket that allowed us to visit nine countries for the price of a direct flight to Australia. This incredible opportunity let us explore destinations we had only dreamed of, like California and Hawaii.

My first taste of surfing came in San Diego, California, where I watched surfers near the pier, thinking, "That looks amazing..."
Then later, on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, while staying at Plantation Village Hostel just a stone's throw from the beach, we spent hours watching in awe as surfers tackled the powerful Pipeline.

Living in Australia

Then, while I was living in Manly, Sydney, Australia, I got the chance to try it for myself!

Our hostel on Pittwater Road was just minutes from the beach, surrounded by surfers and surfboards. The whole lifestyle looked like it was great fun, so I had to give it a go.

My first wave was on a borrowed backyard short board, needless to say, I never stood up, but the feeling I got from being out there was amazing and totally addictive. It didn’t matter that I was getting smashed about by the waves and nearly drowning, I loved it, I was hooked!

Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge and Manly Beach

Mojosurf - Learn to Surf Tours, East Coast of Australia

Learn-to-Surf Adventures

Then, I booked myself onto a 5-day ‘learn-to-surf' tour from Sydney to Byron Bay with Mojosurf, which somehow turned into a 5-year surf adventure that changed my life forever! (Thanks to Nat and Dan, Mojosurf owners)

I became part of the Mojosurf family. Working on the tours as a guide, cleaner, instructor, photographer, and web designer… basically helping out wherever needed to make it the best surf tour adventure on the east coast of Australia (working alongside characters like Kimbo ‘G-Land Surf Camp manager/legend’ and Wispy ‘McTavish surfboards ambassador & free surfer’)…

"A 5-day ‘learn-to-surf' tour somehow turned into a 5-year surf adventure"

Australian Surf Legend

…and it was also during this time that I met and became good friends with the legendary Australian surfboard shaper & big wave rider from the 1950s, 60s and 70s ‘Scott Dillon’ (God rest his soul). We’d visit Scotty every week at his Legends Surf Museum in Coffs Harbour, for beers and great surf stories.

In the early 60’s Scott was shaping for guys like Nat Young and was instrumental in giving shaping knowledge to Bob McTavish.

And thanks to Nat Folkes, the Legends Surf Museum lives on, in Byron Bay.

Scott Dillon - Legends Surf Museum in Coffs Harbour

Living the Dream

My surf lifestyle was great at this point. Surf trips to Bali (where, by luck more than judgment, I got my first tube ride at Uluwatu) and balancing my time between two surf camps (one at Big Hill, Crescent head and one at Spot X, Arrawarra), plus getting to surf ‘The Pass’ at Byron Bay on weekends. I really was ‘living the dream'.

Then after 5 great years on the tours, meeting & working with some inspiring people and experiencing some amazing places, I finally decided to return to the UK, ready for the next chapter in my life.

Discovering Saltburn

A few months after returning to the UK and living back in the East Midlands (surf dream over), I met my now-wife Lisa, who was working in Nottingham at the time.

She told me stories of her hometown by the sea and that she had seen people surfing there on occasion, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I first visited Saltburn… I just remember driving down Saltburn Bank and seeing lines and lines of perfect waves (it gave me a feeling, like in the ‘Endless Summer’ movie where they’re coming over the sand dunes and find that offshore, fun-feeling wave) and I remember thinking right there and then I’m going to marry this girl :) (surf dream back on).

Dream move

Cut forward 10 years, marriage (we had our wedding reception at the Spa Hotel, Saltburn), 2 kids in tow, we finally made our dream move in 2016 to live on this beautiful North East coast.

Surfing & Saltburn

The dream of teaching our kids to surf was my main focus when we first arrived… But, having lived here for a while now, I’ve discovered that Saltburn not only has great surf but also a very welcoming community and a fantastic history.

And it’s through my artwork that I’d like to try and capture the feeling, the spirit and the essence of surfing at Saltburn-by-the-Sea, in a fun, bright and uplifting way!