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WHO: 150 of North Florida’s most excited new groms, matched
up with the professional surf instructors and ambassadors of stoke from the
Florida Surfing Association.
WHAT: The first of three 100% free Super Grom Surf Fests to
be held this summer.
WHEN: Saturday, June 19th.
WHERE: Southside Jacksonville Beach Pier,
Jacksonville Beach, FL.
WHY: Saturday, June 19th was a tremendous day for North
Florida, as we kicked off the first of three Super Grom Surf Fests for the
summer. All events are free and
everyone is invited to participate.
The beach
was packed with eager groms Saturday afternoon, as 150 children aged 10 years or
younger got the opportunity to have one-on-one sessions with professional surf
instructors from the Florida Surfing Association. Some children even rode a
wave or stood on a surfboard for the first time in their lives.
The FSA not
only had children and their parents driving up from Ocala and New Smyrna Beach,
but there were participants all the way from Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, and even
Seattle, WA, out on the beach. It’s not every day that a child goes on vacation
and then finds him or herself hooked on the sport of surfing, but that’s
exactly what happened.
The surf
report for June 19th was too small for most experienced surfers, but the perfect
height for the new groms out in the water. The smiles were contagious as the
kids caught their first waves and everyone cheered them on. With more than
eight professional instructors and water marshals in the ocean, the entire
event ran smoothly, with many children begging their parents for boards or more
surf lessons at the end of the day.
Getting
introduced to the world of surfing was one thing, but the groms were also
taught how to save their money, as Wachovia Bank was out on the beach giving
away piggy banks, prizes, and games. In slow economic times, it’s important to
save money as a child in order to build a better savings to be used later on
down the road, even if the money is used to buy a new surfboard. The FSA views
this as a crucial life lesson, so their team along with participating sponsors
are willing to match up to $5 of the participating grom’s savings over the
summer.
Not only did
the parents get to see their children stand up on surfboards and ride waves for
the first time, but loads of food was delivered to the beach too. Donations
from Papa Johns, Sticky Fingers, Sonny’s BBQ, and Bojangles were brought out to
the beach to fill the children’s hungry stomachs. Unfortunately, the Super
Groms had super appetites so the food went fast, but come July 24th there will
be more than enough food provided at Super Grom Surf Fest #2, which is less
than a month away.
The FSA
feels it is important to not only provide a healthy outdoor activity for the
kids, but they also believe in doing what they can to help develop self-esteem
and self-confidence. Every participant received a beautiful medal provided by
the Crab Cake Factory, and you could actually see the kids swell with pride and
throw their shoulders back when the medals were placed around their necks. In
addition to the awards, every participant also received a classic surf
competition T-shirt provided by Cabo’s Island Pizza, Taco Lu’s, and Cruiser’s
Grill. The shirt was designed specifically for them and featured a giant “G” on
the chest for Super Grom.
At the end
of the day, the families and Super Groms left the beach with a free pass into
the wonderful world of surfing, a T-shirt, a medal, full bellies, and goodie
bags full of coupons, surf wax, Clif Bars and other items. Luckier groms who
won the limbo or dancing contests also left the beach with new skimboards, FCS
fins, and track pads donated by Garrett Spencer.
For those
who missed out on this action-filled event, there is still time to sign up for
the next two Super Grom Surf Fests, on July 24th and August 14th. However, both
events are on a first-come first-served basis for the first 150 children to
sign up. Entry forms are now
available online at www.floridasurfing.org.
This is an
incredible event and It is totally FREE! It is all about introducing the sport of surfing to new kids, putting
back into the community and providing a fun activity for the entire family at
one of our greatest resources here in Florida — the beach. So get ready
to smile and have fun and come join us on July 24th for the next action-packed
Super Grom Surf Fest. Big ups to FSA President Paul West for all the info.
WHAT, YOU WANT MORE? www.floridasurfing.org
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