Aloha!
My name is Sonrisa Stepath and I have been a surf instructor for Adventure Out since August 2005. I feel extremely lucky to teach lessons here in Santa Cruz, and hope to continue for a long time.
Teaching surfing gives me a way to give back to my community while enjoying the outdoors. Students are also given an opportunity to learn proper techniques and etiquette in the water. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment when I see a student anticipate the wave coming in, paddle to the peak, and take off down the line. Then turn around and paddle out safely, wearing a “perma-grin.”
I have been wearing the surfer’s grin for all of my life. Being born in Hawaii has given me the opportunity to spend countless hours enjoying the ocean. I began to surf on The Big Island at Papaiko Mill, Honoli’i, Waipio, and various spots around Poho’iki. Throughout all my years of surfing, Kauai has been an island that I always surf and it is where I have pulled in to the best barrels of my life. I have traveled to many places and I have surfed waves all over the world, yet I still love Kauai the most.
The world has been my playground. My first international travel was an annual trip to Baja California, with my parents as a young child. Then they took me to Costa Rica at 11 years old, Australia at 13, Tahiti and The Marquesas islands at 16. Then I completed college at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, receiving a bachelor’s degree in marine science in 1999. That summer I took two surf trips to Fiji and Indonesia, followed with travels around Malaysia and Singapore.
Sonrisa Dropping in at Nias – Sumatra, IndonesiaWhen I returned to Hawaii, I called The North Shore of Oahu my home for five years. Surfing was the soul center of my universe. As my surfing progressed I moved down the beach to Gas Chambers and enjoyed many a great days surfing with the Pros. I lived in Waialua and surfed many of the spots along the Mokuleia coastline. In these years I would surf the winter waves of Hawaii working as a substitute teacher, and then travel to Indonesia to surf away the summer months.
Swimming with Sharks!
Things switched up in the summer of 2004 – after traveling around Europe, I moved to Santa Cruz. It is the only place on the “mainland” that fits with my island lifestyle. Since I am in school for nursing, I have the ability to live here and continue my education with my grandparents living nearby. I enjoy spending time with them – we travel to Death Valley, walk in the Relay For Life, enjoy community events, and spend lots of time laughing and loving together.
The happy days continue as I am now teaching surfing for Adventure Out. My students always get great waves, leave with smiles, and I get to work doing what I love while enjoying the ocean and the local wildlife. After teaching for a bit, I entered the Women On Waves surfing contest, and I came in second place! This was something I had always wanted to do, but never quite had the guts. But living here has taught me that you must do what you want to do, because only you live your life once. I will be surfing in the Nor Cal Women’s Surf Fest in the beginning of September as well as helping run the surf clinics during it.
Come take a lesson with me soon! I’d love to help get you into your first wave and make you STOKED!
-Sonrisa
