My name is Helina Beck and welcome to Wavehuggers, I’m stoked you’re here! I founded Wavehuggers Surf School back in 2013 through my passion for the art and lifestyle of surfing, as well as my deep desire to help protect the ocean, and here’s how it started! At age 8, my pro-surfer- sister, Holly Beck, taught me how to surf at Torrance Beach and I quickly fell in love with it. I used to beg my mom to let me stay at the beach from morning until sunset every day each summer; naturally, the beach became my second home. As my surfing journey developed, my love for the ocean and playing in the waves grew simultaneously. I was lucky enough to grew up in Palos Verdes and compete on my high school surf team which allowed me to explore and compete all around Southern California. I started teaching surf lessons the summer going into my senior year of high school as a fun summer job and got to share the joy of riding waves for the first time with people of all ages and backgrounds. I continued teaching surf lessons part time as I went on to college where I competed on the surf team and studied Psychology at Cal State San Marcos. I spent every school break in search of waves in destinations such as Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Portugal, El Salvador, Panama, and elsewhere. As I explored different surf breaks in California and around the globe, I started to notice the negative human impact on the beaches and how much trash littered our ocean environments. It became clear that it was just as important to spread the message to people that we need to protect the environment as it is to pop up on the wave at the right time. While finishing my degree in Psychology in 2013, it was time to figure out the next life steps. I decided to continue with my surf instructor lifestyle, but I wanted to be different, to start a surf school that didn’t JUST teach people how to surf, but to also connect people to the ocean as a form of spiritual growth and healing while motivating people to protect it. At Wavehuggers, our mission is to use surfing as a medium to positively change your life and the planet for the better. Through our surf lessons, kids’ camps, community surf classes, surf therapy programs, beach clean ups, and adventures, we’re here to show you that surfing isn’t just a sport or hobby, it’s a lifestyle. Drop in the party wave and join us!