June | 2014 | Surf Mama

Jazzing the Glass

June 18, 2014 by Wilma Johnson

The flat spell continues, soon surfers will start to lose their religion and make the ultimate sacrifice to the pagan sea gods by burning surfboards, while manically beating on their bongo drums to summon up a swell. Partly to remember what a wave looked like Florence and I headed over to Jazz the Glass in Biarritz last night for the opening of Sylvain Cazenave‘s exhibition of surf photos from four corners of the ocean. I have a running joke with Sylvain after I […]

Categories: Blog, surf mama • Tags: Biarritz, surf, surfbooks, surfphotos

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Back to my Roots

June 18, 2014 by Wilma Johnson

After a crazy week in London launching the book it was quite calming to get back home and back to my roots with the Mamas Surf Club on friday. A bit too calm in fact – we had the sort of waves I dreamt of when we first started in 2005, tiny to non-existent. For a while we had another motto alongside ‘Out of the kitchen and into the Surf’. ‘Never too small for the Mamas.’ But I’ll say the […]

Categories: Blog, letter form Olatua, surf mama • Tags: Biarritz, mamas surf club, surf, surf mama, wilma johnson, women surfing

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The Wild One

June 18, 2014 by Wilma Johnson

Back home in Biarritz in time for the Wheels and Waves bike rally – sadly no sign of waves, the Bay of Biscay looked more like the river Thames all week. But Flo found this nice set of wheels …. waiting for Marlon Brando to come and buy us a glass of rosé on the terrace in Olatua.

Categories: Photos • Tags: guethary, motorbikes, surf, surfmama

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Surf Mama in Express Monday 9th June

June 11, 2014 by Wilma Johnson

I turned a mid-life crisis into my great adventure on the waves. Mother-of-three WILMA JOHNSON was in her 40s when she realised all she wanted to diii was go surfing. Sitting on a deserted windswept beach on the most westerly point of Irelandauthor and artist Wilma Johnson rememebers experiencing a life-changing epiphany. As she watched husband Nick gliding effortlessly across the Atlantic swell she suddenly decided that her mission in life was to learn to surf. […]

Categories: press, surf mama • Tags: surf, surfbooks, surfing, wilma johnson

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Urban Beach – Surf Mama at the Art Car Boot Fair

June 9, 2014 by Wilma Johnson

Categories: Photos, surf mama • Tags: Art, Art Car Boot Fair, surf, surf mama

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Surf Mama launch at Vout-O-Reenees

June 5, 2014 by Wilma Johnson

Surf Mama launch at Vout-O-Reenees on Monday was a wild night. Enormous stroke of luck that one of my best and oldest friends Sophie Parkin had just opened Vout-O-Reenees ‘ private members club for the surrealistically distinguished’, the perfect setting for the launch, in the crypt of a church in the city, surralist decor and the fabulous garden room painted a la Monet by surfer Morganico. We gave away a free tequila sunrise with every copy because we just […]

Categories: surf mama • Tags: surf, surf mama, surfbooks, tequila sunrise, wilma johnson

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High 50 for Surf Mama

June 5, 2014 by Wilma Johnson

Babe of Biscay: How I started a new life surfing in France Biarritz is one of Europe’s hottest surf spots. With her marriage on the rocks, Wilma Johnson learnt to surf at 40, moved there, and has written a book about it. Oliver Bennett meets the Surf Mama At sea, a line of surfers straddle wild, white-topped waves. Back on the stately Quai de la Grande Plage, wetsuit-clad surf-bums stroll alongside ladies with lapdogs. It is time for that […]

Categories: press, surf mama • Tags: Biarritz, fifty-somthing, surf, surfing, wilma johnson

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Surf Mama

One Womans Search for Love Happiness and the Perfect Wave

Monthly Archives: June 2014

Jazzing the Glass

Back to my Roots

The Wild One

Surf Mama in Express Monday 9th June

Urban Beach – Surf Mama at the Art Car Boot Fair

Surf Mama launch at Vout-O-Reenees

High 50 for Surf Mama