Steel hit the waves at Curio Bay - November 21, 2011

The Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel’s 2012 campaign got off to a gnarly start with the team embarking on a surfing safari at Curio Bay at the weekend.

The elite athletes were relegated to novice status when it came to the art of catching waves but Catlins Surf School director Nick Smart was impressed with the Steel players’ skills.

“They did exceptionally well. It was just so cool to come in and see all their faces. You can tell when people are having a good time by the size of the grin,” he said.

“They were very agile, even the taller girls. They were jumping up really smart and quick. I was blown away. Fitness is a big thing with surfing and these girls have a huge head start with being so fit.”

Steel co-coach Janine Southby said the surfing component of the camp certainly “pushed everyone out of their comfort zone”.

“It’s been really exciting and the enthusiasm and the way the girls have embraced the challenges we’ve set in front of them has been really heartening,” she said.

The weekend’s agenda also featured fitness testing and establishing the team’s vision and values as it prepares to contest the 2012 ANZ Championship.

“They’ve all made an effort to get involved in the discussions around our team values and vision which has been fantastic,” Southby said.

“We’ve had a really good start and you can see everyone get some commonality and get some knowledge about each other which is what we need going forward.”

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