HOW SURFING IS CHANGING LIVES AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN COLOMBIA
Nick Reeves can’t go far on the sandy streets of Termales, Colombia, before engaging with the local kids. Over the beats of Reggaeton blasting from the stereo, you can hear the familiarity in their fragmented conversations.‘‘Camilo, how are you? You got back from school? How did the river crossing go with this high tide?’’ ‘‘Hernan, tell your brother we are expecting him tomorrow at 3 pm for the surf lesson,’’ and,‘‘Hey Nick, can you lend me a board for tomorrow’s class? Last week I only rode one wave.’’
This exchange ends with a dab from Nick, immediately reciprocated by his young friend. Nick works as a high school principal in Medellin but is originally from South Africa, where he developed his love of surfing, a passion he now shares with the local youth. As soon as he has time off, he heads to the Pacific Coast to be a counselor for the Fondación Buen Punto, whose mission is to offer young Colombian kids life-changing opportunities via sports.
Few countries in the world evoke images of violence and drugs the way Colombia does. I realize this fully as we land in the middle of the jungle on the tiny runway of Nuquí, capital of Chocó. “Do you think I can ask Uncle Pablo for some vitamins for when I’ve surfed too much?” jokes my 12-year-old daughter Lou in a burst of laughter. Though we discuss the
