Meet the Team
Find out why our coaching is described as "feel good"
The Gather & Glide Story
Gather & Glide was founded by coaches Allannah Brown and Samantha Sunshine, who first met over 13 years ago. They quickly bonded over their shared love of surfing and their mission to share their knowedge to empower others in the water.
While Samantha has since moved on to new adventures, her influence remains a meaningful part of Gather & Glide’s story.
Today, Allannah leads Gather & Glide with a talented team of coaches, sharing their love for the ocean, deep surf knowledge and commitment to creating a supportive, connected community.
With over 18 years of coahing experience, Allannah continues to grow Gather & Glide as a place where people come together, improve their skills and feel truly at home in the surf community.
Allannah (34)
Director / Course Leader / 18 years experience / Longboard & Shortboard
Born and raised in Newquay, Cornwall, Allannah has been coaching surfers around the world for 18 years, working in destinations including Indonesia, Mexico, India, and South Africa. Her focus has always been on sharing her love of surfing and helping others build confidence and connection in the ocean.
She has also competed on the UK pro tour in both shortboarding and longboarding, earned multiple sponsorships, surfed some of the world’s best waves, and made several TV appearances — though you may have to ask her about those...
In the water, you’ll likely hear her before you see her, and not because she stands at 5ft tall… With an infectious laugh and a well-stocked arsenal of delightfully cringe dad jokes, she brings a sense of fun to every session and makes surfing with her genuinely unforgettable.
When she’s not surfing, you’ll find her in the mountains snowboarding or deep in a mosh pit somewhere, as she is an undercover metalhead with a big love for live music and loud energy.
“I want to show people that surfing is for everyone. Nobody owns the ocean — it’s there for all of us to enjoy. It’s one of the few places where you can truly let your inner child out to play, with so many benefits for both mental and physical wellbeing.”
Matilda (26)
Surf Coach / Water Photographer /
9 years experience / Longboard & Shortboard
Tilda's surf journey started early, sparked by watching Soul Surfer and Chasing Mavericks as a kid. From that moment on, it was game over: she was hooked. Not long after, she was constantly asking her parents to drive her to the coast any chance she got, chasing every opportunity to get in the water.
Coaching over 9 years, Tilda brings a wealth of experience, energy and genuine love for the ocean to every session. What drives her most is seeing the joy surfing brings to people.
Beyond coaching, Tilda has a strong passion for adaptive surfing and spent six years working as a senior lifeguard in Newquay, building deep experience in ocean safety and leadership.
And if you ever get her talking… be warned: she’s a full-on surf tech enthusiast. So much so that she went on to study Sportswear Design at university. Whether it’s surfboards, wetsuits, or the finer details of equipment design, she can happily nerd out for hours, the perfect person to talk to if you are looking for a new board!
Tilda brings heart, knowledge and a serious love for coaching and supporting people in the water.
Ru (27)
(She / They)
Surf & Surfskate Coach / 6 years experience / Longboard & Shortboard
Ru got hooked on surfing after being enrolled in Porthtowan Surf lifesaving club age 9, when they quickly realised that surfing was much more enjoyable than sprinting about on the beach in tiny yellow hats and rash vests!
Ru used to surf competitively, but qualified as a coach whilst studying at Uni in Scotland, and has been coaching for 6 years since.
They love creating a supportive and understanding coaching environment for people to progress with their surfing, no matter what level. Ru values coaching rooted in surfing for joy, playing in the sea is such a gift!
Ru is always keen to talk about social and ecological crises, wellbeing and mindfulness, and the complexities of climate justice. Here is a photo of them at a local community supported agriculture project.
There is no surfing in climate collapse, so we must advocate for ways of living more gently with each other and on this planet.
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