How and when did you originally get involved with the St. Aug chapter?

I moved here in 2005 to begin work with the National Office.  I had run the Virginia Beach chapter up until that point. It's been nice to have a break and be a Core Team member in St. Augustine.  It is a bit difficult for me not to "take over" during leadership meetings and act like the chapter director again, so I have to try to keep that impulse in check.

 

What is your current role in the chapter?

My biggest role is in the contests we do each year.  We do one in the Spring and another in the Fall.  Each year it is a tremendous amount of work - I really look forward to it but am also really glad when it's over!  I also do most of the promotion for the events, which includes web postings, and e-mail and regular mail newsletters.  

 

Give me a short history of the chapter, who started it, when it started, etc...

The chapter began like most chapters, a group of Christians were meeting together for home Bible study.  They were mostly college students who had something else in common, surfing.  The Bible study teacher, Dustin Miller, had been involved with a CS chapter before he moved to St. Augustine, so there was a natural progression towards becoming official.  The chapter is on its 3rd director, Dean Plumlee, who also happens to be the CS National Director.  Dean's got a lot on his plate running CSUS, so he does a good job delegating to the rest of the team the other tasks that need to happen.

Tell me a little bit about the outreaches you run annually...

Contests - We held one contest last year, deciding to skip out on our fall "Turkey Classic."  The Spring contest had a different angle and attracted a higher level of competitor than our previous contests.  Check the photos here.  
Contest Serving - We served at a bunch of contests, pretty much anything that comes to St. Augustine or Flagler (next town south).  We give away free food and drinks, and try to show the surfers that they mean something to us.  Can you find the CS tent at the Tommy Tant Contest?
Movie Nights - We did about 10 movie nights last year.  Each of these was showing the latest secular surf film.  That's what gets the surfers out, not showing Noah's Arc for the 50th time.
Regular Meetings - We met weekly during the summer months on the beach at the most crowded break in town.  We did a 5 minute devo, and had some free food for any passers-by.  Mostly, this was a chance for surfers in the water to connect with the people in our group, since we surfed right after the devo.
Trips - We usually do about 1 trip per year, sometimes to Typhoon Lagoon, sometimes to Sebastian.

I have heard about the Thurs. night dinners at the Plumlee's, how did you all think of that and how is it going?

After summer and our weekly beach meeting ended, Dean was wanting to start something up again.  So, he began inviting people to his house for dinner every week.  The idea there was to bring someone, not just be an attendee.  It was successful enough that beginning in February, we are doing a home meeting/dinner for anyone who wants to come.  

 

Favorite place to surf around St. Augustine

The Dredge when it happens every 5 years.  The city government pumps sand all over and forms mini-pointbreaks.  It's the most consistent wave in Florida, until a hurricane swallows up the sandbar.  Check some of the video highlights here.  We are scheduled for a Dredge this summer, I can't wait!

 

Favorite two boards you're riding right now

I've got a 5'4" fish that I really like, and a 5'9" quad that works pretty good, too.  Both are WRVs with Coil glass jobs shaped by Mike Daniel.  I really like what Kelly and Dane are doing with the smaller boards.  I don't know about riding them at Pipe, but on the East Coast they work pretty well. 

 

Craziest thing that ever happened

We've had a few different people over the years trying to pose as CS and fundraising in our community.  I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it is a bummer when people were giving to these folks and thinking they were supporting our efforts.

 

Best surfers currently coming out of St. Augustine

Gabe Kling - Qualified for the WCT in 2007 & 2009.  Bummer that he missed out on the 2010 injury wildcard to get back on, but he'll be doing the WQS all this year trying to get back on.

 

Give me something that makes St. Augustine unique as a CS chapter
(besides the fact that the National Director is also the chapter director!)

 

We are the only chapter that I know of who has a massive screen we use during our movie nights.  A few years ago, a generous donor contributed $5000 to our chapter.  The best use of the money we could figure was buying a really nice projector and screen.  Since then, pretty much every movie night in St. Augustine has used that screen.  We loan it out to surf shops and anyone else who is doing a surf event, and they usually mention where they got it.  Just another way we've been able to connect with surfers using the resources we have.

 

Anything else that you feel would be relevant and make it more interesting!

Just want to thank our 2009 Sponsors - we would not be able to do any of this without you!

Surf Station
PIT Surf Shop
GT Surflines
Tant Family
St. Augustine Alligator Farm
The McLeod Firm
John Adler
Chandler Brownlee