Mauli Ola Hosts Shawn "Barney" Barron Surf...

Mauli Ola Hosts Shawn “Barney” Barron Surf Experience Day in Santa Cruz

 On Saturday, May 12, 2012, Mauli Ola Foundation hosted the Shawn “Barney” Barron Surf Experience Day in Santa Cruz, California at Cowell’s Beach. The event honored the pro-surfing star in his hometown.

 “This is where Barney was raised and where he learned to surf, and we wanted to highlight his commitment to Mauli Ola and all of the patients he makes smile,” expressed Mauli Ola Surf Experience Director, Bobby Serna. “We dedicated our entire Northern Cali tour to Barney because those are his stomping grounds.”

 Other professional surfers who came out to support the MOF Shawn “Barney” Barron Surf Experience Day at Cowell’s Beach included: Mauli Ola Vice President, Kala Alexander; Teddy Navarro, MOF Community Director, Kalani Robb; Ken “Skindog” Collins; and Santa Cruz locals Zoltan Torkos and Darryl Virostko.

 Conditions were clear in Santa Cruz with one-to-two foot waves that are ideal for novice surfers. Though it was a little bit cooler up in Santa Cruz, everyone was game to get in the water. According to Cowell’s Beach locals the quality of the waves for surfing conditions are contingent upon the tide. Richard Schmidt, a Santa Cruz local and owner of the Richard Schmidt School of Surfing, has an uncanny ability to track the tide to determine when to catch the best waves; a skill that is helpful during Santa Cruz Surf Experience Days each year. According to Bobby Serna, “Richard knows the perfect time of day when there is the best tide to have the event, and we got the most perfect little learning waves for the kids to practice on.”

 Each year MOF Santa Cruz is a popular event with a large turnout and a loyal following. Many of the CF patients and their families were at last year’s event with a two-to-one ratio of repeat attendees versus newcomers.

 One special moment at the Cowell’s Beach surfing event was a poignant bonding moment between a 3 year old little girl with Cystic Fibrosis and a man in attendance who is also living with CF. The two discussed everything from their shared CF medications to the joys of surfing. “The man walked up to the little girl and said, ‘Hi. I have CF and take meds just like you,” states Serna. “At the end of our event, the little girl said to her mom, ‘He takes a lot of medicine just like me, huh?’ In that moment that little girl realized she was not alone,” explains Bobby Serna.

 Serna shared that the May 12^th event in Northern California inspired a lot of similar stories, as well as “thank you” emails from the CF families who were in attendance.

 “We got some really heartfelt emails after the Santa Cruz event. You can feel the appreciation for the resources we offer these families, and for the event and what it did for them. It hits home when you get those emails,” shares Serna.

 Visit www.mauliola.org for information on upcoming Surf Experience Day events.