It’s amazing how far in life sports can take you. For Kelly Kingston it was surfing, and because of one surfboard, she impacts the daily lives of kids in Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Colombia and South Africa.
It all began when Kingston’s old surfboard didn’t sell on Craigslist in 2008, so Kingston decided to give it to a child who could convince her they deserved it most. It was the holidays; e-mails flooded in from everywhere. “I got a few responses from kids that only had one parent. Other parents asked for the board for their kids, since otherwise there probably wouldn’t be any gifts under the tree that year,” says Kingston. She purchased three additional boards and gave them away to kids, and another 20 the year after that.
Kingston began body surfing at the age of 23 in Maui, where she fell in love with riding the waves. When she moved to Florida 11 years ago, she finally learned to surf with a board. “What I love best about surfing is that it is a place where I can go to find truth, hope and love and all that is good,” Kingston shares. Surfing allows her to feel completely in the present moment, utterly happy and incredibly close to nature. Who wouldn’t want to share those emotions with kids in need?
So Kingston launched Share the Stoke Foundation (STSF), which creates positive surfing communities, both in the U.S. and abroad, based on four core values: responsibility, leadership, discipline and community. Kingston, who is the only full-time employee, and a team of volunteers organize environmentally responsible activities, such as beach cleanups, before leading surf clinics, which are open to all. The foundation relies on local residents in the community to select kids in need, who also show a commitment to school, to receive donated boards, clothing and surf gear from their sponsors.
In this way, Kingston is constantly listening, learning and adjusting her outreach accordingly. “I love that [with surfing] I can get a wave and get super barreled then on the next one fall flat on my face. There are lessons to be had there,” says Kingston. —Robin Bradley Hansel
