FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. COC-06-095-SC
April 24, 2006
Catch a Wave with Beginning Surfing Class "Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learning how, come on and safari with me," sing the Beach Boys, and this summer College of the Canyons will offer eager dudes and dudettes the opportunity to catch some waves in the new class PE 135: Beginning Surfing. COC professor Adam Kempler will teach the course. After living in Norway for most of his early years, Kempler and his family moved to sunny Costa Mesa, CA at the age of nine. With no snowy mountains and nothing to do, Kempler's mom signed him up for a surfing class offered by the Newport Beach lifeguards in the summer of 1974. "Before I could drive, my friends and I used to ride our bikes to the beach in the morning before school with our boards under our arms. We would leave at 4 a.m. in blackness, ride our bikes four miles to the beach, catch waves for one hour as the sun rose, and then ride home. I dinged my board on my handlebars doing that, and then I was supposed to stay awake in school all day." Kempler has surfed both shortboards and longboards in places such as Old Mans in San Onofre, Malibu, Rincon, Mexico and once in Hawaii. "I'm 40 now, so I have been surfing for 31 years. I have taught hundreds of people how to surf. My wife and I have six children and we all surf. One of my sons, Stephen, surfs a lot; he's been in a few contests. He would rather surf than do almost anything else. That can be a problem. You have to be careful with surfing: it's addictive," said Kempler. "I'll walk out into the water and give someone a push on a surfboard towards shore. That person will stand up, ride the wave to the beach, and that's enough. That person wants a repeat of that thrill, and no other experience will replace it. You can tell people that they should be doing their homework or going to work, fulfilling their responsibilities, but they will always make time to catch a few more waves first." Michael Wilding, a COC administrator explains the reason for surfing addictiveness. "The allure of surfing is the element of danger, although not too dangerous, and being connected to nature. There's also a great sense of accomplishment because it is difficult. So when you first stand up, it's the greatest feeling. It's like standing on top of the world." One half of this 5-week course is lecture on surfing with emphasis on history, equipment, safety, environmental conditions, and surfing techniques. The other half of the course will include four required field trips to Ventura Beach for students to practice and acquire skills. The class will meet from 7 to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday from June 13 to July 13. Surfboards will be provided. Students must pass a 100-yard swimming test in the college pool and provide their own transportation to the beach. For more information contact Adam Kempler at (661) 362- 3266. | 
