The “off-season” at Surf Camp is “off” only in the respect that since summer is over, we are not in the water instructing our stoked campers on their newfound love of surfing. They are in school, studying hard so that their parents will reward them with another summer of Surf Camp in 2009!!!! This time of year, we are hard at work brainstorming on ideas for new programs and making them a reality. That is exactly where our our new program Surf & Community Service Camp came from. Since we have always incorporated curriculum about coastal conservation into our programs, we thought that taking this a step further and getting campers involved with hands-on service projects was ultimately a win-win situation for everyone.

As environmental activism continues to grow in the US and around the world, it inspires all of us at Surf Camp want to do more. Beach cleanups have always been a part of every camp we run, but we want to broaden teens’ perspective about what else they can do to improve our world instilling the importance of giving back. We joined forces with the Environmental Resources Agent at the New Hanover County Extension Service, to help us create a teen community service program that will not only bring positive change to our local environment, but show teens how fun and fulfilling it can be to have a direct impact on our coastal ecosystems while learning how to surf!!!

We decided on two projects that campers will focus on to earn their 25 community service hours. We will work with the NC Coastal Federation on an oyster bed renourishment project where we will fill bags with oyster shells and place them in strategic areas, encouraging the reproduction of oysters. Oysters play various roles in maintaining our ecosystems. Not only do they filter our water (large oysters can filter up to two gallons of water an hour), but they provide a habitat for other marine life, prevent erosion, and aid in the re-growth of underwater vegetation. If you are a fan of eating oysters, please make sure that after your oyster roast, you are taking those oyster shells to a recycling location where the shells will be used for bed renourishment.

The second project we’ll be doing is helping in the construction of a rain garden. I have been an avid gardener for a long time, so anything having to do with plants is right up my alley! Rain gardens are planted in low-lying area, or a depression is created and then planted. These gardens can actually cut down on pollution by a whopping30%! Rain gardens allow rainwater runoff to be absorbed back into the ground instead of into stormwater drainage systems, where pollutants end up right back in our local waters.

The feeling I get from doing any type of service is unmatched, and I believe that everyone can feel this way, too. I encourage you to get out there in your community and lend a hand….whether it be picking up trash on the roadside in your neighborhood or incorporating a rain garden in your landscape, you can make a difference by giving back!

-Chelsea

A part of me has always wanted to be a teacher, and now I can officially say I am one! Last week, I spent three days at the Cape Fear Chapter of the American Red Cross becoming certified to TEACH important safety courses.   I learned about how to teach these extremely important skills through a variety of methods. Each of us in the class was there for different reasons, and I really enjoyed getting to know my fellow students. I was there because I wanted to learn how to teach others how to do CPR, use an AED, and give First Aid because these are safety classes we offer. At Surf Camp, it is our feeling that everyone should know what to do in case of an emergency, so in addition to holding these classes for our staff, we encourage the general public to enroll as well.

Now, I know you might think that these classes are just a big bore. Not the case at all! I had the privilege of learning one of their best instructors but he really made sure that he was instilling the knowledge in us about how to do these skills correctly. We had some great laughs in the process. You really get to know someone pretty well when you’re giving them pretend stomach thrusts and back blows!  Another awesome instructor, Clifton Perkins, who has been an American Red Cross Instructor for Surf Camp for a number of years, does a mighty fine job of keeping the class interested through personal accounts of saving lives, humor, and good ole’ fashioned Clifton-style jokes!

At the end of the day, I feel proud that I know what to do if someone is in a life-threatening situation and needs help. Thousands of people have been saved by lay responders, and the more people who learn these crucial skills, the more people we can help in times of need. Could you save your love one.  If not call me 910.256.7873.

-Chelsea

Wilmington, North Carolina hosted its first Ironman and Half Ironman on November 1st.  For those of you who are not familiar, Ironmans are an event that started in Hawaii in 1978, and since then, has grown in size due to its rising popularity among top athletes. The full Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run (full marathon). Talk about intense! I ran my first marathon this past February, and that in itself was a feat of great magnitude! To run a full marathon AFTER having completed a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride…..I cannot imagine.

Okay, are you ready for the BIG NEWS………  Surf Camp’s own Clifton Perkins, one of our great friends and our lead American Red Cross Certification Instructor, was 6th out of the water during the swim portion of the event!  This is absolutely something to be super proud of because that water was chilly, and the swim was long!!!  Clifton was a collegiate swimmer (he could give Michael Phelps a run for his money) and an overall waterman.  Another Surf Camp friend, Bill C., who is the father of one of our top and longstanding instructors, Chris, was one of the “Ironmen.”  Check out this article in Wrightsville Beach magazine about the Ironman and read about the training these tougher than nails athletes went through to prepare for this event.

                                                   Clifton the Waterman

I really wanted to see at least one leg of this great event because it impresses me to no end that 500 people had signed up for and intended to complete this awesome challenge. There were also 500 who signed up for the half-Ironman.  So, I headed towards Wrightsville Beach for my 10 mile run at 7:30 that morning (10 miles felt so meager compared to what these athletes were doing). As I ran, I thought about how the participants were in the middle of their swim in Banks Channel, stroking through the chilly water in the first leg of their long journey. As I arrived, I witnessed the first biker making his way down the road, probably trying to warm up his extremities after the frigid swim.  More bikers came speeding towards me, and I continued to shout words of support……………… ” You all are awesome!…….you look great!……..keep it up!”

Being a runner and having entered my share of races, I knew what it meant to have people on the sidelines giving you big smiles and words of encouragement as you fought off the butterflies in your stomach and asked yourself “What the heck am I doing???” I received numerous “thank yous” from the participants, which I think is extraordinary because they do not need to thank me for being there. I should be thanking them for the motivation they give me to continue working hard and pushing myself, even when I feel like I can’t run another step. 

As the first woman biked past me, I really felt the excitement run through me. “Hmmm, maybe I could do this one day” I thought to myself as she gave me a smile and then continued on down the road. I definitely think it is possible, but maybe in a few years. I think I should get another marathon or two under my belt first!  Maybe one day, I will be the one smiling back at the person on the sidelines who’s cheering me on during an Ironman. Nothing is impossible!!!!!

-Chelsea