SAN DIEGO—
A local surfer combined her passion of surfing with her passion for human rights and created an organization that helps homeless kids.Emi Koch doesn't so much surf on her longboard, she dances effortlessly. It's not just her body that dances, her mind does too. Not long ago, her mind stuck on one particular fact.
"If the world was comprised into a village of 100 people, only one person would have access to a college education or a computer," Koch said. "I realized I had no choice but to help those 99 other people."
"Beyond The Surface," a non-profit organization since 2009 was created by Koch to raise money to fund programs that help homeless and underprivileged kids in Peru, South Africa and India - countries that host surfing competitions, but then are forgotten by the surfers.
"There are 17 million surfers and we're in this $7.2 billion industry. There is something we have to do for these kids that we meet in these contests," she said.
Koch realized she needed money to help the kids with items besides boards, such as towels and coffee. She convinced the owner of Bird Rock Coffee Roasters to donate one dollar for every pound of coffee sold under the "Beyond the Surface" label.
"She came to us with this project and it was a perfect fit," said Chuck Patton, owner of Bird Rock Coffee Roasters. "We buy coffee from Peru, Africa and India, and this is the hub of surf culture in San Diego, so it was nothing to think about other than yeah, sounds great."
She also convinced the owner of Surf Indian in Pacific Beach to do the same thing with beach towels.
"One thing I know is it's true to her heart," said Chris Rule, owner of Surf Indian. "I think the concern she has for the children comes first and the business enterprise is a way to help fun that. It's so genuine, you can't ignore that."
Koch said she started surfing at the age of two at Tourmaline Beach in Pacific Beach. Jeffrey, her dad, pushed her out into the water. Now at the age of 20, her skills earned her a spot on the Billabong Surf Team. Her intelligence took her from Our Lady of Peace High School to Georgetown University in Washington, DC and her determination has helped her go beyond the surface.
"It's a combination I think of both a drive and a passion," said Jeffrey Koch. "When she gets behind something, there are no boundaries for her. If there are, she pushes through them."
Emi said she doesn't want to simply fund the programs, she planned to be hands-on.
"I want to be in the field," she said. "I want to be really making a difference on a day-to-day level."
She's realized that surfing can help her do just that.
To help Emi with her cause, click here .
