Once a member you will be kept up to date with the latest trips, opportunities, work, surf coaching and everything else Ground Swell does.

Plus you will have access to a massive list of discounts see here.

So if you are over 10 years old, and under 25, into surfing and want to join fill in this membership form.

The Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) has been working with Chris Thomson, Managing Director of Errant Surf Holidays and Cornwall Business Awards’ Young Business Person of the Year 2009, to set up Cross Step. Based on the success of other similar vocational schemes such as Fifteen Cornwall and RIO’s Xtra-Vert, Cross Step is a fresh project aimed at giving young Cornish people a new and accessible way to improve themselves and help get them into jobs, courses or apprenticeships.

Through practical and theory sessions, one on one training and plenty of water time, The ‘Cross Steppers’ graduate with a NARS Beach Lifeguard Award and a British Surfing Association (BSA) Award, as well as work experience and further surf coach training. On top of that, the recruits have the chance to grow marketing and presentation skills, develop their CVs and build industry contacts; fully equipping them to forge bright futures in the world of water sports.

The first ever group of Cross Step graduates were put through their paces by Chris and his team at Errant Surf Holidays during the summer 2009 season. Thomas Jarman, aged 24, Naomi Jane Webb, aged 23, both from Falmouth and Mitch Corbett, aged 22, from Newquay, graduated with qualifications that now allow them to work anywhere in the world as surf instructors and lifeguards. Naomi has gone on to secure a position at Falmouth Surf School and Thomas is keen to get into surf coaching and lifeguarding abroad. Mitch meanwhile is going on to be an ambassador for RIO, helping to spread the word about the organisation. In return RIO has agreed to sponsor him in surf contests over the next year.

Mitch Corbett says of the Cross Step scheme, “I am really stoked to be going on to be an ambassador for RIO as they do such great work with young people. Because of Cross Step I now have qualifications that can help me get a job and compete in surf competitions all over the world. It’s a real bonus to have proper qualifications in something I enjoy doing.”

Jodi Redgrove, founder and Project Manager Cross Step says, “We’ve had such a good outcome from the pilot Cross Step scheme because we’ve been able to tap into something that is not only relevant and exciting for young people but is also sustainable and useful. We’re hoping to build on this success and get even more young people trained up for 2010.”

The next Cross Step course starts in March and is open to all young people across Cornwall and will take place in Newquay. The deadline to apply for the first course of the year is 15 February and to qualify you must be aged 16-25, unemployed and not in education.

If you are interested in finding out more about the next round of Cross Step, get in touch at hannah.barattini@realideas.org.

In short, the more involvement you have with Ground Swell the more GS Credits you will receive. For example people enrolled on the six week (every Saturday) Surf Media Course will gain 800 credits. If the same people turn up each Tuesday to our GS hang outs (more details to follow at the weekend) then they will gain 50 GS credits each night.
Every couple of months, Ground Swell will be putting on free surf trips.

In the past these have been to Lanzarote, Spain and France. These trips will have a GS value of anything between 1,000 – 4,000 credits. You can exchange your GS credits for these trips.

You will get to use our latest equipment and software including access to the I Macs computer suite.

You will learn how to plan, shoot, edit and produce photo’s and videos for online content.

With the help of Josh Hughes and other professional surfers, you will learn what it takes to cut the perfect movie.

Ben Jones one of our Ground Swell team, and professional surf photographer will give you the chance to shoot from the water, a chance that is very rare within this industry.

As with all Ground Swell events this is free! But you do have to be quick to get involved. Extra cost may be incurred if you want your photos printed, and don’t forget with the help of our friends at The Print Enviroment we can have then printed on ANYTHING!

On the 22nd September 2009 we will launch the new Cross Steppers at the Errant Surf School base in Newquay, come join us and check out some of the other projects being run at the moment.