Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan

Never ever urinate in your wetsuit was the first surfing tip Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan was given. That was almost four years ago and she has surfed six days a week since whilst heeded this advice, although she has since been told wetting your wetsuit is one of the hallmarks of a real surfer.

After watching iconic surf movie Point Break, Nicole realized to be a real surfer there was more of an initiation than just weeing in your wetsuit. She had to jump out of a plane. So she took the step on the surfer's path and made her first jump at Camden and survived.

She has earned herself a surfing nickname of 'Gumby' and was voted in free surfer, 'Margo's' top surfers of all times in Waves magazine, an accolade she dines off on many an occasion after tackling massive three footers.

Although many in Manly think she's a local as they see her daily out in the water, rain, hail or shine, she lives in the north western suburb of Putney. However any northern beach local will show you how geographically challenged they are by pronouncing any suburb south or west of Pittwater road as 'west'. Even the Sydney CBD is considered 'west' so Nicole is a total westie. She travels 45 minutes each day to tackle the waves of the northern beaches where she has battled the breaks with everyone from Layne Beachley to Tony Abbott for two hours each morning before arriving at work.

She moved her office from ritzy Elizabeth Street in Sydney to Manly's east esplanade, just across the road from the Wharf bar, in order to try and sneak in a few lunch time surfs.

Nicole has taken surf trips with legendary surf photographer 'Bosko' to the emerald shores of Ireland and Wales, surfed in Durban's shark infested waters with cricketing icon Jonty Rhodes, dipped her toe in the water at the world's most dangerous break, Tahiti's Teahupoo, and searched the Solomons for the ultimate wave.

She loves her Sam Egan quiver and wouldn't ride anything else (and is not paid to say this).

She has ploughed her trusty Manly Surf School instructors (Nick, Stringles and Dicko) with millions of questions and has gleaned knowledge from surf journalists, pros and surfing identities in her quest to learn everything there is to know about her addiction.

Still going through late grommethood, she continually seeks to find out more and more indepth knowledge on lingo, fashion, surfwear, breaks and techniques.

Nicole has been published in Australian surf magazines: Waves and Splash. She has also been a columnist for the Sunday Telegraph, City Weekly Magazine, held the position as travel editor for Elle Cuisine magazine, Yen Magazine, Director Travel and Promotions at Australian Table Magazine, columnist at AFTA Traveller Magazine, Australian correspondent for New Zealand's Intravel magazine and has contributed to a variety of publications including the Peak (Singapore), the Daily Telegraph, Women’s Health magazine and The Sun-Herald.

Nicole has been published in an anthology of train travel stories, 'Off the Rails' published by Harper Collins and a children's cook book, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Borneo's magic recipe spells', published by Lansdowne Macquarie. She holds a BA (Communications) with majors in Public Relations, Professional Writing and Literary Studies as well as a Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Literature. She has also studied French, German and Italian at university has undertaken one year of a degree course in Mandarin - written and spoken with distinction at Macquarie University.

She owns and runs Five Star PR, a boutique PR company specializing in travel, is writing the Pan Galactic Guide to Etiquette and is launching a website for girls who surf called ozsurfgirl. Nicole is yet to rob a bank in a President of the United States mask.