The inside scoop on Ty Gurney, his crew and what's up at Surf School!
October 25, 2011 – 9:03 am
Earlier this year, Emma from Montana took surfing lessons with her family and she wrote an essay for her 5th grade class called Surfing is Fun. She shared the essay with us and we’d like to share it with you!
Surfing is Fun
By Emma
Some people never get to do it. Some only dream. Me, on the other hand, I’m not either of those people. I’m a surfer and surfing is fun!
Surfing is fun because it’s great to have a new experience with your friends and family. Once I was just about to go surfing for the first time in my life and I was really nervous. But I thought to myself, “The instructors do it almost every day and they’re not hurt.” So I got out there and I surfed. After a while we were all getting the hang of it so my mom caught her own wave. She didn’t stand up fast enough for her to get her original wave but lucky for her a smaller but still good wave came along and she stood up by herself. After that she couldn’t stop talking about that moment.
Also in surfing the smaller waves can sometimes be the stronger ones. For example, once I had a wave that looked fairly small and I got up and surfed it. Expecting to fall several times but never did. That wave was getting kind of boring because it never stopped. I was scared it was going to take me all the way to shore so then I just sat down.
Surfing is still fun even if you crash because the cool water splashing your face is refreshing and it cools you off. This is pretty much how crashing goes. You hear a cracking sound, a loud splash, and then nothing but silence. Your ears fill up with water, your ankle gets tugged a little and you swim up. Light is back. One time I was just about to stand up and the minute I got up, I practically walked off my board because I was unbalanced. Another time was when I was standing up and the nose of my board got pushed into the water and my board did a small flip in the air and when I popped back up my board was upside down and I struggle to get it back over. Then I heard the instructor say, “I like the crazy nose crap!” while laughing.
Even though surfing is really fun, it is still a lot of hard work. For example, you have to think about everything while you’re surfing. Here are just a few… You have to balance and dive in the water right. You have to keep standing up right and make sure your swimsuit stays on when you crash.
One of the things that makes you get a workout and makes you very tired is paddling. Once I had a really long wave so I was carried closer to shore than everybody else. Every time I tried to turn around a little wave would come and push me back around toward the island. Finally someone from Ty Gurney Surf School came and got me and towed me back.
Emma having fun surfing with TGSS!
There are also lots of rules you have to think about while you’re surfing. Just one is that you have to think about where you look because if you look down, that’s where you’ll go. Look down, fall down. Look right, go right. Look left, go left. Well you get the point! It’s like the saying, “you are what you eat” except it’s “you go where you look.” Well, not close in meaning more just sounds alike!
Some people don’t even try to surf. Some do try and never get to. I didn’t even try and I’ve surfed and surfing is fun.
October 10, 2011 – 5:41 am
If it isn’t rad enough that you learned how to surf, having this new Ty Gurney Surf School tattoo neck t-shirt to remember the experience will seal the deal!
- TGSS Men’s Tattoo Neck Tee
To see the entire Ty Gurney Surf School Fashion Collection, please click HERE
September 26, 2011 – 6:36 am
What started out as a storybook romance… literally… culminated in a storybook wedding last weekend in Las Vegas! Our very own Ty Gurney tied the knot with the beautiful best selling author, Jane Porter.
- Ty Gurney and Jane Porter
Almost a decade ago, Jane was visiting Oahu with an idea for a book about a divorced woman approaching her 40’s who vacations in Hawaii, meets a hot young surfer and discovers that life can be an exciting adventure filled with romance, surfing and fun. That is when Jane met Ty. She spent many hours interviewing him about his life as a surf instructor and during that time, their friendship blossomed into a wonderful romance. The book Flirting with Forty went on to become a best seller and was also made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear.
Jane eloquently sums up her romance with Ty in her blog when she announced her engagement to her readers, “It’s been eight years since Ty and I met, and we’ve been bouncing back and forth between Hawaii and Seattle as if we own stock in the airlines, but after a couple houses, and a baby, and some nervous laughter, Ty and I have decided to make if officially official. We’re getting married in September in Las Vegas with Elvis. That’s right. Surfer Ty and I are getting married at A Elvis Chapel with Elvis conducting the ceremony.”
And get married they did… what a fabulous wedding weekend it was! It started out on Friday evening with a welcome dinner at El Segundo Sol and with friends and family getting together to celebrate with the bride and groom. Then on Saturday, the wedding took place at a quaint Las Vegas wedding chapel with Elvis officiating. Elvis was able to bring a lot of fun and laughter to the ceremony but also at one point he got very serious with a plea to the couple to love and cherish each other always.
