Camp with a cause

Mike Sciacca

Amanda Rawle fixed her attention on every word Rochelle Ballard spoke

Friday.

Rawle, a first-time attendee at the one-day O’Neill Rochelle

Ballard Surf Camp held at Goldenwest Street, listened intently to the

sage advice that Ballard, a professional surfer from the North shore

of Oahu, gave to nearly 50 young girls attending the camp.

“I’m having a blast down here,” said a soaking-wet Rawle, 13, who

came down to Huntington Beach from her hometown of Puyallup, Wash.

Rawle won a free trip to the camp by winning a contest sponsored

by Pacific Sunwear.

“I’ve been to Huntington Beach before, but this is my first time

surfing the beach here,” Rawle said. “By coming to this camp, I want

to be able to learn how to surf a little better. I surfed in Kauai

before, and I’m probably the only kid at my school in Puyallup who

knows how to surf.”

The theory behind the O’Neill Rochelle Ballard Camps, now in its

fourth year, is to inspire, educate and train young surfer girls.

Their instruction Friday came from the No. 2-ranked female surfer in

the world.

“I enjoy seeing the sport grow and to see lots of girls surfing

together,” said Ballard, who participated in several of the camp

activities. “I want to help provide an opportunity for growth that I

didn’t have as a kid.”

The camp’s full-day schedule included yoga, instruction in ocean

awareness and safety, surfing, a Haole Hula girls contest, group

photo, obstacle course training, awards and beach cleanup. Focus

group discussions centered on coaching and surfing techniques, “chick

chat,” and Boarding for Breast Cancer Awareness.

The obstacle course training involved campers run into the water,

through tires laid out on the sand, zig-zag through safety cones and

doing an army crawl under netting placed about three feet high from

the sand.

Surf Diva Surf Camp, based on La Jolla, supplied the camp with 10

of its instructors.

“We are the first all-girls surf school in the world,” said Izzy

Tihanyi of Surf Diva Surf Camp. “Through everything they are being

taught today, we want them to keep in mind that it’s about fun. They

don’t have to be the best surfer out in the water. We just want them

to enjoy everything they are doing here today.”

Ballard said that by “giving back” to the surf community, she

hopes to inspire the next generation of female surfers.

“We’ll talk to them about how to enter competitions, how to get

sponsors, how to become part of the surf industry, the jobs available

there, stuff like that,” Ballard said. “I want these girls to become

aware of the opportunities available to them.”