As you can tell from what our customers are saying, we have a passion for teaching. Encouragement and positive reinforcement are mandatory elements for the best learning experience. But most of all, it’s about having fun while doing your best! If you’re ready to ride the waves with this in mind, visit kulanalu.com now! ]]> http://surfwithtom.com/2013/we-are-now-kula-nalu-ocean-sports/feed 0 http://surfwithtom.com/2012/nick-vujicic-surfing-no-arms-no-legs-no-limits http://surfwithtom.com/2012/nick-vujicic-surfing-no-arms-no-legs-no-limits#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:42:54 +0000 admin http://surfwithtom.com/?p=1012

(Read More...)]]> Recently I posted a story about 2 blind surfers from Brazil and an inspiring talk by Nick Vujicic who speaks about overcoming any obstacles in life. Today, I instantly recognized Nick in this picture my friend posted on Facebook and I should’ve known he’s also surfed! And with none other than inspirational surfer, Bethany Hamilton, who’s story was featured in the movie Soul Surfer. The Spanish message on the picture means: “Never complain of what happens in your life. Only you are responsible. Try to improve yourself, because the greater the challenge,
the higher the recognition.”

At age 19, while on a surf trip to Chile, he discovered from the locals there that a coal plant was going to be built right on the pristine beach, to the detriment of the community there and the biggest backer of the project of Bank of America. In protest, he spread the word throughout the surfing community about what was happening and to encourage people to move their money out of Bank of America and other large global banks that engaged in unethical projects that damaged other communities and environments. In 2 years, Kyle Thiermann has motivated people to shift $340 million from large banks to local banks in their own communities.

Kyle learned that one person can make a big difference and in the multibillion dollar surf industry, we as a surfing community and as consumers can force change for the better if we act collectively with our spending dollars. Kyle has gone on to produce a video channel Surfing for Change in order to shed light on other social issues around the world affecting and connecting surfers around the world. Here are some of his videos:

This is one of the most inspirational videos I’ve ever seen. It brought tears to my eyes. It’s a powerful reminder to never underestimate someone’s abilities and desire to adapt and overcome any obstacle. Disability is not Inability.

I was trying to find more information on young Derek Rabelo and came across another inspiring surfer from Brazil named Elias “Figue” Diel. He was a talented surfer in the late 80s who could’ve been pro but a car accident at age 16 that made him blind changed everything. Here’s his amazing story of how he came to surf again:

The next time you face an obstacle in life or are simply just complaining about your surfing, take a lesson from these two inspirational surfers who didn’t make excuses and didn’t let obstacles get in their way of their passions.

Nick Vujicic reminds us no matter how many times we may fail, the question is…Are you going to finish Strong?

To help inspire the kids to give back and make a change in their lives and their communities, special guest Tom “Extreme” Jones, professional standup paddle boarder and champion athlete, will be on hand to autograph pictures for every participating child. In 2007 Tom Jones standup paddled the length of California from Oregon to Mexico to bring attention to the huge threat of plastic waste in the world’s oceans and to set first official SUP distance world record (1,250 miles in 90 consecutive days). In 2010 Tom also standup paddled from Key West to New York City for the Plastic Free Ocean organization and to set new world record of 1507 miles in 92 consecutive days. Tom is a long-term child advocate, a leading defender of the ocean environment, and a motivational speaker who inspires others to be the best that they can be. Tom shows people how they can act upon their greatest aspirations and reach out beyond themselves to make a difference in the world around them. You can read more about Tom “Extreme” Jones at http://www.tomjonesextreme.com.

Urban Surf 4 Kids will be having their next OC event on March 24 to teach children to surf. They are looking for surf instructors who can volunteer their time for this one day surf camp. CPR certified would be great but not required. They also need people to help out with beach activities such as volleyball, kickball, entertainment, etc. As they are new to our area, they are also looking for creative ideas on ways the kids can fullfill their community service hours. If you’d like to help in any way, please contact Mark Ralph at markralph@cox.net or visit their website at http://www.urbansurf4kids.org.

