There are a lot of organizations that use surfing as a therapy, as a community building event, or just as an all around good way to help those in need. Some teach kids to surf to introduce a positive hobby into their life, give a little saltwater therapy, or bring people together to fundraise for a good cause. But the one thing they all have in common is they’re putting in quite a bit more effort than just showing up to the beach to share a couple waves.
That narrative isn’t any different for the folks at Kind Surf. When the WSL took to France last month they gathered an all-star roster of surf instructors to do just this: bring happiness to disadvantaged kids through the practice of surfing. CJ Hobgood, Kelly Slater, Adriano DeSouza, Kelia Moniz, Josh Kerr, Rosey Hodge and Aritz Aranburu all came out to push children with disabilities into waves and partake in some tandem belly surfing. But the attention to detail and preparation for something like this is easily just as impressive as the names that showed up to help. Sure, a guy like CJ steals the show when he shows up to help. And the smiles on the faces of kids catching their first wave ever is about as priceless as anything else, making it all worth the effort. But before any of that somebody had to organize all the volunteers and instructors, profile the kids they’re all surfing with, and organize any and every safety details with families. It definitely takes an entire village. Then, after hours and hours of time are simply given in the name of paying it forward, sharing a few waves can take center stage.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re laying on your belly or doing a ten foot air,” Hobgood says. “We’re still, as humans, drawn to the ocean.” And that’s a perfect reminder of why we go through so much just to let the ocean push us around every chance we get. Now if we can find a way to do that and make somebody smile like one of these kids then we’ll all be doing ok.
To learn more about Kind Surf’s mission to bring happiness to disadvantaged kids through surfing visit KindSurf.org
