Introduce yourself! Who are you and how did you get involved with the Veteran Surf Alliance?
My name is Dan Redmon, and I am the president of the VSA. I was a Navy brat who went on to serve 20 years in the military myself, starting as an enlisted airmen and retiring as a Force Recon Marine. I spent a lot of time leading Marines in austere locations around the world. Currently, I work in defense tech and live in Santa Cruz with my wife and two adult kids.
I got involved with the VSA after I relocated to Santa Cruz in 2018. I had just finished my time on active duty and relocated for my civilian job with GE. As someone who did not grow up in Santa Cruz, I found it to be a difficult surfing community to be accepted into. I was fortunate to meet Sean Meyer, founder of VSA, and started helping as a member of the board. When Sean needed to step away a few years ago, I took on the role of president.
What is the Veteran Surf Alliance and why was it created?
The VSA is a 501c(3) CA nonprofit that has a mission to provide a community for veterans (and first responders) through surfing. We accomplish this by maintaining a robust cadre of talented surf instructors, hosting water safety courses, and holding plenty of equipment like surfboards and wetsuits. We meet frequently to surf, but our true flagship event is our monthly surf, typically located in Santa Cruz, where we meet for coffee, talk about upcoming events, pass information, warmup (stretch, mindfulness, mobility), pair coaches with new members for individual instruction as needed and then head in for a surf. We end it all by eating lunch together. The VSA is a trojan horse based around surfing to help veterans adjust to civilian life and enable them to live a healthy, meaningful, connected life in their communities.
The VSA was created to fill a gap that our founder identified when attending Operation Surf (a sister org with a similar mission). He found that the weeklong surf instruction he received was great, but he wanted to be able to surf with the same group on a more regular and forecastable basis. And with that the VSA was born in 2017-2018.
How has the ocean impacted the lives of Veteran Surf Alliance members?
The ocean and surfing impact our brains by placing us in the flow state and pushing our limits physically. It also places us in a location where access to devices like our phones and computers is limited. The ocean is the great equalizer in terms of how it kicks everyone’s butt regardless of their skill level. These factors combine to create an atmosphere that helps heal minds (proven to help with PTSD and traumatic brain issues), increases our physical strength, tests our bodies in general, and allows us to pursue something as we did in the military. I’ve witnessed a dramatic change in many of our members since joining, some conquering addiction, healing their brains and finding a new sense of accomplishment, and discovering joy in a healthy new hobby to focus on.
Photo courtesy Steve Martarano
Are there local or specific issues impacting our ocean and coasts that are of special importance to you?
We in Santa Cruz have some of the best point breaks and surf spots around. These spots are becoming affected by the erosion of our coastline. We have a chapter in San Francisco that deals with polluted waters. Access to safe, clean water and good points breaks that haven’t disappeared due to erosion are just a few of our concerns.
What has been the highlight so far of being involved in VSA?
I get a lot of stoke when I get the opportunity to mentor and coach veterans to surf and ultimately be better humans.
Back in October, I really enjoyed running a collaboration with the Pendleton Surf Club to run a military surf contest at the church break of Trestles. We served food, allowed camping on the beach, watched surf movies, had a sound bath, and ultimately spent more time surfing and building camaraderie with other veterans than we did actually competing.
How can people get involved?
Interested veterans and volunteers can reach out to mikeJ@veteransurfalliance.com to join. The process for veterans is to fill out a Google form with a disclaimer, send in their dd214 and have a chat with our membership team to determine their goals and eligibility. You can learn more about us through our website www.veteransurfalliance.com, Instagram, and Facebook.
We welcome volunteers with surf and water safety experience, and overall willingness to help.
Photo courtesy Steve Martarano
Anything else?
I ask that surfers think about this. Maybe you grew up with access to the ocean, and a friend or family member who taught you how to surf, surf etiquette, breaks, etc. That makes you incredibly lucky. Most veterans did not have that and are typically adult learners. They are putting themselves into a very stressful and difficult situation with great humility. They’ve likely spent much of their life deployed to places you would not want to visit, doing things you would not want to do. So if you ever meet a new veteran surfer in the water, teach them something. Spread the stoke and always remember that Surfing Saves Lives, and we are lucky to be able to enjoy the ocean.
