Where everyone knows your name
Trip Start
Dec 26, 2008
1
9
10
Trip End
Jan 15, 2009
Huanchaco,
Peru
Monday, January 12, 2009
Un Lugar is a surf camp run by a man named Juan Carlos. Every summer (which is january, february, and march in South America), he gives free surf lessons to the local fisherman kids... the kids of the caballeros. I don't really know how else to describe this type of fishing, except to tell you they fish out of boats made out of reed, shaped almost like a canoe, but with an extending piece in the front. They claim that they have actually been surfing longer than the hawaiians with these boats because their culture has existed for 4000 years, and the hawaiian culture has existed for only 2000 years. Interesting huh?
But back to Un Lugar... Juan Carlos' dream is to help these kids learn how to surf, and potentially become pro. He has been doing it for about 10 years now. He himself was the best long boarder in Peru a couple years ago, and last year he got 6th place... Working with him, and seeing how he constructs his classes and works with the kids, well you can just tell that he knows what he's doing... every couple weeks he runs a physical for the kids so he can inspect their swimming running and surfing skills, and then he gives a tutorial on all aspects of surfing from how the wave is formed to why different boards are used by different surfers. The volunteers that come help supervise the kids in the water, and on the off days, when there's no lesson, they help repair wetsuits and boards. I actually fixed wetsuits down there. It was so rad.
The only problem with his program is the funding. He has a ton of boards and equipment, but it's all run down. A lot of the kids, once they get to the point where they could eventually be sponsored and go pro they switch schools. They go to schools that will give them new equipment that Juan Carlos can't provide. One of the kids that has stuck around is Caly... he's so sweet and such a good helper, and you can tell he just loves being a part of this program. He told me that Juan Carlos is by far the best coach in the town, but the kids just want better equipment. Juan Carlos even helped me a ton with my surfing.
He took me out every afternoon while I was there and critiqued my moves, and helped to find the best spots to position myself and the different ways to enter into a wave. We even went on a midnight surf with a full moon... I felt so invigorated while I was there.
Being there has really stirred my heart. I want to help. I think a lot of you know about Out of the Boat... the swim program I started last summer... well I think I want to make it about something bigger. There are so many people who want to empower kids to be stronger in the water... to get them out of the temptations of the overuse of drugs and alcohol by giving them something better to look forward to... I want to help empower these people to live their dreams... This year I will hopefully learn the skills to make websites and improve on my photography and learn about grant money and just raising money so I can make Out of the Boat a program about empowering.
Anyway... so everyone knows my name... at least that's how I feel... Two times I was in the water and two random people paddled up to me asking if I was Michelle. Well, I guess it wasn't that random. One of the lifeguards of San Diego has a house down here so has a lot of connections, and I guess news made it down that i would be here. Being that I was the only girl in the water, and the only one wearing only a wetsuit top (everyone else was in full suits) I kind of stuck out... but hey, that's my style ;) So yes, with a couple of days I felt like I knew everyone in town...
And if I didn't know them, they at least thought they knew me. My friend Mariana who had invited me down to Peru in the first place told me I looked almost exactly like Sofia Mulonavich.. well apparently everyone here thought the same thing... everyday... two to three times a day... random people would yell Sofie!! sometimes I would ignore it... but sometimes it got to be so much that I just waved as though I was her... I felt like a celebrity.
