It’s only halfway through first period. “Now, get into your groups and discuss the relevance of Lenny’s relationship with the mouse in Of Mice and Men,” your English teacher says.You know the waves are pumping, the Santa Ana’s are blowing, and you are missing the best your local spot has been all year. But instead of pulling into barrels you are pulling out your Trapper-Keeper and trying to remember what the cliff notes said about that stupid little mouse.
Many aspiring professional surfers opt out of seven hour days at school for home schooling, allowing them to spend more time in the water and less time brooding over soliloquies and literary allusions. But by going the home-school route, do groms think they are missing out on the perks of traditional school? I asked the young aspiring pro, Duran Barr of Carlsbad to give his opinion on which is better for the grommies, home-school or high school.
“If I had the choice to go to high school or surf? What 16-year-old would want to go to high school if they could surf all day? All my friends I grew up with and surf with are in the NSSA. But out of all of my friends I am the only one attending a traditional high school. To make it as a competitive surfer these days you have to be 100% dedicated to surfing and traditional high school can sometimes be unable to accommodate my travel schedule, because of attendance rules.
“Right now I want to travel and surf as much as I possibly can to learn what it takes to be the best professional surfer I can be. At school I'm sitting in a classroom for seven hours a day and find myself thinking about surfing. I really think it is important to have an education. I just don't know if traditional high school is what is best for everybody who has to travel.
“The cool thing about high school is our surf team. I surf for Carlsbad High School and it allows us to have local team representation. Plus, we get two hours of surf P.E. every other day.
“I think the surf industry provides excellent opportunities for both professional and non-professional surfers. I plan on being in this industry forever, hopefully as a professional surfer.”
