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Staff Bios
Our instructors strive to:
• provide quality surf instruction and mentorship to girls...
• fully satisfy our campers with an unforgettable experience...
• promote self-esteem in young women...
• provide lots of FUN and ADVENTURE!
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY:
Belen Connoly - From Team Billabong.
Jacqui Zombrano - A local journalist, surfer girl, and L.A. screenwriter.
Pohaku - A Hawaiian basket weaver from Maui.
Buzzy Kerbox - A big wave rider, surf school owner and instructor.
Woody Brown - Oahu's surfing legend and the originator of the modern day catamaran
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Dustin Tester, Camp Founder and Director
Raised on Maui, Dustin’s dad taught her how to surf as soon as she learned to walk. She’s been a multi-sport water athlete ever since. Dustin has been a competitive skim boarder, surfer, outrigger paddler, and enjoyed her time in North Carolina whitewater kayaking and rock climbing with her best friend, Celine Russo. She received her bachelor’s degree from Prescott College’s, wilderness therapy program. In the desert canyons of the San Juan River, Dustin got her inspiration for Maui Surfer Girls during her thesis project on creating a rite of passage for teenage girls. Dustin’s work with the Voyager Outward Bound School also fueled her passion for personal development through outdoor education. She’s taught hundreds of students about the stoke of surfing, and living aloha. |
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Celine Russo, Assistant Director
Celine is more than MSG’s assistant director; she is the sticky glue that holds our camp together. Celine’s integral role at camp for the past three years has included: surf instructor, staff coordinator, youth leadership program director, camp goof-off, excel spreadsheet queen, envelope stuffer, concierge desk hustler…her passion for MSG fuels all of these roles. Celine has worked for the Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy expeditions, and various outdoor education programs throughout the country. Celine is currently working on her Masters in Family Therapy and doing her practicum at a horticultural therapy foster home called “Maui Farm”. Celine also graduated from Prescott College’s Wilderness Therapy program with Dustin. |
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Melissa Proud, Head Surf Instructor
We are proud to have Melissa Proud apart of the MSG family for the past five consecutive years. She has an impressive 24-year competitive surfing history on Maui including the 2000 long boarding national champion. Campers always feel safe with Melissa, as she has fourteen years of teaching experience and a compassionate teaching style. Her nickname, “Mango Melissa”, explains the massive amounts of mangos that she brings to camp each summer. Melissa is a true gem: inspirational, compassionate, and competent. |
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Kelly Potts, Surf Instructor
Kelly is an exceptional surf instructor. She’s a local long boarding pro coming to MSG from team Billabong back in 2004. Kelly’s graceful and innovative long boarding style is a complete inspiration for our campers and staff. Kelly is very skilled at teaching the mechanics of long boarding, through video coaching and land-based training. Kelly participated in our first trip to Costa Rica, where she gave our campers a top-notched international surf trip experience. Kelly has modeled for various surf companies like Billabong, NSP, and Honolua Surf Company. We are happy to have Kelly apart of our MSG family. |
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Andrea Moller, Surf Instructor
Andrea is our world-class water woman from Brazil. Her nickname “Animal” sums up her tenacity in the ocean. In 2004 she won the infamous Molokai channel crossing on her 2-man canoe and her and her partner became the first women to cross the channel on a stand-up surfboard. Andrea and her tow-in partner, Maria Souza, also became the first women to tow into Jaws. She’s has accomplished all this while raising her two year old, Keala. Andrea teaches surfing and windsurfing at Maui Surfer Girls. For more information on Andrea’s budding big wave surfing career check out her website at http://www.amazonesurf.com |
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Heather Nelson, Surf Instructor
Heather’s nickname “H-bomb” aptly describes the powerful personality of our newest member of the MSG instructional team. She’s a great balance of playful camp antics and serious surf coaching. She represents from the male dominated line-ups of southern California and is determined to empower the ladies in the line-up. She’s also our resident yoga instructor. Heather has taught for various private and public schools and has currently started up her own home-school program on Maui’s North Shore. She has over eleven years of teaching experience. She’s a UC Berkeley graduate in Environmental Science. |
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Lila Roo, Beach Captain & Cabin Mama
Lila is an inspirational camper turned staffer. She is a true testament of the transformative power of our programs. Moving from Maine to Maui, Lila attended every camp from our inception. Now five years later, Lila proves herself to be the north shore’s future generation of big wave charging wahines. Lila is known to instigate random dance parties in beach park parking lots and hosts our annual dance-offs at camp. Lila is currently attending Reed College in Oregon, on an art scholarship. Her incredible artwork recently took form on our custom Kazuma surfboards. If you want to support a starving artist/student/surfer girl, buy her “Lila Roo Designs” immediately off of our site. |
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Kara Miller, Beach Captain & Cabin Mama
Kara is another camper who has grown up through our Maui Surfer Girls programs. Kara is a passionate water woman, who’s studying marine biology at University of San Diego. Kara loves giving informative snorkeling tours at Kaanapali Beach, where she’s known to swim with the resident Eagle Rays. Her easy-going personality allows her to build strong relationships with our campers and makes them feel at home and at ease.
We are happy to have Kara grow up through our MSG family. |
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Carolyn Peters, Camp Chef
Carolyn is an amazing private chef from San Francisco. She has been a cook at MSG for the past four summers. Her delectable menu includes homemade banana bread French toast (Dustin’s favorite), sushi, lasagna, major sandwich spreads, and baked deserts to fuel our surfer girl tummies. Her bright smile and all the love she puts into our food makes her cookin’ “no ka oi” (the best) home cooked meals on the summer camp circuit. |
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