world reviewer
Lucky McDowell
Lucy (Lucky) McDowell graduated from Boston University in 2000 with an ill-advised Economics degree which she didn’t want to use. She decided to take some time off over the summer and learn to surf, something she’d always wanted to do, before she became a serious economist. At the end of the summer she decided that she just like to keep surfing.
Lucky isn’t a great surfer, however she’s passionate about it and her enthusiasm for it makes her an excellent instructor (especially for beginners), which is useful seeing as she’s not good enough to get paid to surf. Since 2003 Lucky has worked in the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA teaching surfing for a range of surf schools and camps. She’s spent all her extra funds attending big surfing competitions trying to learn as much as possible from the pros so she can take it back to her students. Her favourite spots change every time she moves and with every mood, but her main advice for nomadic surfers is to befriend the locals.
Lucky McDowell's activity
- 05 Mar 2008
Lucky McDowell reviewed Surf: Costa Vicentina in Portugal
Not as touristy as a lot of the Algarve because it’s a protected area, the Costa Vicentina Natural Park has some of Europe’s best surfing coastline. It’s a rocky coastline with some spectacular and quite scary looking cliffs alternating with smooth sele…"
- 20 Jul 2007
Lucky McDowell reviewed Surfing El Conquistador and around Tenerife in Tenerife, Spain
El Conquistador is just one of Tenerife’s big world class wave spots, it‘s long, hollow and lots of fun. Surf comes in in big and powerful at a lot of spots along the coast but the south west side has El Conquistador and La Lzquierida which was apparent…"
- 17 Jul 2007
Lucky McDowell reviewed Surfing Elands Bay, Elandsbaai or E-Bay in Western Cape, South Africa
This is a bit of a local classic so most experienced surfers will probably have heard of it. It’s basically a hollow left reef point break but it’s pretty fast, so it’s probably not a great spot for beginners on the western coast. The beach is long and…"
- 16 Jul 2007
Lucky McDowell reviewed Surfing around Noordhoek, Cape Town in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
There are about five really good surfing spots around Noordoek, which is on the cold western side - so you need a full wetsuit and maybe even booties and a hoodie, you may look like an alien, but you’ll be glad. Long Beach - a long beach - and Outer Kom…"
Lucky McDowell reviewed Surfing Kalk Bay in Cape Town, South Africa
This is a good spot for a winter surfing safari. It’s a consistent hollow left reef break with a rocky bottom for a smooth wave surface but no good if you hit the bottom, so beginners be careful out here. There’s also some great barrels when the condit…"
- 28 Jun 2007
- 21 Jun 2007
Lucky McDowell reviewed Surfing Trestles in US West Coast, United States
Trestles is about two miles of beach breaks along a long slow bay. It's got lefts and long rights and it feels fantastic to surf. The swell comes in from several different directions and the waves just come one after another. Unlike most of California …"
- 03 May 2007
Lucky McDowell reviewed Ericeira's surf in Portugal
"Ericeira was just a fishing village before surfers realised how fantastic the waves here are. Now it's known as one of the best spots to surf in Europe and they've held the ASP World Championships there every year since 1985. Most of Portugal's big nam…"
