Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1182230
Carmel Surf Lessons Prioritizes Fun After moving back to Carmel from Hawaii, big wave surfer Don Curry noticed a young Noah Greenberg spying on him through the trees as his family was unpacking cardboard boxes. "His brothers weren't interested in surfing," Greenberg says. "He said, 'If you can fix this board, I'll take you surfing.' It was a bit scary and not a guided or hand-hold type of instruction. I learned tons of life lessons and it was always an adventure. I give Don all the credit in the world. He did pull-ups on trees and made us run up trails. The lore of surfing came from him. He taught me how to park in Big Sur so people did- n't see the car and learn the secret spots." Greenberg, a long-time therapist who works with veterans and people with addiction issues, has taught blind students to snow ski and has a degree in recreational therapy. "I worked with two girls the other day who had an irrational fear of the water," he says, "and I kept talking with them until we finally won against the anxiety. But I remind instructors that it is scary to get pushed around in the ocean. I like to adapt to the conditions and some days, it's just more fun to dig a hole on the beach." Greenberg, who taught for 20 years at CSU Monterey Bay, also volunteers for Operation Surf, a therapeutic program for wounded veter- ans, and A Walk on Water surf therapy, for chil- dren with special needs. "There was a guy who had lost a leg and his 144 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 9 Photo: Courtesy of The Wahine Project Group, private and couple's les- sons are available at Carmel Surf Lessons. Kids' birthday parties are also a popular activity. Photo: Courtesy of Carmel Surf Lessons The Wahine Project was developed to provide ocean access to a diverse group of girls who would normally not have the chance to participate in surfing. Founding Director Dionne Ybarra started surfing as an adult.