“Jeff Mosley”

by Jackie Richardson

Last month, we celebrated Mothers so this month it is only fitting that we celebrate the boys of summer, Fathers. In the surfing community here on Tybee Island, fathers give the rides to the beach, they coach their children, they pay for contests, food, etc.

However some men, before they become fathers, totally dedicate their lives to the surfing community. At Tybee Island, that person is our surfer of the month, Jeff Mosley. In the past eight years that our family has been involved in the GA Eastern Surfing Association, I have seen Jeff mentor young surfers. If there is a need with one of these kids, Jeff makes sure it is taken care of. I have been up and down the east coast at surfing events and when people find out we are from Georgia, they always say to tell Jeff and Tara hello.

For the most part, I write these articles but I think Jeff’s answers to my questions are more fitting in his own words, so here are my questions and Jeff’s answers:

Where were you born? El Paso, Texas

When and where was the first time you surfed? Hurricane David swell. I guess that was 1980 or 1981. Robbie Evans gave me an old single fin Atlantis. A couple of days later I rode one over the falls in front of Robbie and my fin poked a hole in his arm. I bet you he was rethinking that whole free board riding again. No surfing mentors. As a kid I always looked up to my two uncles, Woody Waldhour and Bennie Ward.

Where is your favorite place to surf? I know a lot of you will think I’m crazy for this next answer, but its right here at home. It’s where I feel most comfortable. About every four years, it gets good here and when it does there is nothing better. It’s not all out of control, short paddle out, and you know most everyone in the lineup. Oh and my favorite thing is, you can’t see the sharks swimming under your feet here.

Where have you surfed? Everywhere on the east coast from Delaware to Jupiter Inlet, Hawaii, and Panama City in the Gulf. How long have you and Tara been directors of the GA Eastern Surfing Association and how did you get involved? We have been the directors for fourteen years. Jim Reynolds was the director at that time. He was (and still is) in the Coast Guard and was about to be transferred. He asked me to take over the GA district. I was 30 at the time, and Travis Williams, Montee Coursey, Tara, and I were right in the middle of having “The times of our life.” So I don’t know why Jim was asking us to take on such a serious position as District Director. I mean, I could barely “direct” my check to the bank on Fridays much less be responsible for all of the surfing in Georgia. I told Jim I would think about it. During that six months, (because that is how long it takes me to do anything unfortunately), no one stepped up to become the new District director and Tara kept telling me, “I should do it, that it sounded like it would be fun”, and I was like “Shut up woman and fix me something to eat” (just kidding). I didn’t want to see the contests come to an end because everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun doing them. So I told Jim yes and here we are. The best decision Tara ever made for me up until my little girl was born.

What is special about Tybee Island? The fact it is a small community. Everybody knows everybody. You can rarely ride down the road without waving or honking your horn to a friend or acquaintance.

Who are your favorite surfing buddies? You know, I like surfing with everybody that stays out of my way.

What are the best surfing awards you have received? Tara and I were awarded “The Colin J. Couture” award in 2008. It is the highest award given by the ESA (the largest amateur surfing association in the world) for outstanding volunteerism. It is named after “Doc” Couture the founder of the ESA. You are voted in only by previous “Doc Rock” recipients. We received a nice plaque and our names will forever be on the “Doc Rock” which is located in Buxton, NC at the Natural Art Surf Shop.

What is special about being a father?
To see something that is a part of you start to grow and communicate and have her own personality. It’s truly amazing. In closing, I would like to thank the Mayor of Tybee Island, Jason Buelterman, and The City of Tybee Island for all the support they have shown the ESA over the years, but most of all I would like thank my wife, Tara, for giving me a beautiful little girl and putting up with me for the last fifteen years because without her the Jeff and Tara era of the GA ESA District may not have ever existed. I would also like to thank my boss, Steve Brannen of Brannen Construction for allowing me to take the time off work all these years to go and do the things a district director does. Because without him being supportive of the things I like to do, we would have never made it this far. Last, but not least, I would like to thank my district for having fun and embodying the spirit of competitive surfing the way “Doc” envisioned it forty something years ago.

by Jackie Richardson

May is the month we celebrate mothers.  Particularly, in the surfing community these are the women that make sure their children have food to eat at surf contests, carry all the various equipment (boards, chairs, coolers, etc.). Mothers sit in the hot sun, wind, rain, and cold to watch contests.  Mothers are constant cheerleaders for their children.  Mothers wipe away tears of disappointment and celebrate the smiles of victory.  So, the month of May this column is dedicated to these phenomenal Mothers in our ESA Georgia District.

