Hi, I'm Ella! Two years ago, I took the plunge and learned to surf after moving from Melbourne to the Gold Coast, fulfilling a lifelong dream sparked by many summers spent at the beach. One thing that makes my journey unique is that I’m an amputee, which has taught me resilience, self-acceptance, and the power of perseverance. I've spent the last few years working as a Youth Worker in mental health and child safety. In between surf trips to Indonesia, I host our Gold Coast community surf meet ups and social events. These experiences have shaped who I am today and inspire me to encourage others to believe in themselves. Through surfing and our retreats, I aim to support and empower others to take a leap of faith, trust in their abilities, and never doubt how amazing they truly are.
Hi I’m Shan! I spent all of my twenties travelling the world skydiving, and watching the ocean from a birds-eye view. I always loved the idea of the surfer girl lifestyle, but I ignored the surf pics on my mood boards for years as I chased my flying dreams. After lockdowns I started exploring all the hobbies I had on my bucket list. I did three weeks at a surf camp in Bali, then in true zero to one-hundred personality style, I set up my life to move between Australia and Indonesia so I could surf every day. I deeply believe that we must run after the life we want with passion and wild abandon. I have trained as a yoga teacher, indoor skydiving instructor and aerialist and I bring my love of body movement, breath and mindfulness to Summer Sama. Through our retreats I hope to connect with more beautiful souls and inspire others to chase after all the things they've always wanted to do - even the ones they think it's too late for.
Our story began in March 2023 with a car crash, a road trip where we started as strangers and ended as friends, and a week surf retreat at Seal Rocks in Australia. But that's a tale for another time! Fast forward through three surf trips to Bali, Ella quitting her job, a few months in Lombok together, six months in the cutest surf shack ever in Coolangatta, and *accidentally* starting a surfing community group...and some of the most amazing, connecting and inspiring moments of our lives. By the end of the year we were hosting surf meetups most weekends and getting messages every day from people asking if they could join our next Indo surf trip. So the first Summer Sama Lombok surf retreat came to life in April 2024 - and the rest is history!
We both discovered surfing later in life, and battled with feelings of it being "too late" to learn, not having friends to surf with, and a lack of guidance and direction. But we also felt called to the ocean. We found what we were looking for on our first Indonesian surf trips. Like-minded people who'd made the choice to start a sport despite being told they were too old to learn it. Surf guides who became friends that brought continuous smiles and joy and laughter to every learning moment. Friendly waves, consistent conditions and just pure, tropical, salty bliss. Our mission is to pay forward the experiences we’ve had on our surf journey, foster beautiful connections, and help others find their feet - and friends - in the surfing community.
With Summer Sama, our dream is to create an inclusive community where everyone is welcome, and nobody surfs alone. We’re not surf coaches or shredders - just two girls who fell in love with surfing. We were fortunate enough to find an inspiring community to share the waves with, so we're here to pay forward the stoke, fun and empowerment with others who love the sea and saltwater. If you’re looking for sunshiney vibes, healthy food, body movement, amazing local legend surf coaches, magical surfs on confidence-inspiring waves, and a group of weird and wonderful humans to share the adventure with, our retreats are for you.