Chapter 10
Surfing for
Profits
Ashkan Bolour
With an unusual combination of strong quantitative skills and a
deep background in psychology, Ashkan Bolour provides unique
insights into the art and science of trading. One of the earliest en-
trants into the retail Forex market, Ashkan has achieved tremen-
dous success matching wits against some of the most sophisticated
players in the biggest financial market in the world. An avid surfer,
Ashkan compares trading to the ocean—calm one day, turbulent
the next—and counsels traders to take it all in stride. Although he
uses a variety of complex quantitative algorithms, Ashkan never
loses sight of the mental aspect of the business and often practices
meditation to enhance his focus and place him in sync with the
overall market. We chatted with Ashkan from his California home
as trading in the U.S. session was coming to an end.