I am so proud of my son, Josh, as he has become a good surfer representing our ESA Georgia District as an Allstar.  During the past month of April, Josh has competed in three contests in Florida.
On the weekend of Easter, Josh competed in the Ron Jon Easter Fest at Cocoa Beach and placed 2nd in the Men’s Longboard.  The following weekend, Josh competed in the National Scholastic Surfing Association East Coast Championship held at Sebastian Inlet, Florida.  Josh won the Southeast/North Conference Longboard Division.  He placed third in the Open and Explorer Longboard Division in the East Coast Championship and earned an invitation to the National Championships to be held in California in June.  Finally, April 24, Josh competed at the Daytona Longboard Classic held at Daytona Beach, FL. This was a pro/am contest.  Josh came in 3rd in the Junior Pro and was awarded a cash prize.  He also competed in the Jr. Men’s division and Open Noserider division walking away with 2nd place in both.

The month of May, he will be competing in the Christian Surfers of Ormond Beach, FL contest and then it is off to the ESA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships at Virginia Beach, VA.  When he’s in town this summer, you might be able to catch him at Tybee teaching surf lessons.
But know this… his mother is very proud of him.

Ben Thompson with Jackie Richardson

As I write this article, St. Patrick’s Day is behind us, Spring Madness is in full swing, and Spring Breaks are getting under way.  All the surfers I come in contact with are searching for some good waves that were not present here during the winter months.

With spring here, the Tybee Island surf season will definitely be in session.  I have had the privilege for the past eight years to meet some of the finest young men and women who surf in our Georgia Eastern Surfing Association district.  I have watched them grow up and move out of our community.  I am always saddened to see them go, but in most cases happy to see them living out their dreams.

This is very true of the April Surfer of the month, Ben Thompson.  First of all, let me say his parents Georgia and Jonny Thompson should be proud of the great job they have done raising Ben.  Ben is a smart, funny, intelligent, and caring individual. In July he will be moving to California to go to school, pursue a career in music, and surf everyday!  Although I am happy for Ben, our whole family will sorely miss him, especially our son, Josh, for whom he has been such a good influence and friend.

Ben was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1989.  He has been surfing for about 10 years.  His dad started him surfing early.  His favorite board is a Webber.  He jokingly says, “My only board…haha.  It gets the job done.”

Ben started surfing on Tybee Island. Then he surfed on a regular basis in Florida.  He has been up and down the east coast, California, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico surfing.  He says, “My favorite place to surf is this fun little point break in Topanga Beach, California.  It’s a really mellow, fun break and the views from the ocean are pretty amazing.”

I always ask the surfers what is special about surfing at Tybee Island.  Ben answered, “There’s nothing quite like the comfort of surfing your home break.  I love the community, surfing with friends, and when a cat-5 storm rolls through, there are few places I’d rather be.”  His surf buddies are his dad, Atsushi, Josh, Leland, Brad, Austin, Benji, Toby, Gary, Cat, Jere, Randall, Megan, Vaughan……

Last April, a lot of us from Georgia including myself, went to Puerto Rico for the Mid Atlantic Regionals.  Ben said of that trip, “The most fun I’ve had on a surf trip was with the Durtee Militia (Jonny Thompson, Josh Richardson, and Leland Lively) in Puerto Rico.  The waves didn’t stay good the whole time, but we still had a blast and it was an experience that I’ll never forget.”

All of us in the surfing community have watched Ben grow up surfing.  He has been a good competitor every year, always among the top ranked.  This year, however, he won 1st Place in the Men’s division of the Georgia Eastern Surfing Association.  A much deserved award for him.  I asked Ben who has been his mentor and he said, “Dad has definitely been my mentor growing up surfing.  He got me started, taught me everything he knows, and has taken me on trips all over.  But now he’s getting old and I’m schoolin’ him. HA!”

Ben loves being outdoors.  Ben’s other interests besides surfing are music, hiking, kayaking, camping, biking, swimming, fishing, and traveling the world.

