Millstone Township residents Kim and Jill Klepich run their Surfing the Dream camp for surfers in Lavallette. This is the fourth summer that the two graduates of Allentown High School have been giving surf lessons and teaching ocean safety. See story, page 20. The waves are great and the weather has been ideal for most of the summer as sisters Kim and Jill Kepich of Millstone Township run their Surfing the Dream surf school, which operates out of N.J. Surf Show in Lavallette for the fourth summer. After that, Jill heads back to competition and her part-time home in Costa Rica to train on the waves.
“After the summer we had after [superstorm] Sandy hit the area really hard, lessons were a little slow last year. But this summer has been pretty good, and it looks like the Shore towns have been coming back. More people are coming down,” said Kim, 24, who has been surfing since she was 9 years old. “The waves have been really good. It’s been a perfect summer. The sand base is good.”
Aside from the unusual polar vortex that makes the water feel a little too cool to some this season, there are few complaints. Kim differs about the water temperatures, saying that it’s been comfortably warm.
“At the surf camp, we teach people of all ages how to surf, as well as ocean safety. The business has slowly grown over the years, and can be deemed successful with the high demand of surf lessons,” Kim said. “We start them as young as 3, and make sure they can swim. We test their physical ability, their strength and their comfort in the ocean.”
They’re taking reservations at [email protected]. The surf lesson website is www.facebook.com/surfingthedream.
“I love teaching,” Jill said. “Surfing definitely takes dedication. It’s something you have to practice every single day.”
Jill, who followed her sister’s lead and began hitting the waves at age 8, is ranked fifth in the women’s pro circuit.
Surfing has taken Kim and Jill Kepich of Millstone Township to many places, including Morocco. The sisters, graduates of Allentown High School, teach surfing through their Surfing the Dream camp in Lavallette.
Along with both also working as lifeguards, Jill, 21, has been balancing a schedule that includes taking online classes at Arizona State University, where she has one year left, and preparing for her Belmar Pro Women’s Division competition in mid-September. She also reached the semifinals of the 6th Annual Coquina Jam on Aug. 2 at Long Beach Island, where Kim also competed. On Oct. 1, Jill will return to Costa Rica, where she stays about half a year to surf the national circuit on what is widely regarded as some of the greatest waves in the world. Jill moved there about three years ago to sharpen her skills. She became interested in living in Costa Rica after visiting her cousin there over extended stays, and she attended special vocational school there right after high school.
The Kepich sisters are lifelong residents of Millstone and graduated from Allentown High School, with Kim completing an accelerated high school program in three years. She did undergraduate work at Monmouth University before completing a master’s program in clinical social work at Columbia University. “Social work is a big help in understanding the feelings of surfing, which helps deal with depression and anxiety. I try to incorporate my education to promote relaxation and a healthy mind in conjunction with surfing,” Kim said.
It has also taken them places. They are planning a month-long visit in November to Taiwan and a return to Indonesia to get in some surfing. They have visited 20 countries, including Panama, Nicaragua, Barbados, Australia, Indonesia, Peru and New Zealand, surfing on the beaches with the financial support of sponsors. Current sponsors include O’Neill, Sun Bum sunscreen, Dakine, Smith Optics and Brave New World Surf Shop.
“We wouldn’t be going to the many countries we’ve visited if not for surfing,” Jill said. “It’s just been great to have the opportunity to go to so many countries and do something there that we really love.”