Spending a busy summer surfing and raising funds

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Spending a busy summer surfing and raising funds

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By James Pribram
It's 7:16 in the morning and I'm desperately trying to wake up. Yesterday I spent nearly five hours in the water surfing and teaching kid's how to surf.

Tonight (Wednesday) the Offspring are playing for my foundation, They Will Surf Again, that raises money for people who have suffered ocean-related spinal injuries. Monday I was in Malibu for a celebrity golf tournament and Sunday I will be surfing in the Philips U.S. Open of Surfing along with Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, and Pat O'Connell in the Expression Session that will start at noon.

The Offspring are playing our benefit show at the House of Blues in Anaheim. It's insane that they are playing for us. It was only two years ago that myself, Rich Yellend and Seth Elmer started They Will Surf Again.

However, as exciting as all these things may sound, nothing is more fulfilling than seeing all the kids down at the beach surfing. I took a minute Tuesday while I was in the water and looked around me; there were 20 or more kids around surfing, laughing, giggling and talking. I can't get over the feeling of enjoyment that it gave me, seeing them having so much fun surfing. And it's not just boys, there are so many girls learning how to surf everyday it's amazing. We have six girls enrolled in our camp this week alone.

The date to remember though is Aug. 4 at noon. That's the day of the U.S. Open/They Will Surf Again Expression Session at the Huntington Beach Pier with the money benefiting our foundation. For more information, log on to www.theywillsurfagain.com or call (310) 306-5900.

Peace.

* JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach resident, professional surfer and co-founder of ''They Will Surf Again,'' a nonprofit foundation assisting people with spinal cord injuries. He was also a member of the Water Quality Advisory Committee.

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