I recently read a movie review article on Surfline.com by freelance-writer Mark Anders. The review is on the documentary “Rio Breaks: a Story about Surfing and Survival”, a story about two young kids from the favelas, or ghettos, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, their struggle to keep from being sucked into violence and gangs, and the role that surfing plays.
Surfing has grown to world-wide popularity and the establishment of a multi-billion dollar industry with largely recognized brands, millions in competitive prize money, and influence in mainstream culture. However, the power of surfing extends well beyond all of this.
Power of Surfing
At its core, surfing is a liberating activity that instills independence, promotes physical fitness, and contributes to a person’s self-development. For some it is simply a past time, an enjoyable form of exercise; yet, for others it is a way of life rarely understood by the masses.
The power of surfing is unique. It attracts individuals from all different backgrounds it is one of those activities that people become addicted but has no universal explanation. Each individual finds their own driving force, their own motivation for needing to surf which can lead to subtle changes such as visiting the beach more often, or can be as strong as compelling an individual to quit a prestigious job in order to allow for a more flexible routine.
Whether surfing becomes a part of some one’s life, or their life adapts to surfing becoming a central focus, surfing has the power to drastically affect people.
Surfing and Kids
Surfing is definitively a kid’s sport, and in many ways it is like riding a bike. The earlier you learn it and the more often you do it, the quicker it becomes second nature. When you’re young the water, whether cold or warm, is a fascinating thing to play in and you can spend hours on end at the beach, something that can definitely be a limiting factor for adults. However, getting to the beach is not as easy as one might think for children of developing, whether it be financial hardship, lack of parental support, or any other reason.
Bodhi Surf School founder, Travis Bays, understands from his travel experience the reality that under-priviledged youth face as well as realizes the positive impact that surfing can have on these kids. As a Peace Corps volunteer, Travis laid the foundation for what is now Grupo SURF, a local youth program in Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica. But luckily, Grupo SURF is not alone, there are a number of other projects, groups, organizations that have put these two components together and have been working to use the power of surfing for positive change. Two examples which I know of (I’m sure there are more, but this is not intended to be a list of any sort), are Waves for Development in Peru and Mision Mexico Refuge in Mexico. I highly recommend you take some time to learn about them, they are quite inspiring stories.
Tags: Community Projects, Grupo SURF