Growing up, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex was involved in traditional royal family hobbies such as playing polo and hunting. But he now seems to have discovered a new hobby that better suits the royal defector’s life stateside: Surfing. Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex reportedly gifted Harry surf lessons for his 36th birthday back in 2020, not long after Harry and Meghan sensationally stepped back from their royal duties. And it seems like he’s remained a fan of the sport. Harry was seen surfing in an Instagram video shared by Raimana Van Bastolaer, a renowned surf coach originally from Tahiti. Likewise, the prince was at pro surfer Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, which is in California’s Central Valley and features engineered waves. It’s basically the perfect place to work on your surf skills.
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In the video, Van Bastolaer is on a jet ski helping to get Harry into position and then giving him instructions as he jumps up on the board and starts riding the wave impressively smoothly. At one point Van Bastolaer even yells, “Love you brother!” as Harry confidently surfs alongside her. People in the comments were thrilled to see the Duke of Sussex having fun and living his life, and they especially loved how much excitement Van Bastolaer clearly had for her royal student.
Surfing has been on Prince Harry’s radar for years
The new hobby certainly makes a lot of sense given the reports about Prince Harry’s life in California with Meghan Markle and their two children. The celebrity couple settled in Montecito, California, which has some fantastic surf breaks. Kelly Slater also lives nearby, so maybe we’ll see the two of them catching waves together out in the Pacific Ocean someday. It could also be a good hobby for the Sussexes’ reported new vacation home in Portugal, which would also place them close to some scenic surf spots.
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Harry definitely sees sports and being active as more than just playing games; for the prince and so many others, it’s a vital part of their mental wellbeing. While we haven’t seen him on a surfboard much before, both Harry and Meghan have supported surfing in different ways over the years, typically for its positive mental benefits. During their royal tours, the couple spent time with surfing nonprofits that promote the sport as a way to help with mental health, including OneWave in Australia and Waves for Change in South Africa.
Even for their wedding, Meghan and Harry suggested that people donate money to various charities instead of sending presents. One of those charities was Surfers Against Sewage, a UK organization that advocates for protecting the oceans.
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