Dan's Papers - October 26, 2007 - Schooling & Surfing

Imagine being a high school student again, only instead of being in a class of thirty and counting down every day until next summer, you are learning English by a certified teacher in Puerto Rico. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Well, this is the life of Montauk's surfing twins Ariel and Alexis Engstrom and their friend Quincy Davis, who are three girls that have managed to figure out how to live the good life while getting a high school education. The three girls, their parents and their teacher are packing up now for their four month "school year" in Rincon, Puerto Rico, where a day in the life consists of surfing, studying and then surfing again.

The girls are all in high school and, with the help of their parents and teachers, have developed a schooling system that revolves around their passion for surfing. All three of the girls are unbelievable surfers from Montauk (type Quincy Davis into www.youtube.com and watch her tear up the waves at just 12 years old) and have intentions of making careers of the sport.

During the school year, the girls, along with their teacher, Brittany Thompson of Montauk, head to Puerto Rico where they get a full work load of school and then head out to go surfing. "They surf every morning and every evening before and after school," said Thompson.

This may all sound like a dream come true for any surfing teenager out there looking to live an endless summer, but it is important to realize how demanding a surf and work schedule these girls keep up with on a daily basis. It is by no means a walk in the park. They are certainly enjoying a work of passion, but their schoolwork is a top priority.

In Rincon, Puerto Rico life for the trio becomes a very serious combination of schoolwork and surfing. "They have a serious workload, it is a pretty difficult thing that they are doing. They have to get an 85% or better on all of their Regents exams in order for the school to approve that they do this. It makes them work extra hard."

East Hampton High School also has to approve of their schedule to allow the girls to be home schooled. And it is not just principal Cheryl Edholm who approves the homeschooling, the teachers have to approve it as well.

East Hampton High School is known for being home to a large group of surfing teenagers who sometimes cut school when the waves call for it. For the girls in Puerto Rico, however, "Even if the waves are really good, we sit and study together," said Thompson. Being in a classroom with just three students makes it tricky to skip class and head out for a full day of surfing instead.

Not surprisingly, these girls have friends that have expressed interest in becoming alumni at their "School of Surfing" but their school doesn't work for everybody. For one, finding a fully licensed private teacher to head down to Puerto Rico full time is not an easy thing to do. Neither is finding housing. But the Davis and Engstrom families have for years spent their winters in Puerto Rico and have homes there, so the girls are not far from their parents, which makes their surfing and school program an excellent fit. Of course, this hasn't stopped other students from looking into the idea.

Make no mistake about it, the girls are doing as much competing as they can in order to make a mark on the surfing world. Recently, the Engstrom twins competed in the Eastern Surfing Association Championships at Cape Hatteras, NC, where Ariel placed second and Alexis third. The twins also headed to the Unsound Pro competition, where Alexis placed first and Ariel fifth. They also traveled to Virginia for the ECSC competition, where Ariel placed second and Alexis third. Their reputation as professional surfers only seems to be growing and the training that the girls get in Puerto Rico improves them year after year.