Someone once told me “The best surfer is the one who has the most fun”. Those words resonated with me strongly last Saturday when I volunteered at the KORE experience. I was driving back and forth from the long boarding contest at Pinetrees and there was a palpable difference in the vibe. The first thing that I noticed when I pulled up to Black Pot was that everyone had a big smile on their face, and I quickly got submersed and surrounded by the genuine spirit of camaraderie. KORE is about cooperation and unlike at the competition, there were no expectations placed upon anyone’s shoulders. It was all about having fun, fun and more fun. There was live music playing, flower arrangements, delicious food and warm coffee! The size of the waves did not matter, and even though none of the surfers were out to prove anything, some of them are serious athletes that are preparing for the upcoming Special Olympics. Uncle Kurt asked me to help push “Lucas” into the waves. At first I was nervous because I’ve never pushed anyone before, but Kurt showed me how to do it and in less than a minute Lucas was carrying his board into the ocean! He is a strong and talented surfer that has as much love and passion for the sport as any pro I have ever met. Every time he caught a wave he paddled back into the line up so fast that I had to keep running behind him to catch up. Lucas never got cold or tired and he caught as many waves a he could; aware that KORE happens only once a month and to many of the participants it is a unique opportunity to commune with the ocean. Which brings me to the beauty of it all; the amazing devotion of the volunteers and the families, the time and effort it takes to set it all up every first Saturday of the month, so that everyone has the opportunity to experience the blessing that surfing is. I met Uncle Russell, Jaime, Ohana, Rick and many others who patiently taught me how to do it and they helped me out the whole time. Coming out from the ocean we were greeted with warm bottles of water to rinse off, and as I munched on organic salads and grilled hot dogs (with my favorite Black Dog Salsa), I chatted with the beautiful yogini Lulu Streltzer. We talked about how excited she is that her beginner yoga class that she is teaching for free to KORE members, volunteers and everyone who wants to try it out, is starting to take off. More and more participants are willing to experience the healing of mind, body and soul, the “Union”, that her awesome class offers. Lulu brings all the props, cushions, mats, tibetan bowls, organic snacks, music and even sprays you with rose water! I was very impressed and inspired by her words of wisdom, and it was by far one of the best yoga classes I have ever been to.
Volunteering at KORE has been one of my most rewarding experiences. Being in the midst of all the laughter and cheers I could feel myself absorbing the blissful and encouraging attitude from the ocean into my veins and it was then that I realized that I was among “The best surfers in the world!!”
Mahalo KORE