Today we’d like to introduce you to Kai Dilling.
Hi Kai, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up on the beach at Isle of Palms and started surfing at a young age. By the time I was in high school, I had begun fixing and making surfboards and had attempted to pursue surfboard manufacturing in my early 20s. I knew little, but Sol Surfers Surf Camp started at the College of Charleston when I moved to Major in Elementary Education. After nine years of teaching eighth-grade science, Sol Surfers began to take shape in 2000, and our first summer camp offering started in the summer of 2001. That year, we taught 36 kids at our camp, and since then, we have seen the numbers grow to what they are today. I’ve always had a strong work ethic at Sol Surfers and instilled that into all my instructors and students. Having high standards and working hard will make any goal achievable!
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It certainly was a challenging road. We have endured plenty of adversities along the way. Most recently, COVID-19 was a huge learning point, and I couldn’t be more proud of our ability to navigate it. I’m incredibly proud that during the summer of 2020, we were able to give kids an outlet to be kids and play at the beach with us, and of course, they were able to learn to surf. We were one of the only camps operating that summer because I felt so strongly that 1 COVID did not threaten kids, and 2 COVID wasn’t a threat outside, especially not at the beach and in the salt water.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
By nature, surfers are creative and can navigate through situations and obstacles. We are artists and problem solvers. When taking off on a wave, we are free to draw the lines we want. In doing so, we navigate what the wave is offering us. The humility and joy that we gain from that is exhilarative.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Patience!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.solsurfers.net
- Instagram: solsurfers
- Facebook: Sol Surfers Surf Camp
