We spoke to Rick Gehris while he was in Brazil, setting up his surf school there for the winter. Gehris, the founder and owner of Surfari (surfarisurf.com), a surfing school with permanent branches in Ormond Beach and San Diego, California, talked with Casual Flavors about the sport, his business, and what keeps people like him riding the waves.

Casual Flavors: We’ve heard that a person can learn to surf at any age? Is that true?

Rick: Surfari offers surf lessons to students of all ages. We have taught kids as young as four years old. Once we taught a lesson to a student for his 69th birthday. The only requirement is the desire to learn.

CF: You’ve mentioned that surfing is both a sport and art. We understand the sport part, but could you elaborate on how the endeavor could be considered an art?

Rick: Each surfer develops a style that is unique to that particular person. A surfer can use surfing as a creative outlet for expressing emotions in a healthy way, the way an artist draws on paper. Style is the way you stand on the board, how you draw your lines in the wave, and execute maneuvers, etc. In a surf competition, style and finesse count as much as wave selection and timing. A performing art like dancing is similar to surfing. The only difference is that surfers prefer to dance on the waves with their surfboards.

CF: What is it about surfing that continues to compel you?

Rick: Surfing is different from all other sports because the waves are constantly changing with the wind and tides. Each ride is unique, and you never get bored. Sometimes after work, I am out of energy and tired, but as soon as you enter the ocean and paddle to catch your first wave you get uplifted with a burst of new energy that is hard to explain. There is a saying that only a surfer knows the feeling. To attempt to describe the feeling, try and imagine yourself on a surfboard just beyond the sandbar or reef where the waves are breaking. It is quiet, tranquil, and the sun is setting. The colors of the sky and the sounds of the ocean create a mood that is surreal. All of a sudden a wave rolls up, you paddle for it and as you drop in on the wave and stand up, the top of the wave (called “the lip”) breaks over your head. Next thing you know, you are getting “tubed,” which is the ultimate rush in surfing. That wave just made your day complete. That feeling never gets old, and that is what compels me to continue to surf after all these years.

CF: What is some of the first advice you give to a person who is new to surfing?

Rick: At Surfari we teach techniques for paddling, standing, falling, dodging and selecting waves, along with surfer’s etiquette and stretching. After students have learned the techniques on land, we move into the ocean for one hour of guided surf instruction. During this time the instructor will push and coach students into waves, tell students what they are doing right or wrong, so they are surfing on their own by the end of the lesson.

CF:: And what can you teach someone who is a veteran of the sport? Is there always room for improvement?

Rick:: There is always room for improvement! A veteran surfer may be trying to deal with an entirely different challenge like riding big waves. There is a fear factor involved, and sometimes you don´t even have time to think—because if you hesitate for a split second, you will crash and burn. There are times when you must go for it and not listen to your fears. That is not an easy thing to do for any surfer, especially during a surf competition where the pressure is on. Then there are also experienced surfers who are just looking to expand their bag of tricks, improve their contest results, so we can videotape them and analyze their strengths and weaknesses and help them in the areas they are weak in so they can get the results they are looking for. Little things like switching up fins or the size and thickness of the board you are riding can also make a big difference in how well you surf.

CF:: How did you decide to make surfing your profession? How did you get to this point?

Rick: I grew up surfing Ponce Inlet and started lifeguarding when I was 17 years old so I could get paid to be on the beach. While lifeguarding, I went to school at the University of Central Florida and earned a degree in business administration. I could not find a good job with my degree in Daytona so I moved to San Diego and worked a few years in sales wearing a suit and tie to work every day, and I hated it. During this time, I would look at myself in the mirror and see that I was getting pale and out of shape. I didn’t care how much experience or money I was getting; I was not happy and wanted to be back on the beach. That was when I decided to quit my job in sales and go back to school so I could be a schoolteacher and have the summers off. I enrolled at National University and got a master’s degree in education while lifeguarding for the City of San Diego and working part-time as a substitute teacher. One day I was on the beach working with the junior lifeguards and explaining to them how to surf. Someone approached me and asked where they could find some surf lessons. I gladly offered to teach a surf lesson when I got off work at 5:00. That was when the seeds of Surfari Surf School were planted in my mind. From that point on, I started working on my business plan and saved every dime from the lessons and reinvested in buying more surfboards and advertising. Once I built the website surfarisurf.com the business took off.

CF: Tell us about one of your most interesting surfing anecdotes.

Rick: I taught my wife how to surf so we could spend time together doing something we both like to do. That was one of the best things I ever did. This year we went on a surfari and drove to Cabo San Lucas and surfed many great spots along the way like Zippers and Scorpion Bay. Most surfers leave their wives at home, but not me. Last year we went to Hawaii; right now I’m in Brazil, and next year we plan on going to Costa Rica.

CF: Is there anything to indicate that the sport of surfing will change in the future? Is there new technology on the horizon, new surfboard designs, new safety equipment?

Rick: Surfing has changed so much in the last 20 years. The new generation of surfers are doing big air maneuvers that the surfers of the 1980s only dreamed about. The boards today are lighter, sometimes hollow and made out of different materials like carbon fiber, epoxy, and new types of resins. At Surfari Surf School and Shop located off A1A and next to Granada Dry Cleaners, we carry our own line of surfboards. We also support the local shapers like Wooster, Brillz Boards, Johnny Rogers and Worsham USA. These are the local surfers and shapers that I grew up with surfing down at Ponce Inlet. There is a tight knit crew of surfers down at Ponce; growing up surfing with JC Koren, Joe Bates, Corey Halcomb, my brother Johnny and the rest of the crew are some of the best memories I have.

CF: One last question: What are your favorite dishes at Stonewood?

Rick: After a long day surfing, nothing goes down better then the filet cooked medium and oscared with a side of mushrooms and mashed potatoes. If I am looking to go light, then I do the grilled salmon Caesar salad. Both dishes are perfect with a glass of red wine. As a surfer, I try to eat healthy. Stonewood makes their food not only healthy, but with lots of love!