About Us

Certified Surf Instructor

Jill Nakano is a certified master surf instructor by completing a thorough certification program by the National Surf School and Instructors Association (NSSIA).  She has been surfing up and down the sunny Southern California for the last 35 years.

Background

Born in San Diego, California, Jill is a California native who caught the stoke of surfing after a trip with relatives to Hawaii in the early 90s. After that moment, she started dragging her first surfboard into the rolling surf at beautiful Tourmaline Surf Park in Pacific Beach, California and became a regular in the lineup.  That's where she began to hone her surfing skills, and has continued to do so, even today in Huntington Beach near where she lives.  

Competitor

Jill's love for surfing would eventually get her involved with Coalition Surfing Club competitions.  First competing with Pacific Beach Surf Club in the early 2000s, whose team members comprised of some well-known surfers including Jen Smith, Pablo Smith, Mary Bagalso, Keven and Pearl Connelly to name a few, and later after moving to Long Beach, California would join Long Beach Surf Club whose members include 1970s United States Champion, Jericho Poppler and Surf Announcer and Commentator, Dave Stanfield.  And in 2011, Jill was the first woman who received the club's honorable "jacket" for her surfing accomplishments. 

Surfing Community 

For years she had been a competitive longboard surfer in Coalition Surfing events, including the Malibu Longboard Class, Doheny's Gathering of the Tribes at Church and many other events.  This led her to become involved with Roxy Women's Longboarding and Linda Benson's Professional Women's Longboard events in her mid 40s as a professional surfer.

Teaching

She has been involved with Boarding House Mentors, teaching  kids from the inner city, Los Angeles, some who have never seen the beach.  And, CSR Annual Kid's Day at Marine Stadium, in Long Beach, California, by volunteering her time to introduce kids with challenges to the sport of surfing.  

For You

Today, Jill is still competitive and enjoys surfing and teaching, immensely, and if you decide to try out a sport that will hook you the moment you step into the surf, she will be right by your side.  She will provide valuable one-on-one, personal instruction, and will leave you with the "good tired" feeling of accomplishment, a morning well spent riding out a wave.  "There's no better feeling and thrill of riding out your first wave."

Carson is an 18-pound, 7-year old male terrier mix from Long Beach, California, who was rescued in 2014 from Fur Babies Rescue in South Central LA, a no kill shelter finding forever homes for their animals.  Carson, an active willful little pup, is athletic, energetic, playful and very loyal, who loves to follow his owners everywhere.  As a puppy his nickname was Carnado because he debuted at our home as a whirling path of destruction throughout the house.  It wasn’t long before he found himself in basic puppy obedience classes and then behavioral training with Nikki Meyers, CPDT-KA.  Carson was introduced to racing, agility, dock diving and lure coursing before his surfing career came to life.  Starting in 2015 he began to follow in his big brother Kihei’s champion surf dog footsteps, and he’s now well on his way to becoming a champion surf dog just like Kihei.  In the past three years Carson has participated in many surf-dog events in California, and has a number of first place finishes under his collar. When on land, Carson loves to chase squirrels, play ball at the beach, go trail running, perform agility and doggie parkour.  His most favorite pastime is eating biscuits. He appeared as a guest with his owner on the Tamron Hall Talk show in February 2022.  

Awards: 

2022

3rd Place Small Dog, Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge Western Regionals, Huntington Beach, CA

2021 

1st Place Small Dog, Surf City Surf Dog Huntington Beach, CA 

1st Place Small Dog Surfing), World Dog Surfing Championships 

1st Place Tandem Dog/Dog (Carson, Giselle, Athalie), HWAC Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, Del Mar, CA 

1st Place Tandem Dog/Dog (Charlie, Carson), World Dog Surfing Championships 3rd Place Tandem Dog/Human (Carson, Jill), World Dog Surfing Championships  

2020 

1st Place Small Dog Heat Live, Highlight Reel, 1st Small Dog Video (4-way tie), Best Surf Dog Photo, 1st Place Tandem Dog - Seven Dog Party Wave (Flofy, Tristan, Brandy the Pug, Faith, Derby, Charlie and Carson), World Dog Surfing & Taste TV 2020 Livestream Hybrid Event  

1st Place Freestyle Category- Seven Dog Tandem ride (Flofy, Tristan, Brandy, Faith, Derby, Charlie and Carson), Surf Dog Surf A Thon Virtual, Del Mar, CA  

2019 

1st Place Owner Launched, McKenna Subaru Surf City Surf Dog Event, Huntington Beach, CA  

1st Place Extra Small Dog, HWAC Surf Dog Surf A Thon, Del Mar, CA  

1st Place Small Dog and 3rd Place Top Dog Award, World Dog Surfing Championships, Pacifica, CA