Community Corner
Surf's Up at Chevron Camp
Longtime surfer Vince Ray and his staff teach youngsters how to ride waves and be safe and respectful in the water.
Every summer for the past 21 years, Chevron Surf Camp has taught 7 to 17-year-old boys and girls how to stand up on a board and ride waves along the South Bay shoreline.
Headed by surfer-since-1965 Vince Ray, and seven other instructors, campers train on soft, foam boards and tackle waves that are generally small in size during classes on the south side of the Hermosa Beach Pier.
"We teach [surfing] as a lifestyle, competition is fun...but traveling, meeting new people is fun," Ray said of surfing, which he considers much more than a competitive sport.
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The camp focuses not only on the sport of surfing, but also on safety (participants are encouraged to learn CPR) and respecting other surfers, as well as the ocean.
"Living at the beach, it's very important for our family to have good water skills," said parent Alison Lee. "I think for me it's having the confidence that they are confident with the water, that they feel safe in the water, that they understand how the water works … It just makes me feel safe knowing that they are going to be OK and handle themselves appropriately down at the beach."
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Glenn Jensen, a surf camp instructor in the summer and a schoolteacher at Redondo Beach's Adams Middle School during the rest of the year, said these water skills are vital for youth.
"I see a lot of my own students out in the water quite often," Jensen said. "Unfortunately we don't do it as a curriculum at school."
During the first few days of the one-week camp, students develop courage to tackle their fear of water, Jensen explained. By mid-camp, they are often splashing around carelessly.
"They've finally built up some confidence to surf," said parent Mike Brown, who brought three campers with him from Arizona.
Brown's children have tried surfing in the past, but it wasn't until they attended the surf camp, using soft foam boards, that they finally picked up on the sport.
"The instructors are fantastic," Brown said. "They are very interactive and keeping kids motivated to go back out in the water."
Young surfers can learn more and sign up for Chevron Surf Camp on the City of Hermosa Beach website.
