A week at Surf Camp. Doesn’t sound like all that long, right? 7 days, just a handful of sleeps and less days than you can count on your fingers. But surf camp at Chica Brava can’t be measured in time, it simply doesn’t do the experience justice.
As our 15 women last week quickly realized, a week of surfcamp is measured instead in laughter, triumphs, waves ridden, pop ups nailed, turtles completed, bruises, shakas, and of course, tonas crushed.
After a six month break from running camps I was lucky enough to join this week’s 15 top as an instructor and host, and I couldn’t have had a better time remembering what Chica Brava is all about. First of all, what a fantastic group of inspirational women to teach and learn from. A group of eleven ladies all connected somehow by their brave leader/organizer Tracy came down together in search of an adventure, and a break from being bad ass working moms. Tracy, Julie, Nicole, Sharon, Bridget, Rachel, Jenny, Marylin, Polly Anna, Cheryl all came from Austin, Texas and pal Koo made the mission from North Carolina to meet up with the group. Some were old buddies, some acquainted through their alter soccer mom identities, and some were co-workers, but by the end all were bonded through the ocean (and turtles and tonas).
Coincidentally, we had another trio of Austin chicas rallied by return surfista Tasha who came back to camp to check out the Cloud Farm digs and brush up on her surf style. Accompanied by Jenny, a competitive triathlete and classy Chrissie, these three bunked up with solo traveler Lindsey, our New Yorker of the week, and all four got as much surf in as possible, rockin empower hour every single day!
Aside from spending time with such incredible, world traveling, professional women coming from all aspects of life, this week also reminded me of Chica Brava’s philosophy that surfing is a metaphor for life. About three days into camp Nicole, an engineer, made this very profound yet technical observation all on her own, and I knew our work was done. Whether it’s the little pointers of ‘look up’, or ‘let go’, or the quiet time sitting patiently on the outside for a green wave to roll in, the ocean always has a lesson to teach us that we can walk right out of the water and into our lives with.