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Our Story

Our Story

It was Monday morning, huge dark clouds hung in the sky and the white caps on the sea were steadily increasing. I stood with the other instructors as we unloaded surfboards from our vans, preparing for the first official day of camp. The excitement was almost uncontainable. This long sought after dream was finally becoming a reality and our hard work was coming to fruition.

It was the summer of 2006, the beginning of JC Surf Camp. Years of ideas and hopes were becoming tangible. This was our own camp that could make a difference. Each instructor had a passion for teaching and working with kids, but little did we know that we were about to embark on something so much greater than we had ever imagined.

We had finally unloaded the last of the surf boards. The campers were scheduled to arrive within a matter of minutes. The wind began to howl and I looked up to the sky. A raindrop landed on my arm. Doubts began running through my mind as I wondered what the next step would be. Could we really cancel the first day of our dream?

I stood with the other instructors as we watched the summer storm begin to demolish everything in its path. The rain ripped across the water and the force of the wind was blowing debris over the sand. Our supplies and boards were piled in between us under a shelter that borders the beach. Without warning a huge gust of wind swept through the shelter taking our supplies and boards with it. Impulsively we each scrambled to grab what we could and landed in a pile. Huddled on top of each other and the boards we waited and prayed that this would quickly end.

Our prayers were answered and the storm simply seemed to pass over. We hesitantly walked to the parking lot and were ecstatic to see parents pulling up with their campers. The sun peeked around the clouds and by the end of the day blue skies were the only thing in sight.

Looking back on that day I know without a doubt that this is where I am supposed to be. That first day is just a glimpse of the amazing things I have been a first-hand witness of through JC Surf Camp. This dream. The storms that we sometimes go through yielding to the blue skies we thought we would never see. That is what this is all about, doing what we love and sharing that with others. And the best thing is that was just the beginning.

James Connolley
Founder, JC Surf Camp






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