Sustainable Surfing Camps and Surf Lessons

To share our love of the ocean through surfing, mutual respect for land, sea,and each other.

Tag Archives: ocean girl project


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Standup for the Cure

Standup for the Cure Hold Second Annual Award-Winning Breast Cancer Fundraising Event in Newport Beach;

Expects to raise $125,000 to fund 1,000 Mammograms

Organization Set World Record at Inaugural Event; Anticipates Increased Attendance

  • Guinness World Record Set at Inaugural Event in 2012 – More than 700 participants were involved in The World’s Largest Stand Up Paddleboard Clinic.
  • Standup for the Cure named Top Philanthropic Effort of 2012 by “SUP The Magazine”. The award honors a person or organization that exemplifies the Standup Paddleboard Industry’s ability to impact people’s lives in a positive way.
  • SUFTC had 700 participants and raised more than $60,000 in 2012.  anticipating more than 1,000 this year
  • 2013 event is an event for everyone – Kid’s race, 5K fun paddle, live music, industry expo, SUP Lessons and Demos as well as a silent auction are scheduled.
  • $35.00 entry fee includes Ruth’s Chris Lunch, Kona Brewing Company/Barefoot Wines happy hour, Victory KoreDry Jersey and a goodie bag and more.
  • Cancer screenings – Breast, Colon and Skin cancer screenings available on-site.

On Saturday, May 4, 2013  Standup for the Cure will hold its second annual fundraising event at Newport Dunes in Newport Beach, California to support the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®– every $125 raised will potentially save a life by enabling a mammogram. Entry fee for the event is $35 per person. The fundraiser is from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a clinic by top International paddleboards instructing the attendees, including the organization’s ambassador Zane Schweitzer. Irvine’s Ruth Chris Steakhouse will provide lunch and a Barefoot Wines and Kona Brewing Company will sponsor a happy hour that will have live music by Wheeland Brothers and Crimson Crowbar.

“We were thrilled with the success of the first event that raised more than $60,000 for our organization and are honored to have the event continue. Mammograms are vital for identifying breast cancer at an early stage, so this event really is a lifesaver,” said Lisa Wolter, Executive Director of the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G Komen for the Cure.

The event will take place at Newport Dunes, visible from Pacific Coast Highway, and will have a paddling course that will wind through the scenic harbor with a sea of pink paddlers.

“We’re expecting an even bigger crowd this year and have added new events that will appeal to participants of all ages including a kids’ relay, pet costume parade, and a sandcastle competition along with free life-saving cancer screenings. We’ll have beer and wine at happy hour with two bands – Crimson Crowbar and Wheeland Brothers,” said Judie Vivian, volunteer and founder of Standup for the Cure. “We truly will ‘Have Fun and Save Lives!” she continued.

Whether you’re a novice or an expert, Standup for the Cure events offer something for everyone. The event set a world Record at its 2012 inaugural event with more than 700 paddlers taking a Standup Paddleboard clinic led by Zane Schweitzer. Additional participating experts include Matt Hughes, Brendon Light, Jayson Campbell and Daniel Hughes.

Riviera Paddlesurf, Yolo Board, Rogue SUP, Starboard and others will supply loaner boards and demonstrations for new paddlers. Sponsors for Standup for the Cure’s 2013 event include: Riviera Paddlesurf; Maui Jim; Kona Brewing Company; Barefoot Winery; Ruth’s Chris Steak House; Ocean-Minded and Victory KoreDry

 “Standup for the Cure’s May 4 event is an excellent opportunity for families, friends and survivors to get together, have a great day filled with fun while raising money and ultimately save lives by doing something they love,” said event director Dan Van Dyck, whose mother is a 39-year breast cancer survivor.

Events include:

