Youth

On the busy atoll of South Tarawa there is often very little room for sporting fields and facilities. One sees the children playing on the road because they have nowhere else to go, but surfing can open up the whole ocean to them. On the Outer Islands there is often a lack the funding to build expensive facilities like tennis and basketball courts, but the waves roll in almost every day unridden. The potential is obvious.

The Kiribati Surfing Association (KSA) has already begun to teach local children to surf. With more equipment and support it can publicise and hold more learn to surf days in the villages. These will include basic water safety training and beach clean up activities to raise awareness of caring for our coastlines.

Proposed Activities by KSA for 2012:

• Surfing Workshops (Membership sign ups, Surfing theory, water safety, practical lesson) 

                Venue: Betio-Bairiki Causeway  18/08/12  Time: 12 pm onwards

                                                               1/09/12    Time: (Cancelled)

                                                               15/09/12  Time: 12pm onwards

• Training sessions: On higher tides each afternoon at Betio-Bariki causeway

• Setting up surfing clubs on at least 3 outer islands (Mackenzies Point, Tarawa; Betio West Tarawa; Rawannawi Village, Marakei; Nikunau Is; Nonouti; Makin; Butaritari; Kiritimati; Tabueran Nth and Sth);

• Ongoing encouragement and promotion of surfing through training (surfing and water safety) support to island surf clubs and provision of surfing equipment;

• Introducing and promoting the competitive element of surfing, including surfing etiquette;

Two local boys sharing an improvised 'Karibaba' board