Who we are > The people that make Barrika Surf Camp possible

Lurta Nikolas (1969) Promoter and founder of Barrika Surf Camp.

A surfer since he was 13 years old, he defines himself as a quiet surfer and traveller. He worked as a lifeguard in La Salvaje beach, also known as Solondota-Barinatxe, during the following years: 1992-93-94-95-96 and 97.

He is also the founder of Hegohaizea Films, a TV production company where he developed different projects related to surfing. During this time he was one of the pioneers shooting beautiful water sequences. He directed and presented the series SURFARI for AXN channel and today he combines his work as a cameraman for ETB (Basque channel) with surfing lessons and leading the Barrika Surf camp.
He is a licensed surfing instructor and lifeguard.

He has also worked as a moderator for the Internet coverage during the Championship of the world WCT QUIKSILVER PRO-FRANCE.

Travels: California, México, Costa Rica, Ireland, Fillipines, Morocco, Portugal, France, Canary Islands.

Mikel Rotaetxe (1974) General instructor.

He started surfing when he was 12 years old and has 10 years of experience teaching surf. After graduating university in fine arts, for a while he worked as an educator in a juvenile justice centre.

One of the pioneers in the Uribe-Kosta area, he is the founder of Sopelbike, a multi-adventure company. He also teaches painting, climbing and yoga.

Travels: Maldives, Morocco, Ireland, India, Brazil, Portugal.

Jessica Chambers Prentice (1973) General instructor.

A surfer since 2004, she was born in the US but mainly grew up in England and Germany. After studying Cultural Administration and Pedagogy in Germany she worked as a cultural project manager for theatre and dance events in Berlin, but also as an outdoor educator with adolescence. In Berlin she co-founded the outdoor education company “Rauszeit” which mainly worked with immigrant adolescence with difficulties. She has an English teacher certificate from the British Council and currently works as English and German teacher and translator.

Travels: South America, Morocco, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, New Zealand, USA, Canada, France, Portugal, Japan and Russia.

Patrick O'Brady (1969) Monitor general.

I grew up in hawaii my family is on Oahu in Waianae and Kailua also on the island of Hawaii my brother lives in Puna on the volcano. The Hawaiians taught me how to surf....the hard way! ;-) i grew up inbetween california and hawaii. my favorite breaks are Maili point on Oahu and Blacks or Swamis (;-)) beach in san diego you know the drill by brother! i have been slacklining for about 3-4 years...i am an unofficially member of the "YOga slackers" starting my own style of "Taoist slacklining" going with the flow. I am a certified AcroYoga teacher and have been teaching all over asia from malaysia, thailand and Bali. I cant wait to help the next generation to become Jedis! "The surfboard is one of the the formal weapons of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a surfboard well was a mark of someone cut above the ordinary."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi[src]

Willy Uribe (1965) Guide and assistant.

A surfer since he was 12 years old, he is a writer and photographer and founder of Marejada, one of the first surf magazines in Spain. Since then, he has worked publishing pictures and articles for some of the best national and international publications in the surfing world, like 360, Surfer Rule, Surfer’s Path, The Surfers Journal, Surfeurope, etc. He is the “unofficial journalist” of surf history in the Basque Country.

During many years he worked as a specialist in air photography, he has travelled all over the world and nowadays he works writing novels (nominee in the Euskadi novel awards 2007) and he gives talks and holds conferences.

Travels: India, Morocco, Indonesia, Bali, Australia, Canary Islands, France, Portugal and many more...