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| Hearts of Stone volunteers and kids. |
I was standing waist-high in the rolling whitewater of the Pacific Ocean keeping watch over a group of kids when I heard his voice.
“Quiero Surfear.”
He repeated himself, this time grabbing my elbow, showing persistence and desperation because he wanted a turn. My job was water safety, not instruction. I wasn’t sure how to tell this to an 11-year-old kid who spoke zero English. He had been assigned to a group just in front of me, but he wasn’t getting his fair shake on the soft-topped instruction board.
“Como se llama?” I asked.
He replied, “Me llamo Jose y quiero surfear.”
Jose was small in stature and shy by nature but his nerves were overridden by his desire to catch waves. He was banking on me to teach him.
Jose and I had both come to the small Costa Rican fishing of Estirillos to participate in the Pura Vida No Pro, a surf clinic/contest designed by a group called Hearts of Stone. The event is put on to help inner city orphans by whisking them from the capital of San Jose to the beach for a day of fun, education, encouragement and surfing. Jose was one of these orphans and he was here on the beach to have fun and forget. I was one of many volunteer surfers who were teaching in the morning and competing in the afternoon.
I called to the head lifeguard to bring me my longboard and watch my zone.
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| The author with Jose |
With a vamos!, my student and I found a clear patch amongst the 40 other kids. Having not worked closely with kids in the past I was a bit nervous but after ten minutes of trying to catch waves together, we had overcome the language barrier and were having a blast. I taught Jose the basics of surfing and in no time he was in the groove. Each time he wanted an incoming wave he would shout. At that point, I would turn him around on the board, facing shore, and push him in. From there it was all Jose. On our third attempt he stood up after the push and rode the wave all the way to the beach, smiling and yelling to his friends. He was surfing.
By the end of the lesson he had caught and ridden ten waves to the beach. It was amazing to see him come out of his shell, smiling and laughing as he cruised on my longboard. It was also a great feeling for me to teach someone to surf. Surfing has always been a meaningful but selfish pursuit for me. The value I place on this "sport" now that I have used it as a catalyst for change in someone’s life is indescribable. I was very grateful I had changed my travel plans to become a part of this event.
Originally, I had planned on heading to Rica for the Thanksgiving holiday. Knowing I had a few days off, I wanted to recharge my batteries on a solo surf trip to my favorite beach on the Pacific coast. I called John O’Toole at Wavehunters and asked if he could book me at Cabinas Las Olas in Playa Hermosa (John used to own the place and for a few miraculous months, I worked as his manager). It was then he told me about the Pura Vida No Pro surf contest/clinic and how it took place a week prior to Thanksgiving. He was helping the Hearts of Stone guys put the event on and needed some extra help. He found me a great deal on my ticket and with that I was on board to help out as a volunteer. It was the least I could do considering all the great surfing moments that beach had given me. This was my chance to give something back.
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| Steve and Ann of Hearts of Stone |
Following the surf lesson we all broke for lunch at the hotel. Jose ran off with the other kids, no doubt gloating over his performance in the water. I headed to the chow line to refuel for my participation in the surf contest later that day.
Over a local dish of chicken and rice and under the shade of towering palm trees, I shared the stoke of my experience with the event organizers and got to know more about the people who made it all happen. Steve Sanchez and Ann Low run Hearts of Stone, a Phoenix based group whose purpose, according to Steve, is to “pretend they have all the money in the world and give it away”. They partnered with John O’Toole, a former Costa Rica hotelier, local expert and current travel agent with Wavehunters to create the Pura Vida No Pro surf contest and clinic. The motive was simple: use surfing to make a positive change in a country that has given surfers so much.
Steve explains. “The goal of the event was to expose these inner city children to the art and beauty of surfing in a fun-filled, positive environment. The event focuses on providing a forum for these children to see a new future and provide inspiration to succeed and share the good things in life.”
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| Surfing rules! Photo courtesy of shifishots.com |
“The centers we work with support children from infants to 18 years of age.” Ann added. “We have an equal focus on improvement of the facilities as well as providing an opportunity for the children to see a wide-open future through education. We are working with Costa Rican educators to create a wide range of scholarship opportunities & to ensure spectacular results.”
This year Hearts of Stone purchased a house in San Jose dubbed “Casa de Suenos,” (house of dreams) intended to be used by the children as a “halfway house” when they turn 18 and are forced to leave the orphanage.
After lunch, the surf contest was held with all of the instructors competing for bragging rights and prizes. The children lined the beach and cheered for their instructors and new friends. While in my heat, the thought of Jose watching me was a great motivator to drop into the walled-up sets. I give him credit for the noseride I pulled off on a grinding lefthander. As the sun set into the ocean and the last competitors exited the water, the group walked back up the beach to the hotel.
The event was capped off with a piñata for the kids followed by a barbeque and awards ceremony. Each kid went home with a bag full of goodies and a head full of memories. As the kids loaded the bus, tired but happy, I realized how lucky I was to be a part of this event. It was an honor to meet and work with Steve and Ann, a selfless pair of heroes who understand the value of living fully and giving back when you can.
I was also grateful John O’Toole convinced me to change my travel plans.
When I went to bed that night to the sound of the crashing Pacific, I thought about the waves that Jose and I caught. I was pretty sure, at an orphanage in San Jose, a sunburned kid with a fresh love for surfing was doing the same. Taking a trip that allows you to do what you love while helping someone else out is a powerful thing. Feel free to join us next year.
Tim McManus is a senior salesman for Adventure LLC and an incredibly talented longboarder. He currently lives in Charleston, SC—home of the Macho Beach Noseriders.
Thanks to Shifishots.com for surfing image
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| Future surf stars |
Charitable Contributions
Make an awesome difference in the lives of some wonderful children. Donations should be made payable to:
Rebuilding Together/PVNP2004, c/o Master Marble Ltd.,
18 S. 42nd Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034.
For travel information for the Pura Vida No Pro or General Costa Rica Travel info contact:
John O'Toole
Wavehunters Travel
1-888-899-tube
www.wavehunters.com
Last Updated: Feb 24th, 2006 - 14:18:11
© Copyright 1999-2006 by Hooked on the Outdoors
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