A day at the beach turned into a day of achievement and excitement for dozens of North County students as they paddled into the surf beneath the Oceanside Pier during TERI’s annual Surfin’ Fire Beach Day on May 21.
About 30 students from TERI’s two schools for children with developmental disabilities and autism — The Learning Academy and The Country School — spent the day surfing alongside instructors and volunteers from Oceanside-based Surfin’ Fire Surf School. The event paired each student with experienced surfers, firefighters and lifeguards who helped them ride waves in a supportive environment.
The beach day has become a longstanding tradition between TERI and Surfin’ Fire, a partnership that dates back nearly two decades, according to a news release from TERI, which is an acronym for Training, Education & Resource Institute.
The event was created to give students an opportunity to experience the ocean and build confidence through surfing, according to Surfin’ Fire founder Jon Peterson, a longtime local surfer and firefighter from Carlsbad. The surfing school runs instruction and events in Oceanside, Carlsbad and Encinitas.
“When I co-owned GLS Soft Surf Boards, our shop backed up to the alley of the TERI schools and I saw all the TERI students walking by in groups with their instructors from time to time,” Peterson said in TERI’s news release. “About 18 years ago I went over and asked if I could put on a free surf day so they could experience the things that I grew up enjoying as I knew they typically never would get that opportunity.”
The tradition is now being carried forward by Peterson’s daughter and business partner, Kyla Peterson, who recently took over Surfin’ Fire’s Oceanside location. She said the program has personal roots for her family.
“One of my cousins has Down syndrome and used to visit us in the summer. My dad would always bring him to surf camp and he would have a blast,” Peterson said. “My dad loved it, so when he saw TERI, he had the idea of providing a free surf day to the students. He loves giving back to the community and feels so fulfilled being able to share his love for surfing with others.”
Peterson said watching the students enjoy the water remains the most rewarding part of the event.
“I recently took over our Oceanside location and want to continue the legacy that my dad built,” she said in the news release. “It is the best feeling to see these kids light up and some don’t want to get out of the water. The ocean is so healing and brings so much joy, so it’s awesome to get to continue this tradition now for the kids at TERI.”
TERI is based in Oceanside, and its Campus of Life is located in San Marcos.
This report was partially written using artificial intelligence, then updated, edited and fact-checked against source material by North Coast Current staff. View our AI policy on the About Us page.
