Little surf school brings big smiles to new riders

    Surfing remains a huge part of the tourist industry in Hawai'i, but for the Web-based company Girls Who Surf, the clientele revolves around both visitors and locals

Cherry Fu started Girls Who Surf last April to give inexperienced riders a chance to learn the sport of surfing. Although a majority of their students are tourists, there are also many kama'aina students, who receive discounted rates, Fu said.    

All four surfing instructors she employs are women who have been surfing since a young age. Among these women is twenty-four-year-old Heather Kikkawa, a natural resources major at the University of Hawai'i at M�noa who grew up surfing in town. She helps with the three-hour lessons, which begin with an hour of land preparation that includes safety and ocean education, and instruction on the basics of surfing. Students then enter the water while instructors help them to stand up on boards and push them into waves. Most lessons take place in Waikīkī, while some occur at White Plains in Barbers Point.

After two hours, the girls stretch, cool down and "talk-story."

Girls Who Surf work with girls of all ages, as well as families. Kikkawa noted that many of their students are children. Instructors may not see students again since they are usually visiting Hawai'i. However, they receive many thanks through e-mails and letters.

It is a positive outlook that helped Girls Who Surf gain recognition and appreciation like this from former students. Kikkawa recalled a day when one students said "this is the best day of my entire life!" The smiles and cheers are all part of what make her job as an instructor worthwhile.

Kikkawa admitted, however, that "Teaching was frustrating at first, and I was hard on myself; it's about the students having a good time, not necessarily catching the best waves." She also said she enjoyed getting to see the stoked faces of those who catch their first waves.

Teaching people to surf is not the easiest task for Kikkawa, she said, since Fu gives her other responsibilities. She needs to multi-task by managing schedules and taking care of the students while they are in her charge, as well as teach them to surf.

During the summer, Girls Who Surf gave about two four-hour-long lessons per day, which included picking up and dropping off students.

In the past, surf schools received negativity from out-of-town spots.

"[I've] heard people saying negative things [about the company]," Kikkawa said. "But there's not too much heat from locals because we keep our riders on the smaller, inside waves. We get more heat from other surf schools."

Girls Who Surf has become well-known in the surf lesson arena, carving a name for themselves in the surf-tourism industry, and have become known as "the girls" by other schools. They continue to teach the sport of surfing and to engage themselves in other community activities.

Girls on the waves

Girls Who Surf surfing workshop for GirlFest, Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 8, Sept. 9, Sept. 16 and Sept. 17.

First Annual "Move Over, Boys" Surf Contest for females of all ages

- Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 - Kewalo Basin

- longboard, shortboard and bodyboard divisions.

For more information on lessons or contest entry, visit http://www.girswhosurf.com or call 371-8917.

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