Surfing vacations clearly provide many benefits, giving back and hooking up local kids is one that is good for the heart and soul. In fact, you never really know what may happen when you immerse yourself in another culture and engage with the locals. It could make for some of the most impactful memories of a surf trip whether its a laugh, a friendship or just for a goof.
Kind of like a couple months back in Nicaragua that we caught on our Go Pro. After packing up the gear at the surf vacation rental house and heading out of the gates at Hacienda Iguana we were passing by some local kids, in uniform and walking on their way to school. They had a big cute smiles on their faces and it was evident that they were seeking a lift to the school down the road. So we thought to ourselves, “why not pick em up?” We had plenty of room in the bed of the Toyota Hilux and what real damage could they do to our surfboards anyway even if they bounced them a few times.
So they loaded up into the bed of the Hilux and the real funny thing is that one of the little tikes in the truck is so stoked and proud at that moment when passing of some other classmates, while driving, he flips them the proverbial “bird” in kind. Check out the video here: Local Kid Flips Off Classmates En Route to School: Nicaragua Surf Vacation 2014
Hooking up a kid with a ride to school is one small way to give back, have fun and laugh on a surf vacation. A couple other thing that go a real long way that may not seem so impactful are “stickers” and “T-Shirts.” The people that we encounter on surf trip, particularly local surfer kids and peers, are absolutely stoked to receive an unexpected gift.
Live Swell