Surfing Lessons: Just recently one of my favorite female surfers making a difference in the world, Easkey Britton from Ireland, posted an article on her Facebook page that caught my eye. Not only did this article validate our mission at Maui Surfer Girls, but it does an excellent job at challenging the myth that teaching your kid how to surf will lead to them becoming an inept college drop-out stoner like Specoli in Fast Times at Richmont High. It says, that in fact, children who learn how to surf at a young age are more likely to succeed in life.
Speaking from experience, I’ve been that college drop-out, but in the quest to find myself and my truth. In fact, surfing has saved my life in so many ways in the process of losing and finding myself through my tumultuous early twenties. The ocean has been my soul’s sustenance and physical provider for the past 15 years. The ocean has literally kept me alive as I make my living teaching people how to surf. The road to owning my own business in a highly competitive surf school market of Maui, wasn’t so easy. One of the best life lessons that surfing has taught me throughout my life is one of tenacity — to never ever give up no matter how many times you wipe out. Some of my best rides surfing, have been right after I’ve taken a bad wipeout. I’ve learned to not let perceived failure, prevent you from trying again. And it’s this tenacity that helps you achieve your goals in life. If there’s one life lesson that our surf camp experiences give our teen girls is to grow stronger in the belief of yourself. Surfing a wave can certainly can breed that inner and outer strength to achieve just about anything in life.