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Surf culture comes together for charity
A rising trend in the surf community is to give back.


Surfers turned out Saturday to participate in a contest to benefit Lou Gehrig's disease. The contest was organized by a high school student as a class project.


Laylan Connelly
Beach columnist
The Orange County Register
lconnelly@ocregister.com
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Surfers get a bad rap as being selfish.

They set out to find the best waves so they can fulfill an internal yearning – sometimes leaving their significant others irked and alone during early morning hours. They've been known to snag waves from each other, getting hostile in the water if someone butts into their territory. And they seek out pristine waves around the world – sometimes in impoverished countries – often times leaving the place no better than when they found it.

But a rising tide of surfers combining their love for the sport as a way to make this world a better place is happening — and it's not hard to see that the surf culture is at the forefront of making waves.

We can all take a lesson from Edison High School student Catherine Vasquez – who is an example of what the next generation of surfers has to offer. Saturday, she put on a surf contest benefiting those suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease; the event starting off as a school project but ending up as something so much more.

The 17-year-old started from scratch. She picked the charity after a friend's mom was recently diagnosed, and her mom's cousin continues to battle the disease, which slowly paralyzes muscles in the body.

She worked hard, hitting up surf shops and community groups to help. And about $10,000 was raised to give to the local ALS Association chapter.

I chatted a bit with Huntington Beach Longboard Crew's president Gary Sahagen at the event to get his thoughts on the rising tide of surfers giving back.

"It's happening more and more now. I'm seeing more surf organizations align themselves with charitable causes. It seems to be a trend that's growing," he said.

Surfer Mike Esther was one of the 125 people who signed up for the surf event.

"I think it's a great benefit. Everyone needs to dig into their pockets and give a little bit," he said.

Sahagen tipped me off to a group he heard about called Eco Surf Volunteers, which does surf trips to Ecuador and helps the local community.

The surf trips just started in February by founder Sam Bailey, a former water polo coach at Corona del Mar High School and UCLA who grew up in San Clemente.

Bailey has traveled the world surfing, and has seen the impacts of surf culture and how it can infiltrate communities. Just look at Costa Rica, now Nicaragua, and soon Panama.

He chose Ecuador because it's still untouched by massive development that comes with surf tourism. They can make a significant impact before it hits. They teach local kids how to speak English, a needed skill for tourism. And they also host beach clean ups – the past one bringing 100 local kids to the sand.

The next trip is in June, and though the trips are geared toward college and high school students, he hopes they will be able to expand to the general public by fall.

"These are the kind of trends I think a lot of people are really excited to see," he said. "I think there's a good group of people interested in working for the greater good," Bailey said.

In a similar attempt to help impoverished surf regions, a group called All 4 the Kids is teaming up with Surf Aid International to host a fund-raiser this Saturday night at Kona Café in Huntington Beach called "Nets for Life."

The event will raise money to purchase insecticide-treated mosquito nets that will be distributed to families off Indonesia's Sumatran coast.

All 4 the Kids is a new nonprofit, started by a group of friends who hold regular jobs, but just wanted to somehow give back.

Founder Mike Reilly – a former Huntington Beach High School student – traveled the world in the professional surfing circuit for years, and the images of the impoverished surf regions stuck with him.

"Most folks go and utilize the resources, and sometimes exploit the areas with videos and photos, and don't give back to the local areas," he said.

With the death of his mother recently – who was a teacher in an inner-city school and dedicated her life to improving needy children – he realized he hadn't done much for others, and was leading a selfish lifestyle.

"After doing all that traveling and seeing children suffering, I realized it's my duty," he said. "It's in the best interest of others who are suffering, and also for me … having a sense of purpose beyond yourself."

The response to the fundraiser has been great, with 160 people signing up to attend and room for more.

"It humbles me. Even though people are struggling, they are still willing to give," he said.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com or 714-445-6678

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/s...51-people-high