Amanda had her first experience surfing 7 years ago. A new friend she made on the 1st day of class in college in Santa Barbara coaxed Amanda into surfing with her that same day. Despite it being one of the biggest wave days where the girls saw other surfers leaving the water and being warned by a person on the beach to stay out, they ignored all the warning signs and got in the treacherous conditions with their rental boards. At the time, Amanda, a strong swimmer in the pool, thought she could handle herself just the same in the ocean. How quickly proven wrong she was…

The girls were immediately out of their element, being hammered and tossed around by the breaking waves and seeking any kind of shelter from the strong waves, they thought they should swim for the pier. In their panic, they had just turned their already serious situation into one of grave peril — now both girls were being hurled like rag dolls against the obstacle course of the pier pilings. They were getting bruised, cut up and bleeding from being repeatedly thrown against the pilings when the first responding lifeguard tried to reach them on his personal watercraft.

The waves were so fierce and treacherous, the watercraft was flipped up in the air and landed on top of the lifeguard, breaking his back. Ultimately, firefighters had to rescue the girls by lowering ropes from the top of the pier. It would take 2 years for the lifeguard to regain his ability to walk again and 4 years before a very traumatized Amanda would try to venture back to the ocean to try surfing again. Amanda feels bad to this day that by endangering herself, she also endangered the life of the lifeguard who risked his life and well-being to rescue them.

Today, Amanda is preparing to go surf with friends in Costa Rica and needed to get a firm grounding in safe, responsible surfing and a confidence boost but also honest evaluation of her surfing abilities. Despite her traumatic experience and also losing half her Achilles tendon after a horrible snowboarding accident, Amanda was a trooper, surfing with me over several days of her quick weekend work trip to Southern California.

On one of the days, Amanda recognized she was much too fatigued from lack of sleep and we ended the lesson early. I told her it was a smart move and one of the most important things to remember as a surfer — we must always be aware of and respect our limits. There’s always another day of surfing waiting. It’s when you ignore the warning signs around you and within you, that can quickly lead to trouble. We must always be honest about our capabilities and those around us. I told her she made a mistake by following a complete stranger into the ocean, not knowing that person’s skill level or history of surfing — it turned out the girl could hardly surf either. I reminded her to be just as vigilant when surfing with her friends on the trip — they are more experienced surfers and she should not be following them into conditions not suited for beginners.

On the last day, it was a crowded lineup which was a good learning experience for her to navigate the lineup and learn the etiquette as well as awareness and collision avoidance. I really got along great with Amanda because we’re both world travelers and not afraid to go outside our comfort zones in all that we do — that can be both a good and a bad thing. Good because we’re not afraid to try new experiences and grow as people; Bad because we may take on more than we can handle and end up in very unexpected, dangerous situations if we’re not careful. I hope what Amanda took away from our time in the water together, is that surfing is a fun sport we can enjoy for a lifetime, as long as we remember we are doing it in a very dynamic environment that can quickly change and turn on us and to always have a healthy respect for the power of the ocean. Be aware of yourself, others around you, and the conditions — When in doubt – Stay out.

I’ve been hosting a lot of CouchSurfers and taking them surfing. First, I taught Erik & Thomas from Belgium with Nadine, a Couchsurfer and surfer from France, tagging along to observe how I teach and assist me. She was looking for work while here so I suggested she might find a job as an assistant surf instructor. We had a great time and then went for Vietnamese food. Both guys were so stoked, they surfed almost every day after they left to stay with another CouchSurfing host in Huntington Beach.

Earlier in their trip across the US, Erik & Thomas met another CouchSurfer, Pieter from Netherlands, and told him of their plans to learn surfing with me, so I ended up hosting and teaching him too. He also did great and we happened to see Erik & Thomas surfing, so they had a nice reunion. On his 2nd day, Pieter joined Henry, my returning student, who’s had 7 knee surgeries but was able to stand up no problem during his 1st lesson. During this 3rd lesson of the Ultimate Surf Package, Henry brought his brother’s shorter 8 ft. board which he was unable to ride on his own. After some pointers from me and a perfect day of ideal 2-3 ft waves, to his pleasant surprise, Henry was able to stand up and ride the much shorter board!

