Even though I was born in Southern California, I never considered myself a surfer girl. After all, I chose to live in NYC and pound the pavement, not the sand! However, back in 2007, I became associated with the Surfrider Foundation through a beach-cleaning initiative hosted by one of Hunter’s clients, Barefoot Wine. What I got exposed to was something I could not shake - surf culture! It is the best of the laid back life - catching waves, going with the flow and not sweating the small stuff. Some of the friendliest and more sincere people I have met came through a few hours spent at the shore. Since my first Surfrider meeting out at Rockaway Beach, I had been looking for the right way to get further involved and start bringing this feeling to other people.
It was through Surfrider Foundation that I learned about WAVES for Development in Peru. While it's a fairly new organization, its mission is clear - and refreshing. Peru has some of the most epic coastlines in the world, yet the people living on it are too poor to ever afford the supplies/materials to surf it. WAVES volunteers provide these materials and give local children the chance to hit the water. When I dug a little deeper, I decided I had to be a part of it. So, back in October, I headed out to Peru to lend a hand with the WAVES team. What I got was a trip of a lifetime!
After landing in Lima, I faced a 17 hour bus ride to rural Lobitos. Yes, 17 hours sounds horrible – and it was no picnic – but, my excitement helped take the edge off (plus the assortment of random, poorly selected American movies they played, ranging from dated romantic comedies to graphic, violent thrillers played in the wee hours of the morning). Also, the three other volunteers who were joining me at the camp were also on the bus, so we shared the pain and got some of the initial introductory awkwardness out of the way. I met Tom and Mark, two guys from Sydney, Australia who graduated college in May and had just embarked on a six month journey across South America and Billy from Kentucky, a man with an apparently very flexible work schedule and a thirst for gnarly waves (not available to him in KY!)
After arriving in Lobitos, we met the other volunteers already at camp, Tom and Ali from Melbourne, Australia, Jen from Houston, TX and Naomi (also from Australia), the program director. We were also introduced to our project to complete during our time there, a surf board repair shack (La Choza de WAVES), designed by Tom. The idea in building such a place was to provide the local kids a place to do quick-fixes on boards for tourists passing through. This was just one part of a larger effort to empower these people who are quickly becoming a part of a tourist town – guiding them towards recognizing the fiscal opportunities there are when more people start coming to visit their shores!
Outside of the days spent building, we spent our time visiting with the local people to practice our Spanish, trying to cook with limited supplies (and usually giving up and eating cookies washed down with beer) and of course, in the water. The Aussies and Billy all had experience surfing, but Jen and I were there to learn. All dressed in my wetsuit and carrying a long board, I certainly looked the part. But, even after a few lessons, I did NOT (I am sad to say) ever pop up. But, even riding the waves on my stomach was exhilarating and gave me the motivation to get back out there. And, on top of everything else, it was all happening in a beautiful place!
I am thankful to the folks at WAVES for giving me such a memorable experience in such a short amount of time. I was only at camp for ten days while everyone else stayed for at least a month, and we maximized every minute. I had an amazing time seeing a new part of the world and made friends for life. I hope to go back some day! See below for some pictures from my trip.
Marieke
Lobitos, Peru in all its glory
Working on the surf shack
Warming up before surf lessons
The beautiful beaches of Lobitos
