The day started off fun but serious, like surfing should be—donuts and fresh fruit at Seaside Surf Shop—and stayed that way. Unusually warm and sunny weather made the idea of surfing a natural one for even the newbies. The waiting list was long, so those who signed up early were stoked to roll down to Shortsands Beach with ripping instructors from Oregon Surf Adventures. A day of parents and kids learning to surf together, provided by the kind people at SOFAS (Seaside Oregon Family Adventures Surfing). Rad!
Everyone studied some ocean safety and practiced pop-ups before the families hit the water. Small surf made things easier. For a solid two hours, kids figured out how to stand up while their parents tried to do the same. The instructors pushed people into whitewater, offering tips and showing parents how to help their kids. And it worked! People were beginning to rip by lunchtime.
Chow some healthy grub, rest or play in the creek, review the basics, and then it was on! Surf competition: Best Wipe-Out, Most Determined, Biggest Wave, and Fancy Footwork were some of the categories, but most important was Most Stoked, which lots of people should have got. Everybody won something, and received a hand-painted sea shell award, plus a SOFAS hat and t-shirt.
Some of the group had never surfed before, like Maple, a 5 year-old local girl. "Daddy, we're going tomorrow!" she insisted after winning Best Style. Now her dad says she asks to go surfing every morning. That's what we like!
Back at the shop, a taco feed and ice cream social awaited the SOFAS crew. Lots of shakas and grins showed how stoked everyone was after a day in the ocean together. Events like this remind us why we surf. There's something cool about teaching your loved ones how to ride waves, especially when you call the coast home.
The next one is August 14th 2015. Get on it!
