RIDER SERIES SPOTLIGHT: Giulia Manfrini

Giulia Manfrini is a wave charger & athlete from the mountains of Torino, Italy. After graduating in law & a stint in Spain she's now based in Bali full time surf coaching & travel guiding through her site www.slidingchronicles.com / @slidingchroniciles . We had the chance to catch up with Giulia in Bali back in March and talk all things swimwear, surf & the environment.

Name: Giulia Manfrini

Age: 30 yrs

Nationality: Italian

Where do you live: Based in Bali

Jump, dive or wade in?

I am a dive in person. I love to snorkel and get lost observing the underwater world and its beautiful beings.

What's your favorite ocean memory?

Surfing an empty line-up with my friends only in world-class Nias, laughing, aiming for barrels and getting smashed! The wave is so perfect and gives you such a thrill. Normally it is very crowded (a nice crowd tho), but early in the season, we were lucky enough to score a few times the wave just for ourselves.

all surf/water photos: @saltyeyephoto

What's your favorite surf bikini style?

I love to surf in my one piece suit! It protects me from the sun rays and reef scratches and I feel sexy and comfy at the same time when wearing it!

Giulia in our new Moorea Surf Suit

What has surfing taught you about yourself & life?

Surf taught me to never give up and that we fall to rise again. I faced a severe injury due to surfing accident and after that, I felt very weak physically and mentally. I had to learn again how to walk, how to swim and how to surf. But my love for surfing gave me the strength to work hard and become more in shape than before.

How do you give back to the ocean?

I try to have eco-friendly behaviour in my daily life. I avoid single plastic use, I always bring with me my steel straw and bottle and I use reef-friendly sunscreen, not to leave chemicals in the water when surfing and swimming!

When I'm in the ocean I feel...

...I feel free and complete. I feel part of it and the only thing I can do is smile. The ocean gives me the energy to start the day and to face any problem during bad times. Nothing matters out there. It's just you and the power of nature.