After Meeting Jack and Peter Stewart when they were guest speakers at the Imperial Beach Kiwanis Meeting this August, they seemed like your very typical 12 year old boys living at the beach. But after their shared their story of their surfing  experiences and achievements, I found they were both that and at the same time very talented 12 year olds and were already competing successfully at high level surfing competitions.  

After Meeting Jack and Peter Stewart when they were guest speakers at the Kiwanis Meeting  in August they seemed like your very typical 12 year old boys living at the beach. But after their shared their story of their surfing achievements, I found they were anything but typical as they were already competing at high levels in surfing competitions and have already been making a name for themselves  in the surfing community.

Both boys want to be pro surfers and travel the world.  They hope from surfing to get an athletic scholarship to college and study marine biology or oceanographic studies.

They both compete in the Western Surfing Association (WSA), National Surfing Association (NSA), Volcom VQS Global Competition, and also local San Diego contests 

Jack and Peter Stewart are your typical 12 year old boys growing up in Imperial Beach in so many ways. They love to ride their skateboards at the Skate Park, They enjoy fishing at the pier, like being around the beach  with their friends, especially their best friend Bruce.

 They both started surfing at 8 years old. However, Jack was the first one to learn and he later taught his brother Peter how to surf. Jack is a goofy foot and Peter surf both goofy foot and regular foot. If you don't follow surfing that can be a little confusing, If someone says they are a goofy foot it means that when the go to takeoff (ride a wave) and decide to go to the left direction. they will be riding facing the wave. For someone who isn't a goofy foot (a regular) they would have their back to the wave. So when a goofy footer decides to go to the right on the wave, he will be surfing with his back to the wave and the other would them be surfing with his face to the wave. 

Jack's biggest thrill this year was getting invited to a Global World Championship by Volcom and also riding big waves.  Peter, who started surfing after Jack, has ranked in the Top Ten in the nation just a few years after beginning competition.

When asked what was Most important to him Peter listed: #1 god #2 family #3 school #4 surfing then fishing and hanging out with my friends and surfing with my friends. 

Jack said his hobbies were: my hobbies are surfing, bodyboarding, longboarding, fishing, skateboarding, tuna fishing, my cat and surfing with my friends.

When speaking with their mother, Lorina, about the boys, she had this to say." Yes, Jack is a lefty and a goofy foot and taught Peter how to surf, so Peter is a rightly and a goofy foot too.

 Favorite surf spots in IB are north side, Bocs, Sidewalks, and Descanso.  In California... Trestles, Seeside reef in Cardiff, Ventura, Morrow Bay, River Jetties in Newport Beach

The boys are on the IB Middle School Surf Team Scholastic Surf Series.  The team took second place in 2014, +third in 2015 in the Middle Schools Division 2.

Probably the boy's biggest mentor has been their dad.  Also all the old school surfers in IB that have influenced them in the five years of competition and free surfing.

Jack's favorite surfer is Kelly Slater, Jordy Smith, and Filepe Toledo.  Peter's are Kelly Slater, Jordy Smith and Joel Parkinson.

I think I could see the boy's very interested in marine biology or commercial fishing, or perhaps involved in the surf industry."

If you get a chance you can see the Boys Competing at the Dempsey Holder Surf Contest in 

 Imperial Beach at the Pier on November 7th.

As you can see these boys are very talented and very grounded and we all wish them the best success in the future and hope their surfing can lead them to a college scholarship so they can complete their dreams. 

I would like to especially thank the Jack and Peter's mother Lorina for getting the information and photographs of the boys to me for the article. Both Jack and Peter as well as their mother Lorina were such nice people to have gotten the chance to meet and know better.

Paul Spear, Editor

Dig Imperial Beach

                                            ###