Address: Fort Tilden’s Post Theatre (Building T4), The
Rockaways, and www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org.
ROCKAWAY WATER PARK
Rent sea crafts such as jet skis and stand-up paddle boards.
Some people go around Jamaica Bay. Others go all the way to
the Statue of Liberty. The facility is on a dock behind Thai Rock
restaurant at 372 Beach 92nd St., Rockaway Beach, 11693,
https://rockawaywaterpark.com.
SURF SCHOOLS
Rockaway has some of the best swell on the Eastern Seaboard.
The peninsula also has some great surf schools featuring native
instructors who beam with enthusiasm for the sport and can teach
all skill levels. Each one has an interesting story.
Skudin: Will and Cliff Skudin are industry and local legends. Will
was the first East Coaster to be nominated for a World Surf League
Big Wave Award for best performance. Plus, he is on record for
having ridden one of the biggest and most critical waves at Nazare,
a surfing community in Portugal. Meanwhile, Cliff is a formally
nationally ranked lifeguard who pulled three drowning teenage
boys to safety off Long Beach, Long Island, over Memorial Day
Weekend in 2012. According to reports, he paddled into the water
on his surfboard to grab one boy about 50 yards from shore and
then got the other two lads about 100 yards out. The Skudin
brothers provide a wide variety of lessons and run surf camps in
Rockaway, various Long Beach locations, and Puerto Rico. They
also combine sports such as soccer and lacrosse with surfing to
offer dual camps for children. Check them out at Beach 67th Street
and Beach Front Road and www.skudinsurf.com.
Conatus: In 17th century European philosophy, the word
“conatus” (Kuh-nah-tus) refers to the will to live and the power
of mind, body and spirit. Conatus Surf Club founder and lead
instructor Dion Mattison, a former pro surfer, was born on a
sailboat. The son of a wave enthusiast, he has been surfing
since age one. Dion’s philosophy is to teach students about the
ocean and the sand, not to push them into anything. In fact, his
initial classes focus on basics like paddling and maneuvering. In
addition to Rockaway, he teaches in Los Angeles, San Francisco,
and Costa Rica and organizes retreats. Check it out at www.
conatussurfclub.com.
Locals: Co-owners Mike Reinhardt and Mike Kololyan are best
buddies who grew up in Rockaway. They are lifelong surfers
and skaters and they teach both hobbies at this academy, which
they founded in 2011. Currently, they offer individual and group
lessons, camps for kids and charity programs. They can also be
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/www.conatussurfclub.com
/rockawaywaterpark.com
/www.skudinsurf.com
/www.conatussurfclub.com
/www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org
/www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org
/rockawaywaterpark.com
/www.skudinsurf.com
/conatussurfclub.com
