ULUWATU SURF VILLAS x WAVE KI RETREAT

With its beautiful location and soulful touch, @uluwatusurfvillas was the perfect place to run Wave Ki’s first skills development retreat. With an excellent operation, direct access to challenging surf, and run by a good friend & hardcore surfer, USV has been my dream location for teaching for over a decade.

I am passionate about teaching and helping surfers improve no matter their level, so surrounding myself with the best support is essential. Having @natekemp_ (F1 accredited Wave Ki teacher) to assist me, Jason Rice @apneasurvival to lead the breath and cold water immersion instruction, and @hughvwarner to film and edit it all was exactly the expertise I needed to give the best of myself to our cohort.

We started before dawn to get a jump on each day and take advantage of the swell that was on tap. Jason would help us wake and power up our bodies with some focused breathing techniques, followed by going through full-body FRC CARs to warm up for some Wave Ki practice specifically tailored for the waves we were riding. We’d then jump in the 3-degree Celsius ice bath to learn how to mitigate stress, all before a tasty breakfast at 7:30 a.m.

While surfing, I watched everyone (and caught a couple of waves myself, of course!). At the end of each day, I reviewed their surfing footage to give each person a clear and actionable approach to what they needed to work on through Wave Ki to continue improving well after the retreat. With challenging waves, plenty of breath holds, and a rigorous schedule, we all pushed ourselves to our respective edges on the trip and came out inspired, expanded, and, most importantly, stoked on surfing. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to share the experience with plenty of laughs on our first trip as Wave Ki.

This is only the beginning, and I can’t wait to return to @uluwatusurfvillas and expand this retreat to different locations worldwide!

Huge thanks again to @uluwatusurfvillas, @natekemp_, @apneasurvival, @hughvwarner, and thank you to @jack_walchessen for sharing your knowledge with me about the FRC system, which we will be tailoring and sharing for Wave Ki members in November 2023 through Wave Ki Body.