FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 12, 2011
Contact:
Dave Benjamin Bob Pratt - Surfboard Rescue Techniques Instructor
Class Organizer Fire Marshal & Water Rescue Expert
708-903-0166 East Lansing, MI
dpaulben@hotmail.com 517-256-4600
Beach Nut Surf Shop, Larry Bordine
1100 Main St
Frankfort, MI 49635
231-357-0339
Frankfort, MI 49635
231-357-0339
Web Site: http://www.beachnutsurfboards.com/
Beach Nut Surf Shop Partners with
The "Surfboard Rescue Techniques" class
FRANKFORT, MI – The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project and Third Coast Ocean Force rip current awareness PSA is excited to announce that Beach Nut Surf Shop will be the host surf shop of the next "Surfboard Rescue Techniques" water session, Sunday, July 17, 2011.
“This class is an excellent opportunity to minimize beach accidents and increase water safety,” said Larry Bordine, Beach Nut Surf Shop owner. “If this class helps one swimmer in distress, it helps the whole community.”
In 2010, approximately 74 people drowned in the Great Lakes, and none of those drowning’s occurred in Frankfort, Michigan. Last year Mr. Bordine personally assisted six swimmers out of rip currents with his surfboard at Frankfort’s beaches. In one case he assisted a father and daughter to shore.
“The father was extremely tired and barely treading water while his daughter was going under,” said Bordine. “It could have been tragic.”
According to Bordine, many of the lake surfers in Frankfort have made similar rescues at unguarded beaches.
The “Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class is FREE and open to the public. The classroom session will be hosted in the Betsie Bay Inn’s “Algonquin” Room, 231 Main Street (9:30 a.m. meet and greet; 10:00 a.m. Classroom Session, and 11:15 a.m. Water Session.)
The “Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class will teach surfers, professional water rescue personnel, and the general public to:
- Recognize the danger of the surf environment and keep personal safety as THE primary responsibility
- Identify hazardous conditions – Understanding how, where, and why rip currents occur
- Know the “Signs of Drowning”
- Identify a person in trouble from within a crowd
- Summon help
- Use a flotation device (such as a surfboard, boogie board, throw ring, cooler, tackle box, etc.) to assist a person in distress or in a rip current
- Assist a swimmer in distress or in a rip current around a jetty or pier
- How to react when encountering swimmers who have suffered an injury
- How to react to an unconscious victim
- Enroll in lifesaving, first aid and CPR training from accredited agencies.
ABOUT BEACH NUT SURF SHOP
Beach Nut Surf Shop owner, Larry Bordine, has been nicknamed ‘The Paddlesurf Evangelist’ for proselytizing the advantages of Stand Up Paddle surfing (SUP) as the ultimate Great Lakes watercraft. “I was never planning on getting into the surfboard business, but I caught the SUP wave and this is where it has taken me. People have been surfing the Great Lakes for many years. However, good locations for surfing are limited. SUPs opens up the entire Great Lakes waters to surfers.”
With a background in marine engineering, Bordine used his kayak and canoe building skills to develop his “Home Brew” process of building boards. He even uses engineering mathematical equations to calculate what creates drag, lift, stability, and maneuverability for his custom boards.
During the winter of 2010, Bordine converted a neglected building into “a vibrant locale for those with a youthful zest for enjoying water and life.” Beach Nut carries a variety of surfboards, wet suits, dry suits, skateboards, jewelry, used books and “vintage” stuff. The store also has a build-your-own-SUP class and e-book. SUP – A stand up paddle surfboard is an over-sized surfboard, 10-12 feet long by 28-31 inches wide, that you propel with a 6-foot paddle. Its large size allows it to catch waves that standard size boards can’t catch and ride them longer – making it the perfect board for surfing on the Great Lakes. Its size also provides great stability for cruising on inland lakes and rivers. http://www.beachnutsurfboards.com/
ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SURF RESCUE PROJECT
Created by Bob Pratt, the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project is made up of Great Lakes surfers dedicated to reducing drowning incidents on the Great Lakes. Surfers have a long history of rescues along our coasts. As surfers we are often in the water when conditions are most dangerous: high surf and cold water. By educating surfers to the dangers of RIP currents and hypothermia we can reduce the likelihood of them becoming victims but more importantly, by educating them to use their surfboard as a rescue tool, more lives can be saved. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Great-Lakes-Surf-Rescue-Project/120501018657?sk=info
ABOUT THE THIRD COAST OCEAN FORCE
Because the Great Lakes are referred to as the “Third Coast” of the United States and the “Third Coast” can have “Ocean Force” rip currents during windy weather conditions, Dave Benjamin created the Third Coast Ocean Force community project to:
- Support the existence and operation of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project’s efforts to educate surfers and other water rescue personnel to use surfboards as lifesaving devices;
- Encourage lake surfers to obtain CPR Certificates and Life Guard Certificates;
- Publicize instances where lake surfers or water rescue personnel rescued swimmers from rip currents/drowning;
- Support a summer-long rip current awareness public relations campaign.
ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP OR SPONSORSHIP WITH:
- The Betsie Bay Inn, Lesley Perkins, Owner
231 Main Street, Frankfort, Michigan 49635
231-352-8090; http://www.betsiebayinn.com/; lesley@betsiebayinn.com;
- Third Coast Surf Shop, Ryan Gerard, Owner
St. Joseph and New Buffalo, MI
574-360-3977; http://www.thirdcoastsurfshop.com/
- No Quarter Surf Boards, Marty Karish, Owner
Grand Haven, MI
616-502-9784; www.facebook.com/noquarter.surfboards
- The Great Lakes Surfing Association
Grand Haven, MI
- Additional partners and sponsors coming soon…
WHO: The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project’s and
“Third Coast Ocean Force" Rip Current Awareness PSA
WHAT: "Surfboard Rescue Techniques” class
WHERE: Classroom at the Betsie Bay Inn’s – Algonquin Room
231 Main Street
Frankfort, MI
(231) 352-8090
WHEN: Sunday, July 17, 2011
9:30 a.m. Meet & Greet
10:00 a.m. Classroom
11:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Water Session
RSVP: Dave Benjamin
708-903-0166
Look forward to seeing you there!
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