Maria’s Canary Island Escape

Photos: Pontus Pålsson / @pontus_palsson / www.pontuspalsson.com

How does it compare to the cold water waves of Scandinavia?
It is such a big different surfing in warm waters. In my 6’5’4 Arctic wetsuit, I weight a lot more than I do in my 3’2 wetsuit, and that makes a lot of difference when surfing. Also not wearing 7mm boots makes surfing so much easier, when surfing barefoot you can really feel your board in your turns. I should be wearing reef boots here but I refuse wearing boots if it’s not below 10°c in the water. Another thing that is easier here is duck diving, in the Arctic, you float really well with all that thick neoprene which makes it harder to go deep in your duck dives. It is just a lot easier here compared to Norway, though surfing with crowds is something I need to get used to.

Tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
I am a Swedish surfer who has dedicated my life to surfing for the last 11 years. I have been competing a bit for the last few years, and last year I did the World Surfing Games and also managed to win a competition in Norway (Lofoten Masters). I am very lucky to be able to have surfing as such a big part of my everyday life, many thanks to my sponsors and to all my followers on my blog and Instagram.

Why did you decide to start Vlogging?
My boyfriend is a good photographer/filmer and he has had the vlog idea for a long time, but I wasn’t really ready until now. It takes some time to get used to seeing/ hearing yourself on camera. But now I am just happy to share what we do here and hopefully inspire more people (mostly girls) to surf and follow their dreams.

Tell us a little bit about this day, the waves look unbelievably fun!
Oh man, this day was magical! Me, Tehillah and Pontus went to a smaller island for the day with loads of food and water hoping to find some waves, and we did. In the morning Tehillah and I had the whole lineup to ourselves and we just couldn’t stop smiling through that whole session. It was for sure one of my best surf sessions I have ever had, not just because of the never-ending right-hander but also because I love surfing with Tehillah, she is the ultimate surf buddy and we push each other, giving each other tips and laugh a lot.

What plans do you have for the coming months?
My plan for the upcoming months is to stay here on the Island, surfing as much as I can and to stay healthy. We also plan on doing more surf missions and coming out with more vlogs. We also have an edit from the Arctic coming out soon so that will be something me and Pontus (mostly Pontus) will be working on in the nearest future.

Film: All filmed and edited by Pontus Pålsson (@pontus_palsson).