Adventure holiday plan to combine cycling, surfing, a bunch of girls and a dollop of sunshine.

With the dream of creating a supreme adventure holiday, cycling brand Ana Nichoola has teamed up with surf holiday company, Big Friday, to trial a Cycle-surfing trip through France. 

The ultimate in eco-surf travel, this all-girl trip pushes the boundaries and challenges the comfort zone of heavily loaded VW vans, engine power and city accommodation. With thousands of tourists flocking to the well-known European surf breaks every summer, it can feel like there is nothing left to discover, that for the love of a sport that celebrates purity and mother nature the Ocean and air are being polluted for it. The cycle-surfing trip finally presents us with something new and clean; the search is back on and the respect is reborn. 

The vision is the brainchild of land based Anna Glowinski, cyclist and surfer from Croydon and founder of female cycle clothing brand Ana Nichoola. Anna dreamt up the trip to combine her love of cycling and surfing, she says “As well as providing a clothing range, Ana Nichoola also runs regular cycling events for women. I love being involved in these events, but my passion for surfing led me to want an even greater challenge. I teamed up with Big Friday, a company that offers all-female surf holidays, to get the best combination of both cycling and surfing experience.”

As such, the ten-day trip will involve cycling along the west coast of France, with each girl wheeling a specific MULE trailer that carries the surfboards in tow. The group plan to set up camp wherever the best waves are to be found, meaning they will be free to ride and surf as much or as little as is desired each day. No accommodation will be booked to allow total freedom. It will be a life of exploration, for quiet, less accessible beaches, campfires and the open road. Albeit for a short time only.

The trial expedition will take place between 29th August and 7th September 2009, and there are still available places to girls who would like to join in. The criteria to be one of the (up to) 10 girls are that you must own bike and a board. Beginner surfers are welcome, but an ability to ride a bike is necessary. Ana Nichoola is all about promoting females and cycling, but surfing is unfortunately just as male-dominated. Big Friday are in agreement about this and feel that the cycle-surfing all-female trip goes to shift the balance between women, men and outdoor sports. This is to offend all the males in surfing and cycling who have proven more than welcoming, but a positive action to break down some barriers that can stop females from entering the water in the first place.

The participants will be encouraged to attract sponsorship for the event to raise further funds for the volunteer lifeboat crew members who man RNLI lifeboats. Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/cycle-surfing.

Lou Purdy, Area Fundraising Manager for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said: ‘This trip sounds like it will be a lot of fun and the RNLI is delighted that Ana wishes to raise money for the charity. I wish them all the very best with the trip and look forward to hearing all about the adventure.’