http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ev1-1PI2fU

The link above has a great video to go with this Local Sessions article that was published...

Indo Jax Reaches Out

A small group is gathered on dry sand with a pier visible in either direction on Wrightsville Beach. The scene has become familiar, a group surf lesson complete with energetic instructors in the surfer version of a uniform, a small hoard of excited kids ready to move from the “dry” part of the lesson into the actual “let’s go get wet and surf” part, and of course the anxious parents lingering off to the side with cameras.

The surf is small, even for a beginner’s lesson, but the crowds of the day are mostly gone and there is plenty of room to teach and learn. The soft top boards of various sizes and bright colors are doled out and the surf instructors are paired up with a student. These kids were young, maybe one teen, but on average more like 8 to 10 year old mix of boys and girls. Soon the lesson got to the good part and its classic beginner surfing at its best; a few good nose dives, some that make it to one knee before the wipe out, feet slipping of the rails, and a few scary moments…you’ve been there and done that yourself, right? And then it comes, within a few minutes of the first board hitting the water, it happens….the little kid with the dark hair and tan is UP! and riding a wave. Something is a little different now and not as familiar as everyone erupts in cheers and hoots from the shore and in the water, and then it happens over and over as each kid finds their balance and catches a ride, those first magical rides of a surfer on a wave. There were lots of smiles on stoked kids and parents alike. It’s impossible to forget the pride on one father face as he hugged is son. After all, that kid rocked his lesson, but this certainly went much deeper.

What is different here from an otherwise very normal surf lesson is that each of the kids learning to surf that day is visually impaired and some have other medical conditions as well. These things can hardly be called disabilities after watching their success. Maybe it took a little special help for a few of them, but each of these children came to shore that day…a surfer.

Jack Viorel and his partners Kevin Murphy and Chris Lacoe of Indo Jax Surf School have incorporated outreach surf camps as part of who they are as a company. These free outreach surf events are focused on medically fragile children, but they are also active in other programs like Life Rolls on, and the Wounded Warrior project. During this 2009 season from March through September, Indo Jax will be hosting or participating in at least a dozen events; camps with a focus on kids with Autism, Diabetes, HIV, visual impairments, and also surf camps for Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club are among the events. Viorel added that the success of their charity surf camps is a direct result of the instructors. “We have instructors that are dedicated to the success of our students… our instructors are extremely skilled in the water and great at working with medically fragile and at risk kids. These camps would not be possible without their dedication and caring for others.”

As sun dropped behind the beach houses that day, the warm glow of the evening seemed to call the surfers and instructors back to shore. There was a family reunion of sorts going, not just daughter or son to parents, but rather this whole big new family that had been forged over those few hours. It wasn’t the time or place to crash that party with an interview, but Local Sessions did catch up with Indo Jax founder and owner Jack Viorel for a little more insight.

Local Sessions: Tell us about the first outreach event you did, how did that happen?
Jack Viorel: When we started Indo Jax we wanted to do charity surf camps as a core part of the business. We believe the ocean and surfing can uplift the human spirit and change people's outlook on life. We set out to prove it. Our first outreach surf camp was with CARE, Coastal Aids Resource Effort. A local organization working with children and young adults infected or affected by HIV. It was a powerful event and set everything we've done since in motion.


LS: How did these other outreach programs come to life? Was it planned, or did they seek you out?
JV: At first, since no one knew who we were, we offered charity surf camps to groups we thought could benefit. Our goal is that groups come to us to schedule camps. That is beginning to happen. For instance the Boys and Girls Club, Wounded Warrior Project, and a couple others came to us this year and we scheduled it as a result of their request. We still had to schedule most ourselves.


LS: It would seem that the outreach programs are a reflection of just who you and your company is at the core, and not just part of the business, am I reading that right?
JV: Our motto is "we are nothing if we don't give back” and we really mean it. We made a conscious decision to live or die as a company by giving back. Many people, including friends, have criticized our business sense and told us we can't do it this way. We simply decided to do it this way regardless. Some of these camps have been so personally moving that at this point it doesn't really matter to us if the business is successful; we know we have done what's right in the larger scheme of things.


LS: What has been the response to your outreach programs? and the other organization "Ocean Cure"?
JV: The response to these camps has been overwhelming. I think we all agree at Indo Jax that the result is exactly what we thought. People with limitations, be it socio-economic, physical, or mental, are uplifted when they try something out of their comfort zone and have success. In addition the ocean really does have healing properties. We have lots of people with serious limitations that are now pursuing surfing as a hobby or a way to keep their spirits positive. Often it's the parents that are pumped, because we broke down their limiting beliefs about their own children. I really think these camps change the lives of the participants and their families. Ocean Cure is the nonprofit wing of Indo Jax. These surf camps are expensive to run and so we have begun taking donations through Ocean Cure.


LS: I know my opinion of this, but do you think you all have changed lives?
JV: I know it has changed lives, those of our students and all of ours, no doubt.

LS: Any outreach event that stands out? or individual students?
JV: Charles and Lamont, two brothers from CARE. They took our first charity camp and learned to surf in no time at all. They got hooked and so we arranged to get them surfboards and now we surf with them whenever we get the chance to get them down to the beach. We have become friends and they have volunteered for some of our other outreach programs. They are a great example of the barriers broken by these surf camps and the uplifting capabilities of the ocean and learning to surf can have on a person.

LS: So, is this going to be a long term thing? Do you think you can sustain this program going forward?
JV: The charity is here to stay with or without the donations. It is who we are as a company. We bit off a lot this year, but are determined to accomplish what we set out to do. We set a goal of at least 10 charity events for this year and at the moment have 12 planned for this season. So far, all have been successful and none have failed. We can sustain the program the way it is now but we would like to make the program better. We have been asked to start long term projects with some organizations and we will definitely need financial support to get those programs off the ground.

LS: Can you give me the basics of Indojax and what you all do /provide as a company?
JV: Indo Jax is a surf and kiteboard school. We do surf camps and private surf lessons as well as private and small group kiteboard classes. Our instructors are top notch, many are certified teachers and very skilled at what they do.

A big thanks to Indo Jax for letting us peek into their world. If you want to know more about any of this, check out their website at http://indojaxsurfschool.com/ .