An Elvis Wedding!
Jane and Ty keepin' it fun!
After the wedding all the guests were treated to pool side cocktails on top of Binion’s with the setting sun in the background, and then a lovely dinner at Binion’s Steakhouse on the 25th floor. The cake was whimsical staying in the same theme as the wedding and storybook romance.
83 East's James and Robin Erb with Jane and Ty at the rooftop cocktail reception
Cutting the cake!
Jane and Ty, everyone at the Ty Gurney Surf School and Board Shop wishes you all the best in your marriage, family and life! We love you!
September 5, 2011 – 5:07 pm
After a summer of mellow waves which were perfect for the beginner surfer and all our new 1st time surfers, we had the biggest waves seen in Waikiki in 10 years last week!
Ty’s Beach Girl Vanessa gives us a first hand report of the historic waves…
“For those of you guys who have been following us on Facebook, you already know that we got a sick swell roll in from a powerful storm in New Zealand last week. On Tuesday and Wednesday we saw waves in Waikiki up to double overhead plus some! It was definitely the biggest that it’s been in years, some claiming that it’s the biggest waves to hit Waikiki in the past 10 years! Our very own Joey even said that these were some of the largest waves he’s seen on Waikiki shores, and you know when Joey makes that statement he’s not kidding around!
All throughout Waikiki the breaks were firing, it seriously looked like you were staring at a perfect day out on the North Shore instead. Not only did we get size, but the waves kept on rolling in, lines stretching as far as the eye could see. It was sick! After a somewhat mellow summer, it was a great way to send the Summer off with a HUGE BANG!
Check out this link on youtube to witness some of the powerful waves that came through on Tuesday: Biggest Ala Moana surf in 10 years
That same swell is now producing powerful waves off California, so hopefully our friends out in Cali are catching some of the fun we had.”
Waikiki was firing everywhere last week!
Summer was a complete blast – fun mellow waves followed by a sick swell the last week of the season! Mahalo to everyone who went out with us! Hope you had as much fun as we did!
We are now gearing up for a busy winter season with lots of fun options for you and your family for surfing, stand up paddle, surf safaris and much more. For more information on booking your next surf vacation, visit our website www.tygurneysurfschool.com
August 15, 2011 – 6:17 pm
After a fun day of surfing, take away one of these cool shirts to remember your experience. New in the TGSS store are these stylish, trendy 3/4 sleeve raglan burn-out tees!
Check out this adorable 3/4 sleeve raglan burn out with peace sign
Now you can be Ty's Beach Girl, too! 3/4 sleeve raglan burn out with TBG logo
To see the entire Ty Gurney Surf School Fashion Collection, please click HERE
August 8, 2011 – 10:21 am
At Ty Gurney Surf School, not only do we guarantee that you will stand on your first lesson, but we also guarantee that you will have an awesome selection of women’s fashion to choose from!
New at TGSS… women’s tanks!
Lavender Tank Peace Logo
Lavender Tank with Ty's Beach Girl Logo
Green Tank Peace Logo
Green Tank with Ty's Beach Girl Logo
To see the entire Ty Gurney Surf School Fashion Collection, please click HERE
August 1, 2011 – 7:36 am
A few weeks ago we shared a blog article written by Jenna Autuori from FITNESS Magazine because she was getting excited to visit Hawaii and take surf lessons from Ty Gurney Surf School. She said it was something she has had on her bucket list for a long time but she was also very nervous about surfing because of a fear of sharks and the unknown. We are proud to announce that Jenna surfed with TGSS and had a blast! We loved her excitement and enthusiasm and she and her husband, Dino, did great!
Jenna Autuori from FITNESS surfing like a pro! (Photo courtesy of 83 East Video Productions)
Jenna shared her experience on her blog in the article Check One Off the Bucket List: Surfing in Hawaii! She was pretty nervous at first but then embraced the whole experience once her she met her instructors.
Our instructors, Mike and Matt, had that amazing easygoing surfer vibe and they gave me and my husband, Dino, each one-on-one demonstrations. We found out all that we need to know to surf, which surprisingly wasn’t really all that much! The instructions are pretty simple, it’s practice that makes perfect in this sport.