  • STANDUP PADDLEBOARD CILINIC taught by world-class Standup for the Cure ambassador including Zane Schweitzer. Other illustrious teachers include Matt Hughes, Brendon Light, Jayson Campbell and Daniel Hughes.
  • SILENT AUCTION: Presenting Sponsor, Riviera Paddlesurf, has donated one of the limited edition Standup for the Cure paddle boards. Other items include SUP boards from Starboard, Boardworks and JP Australia and Pink paddles from Quickblade along with Maui Jim sunglasses, Disneyland tickets and Facial Laser Treatment.
  • MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT (2 Bands):
    • Wheeland Brothers — Two Southern Californian brothers who grew up in Orange County. They combine the cool attitude and summertime energy of reggae with the down-to-earth, organic honesty of acoustic rock and ukulele lullabies. In 2012 Wheeland Brothers released their first album along with the music video for their first single, “Sand in My Sheets”
    • Crimson Crowbar — Band member Frank Sims has recorded, toured and co-written songs with Mick Jagger, Stevie Nicks and David Lee Roth, among others and was a double Grammy nominee with Don Henley.
  • FREE CANCER SCREENING: Screenings for the three potentially treatable cancers are available during the event – Breast, Skin and Colon. Cancer specialists from UCI Cancer Center and Komen supported Clinics will perform the screenings on-site.
  • YOGA PADDLEBOARD CLINIC: The hottest yoga style is on a paddleboard—a yoga practice carried out on paddleboards in the water. A combination of standup paddling and yoga is known for giving the body a “core” workout because of the added challenge of having to maintain one’s balance while performing yoga poses. The clinic will be demonstrated by the Paddleboard
    Bliss team from Orange County.
  • FOOD AND DRINK: Irvine’s Ruth’s Chris Steak House will provide lunch; Happy hour with live music will be presented by Kona Brewing Company and Barefoot Wine to wrap up the day.
  • NEW ACTIVITIES: The 2013 agenda include a Kid’s Relay, Sandcastle Competition and a Pet Costume Parade.
  • “PINK” ATTIRE: Participants that register by May 1 will receive a complimentary custom Pink SUP Jersey from Victory KoreDry.
  • PARKING: All day parking is available at Newport Dunes for $5 per vehicle
  • “Dry” participants can take part in all festivities without getting on the water if they prefer

In support of the cause participants can sign up as a team or individual through the Active Giving Portal at http://www.active.com/more-sports/newport-beach-ca/standup-for-the-cure-2012.

More information can be found at http://www.standup-for-the-cure.org/; via Twitter at @StandUp4TheCure; and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StandupForTheCure

To be a sponsor or exhibitor, please contact Dan Van Dyck at info@standup-for-the-cure.org. For press/media information please contact Elaine Marshall of Empowered Public Relations at Elaine@EmpoweredPR.com or 562-498-8450.

Media Contact:

Elaine Marshall Principal
Empowered Public Relations
Elaine@EmpoweredPR.com
562.498.8450 office
949.466.6303 mobile
2892 N Bellflower Blvd, Suite 424
Long Beach, CA 90815

Media Page – Standup for the Cure « Standup For The Cure.


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Courtney Conlogue Claims TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival in Taranaki | ASP World Tour

 

TARANAKI, New Plymouth/NZL (Saturday, April 6, 2013) – Courtney Conlogue (USA), 20, has claimed the 2013 TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival featuring the Dow AgroSciences Pro today over Coco Ho (HAW), 21, in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Taranki’s Fitzroy Beach.

 

Event No. 4 of 7 on the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT), the TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival delivered clean and rippable waves for the world’s best female surfers to perform on and culminated in dramatic fashion this morning between two of surfing’s rising stars.

 

“I put in a lot of hard work between last year and this year and I’m stoked to have it paying off with a win,” Conlogue said. “I’ve felt like I’ve been surfing well all year and have been building momentum up until this point. Really happy about today.”

 

Conlogue’s win today bumps the young Californian from 5th to 3rd on the 2013 ASP Women’s WCT rankings, within striking distance of the world surfing crown throughout the back half of the season.

 

“We’re halfway through so there is still opportunity ahead,” Conlogue said. “Carissa (Moore) and Tyler (Wright) have had such strong starts to the season and didn’t have as strong performances here to it’s opened up the race a bit. I’m feeling confident in my surfing and I’m going to give it a good run in Brazil.”

 

Today’s Runner-Up finish marked a season best for Ho today, vaulting the young Hawaiian from 9th to 7th on the ASP Women’s WCT rankings.

 

“Bummed I couldn’t keep it going into the Final but Runner-Up is a great result for me and taking down some big names is a great confidence boost for me,” Ho said. “Best result in a long while and we’re heading into Brazil where I have done well in the past. I feel like I have been surfing well all year and it’s a relief to finally get a solid result. Boards are going really well and I’m looking forward to the next stop.”

 

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 22, continued her impressive 2013 run in Taranaki, posting big wins before going down to Ho in this morning’s Semifinals. The young Australian’s Equal 3rd today, however, was not enough to stave off a rankings charge from Conlogue and Fitzgibbons was bumped down to 4th on the ASP Women’s WCT Rankings.

