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Singer-Songwriter Ziggy Alberts Names His Top 5 Surfing Spots
“Surfing has been in my life since before I can remember. The ocean, waves and music are really closely tied together for me,” says Australian acoustic folk-pop singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts. “They belong to each other. Surfing is a perfect mix of challenge and serenity. It’s a way to clear my head, push myself, and connect […]
“Surfing has been in my life since before I can remember. The ocean, waves and music are really closely tied together for me,” says Australian acoustic folk-pop singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts. “They belong to each other. Surfing is a perfect mix of challenge and serenity. It’s a way to clear my head, push myself, and connect with nature.”
Before Alberts turned 16 and decided to become a musician after his parents bought him a guitar, he wanted to become a dentist or go into engineering. While he’d always had a creative side—writing short stories, blogging, getting articles published in surfing magazine—he never envisioned pursuing music as a career. It just happened.
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But Alberts soon discovered that while learning to play the instrument, he had a natural gift for songwriting. “So, in a way, picking up the guitar felt like a natural step rather than a new direction,” he says.
But what really made Alberts want to pursue music full-time was his desire to have the kind of job that would allow him to be able to surf more. Working as a part-time barista, he says, didn’t give him the freedom he wanted, so he quit his job.
By 19, Alberts was busking in the streets of Byron Bay, the popular coastal town in New South Wales, Australia, and living in a van. In his downtime, he would, of course, surf. He says that busking taught him a lot—how to have confidence and deal with crowds (or nobody at all) and how to connect with an audience.
“Busking gives me that feeling of being totally in the flow and dealing with whatever’s in front of you,” Alberts says. “Nowadays, going out to busk before a tour helps me get ‘show ready.’ I find it the best form of rehearsal.”
Over the past 12 years, Alberts has released six albums under his own independent label, Commonfolks Records, including his Double Platinum album, Laps Around the Sun. He describes his newest, New Love, which came out in February, as a new chapter in his life, an album where he feels like he’s turned a page and his career is starting to really flourish. He says New Love is about embracing simplicity and trying to be present in each moment.
“Each of my albums reflects who I am in that moment or chapter in my life, so the music and my sound always evolve with me as I experience new things, life, and new influences,” he says. “I hope that never changes.”
With 16 ARIA certifications, sold-out tours worldwide, and his music reaching more than 1 billion streams, one thing that hasn’t changed is his love of surfing.
“Surfing and performing are all about energy and riding the adrenaline,” he says. “One keeps me grounded, the other keeps me moving. They’re like yin and yang.”
We asked Alberts about the best surfing spots he’s experienced. The ones that stand out to him, he says, are the places where he’s written some of his favorite songs. 
Fiji
I had an amazing trip and surfed a wave called Cloudbreak and I got the biggest wave of my life. It was really humbling to be so out of my depth and watch the pros ruling.
Byron Bay
It’s the most eastern point of Australia, and there are some amazing waves for every sort of craft. But there is a really good wave for foiling called Wategos and I love to go there and meditate, longboard, and foil.
Sunshine Coast
It’s the place I was born, and there are a couple of great secret spots I can’t say much about but one involves a lot of paddling, and one involves a four-wheel-drive on a beach. I also love longboarding at Noosa Heads. It’s a beautiful national park.
North Western Australia
It’s like going camping on the moon. You drive about 1,000 kilometers north of Perth, and it’s the best stars I’ve ever seen. I went there for my 28th birthday and it was quite spiritual to be honest.
Namibia
I haven’t been here yet, but this is my bucket list location for surfing. I can’t wait to go and surf in Africa. It’s one of the longest left-handers in the world.
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