TGSS Surf Instructors Mike and Matt waiting with Jenna and Dino for the next good wave! (Photo courtesy of 83 East Video Productions)
My nerves starting acting up, however, when I saw how far out into the ocean we’d be going to catch those waves. Had the water not been shallow, I probably would have ran from the scene! But my instructor was by my side the entire time and I was beyond exhilarated when I caught my first wave. Let’s just say I totally get it now—I get why people like riding waves. - Jenna from FITNESS Magazine
The sky is overcast but Jenna's smile brightened our day! Come visit us again soon! (Photo courtesy of 83 East Video Productions)
July 24, 2011 – 10:54 am
When you think about escaping the scorching, humid summer heat, you probably don’t consider Hawaii as a place to do that. Hawaii is a winter destination, right? Wrong!
Hawaii during the summer is a wonderful place to visit to beat the heat. While some states on the mainland are spiking temperatures of 100 plus degrees, Hawaii’s average temperature during the summer is between 75-85 degrees with lovely northeastern trade winds blowing about 90% of the time to keep the islands pleasant with much less humidity than even in the winter months.
In a fantastic article in the The Vancouver Sun titled Summer is The Perfect Season to Visit Hawaii by Robert W. Bone, he not only writes about the fact that Hawaii is a place to escape the crazy summer heat but he also makes a great point about surfing in Hawaii in the summer months:
“Surfing at Waikiki Beach is better in the summer, with waves high enough to be interesting but still gentle enough for the “malihinis” (newcomers) to tackle. It’s an ideal time to learn how to ride the breakers. The ever-optimistic beach boys guarantee* you will stand up on the moving board by the end of your short lesson.”
Summer surfing in Waikiki Beach with Ty Gurney Surf School
*Yes! We do guarantee that you will surf on your first lesson!
So if you are spending your summer indoors because it’s just too hot to do anything outside, then consider booking a trip to our beautiful island of Oahu and come on in and visit the gang at Ty Gurney Surf School to have an experience of a lifetime! If you need a place to stay and would like to have a private beach to yourself with surf lessons included, then check out our Surf-n-Stay!
One of the luxurious rooms at the TGSS Surf-n-Stay. More photos on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tygurney
June 13, 2011 – 8:25 am
Surfing is great exercise and a fabulous way to stay fit so we were thrilled to see that Jenna Autuori from FITNESS Magazine featured Ty Gurney Surf School in her blog entry Aloha Hawaii: My Must-Have Packing Picks!
She will be visiting the islands and while here she will experience something that has been on her bucket list and a dream of hers… surfing! But she said she is a little fearful so we will do everything possible to make her experience a fun and safe one.
What really sets us apart from other surf school is our personalized surf experience. We start all our lessons with a brief land lesson, technique demonstration and safety discussion on the beach, but we really try to maximize your time in the water. Then we literally tow (toe) you out to the waves by hooking our toes onto your board and paddling out to the waves. Towing you out allows us to take you to the better outer breaks and also so that you can conserve energy from paddling and save them for catching waves instead!
Since our lessons are mostly either semi-private or private, each student gets the individual attention and instruction they need to help them catch as many waves as possible. Since we are with you at all times, it also ensures that your lesson will be as safe as it is fun! Waikiki is one of the best places to learn surfing because the waves are mellow and forgiving perfect for beginners, but best of all are the super long rides!
Surfs up, folks! It’s time to get stoked! What are you waiting for?
Ty Gurney Surf School featured in The Fit Stop Blog on fitnessmagazine.com
And since pro Ty Gurney himself will be teaching me how to do it, I’m feeling more confident about this. He’s been surfing as long as he could read and even won a major championship on Hawaii’s North Shore when he was seven! I’d say I’ll be in good hands. – Jenna from The Fit Stop Blog on www.fitnessmagazine.com
May 19, 2011 – 12:05 pm
The volunteers from Ty Gurney Surf School all agree that they got back so much more than they gave at the Life Rolls On/They Will Surf Again event at White Plains, Hawaii on April 30, 2011.
Surfers and volunteers pose for a group photo after a fun day!
“I never felt so humbled and yet rewarded at the same time. Thanks Jesse, Sarah and Jen for being so helpful.
Everyone working together to get set up to surf!
Life Rolls On exemplifies the true spirit of OHANA. We all stick together and nobody gets left behind.” — Joey Carroll
Ty Gurney watching for just the right wave!
Found it! Great ride!
Big smiles!
To see more smiles and all the fun, watch this video by 83 East Productions.
