Mary's photo essay.

Mary Valentino captured these beautiful images while on Dreams to Reality,Surfshack Surf Outreach project. Mary signed up for the surf outreach project in Cape Town, South Africa to assist underprivileged children to learn to surf with the volunteer organization @IVHQ

Did you see that air???????

Last Sunday South African surfer Michael February came to speak with the young surfers at SurfShack, on the DTR Surfshack Surf Outreach project. Michael was jetting off for America on Tuesday to surf the Huntington Pro but still managed to find time to share with the young surfers.
Twelve year old,Lele said that what he enjoyed most was seeing how to do an air reverse. He said its something he is going to practice. Jaylee Ann couldn't stop talking about Michaels air that he pulled right in front of her and is convinced with practice she would soon be getting some airtime!!! The excitement levels were at an all time high after their surf with Michael.
Thank-you Michael for inspiring our new surfers.

Our time......

Roger and I (Papi) really enjoyed our day surfing with the children and are always more than happy to surf with them and share our experiences with them. It's good giving back to the children because we were also given a lot and learnt so much that it makes us happy to be able to give back.

Sit, Turn, Paddle

Yesterday the new group of Surf Shack surfers had the opportunity to take a walk to St. James in order to learn essential skills to enhance their time on the waves. Sitting on the board, turning the board in preparation of the wave, and paddling were the skills to be mastered for these beginners. The time was sweet, the kids worked hard, and the group marched back in the rain with a positive attitude. This is an exciting new group of surfers, stay tuned for success stories of them hitting the waves!

1.5 Weeks of Life

Ive learned a lot about life in Muizenburg in 1.5 short weeks. Life is about surfing and the people you experience it with. Life is about a community of people with similar passions but possibly incredibly different backgrounds bonding over one, what seems easy from afar activity, surfing. The Surf Shack and similar organizations allow for kids and adults alike to be on the same level in the world, something that is not commonly found. The Surf Shack is a place where people come together and learn from each other, where superiority does not reign, where all become the student. It's magic. I haven't experienced a place like this on earth to date. A not so common business plan in the United States is what is the normality in this part of the world I have lived for 2 weeks. This plan, which I find to be brilliant is to make enough money to provide great service to people, develop the nation's youth to be profitable citizens, and to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. This atmosphere breeds happiness, stress-free environments where people work together... And for me, this seems like heaven.
--Spencer Fort, USA, volunteering in South Africa for 2 months

Every surfer remembers.....

their very first wave,their first wetsuit and their first board. On Friday a new group of surfers experienced their very first....their very own brand new wetsuits. It's a day they will never forget, thank-you to all that made it possible #Surfing-sa,#lotto and Robin de Kock. Mbuso aka Moose wouldn't put his wetsuit down and could hardly stand still for the rest of the afternoon,he was so worried that someone might accidentally use his wetsuit that he finally found an ingenious hiding place for it, NOT on the team's rack but hidden on our rental rack amongst the men's XXlarge suits. The reasoning behinds this was no one his size would think to look there for a suit!!!!! Can't fault that reasoning!!!!!
The young surf team are from the local community of Capricorn Park, Muizenberg and through the aid of a volunteer organization #Dreams to Reality Foundation, the children attend our Surf outreach project. They learn to surf with our assistance and share the experience with the DTR volunteers from #ivhq.

How we celebrate Madiba Day

67mins of charity... In honor of Nelson Mandela Day the international volunteers and the DTR students worked together to celebrate the 67 years of charity Nelson Mandela has given back to society. The surfers have flipped roles so that the students were now teaching the more privileged volunteers, showing that even they can give back on such an occasion.

WELCOME

A big welcome to our new volunteers from #IVHQ and #DTR to #Surfshack's GIVE surf outreach program, Cape Town. Make a child smile give the gift of surfing.

MONDAY MORNING BLUES!!

Fun surf at Muizenberg best cure for Monday morning blues!!!!