Last year, 22 year-old Immi Warren, a paediatric occupational therapist from Norfolk, entered the inaugural Sharp’s Brewery ‘There’s an Adventure Brewing’ competition after seeing our SurfGirl coverage. “’When I read about the opportunity for a surfing adventure with big wave legend, Andrew Cotton, I immediately thought it would be amazing to be a part of,” explains Immi. “Adventure is second nature to me – if I have a day inside, I start to go a bit crazy. So I uploaded a picture of me climbing in Gozo.”
Immi caught her first wave with her sister in Bude, Cornwall, when she was eight years old and was instantly hooked. “I just love surfing,” enthuses Immi: “The fresh air, the feel of the wave under my board, that first smack of cold water. Sometimes I love to paddle out and just sit on my board looking out to sea – which is handy because I am often waiting for quite a long time for a wave thanks to the inconsistent swell of East Anglia, where I live.”
These days Immi sees Devon as her ‘soul’s home’, so she was delighted at the opportunity to surf with Cotty on his home turf. Immi says, “Croyde is a beautiful place and although the waves weren’t the biggest on the weekend, we made the most of it and had some laughs. I was really lucky to be able to take a guest, so I chose my sister Jessamy, who I learned to surf with. We faced our fears together.”
Over the course of the weekend, Immi and Jessamy learnt all about the huge amounts of equipment a surfer needs when riding heavy waves, and got to ride and be towed by a jet ski. Cotty also explained that no matter how many times you ride massive waves it is always slightly scary so you need to make sure the fear doesn’t overpower you.
Keen to use his position as one of Europe’s best-known surfers to draw more attention to big wave surfing, Cotty has teamed up with Sharp’s Brewery for a second year running, to give a lucky few the chance to win a trip of a lifetime and accompany him on a big wave surf adventure. This autumn, in conjunction with the Sharp’s Brewery, ‘There’s an Adventure Brewing’ competition, we’re offering you the opportunity to feel the thunder of the mighty seas and watch one of the world’s best big wave surfers in action at Nazaré in Portugal or Mullaghmore in Ireland. 
To enter the 2016 Sharp’s Brewery ‘There’s an Adventure Brewing’ competition with Andrew Cotton, and win the opportunity for you and a plus one to travel to see him take on some of the world’s biggest waves, simply go to: www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk/adventure
