ST. LUCIE COUNTY -- At first, Geoffrey
Schmidt thought surfing would be easy -- like snowboarding on
waves.
"It turned out to be a lot of work," Schmidt, 27, said. "I
learned through the school of hard knocks."
That's part of the reason why he founded Florida Surf
Lessons a year ago, a West Palm Beach company devoted to
teaching people how to properly hang ten, or at least learn to
stand on the board.
He hopes to shorten the learning curve for newcomers
inspired by the recent rash of surf movies and TV shows, from
"Blue Crush" to MTV's reality show "Surf Girls."
He led a group of students and three instructors Saturday
during a four-hour clinic behind the Radisson Beach
Resort on North Hutchinson Island. Most people learned
about the clinic through his Web site (www.floridasurflessons.com).
In the past year, he's taught both pre-teens and
middle-aged folks how to fulfill their surfing dreams. He
travels to St. Lucie County about once a month for clinics, he
said.
"This is a perfect day for beginners," Schmidt said,
looking out at the clear, glassy water.
The waves broke gently against the shore and the surfers
had the water to themselves.
In a sport that has been male-dominated for years, more
women are feeling confident enough to pick up boards, said
instructor Natalie Pridemore, 26, of Boca Raton. She worked
with first-time surfers Rhiana Rolland, 11, and Carly Minder,
12, both of Jupiter.
"You liked it when you caught that wave," Pridemore told
Minder during a break between lessons.
"That was so fun," Minder said, a large grin crossing her
face.
Debbie Vaccarello, of Brandon, has driven her boys,
Vincent, 15, and Avani, 11, across the state several times for
the clinic.
"It's worth the drive," she said. "The reason I like it is
that there are instructors out there with them."
Nancy Rolland, watching her daughter paddle out to sea,
echoed the sentiments.
"It gives them a foundation to get started at least," she
said. "They can see if they like it."
Instructor Marcello Loureiro has surfed for 26 years -- 15
as a professional -- and now teaches his skills to the next
generation. He thinks surfing should be more than a sport: a
philosophy of life that teaches respect for nature and fellow
surfers.
"Surf is in my blood," Loureiro said. "You go out and it'll
just be you and God."
- derek.simmonsen@scripps.com
Classifieds 
