Gary's Surfer Girls

Surfing is Gary's favorite thing in the world. He will teach anyone to surf, but his favorite students by far are women. (Can you blame him, really?)

Gary started teaching girls to surf on St. John after noticing an unsettling trend about twenty years ago. On numerous occasions while out surfing, Gary saw girls sitting on the beach with a book, watching from the shore as their boyfriends had all the fun. Gary believed these girls would have a much better time if they were in the water, too. So, one by one, he coaxed them off the beach and onto the board, eventually converting most of those beach bums into surfer chicks. And from the beginning, he considered surfing lessons a way for the girls to make friends.

Gary's students can attest that he's a terrific teacher. He's patient, knowledgeable and fun. And they'd all agree that learning to surf has been life-changing. Some of those girls who started out watching from the sand have gone on to compete and become instructors themselves. Another even named her board "Gary."

The trickle-down effect Gary has had on surfer girls on St. John might be hard to measure, but as you follow Gary's blog and read stories from those he's taught, we think you'll appreciate the difference he's made on St. John.

Check out Gary's Blog!

A few Gary photos (courtesy of Steven)

Footage of surfer girls from Gary's surf cam