As I have said on many occasions in this column, we have many colorful, interesting characters who surf at Tybee Island.  Ben is no exception.  On any Sunday evening during the next few months, you might just catch Ben on the television show, “Ruby,” on Style network.

by Jackie Richardson

Atsushi “Hot Sushi” Yamada

Putting the winter months behind us, it is time to look forward to warmer weather and surfing.  March Madness is here…. basketball and especially the Savannah St. Patrick’s Parade.  You may remember in my previous articles, I said there are a lot of different people who surf.  This surfer of the month isn’t heading to warmer waters to surf, but to Japan to the ski slopes where he is a professional snow skier.

Atsushi Yamada was born in Tokyo, Japan.  His name in Japanese means “mellow.” His nickname is Hot Sushi. He started to surf when he was 17 years of age. Before that he was too busy with alpine racing, skiing and playing soccer to spend much time surfing.  Atsushi’s favorite board is a 9’6” Woody shaped by Jim Stephens, owner of Underground Boardworks.  Atsushi’s favorite people to surf with are his children, Minami and Ichi, and his wife, Michelle.  He loves to surf with his dogs, too.

Although Atsushi has surfed in Japan, Australia, Hawaii, and Guam, in his own words his favorite place to surf is, “My home sweet home beach, The Tybee Island.”  The thing he likes most about surfing at Tybee is that it is a very small surf community where everybody knows everybody and they make Atsushi feel like he is part of a family.  Atsushi also indicated that before he gets too old he would like to charge larger waves like Tahiti.

The surf community always relishes the energy summer brings at Tybee Island.  For us, that energy embellishes who Atsushi is.  He is the most upbeat and happy person I know.  Jeff and Tara Mosley, our ESA-GA directors, call Atsushi “Walking Sunshine!”  I asked him what his secret is to being this way.  He replied, “There are no secrets.  Just being in the presence of Mother Nature all year around makes me happy.  Hear the winds, smell the air, watching birds flying by, dolphins swimming by me and much more.  Mother Nature gives me tons of energy.  Every time I start to paddle or skiing downhill I will be able to feel the power go through my body from the earth.  I will always appreciate mother nature for how lucky I am to do things on this planet.”

Next time you are on the beach at Tybee when you hear excitement and enthusiasm in the air it is probably Atsushi giving someone a welcome.  In our Eastern Surfing Association contests we call him our cheerleader because he is always encouraging and supporting everyone.  He really is the happiest, upbeat person I know.  That is one of the best complements I can give anyone, and Atsushi is very deserving.

Surfer of the Month: Jimmy Manning
by Jackie Richardson

Jimmy Manning

Winter is definitely here.  Surfers up and down the east coast are complaining of the lack of waves.  However, everyone is ready to put on their wet suits to catch one of those winter waves.  Sunny Miller, one of our former Tybee surfers, who now lives in Michigan, was heading out this weekend to surf one of the Great Lakes.  Brrrr!  I can’t imagine. Others head to the warm waters of Puerto Rico. Hopefully, after this month there will be waves as our surfing season here in Georgia heats up again.

This month’s surfer of the month, Jimmy Manning, was born in Norfolk, Virginia. Jimmy moved to Savannah when he was 7 years old.  You will catch Jimmy working at night at the Oyster Bar on Wilmington Island.  This evening job gives Jimmy a lot of opportunities to surf during the day. Jimmy started “surfing” Tybee Island on one of those canvas rafts that you rent.  He tried board surfing as a teen but really learned to surf when he was stationed in Hawaii with the Air Force for three years.

Jimmy’s first board was a long board that was cut down to about 6’.  It didn’t look too good.  His next board was one of the first twin fins 5’8”.  Jimmy now has a quiver of 8 boards and his favorite is his 9’0” carbon fiber.  Jimmy has surfed all over Oahu, Maui (he lived there 3 years), Puerto Rico, and the east coast.  His favorite wave is on Maui at Honoloa Bay, a very fast long right.  Jimmy has surfed 20’+ waves.  He added, “I have come to the bottom of the ocean three times.  I must have a mermaid as a guardian angel.” Jimmy admits he likes smaller less threatening waves.  Jimmy’s favorite place to surf is Tybee Island with all his surf ohana (family).

Jimmy competes just for the fun.  Don’t let him fool you, he is a really good surfer.   He loves teaching kids to surf.  He has volunteered for three years for the Tybee Island YMCA Surf Camp.  He will be their lead instructor this year.  The Y program will teach kids from 7-16 in one week camps throughout the summer.  The kids call Jimmy “uncle” which is a term of endearment and respect in Hawaii.  Jimmy says he loves when they ride that first wave and holler, “I did it uncle, I did it.”  He says the looks on their faces is fantastic.