Then, I had another motivated student, Alan, who wanted to excel with the Ultimate Surf Package. On his 1st lesson, he got to his feet consistently. There was a funny moment when he did a face plant falling into the water and got a little scrape. I joked he looked like Robert de Niro from Raging Bull with the bandaid on his nose. On his 2nd lesson, the waves were much bigger and stronger than his 1st lesson, and after the first few knocked him over, we took a break to evaluate how he felt about them.

Courageously and determinedly, Alan got back in the water and with each wave, he regained his confidence and by the end of the lesson, he was no longer apprehensive but in total focus, awareness and confidence of taking each wave. I was proud to see him accomplish so much in just one lesson and at the end of the lesson, Alan joked that he should put me on his payroll for regular surf lessons — it’s better and cheaper than therapy! Ha! I agree! Then Peter from Mission Viejo came out for his 1st time surfing and also had no problem popping up on the fun waves out there!

Approaching Christmas, one of my students stood me up, but in a twist of fate, Lyn, who had purchased a lesson for her visiting 14yo grandson Wyatt for Christmas got stood up by another instructor. So I was able to take Wyatt out and he was a fast learner too! Lyn is a really funny lady and we had great laughs — she’s young at heart like I am and a really interesting person who travels world-wide to set up haunted houses — it’s a big overseas phenomenon! Wyatt on the other end is a mature young man, wise beyong his years. Already experienced coaching and teaching younger children and an accomplished piano player, I can see him teaching other kids to surf in the future!

Then this week leading up to New Year’s Eve, I had a wonderful family come out together for surfing. Andy and Kerry from Atlanta, and their two daughters, Erin & Sarah, who both live in different parts of the country, were all having a holiday reunion/vacation together here and father and daughters wanted to learn to surf! Because it was more crowded in the water than usual lately, because of the sunny day and great waves, we had some surfers surfing without leashes who kept losing their boards in our direction as well as others surfing a little too close for comfort for my lessons.

We had to relocate away from the main crowd to stay at a safer distance and it was a great first-hand reminder to them about the number one hazard in surfing — collisions with other surfers! Everyone did great and got to their feet! They were such a fun and humorous family, cheering each other on and making fun of each other at the same time! I think I got them all hooked so hopefully I’ll see the family out surfing again on their next visit here!

I’m booked everyday, even on New Year’s Eve, so I’m thankful to be ending 2011 on a great note! I hope this is a good harbinger of things to come in 2012! And speaking of starting the New Year fresh, for those who can wake up early enough after a long night of partying, this might be a good way to get over your hangover…plunging into the frigid waters at Huntington Beach Pier for the annual Surf City Splash! What was started by a few guys has become a yearly tradition as hundreds, some in wacky costumes, come to get dunked all in the name of good fun for the public and as a fundraiser to support various great causes. There’s even an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast! You can read about it at the OC Register and check out last year’s video:

Surfline.com, the ubiquitous website for all surfers worldwide looking for the best surf forecast started from Collin’s humble beginnings as an informal network with his surf buddies, spreading word of mouth to others, and then became a phone service. Always the visionary and recognizing the direction of technology, he launched the Surfline.com website in 1995 which is now one of the world’s largest sports information websites with 1.5 million unique visitors a month. Surfline.com is one of the first important tools I teach my students to use and my surf forecast page depends on it.

Collins was named one of the 25 Most Influential Surfers of the Century by Surfer Magazine in 1999 and  Surfer Magazine named him the 8th Most Powerful Surfer in the Surf Industry in 2002. On the Surfline.com biography, Collins said this about his secret to success: “Really simple things when you think about it. Mostly just follow your passion, try to be a really good person and a good judge of character, and then just surround yourself with a great team and really good people. Add lots of luck and all kinds of great things can happen.” Collins’ diligence and vision enabled all of us to ride more waves — all surfers owe him a debt of gratitude. There will be a paddle out in his memory on January 7 at 11am at the Huntington Beach Pier and you can find out more information here on the Facebook event page.