122YACHTINGFE BRUA RY2 01 8CODE NAME: ACTION MAN
Brian Talma found purpose and passion in the water, and now he’s spreading the joy.
By Kelley SanfordISLAND ICONBrian Talma’s deAction Surf Shop has been teaching boaters and other adventurous souls how to surf since 1988. zach stovallI
f you run into Brian Talma on Barbados’
Silver Sands Beach, he’ll likely fl ash you a wide
smile and call out, “Action!” His habit of sprin-
kling that word into everyday conversation
earned him the nickname “deAction Man.” Well,
that and being a watersports afi cionado.
Talma grew up in the water, but he discovered a
passion for windsurfi ng in the early ’80s, when it was
still a fairly unknown sport. Going pro, he competed
on tours like the Hawaiian Break Out and in both
the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics. Professionally
competing as recently as last year, Talma attributes
his longevity to a joyful attitude and never losing
sight of why he’s there: fun and freedom on the water.
Today, Talma teaches surfing, windsurfing,
kitesurfi ng and more at deAction Surf Shop. He
also hosts his annual Beach Culture World Tour,
which includes athletes competing in those sameh
watersports plus beach activities like conch-shell
blowing and cricket. The event showcases what
Talma sees as the heart of the water-centered
lifestyle: having fun, connecting with the sea and,
most important, people being true to who they are.I grew up surfi ng when I was 10 or younger.
It was a sport my parents did, and I went on the
beach and fell in love with the surf, that freedom
with the water and the beach. I often say, “I love the
sea because it washes me free.” You have a lot of
people on yachts who come to learn to kitesurf.
You should defi nitely learn to kitesurf [and] defi -
nitely learn to surf. The good thing about people
who are into yachting [is] they are adventurous, so
I would defi nitely recommend those two. I invite
the best athletes in the world [to the Beach Cul-
ture World Tour]. They can do great things on the
water, but my vision and my goal is to dig deeper
and fi gure out who they are as a person because
I think everyone is an extraordinary person.TALMA’S FAVORITES
SURF’S UP
Bathsheba Beach
has the best surf
on the island, Talma
says. Not a surfer?
He s a ys it ’s a g r e at
place to relax too.FRIDAY FISH FRY
It’s a weekly open-air
party in Oistins
Bay Garden, with
Bajan-seasoned
fi sh, side dishes and
cocktails.
NATURE SHOW
Animal Flower Cave
has underwater
sea anemones, color-
ful cave walls and
a cliff -top restaurant
with a bar.Silver Sands
BARBADOS