Surf’s up for Jamaica’s next generation

With an eye on the horizon and a focus on the future, the Next Wave JA programme kicked off over the weekend, welcoming 20 young hopefuls to the famous Jamnesia surf camp.

Despite the ocean offering only flat waves, the inaugural session was a resounding success, with children divided into three groups to learn essential board-handling skills and, more importantly, have fun.

The initiative is the brainchild of Gabrielle Chung, an up-and-coming Jamaica national surfer. For Chung, the mission is deeply personal.

“Next Wave JA is a programme to get kids involved in surfing,” Chung said.

“I noticed from when I was a child ‘till now, there’s been a really big decline in the number of kids involved. It is also supposed to help spread ocean awareness, because I don’t think there’s enough expression of that yet, especially in Jamaica, and there’s a lot of damage. So it’s supposed to just help rebuild the community and rebuild the ocean.”

The programme is a strategic move by the Jamaica Surfing Association to close a glaring gap in the island’s talent pipeline.

On hand to guide the newcomers was Inilek Wilmot, president of the association, who emphasised that the small gathering represented a giant leap for the sport’s longevity.

“Well, this is a big step for us and, thinking long-term, to have a team, you have to start from now,” Wilmot said.

“If we’re thinking about the next generation, we’re thinking about 10 years from now, when our top surfers retire and move on from the peak of their performance. We need another wave of young surfers coming up, honing their skills.”

Wilmot did not mince words about the current state of the junior ranks.

“Right now, we have a gap. We barely have any surfers under the age of 17 or 16 who are really performing well. We’re starting with some young surfers now, trying to think about four or five years from now. Start them now, and when they hit that age range, 15 to 18, we can get them to that level. This is a huge first step. It looks small, but it’s very important.”

The importance of this initiative is magnified by Jamaica’s recent struggles on the international stage. The country had no female participants at last year’s World Surfing Games in El Salvador, a reality the association is determined to change.

The first wave of participants offered immediate hope in that regard. Wilmot noted that the turnout was strong across genders, providing a deep pool of talent to cultivate.

“This is something we want to do maybe twice a year or so. The thing is to expose as many young kids as we can. Out of that group, we’ll find some gems,” Wilmot said.

“We’re trying to expose a large number now. From that group, we’re already seeing promise. Jamaicans have natural athletic ability. Some of the kids, from the first time they touch a board, you can see it.”

He added, “We have girls and boys involved. We’ve always had a shortage on the girls’ side, so it’s good to see so many young girls also getting involved.”

With the foundation now laid at Jamnesia, the next wave of Jamaican surfing has officially begun to build, with the next session slated for this weekend.