Alaska Camps

In the summer of 2021, MeWater accepted an incredible invitation to go up to Yakutat, Alaska, a small village in Southeast Alaska of approximately 700 people. The local Yakutat community had formed the Yakutat Surf Club to teach their youth safety and awareness of the waves and water, as well as to learn how to surf! Yakutat is an area of Alaska that surfers have visited for years due to its potential for great surf, but there had never been a focus on the local community youth learning to enjoy the waves and surf safely. MeWater connected with Gloria and Ralph Wolfe, the founders of the Yakutat Surf Club, as they were interested in our support, both in the water and in getting our input and feedback on how to execute the surf days with the kids. This first trip in 2021 was incredible. We went up with our friends Keith Malloy and Jeff Johnson from Yeti, as they did a short film and story on the community in Yakutat. We received a warm welcome from everyone, and we were extremely grateful to be immersed in the community in Yakutat. We learned about their heritage, the land's history, and the Tlingit Tribe.

We followed up our 2021 trip with a second visit in July 2022. We brought an entire crew on this trip, including MeWater youth from San Francisco. This second trip was incredible, as we stayed for ten days, holding five days of surf camps with the local youth and community, and also had time to explore and enjoy the beautiful area of Yakutat. The youth we brought had a mind-blowing experience that will surely last with them for a lifetime!!! In the Fall of 2022, our MeWater team hosted a group of Yakutat youth and their parents in San Francisco. We spent time at our local beaches as well as the beaches in Santa Cruz. The Yakutat youth had an incredible time visiting landmarks in San Francisco, surfing Ocean Beach and Pacifica, and then surfing their brains out in Santa Cruz for the rest of the trip.

The relationships and friendships we have made with the Yakutat community are remarkable. We look forward to continuing to stay connected with them, as we are already planning our visit during the Summer of 2023. The goal was to make the Yakutat youth and their families more comfortable in the water. Our MeWater camps, along with the hard work and energy contributed by Gloria and Ralph and the volunteers and supporters of the Yakutat Surf Club, allowed us to reach this goal!

MeWater is already looking forward to our return trip to Alaska this summer! We also can't wait to host a second trip of the Yakutat youth to San Francisco. This thriving relationship is a rewarding expansion for MeWater. We are impacting the health and well-being of this community, and the partnership will continue to grow.

We are grateful to share these special quotes with you:

Anthony, mewater foundation member and ambassador:

My very first trip to Alaska was amazing on so many levels. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I knew I was in for an experience that would stay with me forever. I had no idea what to expect, and I wondered if I would be accepted. But instead, I was brought into a very beautiful community and treated like I was one of their own.

I am grateful that I made new friends and remain in contact with them. Surfing in Yakutat was so cool. There were snow-covered mountains in the background, bear tracks on the beach, and so much more wilderness than I had ever seen!

“I was brought into a very beautiful community and treated like I was one of their own.”

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would one day be surfing and teaching youth to surf in Alaska. I can't thank Mr. Eddie and MeWater enough for bringing me to such an incredible place. I can't wait to go back!”

Gloria Wolfe, Founder of Yakutat Surf Club:

In 2019, Yakutat's population was 646, a coastal Alaskan village isolated in the Gulf of Alaska 212 miles Northwest of Juneau. Until the first Yakutat Surf Camp (YSC) in 2019, surfing in Yakutat included about 8-10 locals between the ages of 30-50 years old, along with some seasonal surfers and celebrities who enjoyed the remote, solitude, and beautiful scenery. In 2022, YSC served over 115 youth and adults on the cold and remote shores of Alaska's icy waves. The Yakutat Surf Camps focus on serving all youth in the remote village of Yakutat, especially native youth and those who experience trauma and stress due to the complex dynamics and social pressures of low-income living.

“YSC and MeWater bring people across cultures, ages, and backgrounds to share ideas and to work together.”

YSC's network of surf instructors, water safety instructors, and mental health professionals are partnering with local and non-local community service centers such as the MeWater Foundation. The benefits are many. YSC and MeWater bring people across cultures, ages, and backgrounds to share ideas and to work together. This opportunity for surfing puts the human experience against the power and might of the ocean, inspiring a respect and knowledge base of the body, mind, safety, and environment. As a result of seeding these efforts in the community, Yakutat becomes more united and productive as a means of eco-friendly lifestyles and stewardship.

The continued partnership and collaboration between YSC and MeWater create opportunities for young people to have a safe space to push boundaries, learn about themselves, build relationships, and become passionate about global issues like the health and wellness of the ocean. "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." – Helen Keller

Joe Dulce, MeWater Intern:

“These kids were fearless and taught me a thing or two about simply "going for it".”

Being a city dweller, I had no preconceived notion of Alaska. As a 17-year-old and novice traveler, my time in Yakutat was truly an eye-opener in terms of culture, nature, and the values those who live in rural America hold. To sum up a 12-day trip, I was surrounded by locally sourced fish, stellar waves and mountains, and a group of some of the most fearless and impressive kids I'd ever had the privilege to meet. These kids are different from any other group I had worked with prior. They had an innate connection with nature which translated into their ability to pick up surfing. Spending hours in the water, these kids had a distinct tenacity to learn how to surf and have a blast. These kids were fearless and taught me a thing or two about simply "going for it". Their excitement and commitment when it came to learning how to surf, reminded me of why I became addicted to the sport and why I'm so committed to MeWater’s mission statement. There's so much value in providing young people with access to the surfing community and when I saw those kids surfing, I couldn't help but wonder how talented they'll be in the years to come. Huge thanks to Yakutat Surf Club for allowing me to experience Yakutat and for introducing surfing to an amazing group of kids.