Always good to reconnect with the scene at Topanga and catch a wave there. Thanks @osher_gunsberg for taking me in and capturing this moment. Hope we get more waves @tywillyums before I leave
Was stoked to @dannyfuller as I walked through duty free this morning in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Hope you and the family are good mate.
The boxing ring at La Zurza. I’m sure this arena has felt its fair share of pain, but no doubt saved countless kids from much more dangerous places and people on the streets they live among each day. @marcos_diaz meeting with the boxing coach.
Small but fun waves with a great view for my last morning surf in the Dominican.
Took this before boarding flight, had no idea I’d have wifi option while flying to LAX… I’m not in the barrios anymore
Muchas gracias por todo… Hasta luego compadres @manuelselman @mario_vinas @surfindiecita @nathybentz @marcos_diaz @pedro_fernandez @bonches78 @tayolmedo
Two inspiring friends are pictured here. @marcos_diaz on the left, watching a clip of @jon_rose on www.wavesforwater.org from a project in Afghanistan #w4w did. Marcos is the Vice Minister for sport in the Dominican Republic now, formerly the UN Goodwill Ambassador here, a celebrated endurance swimmer (once swam around Manhattan Island twice in 22 consecutive hrs, and also connected five continents by swimming… Google ‘Marcos Diaz swims’) plus a dedicated husband and father, great surfer and humanitarian. Then Jon, well… I wouldn’t be here if not for him and what @wavesforwater does. These are men of action. People who see needs and don’t wait for others to step up. They are tireless and passionate, cause doing good fuels you like nothing else can.
La Zurza, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. If they can smile you can smile… :)
A lot of great baseball players come from the Dominican Republic. One factor is the game of ‘Vitilla’ kids across the country and especially in poor areas like La Zurza play. If you can hit a plastic bottle too being thrown at you with a broom stick, connecting a baseball bat with an actual baseball, becomes a whole lot easier… Some lot graffiti thrown in too…
Honestly, never felt more unsafe than when I was surrounded by armed national police (three behind me in this #selfie and more in front). Our personal body guard, Quevedo, wouldn’t allow us to walk down some alleys cause he reasoned the police would attract attention he didn’t want us, or ultimately him too, dealing with. We didn’t argue…
La Zurza is the barrio, favela, or basically abplace you’d rather not live in Santo Domingo. There’s 4000+ people jammed on top of each other, dealing with poverty on the grandest scale, and daily hardships anyone using an iPhone or computer to read this, most likely will never comprehend (myself included obviously). It was an honor to be welcomed in with @marcos_diaz on behalf of the government and @wavesforwater. Meeting with the organizers of Fundsazurza and donating a clean water filter to their committed staff, was the first step towards a more committed project there. #w4wdominicanrepublic is growing, purely out of necessity and good people ensuring those without, can expect more in the future. @jon_rose @bonches78 @pedro_fernandez @mario_vinas @nathybentz @surfindiecita @olgatorresp @manuelselman
Thanks to @marcos_diaz, his personal military body guard ‘Quevedo’, a truck full of Dominican national police, and the people who run ‘Fundsazurza’ - those trying to manage hygiene within the country’s largest barrio, La Zurza, we got a humbling tour of the other side of this Island paradise today.
These kids transform dirty water runoff into race tracks, trash into prized possessions, and make you want in on the fun. Their spirit and imagination is priceless. They don’t have what most take for granted, but they offered me more than any millionaire could.
This is Alex. I asked why he had so many rubber bands on his wrist and it seems he was the best at the game they play shooting them from their fingers… He also had a machete behind him though, so good luck telling him if he lost…
Random Daze theme by Polaraul
