Best Job in the World? Meet Taffy

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As a surf school small enough to genuinely care about all y’all, we like to personalise the whole experience of learning to surf with us and for you to get to know us that little bit more we are doing a weekly interview with a member of the Ticket to Ride Team. Here is the first in the series; meet Taffy, who has one of the best jobs in the World as Senior Surf Coach at the Ticket to Ride Surf School Perranporth:

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1.     Name and job: Tom Taffy Barker. Senior Surf Coach.

2.     Sum yourself up in three words: Absolute Total Legend

3.     Sum your job up in three words: The Chosen One

4.     How long have you surfed? 22 years

5.     What do you love about surfing: The places it takes you

6.     What made you decide to become a surf coach? Spending all day every day at the beach and getting to surf.

7.     How did you get into it? I met the boss on a ski season and said I would love to be a surf coach, so I did my instructor and lifeguard course with Errant Surf, moved to Cornwall and never looked back. 

8.     What do you love about your job? Seeing people progress from complete beginner all the way up to ripper!

9.     Are there any negatives? Just when its cold, like in March and the end of October and you’ve got a wet wetsuit to slip on. That reminds me I must buy a spare wetsuit for those chilly months.

10. What is the hardest thing you’ve had to deal with yet? Working the shop when the waves are grinding and the sun is shining.

11. What are the most common mistakes the average surfer makes? The average surfers usually puts too much weight at the back of the board. There’s also the Cornish pull off, which is when you get to the close out section (the best section) and then pull off ?? HIT IT!!!

12. Do you have any basic tips for the average surfer? I think the most important thing to learn after you can stand up on green waves is reading the wave and having an idea what the wave will do before it does it. This only comes with LOTS of time spent in the water.

13. What are the three best things about Newquay / Perranporth The waves, ale and pasty’s.

14. Describe the (TAFFY) experience, what can a newbie surfer expect from a 2 hour lesson with you? LOADS AND LOADS OF FUN with some surfing thrown in.

15. Newquay or Perranporth? PERRANPORTH BEY!!!

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