A Redondo Beach Native and His Longtime Friend Extend Their Passion for Surfing to Locals and Visitors

“My dad taught me to surf when I was 6 years old at RAT Beach, and that was such a lasting memory of him,” recalls Ryan of his late father, Rick Wheeler. “Surfing was a big part of his life. Every morning, we’d go grab doughnuts at Eat This in Redondo and check the waves at Avenue C. It was a way that we bonded. I was a Junior Lifeguard and went to the beach every day after school. It was always just surfing, surfing, surfing.”

After a few minutes of talking to Ryan, who has braved 20-foot waves and been stung by jellyfish three times, it’s clear that surfing is his calling. His entire right arm is covered with an elaborate tattoo depicting an underwater scene of the Topaz Jetty in Redondo Beach (or “Zopat” as locals call it), where he conducts nearly all of his lessons.

“Surfing is my stress reliever,” he says. “It’s the best exercise, and it’s also great for your mind. It requires focus, patience and being in the present moment, which puts me in a meditative state. I’m not very religious in general, but I’m drawn to the ocean and all of its energy and power. It’s almost healing.”

For the past several years, he’s devoted his time to raising his three boys—ages 12, 8 and 20 months—and coaching their teams, teaching surfing during the day and moonlighting as a server at The Cheesecake Factory. “Being a professional coach or doing something in the sports industry was something I really wanted to do,” explains Ryan. “I played a lot of different sports including volleyball and soccer.”

But he never fathomed becoming a surf instructor until an opportunity arose from a friend who was looking for help for a summer program at EF International Language Center.

“I taught kids from Germany, France and China. One time there was one who came to the beach with flippers, a Speedo, goggles and a snorkel,” recalls Ryan. “And I was like, ‘Dude, you have to take off your goggles and snorkel,’ and he wouldn’t. But he stood up on the board, and it was a great success story.”

“We’re not selling surf lessons, we’re selling stokes. We’re taking people out there to get them stoked on the waves and making sure they have fun.”

During COVID-19, Ryan realized this might be a great way to earn a living while also helping people along the way by sharing his passion. “I feel so privileged to have grown up in the South Bay and have the ocean at my fingertips,” he says. “I want to pass that on to people visiting Redondo Beach. If you’re coming here, you might as well learn how to surf.”

Three years ago Ryan teamed up with Kawika Ching, owner of surf school Surf Blessons, for on-call lessons for hotel guests at Redondo Beach Hotel and Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina, as well as other groups of up to eight. “We went to high school together and are really good friends,” says Ryan. “When one of us can’t make it, we help each other out and share clients.”

Though the surf academy operates entirely word of mouth, Ryan advertises by parking his black Dodge Ram along The Esplanade bedecked with a custom logo designed by his tattoo artist, “Big 5” at Union Electric Tattoo in Gardena. He regularly dispenses business cards to El Burrito Junior and Dive N’ Surf.

Ryan and Kawika have taught students from many walks of life—from Texas business executives to children with special needs. “Seeing the pure joy and happiness from the kids to be able to accomplish something challenging is what I like most,” says Ryan. “This is a sport for everyone. Surfing doesn’t have a prejudice toward anybody.”

In each session, Ryan includes a comprehensive overview of paddling techniques and ocean safety, like what to do when a wave approaches or how to handle a wipeout. After losing his father to melanoma and recently having a cancerous lesion removed from his own chest, he’s adamant about skin cancer awareness and the importance of wearing reef-safe sunscreen.

He also weaves in some life and surf principles, like avoiding panic mode when things don’t go as planned and not giving up when missing a wave. “As surfers, we have no sense of fear and we have to stay calm—it’s in our DNA,” says Ryan. “It’s important to stay positive. Kawika always says the best thing: ‘We’re not selling surf lessons, we’re selling stokes.’ We’re taking people out there to get them stoked on the waves and making sure they have fun.”

For Ryan, it goes beyond simply teaching a sport. “I couldn’t find something else I’d rather be doing,” he says. “I feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s like that proverb: ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.’ So that’s the same thing with surfing. I like to think I’m teaching a whole lifestyle that could potentially change the way someone lives.”

The ocean is where Ryan prefers to be as often as possible—whether for work or pleasure. “When I don’t surf, I feel different. I feel like I need to get out in the water. My wife will attest to that. She’ll just tell me to go surfing whenever I’m grumpy.”