 

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 25, reigning five-time ASP World Champion, was another favorite who looked strong this morning, posting a strong 13.97 out of a possible 20 for a bevy for forehand and backhand maneuvers. The Australian’s performance was no match, however, for an in-form Conlogue who halted the champ’s run in the Semifinals.

 

“Fun little waves out at Fitzroy this morning and a shame I couldn’t get through,” Gilmore said. “Congrats to Courtney (Conlogue) though – she is surfing really well. Next stop for us is Brazil and the waves can be similar there and hopefully not too small this year. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us this week in New Zealand.”

 

Highlights from the TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival featuring the Dow AgroSciences Pro are available via http://www.nzsurffestival.co.nz/

 

The next stop on the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) will be the Billabong Rio Pro from May 8 – 14, 2013.

 

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

 

TSB BANK NZ SURF FESTIVAL FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.00
2 – Coco Ho (HAW) 9.27

 

TSB BANK NZ SURF FESTIVAL SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.47 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.97
SF 2: Coco Ho (HAW) 15.33 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.24

 

CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S WCT TOP 5 (Following Completion of TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival):
1. Carissa Moore (HAW) 31,700 pts
2. Tyler Wright (AUS) 30,000 pts
3. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 26,900 pts
4. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 26,200 pts
5. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 24,700 pts

Courtney Conlogue Claims TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival in Taranaki | ASP World Tour – The Association of Surfing Professionals.

 


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Answering the call.. Colleen Kudo grew up in the desert, but she could still hear the sea

By Cindy Luis-Sports Section Star Advertiser

Some never hear the call of the ocean.

Others hear it even when living more than 100 miles from shore.

Even when growing up in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., Colleen Kudo still heard the ocean. And she listened.

It was a message of surfing and sustainability, of green living on the Blue Planet known as Earth. It led to the creation of “Because We Surf” and the “Ocean Girl Project,” which includes surf camps for girls 14 and under.

“It just all came together,” said Kudo, who moved permanently to Hawaii in 2004. “I was the manager of Diamond Head Market & Grill, working with a lot of young women, a lot of them ‘ocean girls.’ We had time on our hands after work so we’d all go out and surf.”

But it wasn’t enough. When Kudo heard about critically ill neighbor island children in Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children whose families couldn’t afford airline tickets to visit during the holidays, “that became one of our first fundraisers,” she said. “We gave them tickets to be with their kids. Then someone told me about this high school coach who was cleaning out the channel in Ewa Beach by himself. So we decided to go help the guy.”

And so it has continued with the official launching of “Because We Surf” in 2008. Much like a wave builds, the organization continued to evolve, picking up momentum and adding the “Ocean Girl Project” to help meet the need for affordable and sustainable surf camps for young girls.

The lesson learned is that it does take a village to raise a surfer. The all-volunteer organization gives to the community and the community has given back.

Among the volunteers are pro surfers Nancy Emerson and Jeannie Chesser, and photographer Donna Welch. Emerson donates surfboards from her Nancy Emerson School of Surfing, Chesser passes along her expertise and Welch gives surf camp participants photos of their experiences.

The 52-year-old Kudo, the manager and an instructor for Emerson’s surf school, didn’t learn to surf until she was 30 and still living in California.

“I grew up in the desert but my family had ties to Hawaii,” she said. “During my teenage years, we spent time here. I never thought about surfing, but I always wanted to be in the water. The ocean is so healing. It is such a blessing.”

Kudo spent 17 years working with at-risk youth. That’s not the target group for the Ocean Girl surf camps.

“It’s for girls whose families are struggling but they’re in that gap where they aren’t considered at-risk,” she said. “A lot of them don’t have bathing suits, towels or can bring snacks. We’ve had people donate those, especially healthy snacks.

But honestly, I think all kids are at-risk without the love and support of all of us.

“But the camp is not about bikinis and playing. We start with a beach cleanup. Sometimes we have marine biologists speak, sometimes people from other non-profits do presentations. We teach CPR, ocean safety and respect for the ocean and reefs.

“We believe the ocean and surfing to be the ultimate classroom. What is very rewarding is when the girls who have gone through our program come back and help.”

The five-day camps are limited to 10 to 12 participants. The minimum requested donation is $100 but Kudo says financial aid is available.

The camps have been limited to summer months but there has been a discussion about adding one this winter.