I ask all the surfers I interview what is special about the surf community at Tybee.  Jimmy says, “I love the tight knit surfing community at Tybee where everyone is friendly and respectful and always optimistic about surf.”  As a fellow surfer, Kato, always says, “it has got potential”, even on the smallest day.

Jimmy says he hopes to surf other places.  This summer he would like to get to South America to surf.

Jimmy’s love of children is very evident when he talks about his two granddaughters.  They are two and three right now and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the water surfing before too long.  Finally, Jimmy encourages all surfers to participate in the Eastern Surfing Association contest.  Our local ESA is run by Jeff and Tara Mosley, who do an outstanding job.  Jimmy will see you out at the beach at “THE CHURCH OF THE OPEN SKY.”

(All photos are compliments of Joey Wilson photography, copyright 2010)

January 2010 “Surfers of the Month”

Jim & Jimi Goodlett by Jackie F. Richardson. Photos by Joey Wilson

This month I asked Jim and Jimi Goodlett to be the “Surfers of the Month.”  They are widely known in the Savannah community for their generosity.  I recently spent time with Jim and Jimi at the Georgia Eastern Surfing Association  banquet  where they presented this year’s scholarship awards.  Later this past month, I asked them the following questions.  Here are their replies in their own words.

1) Where were you born? Upon the wiles of coastal Texas, in a land called Houston, which was but an hour something from the beach if you were taken by parental units and a good bit shorter if you were on about it with your mates! Jimi was born in the wiles of West Texas where water was a premium and large bodies of water only appeared after torrential downpours.

2) When did you start surfing? It all depends on how one defines surfing…I was born in 1962, and one of my first memories around the age of two was sitting atop a rubber floatie whilst my Dad pushed me alongside the shore break waves all the way to the beach…I would holler during the ride and scream till I was taken back out to do it again…my Mother tells me that leaving the beach was quite the ordeal for me as a toddler…after that it was all downhill…that said, we moved from Houston to become landlocked in several distant locales till we returned to Houston when I was 14…during those landlocked years I progressed from wood skateboards and steel wheels, to metal boards and urethane wheels, back to thin ply wood boards and bigger urethane wheels, doing side walk surfing as if it were waves beneath my feet…later when we returned to Houston round the age of 14, I’d steal away with friends who had both surfboards and whose parents’ beach more downhill commenced!

3)  Where was the first place you surfed? From the first part of the answer above, it was Galveston Texas, upon the rubber floatie…but really it was upon return a decade or so later that I first learned to surf at spots like Surfside pier/jetties as well as Jamica Beach some 25 minutes to the east…

4) Where have you surfed and where is your favorite place to surf? In the US of A, quite a volume of the hot spots (and not so hot spot) areas of the three coastals – from Virginia Beach to Miami on East Coast, from Sea Rim State Park near Loiusana border to Padre Island upon the Gulf Coast, and from Pismo Beach outside of San Luis Obispo to Mission Beach in San Diego for the left coast…Internationally, I have been fortunate to do swaths of Mexico, along Baja down to K38/K40, and as well El Mezquite which faces the ocean across the way from the Laguna Madre…further south, I have spent good time in Costa Rica (Playa Langusta, Playa Tamarindo, Playa Negra, Playa Grande, Witches Rock, Olie’s Point, etc.), and with a short jaunt into the southern reaches of Nicaragua…of all of these places, Playa Tamarindo was my most favored as it had a river mouth break that on most days was a perfected 6 to 7 foot right that seemingly peeled for days with crystal clear water
flowing below your board…on the worst of days, it was chest high mush burgers that would take you for 100 meters to the shore break simply magical!

5)  Has Jimi tried surfing? Jimi has been on several of my longboards and most recently on the custom 8’4″ mini longboard that Jim Stephens shaped for her as a birthday gift I got her…it should be mentioned that Jim let her partake in the adventures of crafting that smarting board…the zen of what he does and how he let her be a part of it, was a great experience just in itself…since then she has gone out a couple of times more with me and enjoys it un-repentedly!

