Extraordinary Health Magazine EHMagazine Vol 38_Final | Page 52

Making Waves
The Magical Surfing World of
by Kelly Merritt
Garden of Life ® Brand Ambassadors
Peter & Kepa Mendia
Imagine a life that revolves around surfing and traveling, spending two months at a time in places like sunny
California and Hawaii, all for the sole purpose of catching the best waves. The rest of the time is divided
between home base in south Florida and exotic locales like Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Trinidad.
For Peter Mendia and his son Kepa, this is real life. Peter is a professional surfer and Kepa is already a competitive
surfer who plans to tour professionally as soon as he ages into eligibility. For these avid Garden of Life fans, fitness
is a perk of the job. Combined with a steady diet of sun and surf, extraordinary health is a Mendia family affair.
“There’s always something new to discover on the road,” says
Kepa, a seventh grader who has already racked up several favorite
surf destinations. “My favorite place right now is Hawaii and it’s
like my second home, since we are there for two months out of
the year.” biggest healers mentally and physically,” says Peter, who despite
having suffered many injuries while surfing, looks to the water for
its restorative powers. “It does wonders, for example you can be in a
bad mood and surfing will change everything, so even if the waves
are small, I’ll make myself go out because it literally heals you.”
Surf, surf, and more surf is the agenda when the Mendias land
until wheels up for the next destination. Kepa is homeschooled,
allotting for competition and pursuit of the sport he loves. Peter and Kepa surf together as often as their busy schedules
allow. They just completed a photo trip to Trinidad together.
“I balance surf and school around the waves, so if there are waves
on Wednesday and Thursday, then I go to school the other days,”
says Kepa who began surfing very young and feels fortunate to have
parents who allow him to have such a unique life experience. “They
are everything to me and my dad is a huge inspiration for surfing, so
100 percent I got that from him.”
Peter Mendia recognizes in his son the familiar pull toward the
waves. He knows better than anyone, when surfing calls you,
it’s impossible not to answer. Peter has been surfing since he
was a child, too.
“Surfing provides such a close connection with the ocean,
watching the tides and feeling the wind, plus the water is one of the
50 Vol 38 • Extraordinary Health ™
“The waves were insane, just perfect at four-to-six feet, blue water
and tubes long as can be,” says Kepa, who has several friends who
also surf. “The waves where we live are inconsistent, so that’s one
reason we travel.”
They try to capture every trip on video to post to surf sites. Even
when Kepa is home and Peter is traveling, while other kids have
their noses in iPads and glued to the TV, he would always prefer
to be outside.
“I’m always out of the house, never home doing any of that,” says
Kepa. “I’m surfing, fishing, skating, doing something.”
It’s a mantra that also inspires the family’s surfing camp, Mendia
Boarding School. Get out, get in the water and get on a board.