Waves of healing: Annual summer event in La Jolla gives kids a dose of surf therapy

About 25 San Diego County children — all current or former residents of foster homes — got a day at the ocean July 26 in La Jolla Shores.

The annual summer beach day is one of several such events presented by San Diego nonprofit Urban Surf 4 Kids, which provides “surf therapy, mentoring and life-skills programs for children ages 3 to 18 who live in or have experienced the foster care system,” according to Executive Director Roxanne Avant.

“It’s part of their healing journey from the effects of abuse, neglect, abandonment, exploitation,” she said.

The day began with a beach cleanup in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation. The kids then learned surfing techniques on land before taking to the waves for two hours or digging for sand crabs.

After a sandwich lunch donated by Board & Brew, there were games such as Jenga and volleyball, crafts and more.

By partnering with community volunteers who provide one-on-one mentorship throughout the day, “we help build [the children’s] confidence and trust in adults,” Avant said.

One company helping the cause is Reef, a sandal maker established in La Jolla in 1984 that sends dozens of volunteers to the event twice a year (a similar day is held at The Shores during the winter).

The beach day is “the perfect blend of taking care of the beach but getting people to experience the fun of the beach,” said Mike Matey, Reef’s vice president of sales. “It’s really about just celebrating the freedom and spirit of the beach.”

Participants in Urban Surf 4 Kids’ beach day at La Jolla Shores hit the water with volunteers.

(Elisabeth Frausto)

Reef has been a big supporter of Urban Surf 4 Kids for years, Matey said. “All the Reef employees come down and we volunteer for the day to help the kids get out into the water and learn to surf, play in the sand. Everybody volunteers in a different way,” from helping in the water to assisting with equipment, lunch or registration.

About 80 people showed up to volunteer.

In addition to the beach days, Urban Surf 4 Kids holds 10 one-day surf therapy camps every year, most of them at La Jolla Shores. Each draws 60-70 kids.

Each event has a theme. The one on July 26 was ocean conservation, while a camp July 22 in La Jolla was themed “careers in the ocean,” during which the Coast Guard demonstrated a rescue with a helicopter.

The beach days are “a really great opportunity for community engagement,” Avant said.

Urban Surf 4 Kids has been serving the San Diego community for 15 years. It is based in Miramar but calls the La Jolla Shores beach its “second office.”

Through its events, Urban Surf 4 Kids has helped improve participants’ outlook on life and “their sense of calmness,” Avant said.

At all its beach activities, the nonprofit has its young guests fill out surveys before and afterward “to measure the impact of being in the water,” she said.

The surveys before an event often indicate the children have a lot of anxiety — some don’t know how to swim or have never experienced the ocean.

“We’ve been able to show that after two hours of surfing in the ocean, they come back in a more relaxed state,” Avant said. “Their happiness level is through the roof and they feel like they can overcome obstacles that come their way.”

“Getting more people to experience [the beach] just makes people healthier and happier,” Matey said. “Whatever we can do to ... help organizations that do that, we’re all in.”

To learn more, visit urbansurf4kids.org. ◆