“Are you the Secours populaire?” asks Benoît Rambeau to the users of the bus that has just parked between the maritime pines. It’s them: around thirty beneficiaries of the association who have come straight from Langon. “It’s not a short road to get here, to the Grand Crohot beach,” smiles one of the guides. “But it’s worth it!” Activities organized by the Bordeaux association Surf Insertion await them for this July 31. On the program: discovery of ocean flora and fauna in the morning and surfing for the youngest in the afternoon. All hosted by Benoît, known as Ben Beach.
Making the ocean known
On the coast, he is known as the white wolf. He greets all the surfers he meets with an “Aloha”, and a sign of the…
“Are you the Secours populaire?” asks Benoît Rambeau to the users of the bus that has just parked between the maritime pines. It’s them: around thirty beneficiaries of the association who have come straight from Langon. “It’s not a short road to get here, to the Grand Crohot beach,” smiles one of the guides. “But it’s worth it!” Activities organized by the Bordeaux association Surf Insertion await them for this July 31. On the program: discovery of ocean flora and fauna in the morning and surfing for the youngest in the afternoon. All hosted by Benoît, known as Ben Beach.
Making the ocean known
On the coast, he is known as the white wolf. He greets all the surfers he meets with an “Aloha” and a hand signal typical of the board sport: a shaka. A surfer since childhood, the man with now graying hair has been sharing his passion and knowledge of the territory for twenty-four years. “I am an influencersurf – a mix of influencer and surfing –,” the fifty-year-old likes to say. “I am a popularizer and a transmitter of happiness on the beach.”
Benoît Rambeau, known as Ben Beach, has worked at Surf Insertion for twenty-four years.
M.S.
Every year, with the Surf Insertion association, he supports 3,000 young people from around a hundred different structures. The organization’s goal is to raise awareness about the ocean among a public that knows little or nothing about this environment. “Many of the young people we receive don’t know how to swim. A third of them have never seen the sea.” However, among the public we welcome, 70% come from Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This is the case for these families from Langonne, who are busy unloading their belongings from the Secours populaire bus. Umbrellas, coolers and beach games fill the arms of each and every one. Once the bus is emptied, the day can begin.
The “TPV-TDN” philosophy
“Your attention please!” Silence falls. Ears prick up towards Ben Beach. The surfer recalls the day’s events and the possibility of attending, for those who wish, his workshop on discovering the territory. “I’m like Obelix, I fell into it when I was little. So, if you want to know more, it’s with me that it happens.” A few end up giving in to the call of the waves and break away from the group. Those who stayed listen to Benoît attentively. “At Surf Insertion, our mentality is ”TPV-TDN: You take the wave, you give to nature”.” A quote so imbued in his mentality that he made a T-shirt out of it.
In front of an attentive audience, Benoît explains the specificities of the coastal environment.
M.S.
“Here, we have four territories in one: a forest, a wetland, a dune, a beach with the ocean.” The host talks about the nature that surrounds them, stringing together anecdotes and puns. “Look at the ants! Do you know their cry? The ant roars…” Between the life of the maritime pines, the beachgrass, the dune everlastings, the frogs and the shark eggs, his audience finds itself well informed about what surrounds them.
Understanding the ocean also means knowing how sand is formed, why water is salty, what a rip current is, and knowing the consequences of plastic on the environment. The former lifeguard explains everything in detail. “Did you learn a little bit?” he asks an hour later. The group nods, delighted with their morning. “I found it very interesting,” rejoices Kathy, who came with her two granddaughters. “I used to bring back little plants from the beach, but I learned that you really have to be careful with them.”
A big first
2 p.m., it’s finally time to get in the water for eight youngsters. Cameron, 10, has a smile that stretches from ear to ear. “He was at camp last week and was supposed to go surfing, but he couldn’t because he was too small,” says his mother. The big day has arrived. Many questions are running through the little boy’s head. “I forgot to put on sunscreen, is that bad? And can I put on my diving goggles?”
The dreaded moment of putting on a wetsuit has arrived.
M.S.
Before jumping into the waves, the youngsters have to face the wetsuits. Complaints escape from the group. “Oh no, I put it on backwards!” “It’s too small, right?” “It’s sticking to my skin, I can’t put it on…” Hélène watches the scene with a smile. Her two teenagers, Jade and Alexandre, are taking part in the activity this afternoon. “When I was younger, I would have loved to do it, so I’m very happy for them. And my son is a fan of Brice de Nice,” she confides, amused. Facing the ocean, you have to know how to adapt. The tide is too high and there are too few waves. The surf session turns into a bodyboarding activity. “It doesn’t matter, that’ll be great too!” smiles Sofiane, 14.
Jade, 17, discovers the joy of letting herself be carried by the waves thanks to bodyboarding.
M.S.
Finally in the water!
To get into the water, you first have to climb the dune. Cameron has trouble carrying his board. One over his head, one under his arm, one behind him dragging it in the sand. Splash, finally in the Atlantic! Ben Beach stands at the edge of the jetty, his toes in the water. He watches his apprentices of the day with kindness.
“The waves belong to everyone. With this kind of day, we show that everyone has the right to come,” he smiles. “But you have to be patient. The ocean is a lesson in humility.” The youngsters are knocked over by the swell. Some eat a few grains of sand. They sink into the waves until they manage to be carried. Hélène, at the water’s edge, took out her phone to immortalize the moment. “It’s pure happiness! I’m especially happy for my son who spends a lot of time in front of the consoles. We managed to get him out and he’s having a blast!”
Hélène proudly films her two children’s first bodyboarding experience.
M.S.
Since the beginning of the year, Surf Insertion has led 120 workshops like this one at Grand Crohot. In twenty-seven years of existence, the association has supported more than 90,000 young people from the Estuaire to Hendaye, in workshops of this type or in eco-citizen projects.
