GNS Students Take Advantage of Surf Camp

April 8, 2022

Academics

GNS

Some Senior School Students took advantage of their time off during Spring Break to take part in a four-day Surf Camp in Tofino based at Surf Grove Campground.

On the second and third day, students had surf lessons in the morning with Surf Sister surfing school. In the afternoons, there were a variety of activities for them to do, including a hike up to the lookout at Cox Bay.

“Providing a surfing opportunity is such a great use of a resource that we have on the Island,” said Mr. Clayton Webb, Director of Outdoor Education. “It’s really cool to expose students to it that have never had the opportunity, or students who have had the opportunity and want to master it a little bit more.”

After surfing, students explored Tofino, and Mr. Webb noted more than half of the group hadn’t visited the area before.

“It was pretty quick, but great overall,” said Mr. Webb. “Students were helping out with all the food preparations at camp and learning those types of camp skills.”

First time surfer Charlotte Quinn ’24 found it a great chance to embrace being a risk-taker and to take on new challenges.

“It went really well,” she said. “I like everything that involves outdoors, so most outdoor opportunities I like to take part in. I’ve tried windsurfing before, but never surfing and I’ve always wanted to try it so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

Paul Scherer ’24 usually surfs in France, but wanted to see what surfing in Tofino was like as he had heard good things about it.

“It was super fun,” he said. “The first day the waves weren’t really good because there was a lot of wind, but the second day was really amazing. We had a lot of fun out there…I was positively surprised. I didn’t expect the waves to be so good here. I definitely want to go to Cox Beach and surf privately.”

Watch out for more outdoor adventure opportunities coming up this term!