If you were not part of the crew for the #BillabongxEmpire Surf Trip, which took place last September 13th to 15th, you definitely missed something!
After winning the most recent #BillabongxEmpire sales contest, one employee from each of the 11 Empire shops has earned a place in one of the two houses we had rented, just on the edge of the sea, in Hampton Beach, NH, for an all expenses paid surfing trip.
With a variety of Billabong products to try, healthy meals from @mtlfoodlove and surf lessons with the local experts from the Cinnamon Rainbow surf shop, all the ingredients were in place for our EmpirexBillabong surf adventure to be a memorable one.
First day in Hampton Beach! After a few hours drive from Montreal to Hampton and a good lunch courtesy of @mtlfoodlove, we finally arrived! We wasted no time before heading to the beach. After removing the comfy Towel Hoodies Billabong gave us for the road, we immediately put on our wetsuits. And then... In the water! Even if it was cold, we were so well equipped that we didn’t even realize it.
3 PM, it's time to surf! Certified instructors from Cinnamon Rainbow, the ultimate surf shop in Hampton Beach, welcomed us with lessons and clinics to learn and experiment East Coast surfing.
After a day of traveling and surfing, it felt good to sit down with a cold beer and good healthy food from @mtlfoodlove to fill our bellies.
After surfing all afternoon and eating like kings, it was time for a little introduction to surfing 101 in the "Billabong Backyard". With a cold beer in hand, we mentally prepared for day 2. Tomorrow will be a good day.The following morning, we slowly woke up on the balcony of the house. Healthy breakfast in hand, we refilled our energy level. Although it’s still early, we are ready to hit the waves.
From what we learned during our lesson the day before, to read the ocean’s messages is an essential step before surfing. Before starting the second day , the crew headed to the beach with Cinnamon Rainbow instructors for a session of sea studying.
After eating a healthy breakfast and studying the state of the waves, it was time to return to the water for the second surf session with certified Cinnamon Rainbow instructors. We can already feel the improvement compared to the previous day.
After a surf session and another healthy lunch courtesy of @mtlfoodlove, it was time for the Billabong Rally; a surfing relay race to spice up the afternoon. Then we spent the rest of the day at the beach to improve our surfing, or to relax.
We had a busy day! After surfing, we opted for a good meal at the restaurant. Returning home, we sat down to watch surf videos. Although our hours of surfing were already behind us, we remembered the good times in the living room with the crew!
The next morning, it was already time to leave... It all happened too fast! Thank you to the Billabong crew for working with us on this project, the Cinnamon Rainbow team for their amazing lessons and @mtlfoodlove for it’s home cooked healthy meals. After another healthy lunch and a last look at the ocean, it was time to hit the road to Montreal.
Congratulations to the winners of the #BillabongxEmpire surf trip! We hope to see you guys again next year!