FIRST LOOK CAUSES
By attaining nonprofit status, the passion project has been able to garner more resources for the kids, including funding for transportation and equipment costs. Irwin left his teaching post at Leadership in 2014 to focus on City Surf Project, which is now also operating at Mission High and, soon, Independence High. “It has really snowballed,” he says. “More kids are signing up every year.” Irwin visits the schools to lead classroom discussions that explore surfingrelated topics, from its storied history to a surfer’s role in environmental stewardship and conservation. Twice a week, depending on the conditions, he brings students to beaches like Pacifica or Ocean Beach for water time and surf practice. With such a surf-centric history and culture, Irwin feels that Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz is the perfect place for their end-of-semester field trip. “It’s a chance for the students to use all of their new oceanic skill sets—warming up before getting in the water, assessing conditions, strategizing their approach, and catching waves,” Irwin says. “It’s the culmination of all the hard work they put in throughout the semester.” This May, during their final day of class, the students were joined by local standouts Anthony Tashnick and Darshan Gooch, who gave them some pointers and encouragement. Gooch was impressed. “I saw some kids who were hesitant about getting out in the surf in the beginning, but by the end we had to practically drag them off the beach,” he says. “It’s a great idea and I hope to be here to help out next year.” Irwin dreams of implementing a surf class in every city school in San Francisco, and then branching out to Los Angeles and beyond. Leadership High junior Ashley Monterossa says she has embraced a new low-stress lifestyle thanks to City Surf Project. “Everything is so chaotic in the city,” she says. “You hear the buses, you hear the sirens going off and the police, and it’s like, ‘OK, where can I go to get my own space and just connect with nature and find peace within myself?’”
“ Surfing with him taught me so much about life: expectations, goals, overcoming fears, simple pleasures. My aim is to provide this kind of mentorship to inner-city kids whose options are limited in this regard.” —Johnny Irwin, founder of City Surf Project
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