Splish splash, they're having a blast
Christian surfers hit the waves
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers TWO FOR ONE- Amanda Gordon, left, offers thumbs up to Amy Mirretta as the two share a wave Sunday morning at Mondos in Ventura. In the background, from left, Phil Swickard, Jon Castruita and Connor Hall are thrilled with what they see. A group from Calvary Community Church in Westlake gets together every other Sunday to surf.

Sascha Cabrera enjoyed surfing so much, she might just try it again next weekend.

Cabrera, a 16-year-old senior at Oaks Christian School, was one of several newcomers from Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village to hit the waves early Sunday morning at Mondos cove in Ventura.

If she was intimidated on this calm, sun-drenched morning, Cabrera didn't show it.

"I wasn't nervous," Cabrera said. "I usually body board, so I'm used to the water. I like the water. . . . Surfing is easy once you get used to it, but standing up is still the hardest thing. It's tough to get your body straight."

For the past two summers Calvary Community Church has organized every-other-weekend Sunday surf trips to Mondos, a slow-rolling, rock-bottom break that can be favorable for beginners.

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND- With a push from Connor Hall, right, Alex Bates catches a nice little roller into the beach.

Parents and kids meet at 6:30 a.m. in the parking lot at the church to load into a pair of Chevrolet vans for the northbound trek. They're typically in the water by 8 a.m. and enjoying bagels and surf stories a few hours later.

The trips began after Ventura resident Timmy Curran, a worldfamous wave rider and musician, donated several softtop surfboards to the church. Curran's wife, Shinoha, volunteers with the middle school students at the church, said Oaks Christian pastor Drew Sams.

Sams, Thousand Oaks resident Chris Nelson, Phil Swickard, Jon Castruita and Amy Vanvoy have since spearheaded the weekend trips, which continue to grow in numbers.

"Chris Nelson approached me about taking the kids out on Sunday mornings and teaching them how to surf," said the 26-year-old Sams. "We started out with about 10 kids and the cars and boards we had, but it kept getting bigger and bigger every week."

As the demand to join the Christian surfers grew, Nelson began soliciting surf shops and board shapers from around the county, trying to see if they'd contribute to the cause. Some provided boards at cost, while others offered discounted wetsuits and supplies.

"A lot of good people have been and continue to be very generous," Nelson said.

These days Nelson stores upwards of 25 boards at his house. He also has wetsuits available for all shapes and sizes.

Although it can take hours to load the necessary equipment to prepare for a Sunday trip, and even more time to rinse everything down upon returning, Nelson believes teaching youngsters to surf and watching them mature in the ocean is a unique experience.

"There's a lot of work involved with this," Nelson said. "But in a selfish way, I just have so much fun seeing the joy that they have out in the water. It's great to see that."

There are, of course, some dangers present when taking a large group of kids and/or young adults to the beach.

Participants are required to have their parents or guardians sign a release form before they can surf. Some of the older youth church members, like Westlake High senior varsity water polo player Anson Harvey, have years of experience in the water and help chaperone the beginners when they paddle out.

"Some of us are just out there making sure the kids stay out of danger and don't get dragged into the lineup," Harvey said. "It's pretty easy keeping them safe in a place like this."

Safety and surf conditions were two of the main reasons Nelson chose Mondos as the spot to congregate. Whereas it can be frowned upon to bring even a few surfers to many local point breaks- let alone 20 or 30 beginners- the vibe at Mondos is generally tame.

"The thing about Mondos is it's almost like Waikiki because it's real slow," Nelson said. "If I were to bring this many kids to C Street or County Line it would probably cause a fight."

On this day there wouldn't be any fights, only smiles and pats on the back for a job well done. Sams said watching kids stand up for the first time never gets old.

"When you see the smiles on the kids' faces after they accomplish something they see in magazines or on TV, that's the best part about it for me," Sams said.

Like his younger sister Sascha, Zach Cabrera, an OCHS graduate who's set to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall, tried surfing for the first time last weekend. And like Sascha, Zach wouldn't mind giving the sport another try.

"Definitely," Zach Cabrera said. "I'll definitely be back on a board next Sunday."

For more information on upcoming church surf trips, visit www.805christiansurfers.com.