PHOTO BY MAYA SACKSAbout 30 children and adults were given surfing lessons and information about ocean safety and awareness during Seaside Oregon Family Adventures Surfing family camp June 29 at Short Sands Beach in Oswald West State Park.

Lauren Ahlgren and Dennis Smith, founders of the nonprofit Seaside Oregon Family Adventures Surfing, believe everyone should be able to take advantage of Oregon’s natural marine resources by surfing along the North Coast.

“The neat thing about surfing is that it’s free,” said Ahlgren, the owner of Oregon Surf Adventures school. The problem, she added, is learning to surf is not. “Not a lot of the local community that’s working and surviving here can afford to learn to surf.”

Especially in Oregon, where wet suits are crucial, gear rentals and instruction costs can add up, which challenged Ahlgren’s belief that “everyone that doesn’t have the resources needs to be able to do this.” With the help of Smith, the owner of Seaside Surf Shop, and a local benefactor, who wants to remain anonymous, Ahlgren’s passion overcame that obstacle and materialized into the Seaside Oregon Family Adventures Surfing organization.

“The idea was to make surfing available to everyone,” Ahlgren said.

Since its creation in June 2014, SOFAS has focused on offering one-day family camps, complete with instruction and gear provided free of charge to participants. One camp was held last summer, but with an increase in fundraising and donations, the organization can provide three camps this summer.

The first camp of 2015 was held June 29 at Short Sands Beach in Oswald West State Park with an attendance of about 16 kids and 14 adults from Nehalem to Astoria, Ahlgren said. The second camp is scheduled for Aug. 14, and the date of the third camp is to be determined.

During the camps, adolescent participants, along with their parents or chaperons, receive surfing instruction according to their ability level. Experienced instructors, mostly from Oregon Surf Adventures, also educate participants on ocean safety, awareness and surfing etiquette. Short Sands is an optimal location for the campers, many of whom are beginners, because it is a predictable beach, Ahlgren said.

The camps provide a venue for families to connect over a shared experience in a positive, recreational environment. Personally, Smith said, he has had customers who started surfing with their children, and it helped them grow closer to one another.

Involving parents and chaperons also increases the likelihood the children can go surfing again, because the adults get information about places to go, surfing safety and how to oversee the activity. Besides containing the knowledge of where to go, adults also have the actual ability to take the kids there in the future, Ahlgren said.

“Unless the children have a parent or chaperon who can see what we’re doing, they’re not going to be able to do it again,” she said. “To be self sufficient is really important.”

Ahlgren also is an advocate for the way surfing connects individuals to their health and helps them become more aware of their overall fitness. It gives people a new reason to set fitness goals, she said, adding, “I think it’s contagious, when you want to be able to catch a wave.”

There is no age requirement to go to a SOFAS camp. As long as a child can fit into a wetsuit, the instructors will teach them to surf. The camps can accommodate about 20 children. Any more and it becomes a lot of children in the water at one time, Ahlgren said.

During each camp, a couple instructors are delegated to compile data for each camper, such as the number of waves they catch, the tricks they perform, their etiquette and how long they ride each wave. At the end of the day, each camper receives a specialized award recognizing something they accomplished during the camp.

Parents and children had positive things to say after the June 29 camp. Athena Dickau, of Gearhart, attended with her daughters, 2-year-old Nora and 4-year-old Lexi. Lexi had surfed twice before, but doing it through the camp was a new experience.

“She was way more stoked than she normally is,” Dickau said. “It was a good confidence boost. … She’s got a new love now.”

As for making it a family activity, she said, “there’s something about the challenge of every wave, the ocean is very powerful,” and “conquering it together” was a positive shared experience. Her husband surfs, so it was a good bonding experience, she said.

Maya Vidal, of Cannon Beach, was there with her 4-year-old daughter Kailani. Vidal said the activity fosters a sense of camaraderie among individual families and also the group of children, who are good at energizing and encouraging one another.

“It makes it easier for kids in transition,” agreed Jeff Jackson, who was there with Maple, 5. “It’s an excellent opportunity for kids to learn how to surf and build some water skills. The trick is just to have fun.”

Mallory Robertson, 9, said her favorite part of surfing is “being able to catch some waves.” For her brother, 6-year-old Wade, the best part is doing a pop-up. It was their second time at the camp. Their mother, Evelyn Bian, said she and her husband, Jeff Robertson, originally were uncomfortable taking the kids out on their own, “because we didn’t know what we were doing.” Since attending last year’s camp — and learning more about the ocean environment, tides and currents — they felt comfortable going alone as a family earlier this year.

SOFAS is sustained through grants, fundraising collaborations with businesses and private donations. Any donations families or individuals wish to contribute for attending a SOFAS camp are voluntary.

Three camps per year is a sustainable goal for the organization at this time, Ahlgren said. Each camp costs the organization about $1,400, which covers the cost of the instructors — who are college kids and can’t work for free, Ahlgren said — in addition to a meal provided at the end of the day, awards and other supplies. Ahlgren donates her time for the camps.

For more information about SOFAS, visit www.sofa-surfing.org/ or call 503-436-1481.