All Ticket to Ride trips are a combination of surfing, travel, community work and basically having heaps of fun. Aside from it being the trip of a lifetime for our customers, for the people running the trip it is of course a dream job, but it takes a special kind of person who has the right combination of skills to hack it. You need to be a top qualified surf coach, have good people skills, be well organised, being able to write, be disciplined, and have the personality that makes those around you comfortable, happy and just having a good time.
These are indeed a lot of boxes to tick and we have had some great characters and trip leaders over the years. Having recently gone public with our intentions of finding new trip leaders for our South Africa trip through Zigzag surfing magazine, we got lots of interest as they saw this great opportunity. We got a great response and saw some great CV’s, but there was one application that really stood out. Nikita Robb. She ticked all the boxes necessary as well as of course being one of the best women surfers in the World! She approached it professionally, has the qualifications and can very much surf.
So we thought we’d sneak in a quick interview to learn a little more about who our new trip leaders is:
Chris: So, you surf for the East London team but live in Cape Town, where do you call home?
Nikita: Thats a hard question, East London will always be home- it was where I grew up. Cape Town is my new home, it’s a place I’ve built up myself and my friends are my family. As well as that my parents having moved to Knysna, so they’re close enough to do a weekend trip. I have homes all around the world.
Chris: What has been your greatest surfing achievement?
Nikita: Competing on the World Tour in 2010
Multiple SA champion
US Open Pro Junior winner
Rip Curl grom search winner
Chris: What is the favourite country you have travelled to?
Nikita: I love everywhere I have travelled to for the uniqueness that each country holds, but I love Australia, Hawaii and Europe( Portugal/France).
Chris: Haha that’s more than one! What is your favourite wave?
Nikita: I love J-bay, Elands bay and Eastern Beach
Chris: Do you have any interests or hobbies outside surfing?
Nikita: Hiking, Local foods/restaurants, Micro-brewing, travelling
Chris: Ok, so you made it onto the world your which is really every surfers dream and considered by most to be the best job in the world, what are your thoughts on your new job running Ticket to Ride surf trips up your coastline from Cape Town to Mozambique?
Nikita: I love surfing, I enjoy coaching and I am extremely passionate about South Africa. I get to join all my passions into one, and get to call it my job. So as much as making the World Tour was a dream come true, I achieved that dream and now I’m moving onto the next stage of my life.
Chris: What are you most looking forward to on the trip?
Nikita: Watching people grow, you learn so much from surfing its not just a sport its a way of life. Travelling helps you discover things you didn’t know about yourself and how to deal with situations. Culture gives you a sense of history and how vast the world is.
Chris: Well we are really excited to have you getting involved with running our trips, thanks for your time.
Nikita: Thanks a lot, I am really looking forward to it!
So that is it, throw that in the mix with myself overseeing the trip and Klee Strachan, former WQS surfer and multiple national junior champ as fellow trip leader and we are set for an epic September trip! Follow the trip leader blogs if you want to see more of what it is about.