Surf Camp: Young athletes learning a brand new sport
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WWAY) — With plenty of time over the summer, kids have made their way to the shores of the Cape Fear to receive an introduction to a sport they hope to learn.
Wrightsville Beach Surf Camp regularly holds week-long courses to teach beginners how to ride the waves. A dozen of them took part in the day camp on Thursday.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
The company says many of their students have either never surfed or been in the ocean before, but they do go over all the safety lessons on land prior to setting foot in the Atlantic.
“Skill wise, we’ll get them done on the sand before we get in the water,” surf instructor Laura Sheppard said. “It’s kind of hard to see the kids once they catch a wave. The wave is kind of covering them. So it’s easy to get little techniques on the sand. And in the water, it’s basically just chiseling out those little techniques.”
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
Students say learning from professionals as opposed to their parents manages to improve their abilities.
“My dad doesn’t really know how to surf, so he doesn’t really know how to teach me,” 14-year-old Avery said. “But here, they actually help me pop up and stuff and go out where we need to go. I noticed whenever I stood up, the nose went into the water a lot and I fell.”
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
“We usually just tell them keep the wave on the back of the board when you first pop up and then you’ll just ride it in,” Sheppard said. “That drop in on the waves is usually a big question.”
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
The kids have seen plenty of surfing on TV, but feel it is more difficult than it looks.
“I would say it’s harder because you got to get the paddling and the balance right on the surfboard,” 11-year-old Fiona said. “We just learn from our coaches and our counselors. We learn how to balance and all that and it was really fun to learn. If you ever wanted to do surfing, do it because it will be a life-changer. It would be so much fun to learn. Follow your dreams because once you do it, you’re going to love it.”
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