6) Where in the world would you like to surf if you had the opportunity? Since I have had the good fortune in my life to travel the world over for both business and pleasure, and at the same time surfed in some mighty fab places, with fabber waves and even fabbest better surfers than I, I would have to answer this question by saying I would surf anywhere where the vibes were good, the stories after a day of surfing were gooder, and those out surfing were goodest…more pointedly, for me it is simply that I could be surfing in the midst of friends which could mean here at Tybee Isle to any other place in the world that had similar kind of atmosphere…

7) What is special about surfing at Tybee? Though I am not a native, but have lived and surfed here since 1992, I find Tybee to be a great mix of surfers and waves alike, and suspect it has been so since day one…when I first moved here, there was no grand pier like we have today, and even the sand dunes were not availed as the waves on a high tide, slapped against a sea wall that was actually the parking lots sidewalk…though its seemingly a well kept secret, come hurricane season, you can catch 3-4 foot overhead (Hurricane Bill provided the latest onslaught that was vivaciously attended by all!) and I have surfed waves from double outside nearly all the way to the beach…!…come summer we get good swell when the tide is right and the gods shine in our favor, and the rest of the time it is just a good vibe with the locals…but mainly, I enjoy being out with all the incredible talent we have and have had over the years…Tybee is just simply pura vida…

8 ) How did the idea of the scholarships come about for the Eastern Surfing Association? Now nearly 4 years on, within months of each other, two influential people in my and Jimi’s life exited stage left…Jimi’s Mother, Josephine Meuse (Joe as she was called by friends) died of the horrific disease, Pancreatic Cancer…in her life she had accomplished much – playing sports (basketball and track for goodness sake) in her youth when young women were NEVER to do as such…she also excelled in academics, and later in life when the kids were grown, Joe went back to work and eventually worked for some highly influential Congressmen on the Hill running Congressional Committees as an administrator, and because her skills were so valued, worked for both Democrats and Republicans alike which is the rarity of rarites…in total she valued the education she received mixed with the tenacity she learned in sporting endeavors and encouraged all her kids – especially her daughters – to follow the bloodline.  My Father, James Goodlett Sr, was similar in kind, as he was quite a gifted athlete in many sports that required speed, agility, precision, and most of all brains – from raquetball to tennis to golf (nearly turning pro as a young man of 17) to table tennis (NY State champ), and a plethora of other sports that he could seemingly pick up with ease…he also was a well studied individual who saw education at every level, as needed stepping stones that created vast opportunities to those that strived for excellence in their academic endeavors…his well storied business career running technology companies in the airline vertical, was simply proof positive that with a strong education and the mental/physical tenacity to compete, you could do anything… So to make a long winded story succinct, Jimi and I decided to honor our parents and their athletic prowess/scholastic guidance by creating scholarships for young men and women who managed to excel at both competitive surfing and scholastic academic achievements, simultaneously…because of what the ESA Georgia District has accomplished under the stellar leadership of Tara and Jeff Mosley, it was an obvious choice for us to work with them…the two cash award scholarships – James C Goodlett Sr Memorial Surfing Scholarship and the Josephine Meuse Memorial Surfing Scholarship – are given each year to a young man and young woman determined by the total points derived from their year long surfing competition points, then multiplied by their year’s GPA in school…we count ourselves honored to have been able to award these scholarships to exceptional athletes who are also exceptional students!

9) You and Jimi have a heart for seeing young people do well in school and sports. What sports have you all played and continue to play now? What message would you like to impress upon young people about the importance of both? Since I have discussed more of the education part above, I’ll split this answer into two…for me, given all the sports I have partaken upon – from surfing to kayaking to motorcycle track racing to off-road motorcycle racing to mountain bike racing to road bike racing to speed blade racing to skateboarding to having a laugh with friends playing bocce – I can easily say that surfing is the one I would be hard pressed to do without…surfing provides instructive lessons on life in that no wave is the same, every condition demands quick thought processing as to what one can do with either an incoming wave or one under foot, there are times to go for it, and times to let one pass, as well as, it’s as much about the wave as it is about the people in the surround…in total, a metaphor for life and competing in it! For Jimi, her main sports are tennis (she plays in two competitive leagues) and year round soccer (two seasons indoor, two seasons outdoor, and multiple soccer tournaments regionally), though she also plays softball, as well as runs and does Crossfit every week…these sports have opened doors for her with athletic ability but also in business, socially, and with all the non-profit boards we are on…in total, sports are about competition, but also are conduits to other important pieces in her life! So if I was to sum up the message, I would say that the combination of excellence in sports AND within education can make us as much a formidable competitor as they make us well rounded in what we can do with our lives and for our communities! Our son, Josh, has been a recipient of the Jim Goodlett Award for the three years he was eligible. We’re so appreciative of Jim and Jimi’s contribution to our surfing community.