Riley Santos, a 16-year-old Winston School sophomore, has tackled many challenges in his life. His latest accomplishment – spending more than nine hours surfing wave after wave at Mission Beach to raise money for charity. As a result of surfing 129 waves in a single day, the Pacific Beach resident raised $1,527 for Boys to Men, an organization that provides mentoring for fatherless and at-risk teen boys. Santos and some friends rode the waves for the organization’s recent 100 Wave Challenge.
“It was really fun, and it’s great raising money for this important organization,” Santos said. “Boys need dads and other mentors to help stay away from drugs and have a good life.”
An avid surfer, Santos said his friends were up for the challenge, and when he heard about it, he was too. Santos surfs most days in the mornings or after school, and said he enjoys the fact that every day is a new surfing experience. “The waves and surf conditions are different every day, and there are so many fun things you can do on a board, including switch foot,” Santos said.
Santos started surfing about two and a half years ago, when his dad and friends grabbed their boards and ran in the water. He followed along, and has been hooked ever since. He also enjoys fishing and sailing.
Santos, whose favorite academic subject is biology, has been at the Winston School for three years. He said he enjoys the school’s smaller classes and the ability to get support when needed. Last year, he gave a presentation to the student body about surfing.
Santos said he’s looking forward to participating in the 100 Wave Challenge again next year.