LEISURE LEARNING UNLIMITED surf camp #5 2007

I can count to 20 during summers, because I'm usually barefoot. And if I remmeber plus or minus a year, LEISURE LEARNING UNLIMITED has produced more surfers for TIDE GUIDE than tide guide and this business relationship has lasted 15 years, with hundreds of graduates. This weekend Shawn Shulze from Rosenburg arrived after dark and has the 10' 2" 'CANE" he had me build for him, he is surfing well now after 3 years at camp, and I have him pumped up for his first ride on a real Hurrican swell someday soon. Robin Fortenberry and his wife Mellisa arrive, this is Robins 41st birthday present. The two cousins Tracy and Leslie arrive. We are missing two teenage boys, before we all retire just before midnight.
Dawn's waves look good. Starbuck/Cowboy coffee brewed and some cinamon tea. Strawberry Stew, and lots of fresh fruit. Surfers are allowed to sleep in. Beach still real clean since Hurricane Dean washed it a month ago. Yesterday I was out and a surfer told me about his brother who had a turtle fly out of the water and break his nose, we have had two collisions with these monsters this summer during Tide Guide Surf Camp. Weather this camp is so stable that I feel I can relax all weekend, light winds, not that hot, cool nights, fair waves, warm warm water, soft sand and its September and the first day of fall starts Sunday.......
After every one is up and has had curative time in Tide Guides custom beach chairs. I ring the camp cow bell "surf camp 30 minutes". We still have no teenagers in camp, they had signed up and where looking forward to this surf camp. Get boards down and assigned, this is a fun experience for everyone since they mostly have never even touched a surfboard, I have them comb and wax....Then on this perfect morning we climb up the familiar sand dune behind camp to look at our beach break, to talk about surfing and enjoy the sights.
With all surfers with their boards at waters edge, I say set your boards down and lets all go for a swim, I carry my board out, and as they duck waves and swim I catch a couple waves for them to observe, stand up and turn around surfing backwards to show off, whatever "I'm 55 already, bald, no flat belly". But I can surf as good as I want...
Now its their turn and we do a long 1 1/2 hour session, the rip takes us all the way down to the Fishing Pier. Long walk back dragging surfboards. We do 3 sessions as a group this fine day, and Shawn and Robin do 4. Robin has shared with us that next August he will compete in a authentic Iron Man competition up in Canada. This is just awsome to me. About 5:00 p.m. everyone is Pretty worn out and every one has some color now on their skin to show off at work. Tracy is going to be in a wedding pretty soon so she will look real sporty. Mellissa reports while over at the showers that a tiny green frog jumped onto the sink while she was brushing her teeth. Terrific dinner, Shawn brought Louisiana "boodang" sausage, very good. Beach chairs out under the stars, and we drink ice coffee and relax and chat, and most of us have some ibuprophen.
Early dawn on this first day of fall waves have dropped except for a small wind swell. Cow Bell goes off, "surf camp 30 minutes". This time, we all gather as a group, then paddle together 300 yards offshore to look for dolphins, Tracy and Leslie can't believe they are out here this far from shore, Shawn, Robin and Mellissa went 200 yards past us, it is real quiet out this far, we can hear them talking and Shawns laugh travels for miles.

Real good surf camp #5.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO, surf camp #4 2007

This camp had no hazardous weather conditions as the weekend for the camp approached. Thirteen campus students arrive at 9:10 p.m. friday eve. I had gotten nervous at 9:00 p.m. and made a call to Eliot Howard the University director for this camp and left a message, and then both vans arrive ten minutes later with happy campers, somehow I knew that would happen (the travelers where in town and eating out and then stopped at one of the souvenier shops). Trip leader Carlos and I had met last week, and we walk everyone in the darkness down to waters edge, and everyone loves the feel of the 86 degree surf water, they enjoy their arrival. Camp is already and more tents are pitched, and 8 students get to stay in the Tide Guide Casa Grande (with cots). Pirateing is a in thing this year apparetnly on Campus and two Pirate Flags are hoisted around camp. New L.E.D. lights are shinning and alluminating camp, My primitive kerosene TIKI Torch adds to the ambiance. Lights out for me shortly after they arive, but some students walked down to the pier, camp is low on surf wax for tomorrow so I had asked Rob whom is also a staff on this trip if they would buy some at the surf shack on the pier.
Real terrific morning, surf picked up overnite. Carlos has a group at the tide line and he is leading a TAI CI practice, I join this for sure, as I can use the strecthing. Beautiful birds are diving into the water in front of us, the waves sound southing, and the sun is not to hot yet.
Starbucks coffee, strawberry stew, fresh fruits, and the waves are going to last all day so I won't rush surf camp. A good reason to come to surf camp is to be on island time, I learned that a long time ago. At 8:30 a.m. I ring the cow bell and shout "surf camp in 20 minutes".
All 14 of us trail up to the highest sand dune behind camp. A steep climb uphill and I tell them this is a 20 foot wave, we walk through beach morning glory, and quite a few students have picked a flower and have them in their hair "Hawiian Style". I give a surf and saftey talk up here and a "Goofy Foot Test", I have had all of them select a buddy to share a board with during this camp, and then I demonstrate with one of the ladies, I tell her to imagine there is a surfboard on the sand in front of her, then to close her eyes and pretend she is going to step onto the board. I give her a gentle shove forward, she happens to put her right foot forward first, which might mean that she would be a goofy foot. All the students do this test with their buddy. I explain that now the back foot is where you will put the string that is attached to the surfboard. On down the dunes through the morning glory and over to camp for more demonstrations and board assignments and board combing and waxing. Some of the guys are getting impatient to get on the water, so I speed it up, but I cant help it, I'm and old guy, even though I have some classic and enviable longbaords, I'm to lazy to carry the things, I drag them, holding one end up, even my own "CANE" worth $1,200.00 I drag across the sand, this really unnerves some friends of mine. So I announce "here is your first bad habit in surfing" if you want you can drag the board. Later in the day, this makes more sense to some. Although some won't drag the board, must be liverals..... O.K. surf camp #4, session #1 and waves are sweet, not to big, no crowds. We stay out 1 1/2 hours. Then into camp for watermellon, I ring the bell again, "second session 20 minutes". Second session great, Carlos gets to try my board, as he had brought his own 6' 10". My "CANE" is 10' 2". he likes the length especially on these smaller waves. Back in for surfer lunch, real lite. Then we take a walk, everyone joins and we stroll down to the pier for a break. Back for Session #3. Some go out for session #4.
Sunday before dawn Jonas and Chris have slipped into the surf in front of camp, swam out 300 yards and head for the pier 1500 yards away, then back to shore, and then a run back to camp, then 50 sit ups. Jonas will be joining the Air Force upon graduation. I don't detect a cowardly bone in his body, he also found a shark tooth beach combing. Surf Camp is in major Island Time, so I hold off ringing surf camp bell for awhile. Nina finds a shark tooth while beach combing. Carlos and I get Nina and her girlfriend Sal and grab the biggest board in camp, and we plan to get Nina on a wave, she gets out to the second bar about waist deep at this tide with us and we get her on the board, but it still is pretty intimidating and she gets wiped-out. Carlos and I know when to cease pressing the point, Nina weighs 100 pounds or so when she is wet, and she announces, I am fine just being at surf camp, and I don't intend on getting back on that surfboard. We all laugh.
Well I don't know what else to write, plus thats enough, it was a great camp.....