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Writer's pictureYehuda Ben-hamo

BWRAG's Surf Responder Summit - An Empowering Event That Every Surfer Should Experience

By Yehuda Ben-Hamo, Founder of the CORE Project


It was such an incredible turnout at the 2021 Surf Responder Summit organized by BWRAG, Changing Tides Foundation, June Shine, the CORE Project, and other local community groups.


As an event partner, The CORE Project was able to offer scholarships to attend the summit to unique attendees from amazing organizations. Our scholarship grantees Shuluuk Leo, fellowship leader from Native Like Water, and Latifah Safiei, Program Manager from Black Like Water, were such an incredible addition to the summit!


About our grantees:

Native Like Water (NLW) prepares and reintegrates teens and adults into ocean recreation, conservation, wellness, and inter-generational cultural self exploration.


Black Like Water is a grassroots organization that identifies, amplifies, and analyzes narratives and practices that highlight the significance of honoring Black relationships to the natural world. promoting surfing to people of color.



Both of these amazing organizations host their own surf outreach clinics. By providing these scholarship opportunities, The CORE Project was able to help empower the leaders of these amazing NGOs, who will then educate their own local networks, helping spread important ocean + surf safety knowledge to make our lineups safer for all to enjoy!


Yehuda Ben-Hamo (CORE Project Founder) spoke alongside Southern CA's best surfers and watermen including renowned Big-Wave World Champ -- Greg Long -- at the pre-summit event hosted at Juneshine Ranch in San Diego.

BWRAG’s Surf Responder Summit is a two-day training designed for surfers of all levels and abilities. This course teaches you how to be a Surf Responder: an ocean athlete who not only knows how to mitigate their own personal risk, but who can also serve as an asset to others in an emergency situation.


Completion of BWRAG’s in-person Surf Responder Summit earns the student a BWRAG Certificate of Completion and a CPR certification by the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI). Students who complete the Ocean Risk Technician Course (Level 1), Surf Responder Summit, or Surf Responder Online Course will be eligible to register for Ocean Risk Technician Course (Level 2) (release date TBD). The Ocean Risk Technician Course (Level 1), Surf Responder Summit, or Surf Responder Online Course is a prerequisite for purchasing a Patagonia PSI vest and the BWRAG Certificate of Completion from any of the three courses must be presented to Patagonia to begin the purchasing process.


"CPR Guru Pam Foster (@pfosterrn @aedinstitute) has been with BWRAG since its first training on the dirt floor in Kohl’s barn in 2012. If you’ve ever attended a BWRAG Summit when Pam has taught CPR, you know that she has, well, an unconventional teaching style. She doesn’t sugarcoat the realities of an emergency situation nor does she subscribe to outdated CPR techniques or doctrines. You definitely remember her saying on repeat “Compressions, compressions, compressions.” Some say she’s the best CPR instructor they’ve every trained with. All will agree that Pam is unapologetically blunt and honest in her instruction so that when you’re faced with saving someone else’s life, you have zero hesitation and 100% confidence to do something, and do it right. Here, Pam discusses AED techniques with BWRAG Instructors Greg Long (@gerglong), Ryan Hargrave (@hargrave), and Kaipo Kelley (@kaipo.kelley) at the 2021 San Diego Summit presented by @juneshineco @changingtidesfoundation."


Many other local companies and organizations helped make the event possible and also provided scholarships for attendees including City Surf Project, Positive Vibe Warriors, Occupation Wild, Patagonia and more.


It was pretty surreal meeting so many like-minded people that selflessly committed their entire weekend to learn how to safeguard others in and out of the water.


Huge thanks to everyone who helped make it a success, and for all the participants who devoted their entire weekend to help making our lineups safer.

Stay tuned for more features on this event by signing up for our newsletter.


If you'd like to support our work, please consider making a donation here.




 

PODCAST ALERT!

If you have a few minutes, please check out the recent podcast we did with @surfrider_california about the Summit, the backstory of @thecore_projectt , and important ocean safety goals & initiatives.


The episode is live now on your favorite podcast platforms linked below:


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