“I think that sometimes the ocean just calls us,” Kudo said. “I teach surfing to people who are from everywhere, from Canada, Germany, Missouri. They could be 20, 30 or 60 (years old). What in the world would be their connection? It’s that strong desire to be in the water, just like I had.”


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Hawaii & Sustainable Solutions

Mahalo!

First day of Ocean Girl Project camp we do small beach clean-ups and learn about sustainability.

The girls are often curious as to why we do not use plastic bags or bottles or forks, spoons, or cups, do you get the idea??

After our first quick beach clean up, it becomes very clear and meaningful to all of us who love the ocean!

 

Hawaii & Sustainable Solutions Doing your part in Hawaii

What is sustainability? Simply, the responsible treatment of natural resources.

NO littering Be respectful and leave nothing but footprints on the beach and valleys. We are on small islands with finite resources, never ever litter.

Store Bags-plastic bags are the worst and most unnecessary plastic polluter of the ocean and easiest to replace.

Carry and shop with reusable sustainable bags. A single reusable bag can eliminate hundreds to thousands of disposable bags over its lifetime. Look for reusable bags that are made of strong sustainable material (not plastic), if the seller doesn’t know what the material is, go somewhere else, local health food stores, farmers markets and craft fairs are a good source or make your own. Bonus-many stores give discounts for bringing your own bag.

Plastic bottles- Plastic bottles along with plastic bags are the most common sources of plastic pollution found on our beaches and in the ocean. In the US alone, eight out of 10 (22 billion) plastic bottles will end up in a landfill-Container Recycling Institute.

The easiest solution is to carry reusable stainless steel water bottles and flasks and drink tap water!! It’s clean, safe and you already paid for it!! The Hawaii Board of Supply (hbws.org) states on their site: “The municipal water supply served to Oahu’s residents is safe to drink and use, and does not require treatment by a home filtration unit.” If you are still concerned you may want to purchase filtration systems. Buying soda and juice containers made from glass helps also.

 

Mahalo Nalu Hawaiian Spirit for providing reusable bags for the girls to use!


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Ocean Girl Surf Camp alternatives to Plastic Ocean

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Plastic- ocean – a 100% human-caused disaster

The disposable plastic bottle symbolizes waste and litter around the world. But it is not just plastic bottles and careless littering that threaten to turn the oceans from life-sustaining to life threatening.

Bottles and bags. Discarded toys, product packaging and cheap holiday decorations. Household and industrial waste of a thousand kinds.

Littered, dropped, dumped. Used despite safer alternatives. Carelessly disposed, improperly managed. Not reduced, not reused and not recycled.

Rolling, blowing, floating and flowing into the world’s oceans.

Plastic-free ocean – a 100% human-accomplishable goal

Plastic in the oceans is entirely caused by human action and human inaction. It has as much potential to do harm as the worst climate change scenario and is having greater immediate effects, yet it so far receives comparatively no attention, and very little private or government action or funding.

There are a number of ways that marine science, waste management, recycling and materials experts, biochemists and medical professionals might be brought together to work on the interrelated problems from a number of critical angles. But currently, there are no major collaborative efforts among these disciplines.

Changing these situations will require raising awareness and education to motivate changes in consumer behavior. It will take cooperation from businesses to change products and packaging. It will take political action to improve waste management and recycling practices. And it will require financial support for research to find ways to recover and reprocess the millions of tons of plastic already accumulated in marine environments, and other ways to remedial already existing biological and human health effects.

There are many simple and economically practical solutions for reducing the use of plastics, for safely and appropriately reusing certain plastic items, and for improving the handling of plastic waste to make sure that it enters the recycling stream rather than the typical waste stream.

How to keep the problem from getting worse

Consumers need to be  educated about how to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics. Of these actions, the most important by far is to REDUCE,REUSE, RECYCLE the use of plastic in every aspect of daily living. This is neither as difficult nor inconvenient as it seems, and it can deliver long-term health benefits and immediate cost savings.

Spreading the word

Plastic waste, and particularly its accumulation and breakdown in the world’s oceans, are a far larger problem than heart disease or cancer, and unquestionably contribute to both of these conditions.

Plastic in the oceans is more damaging and far-reaching than deforestation, habitat destruction and other environmental issues, and it is the most directly actionable of all environmental threats.

Spread the word.

Organizations like  Ocean Girl Project needs your support,  please CONTRIBUTE by spreading the word. The Ocean Girl Project’s primary purpose is affordable educational and sustainable actions for our kids in Hawaii .

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