We have some exciting news to share.

Sunrise Surf Academy has been named a Most Loved 2026 winner by the Santa Monica Daily Press — voted by the residents of Santa Monica themselves. This one means a lot to us.

 There are a lot of awards out there, but there is something different about being recognized by the people who actually live here. Santa Monica is our home. These are our neighbors, our camp families, our students, and the locals we share the water with every single day. To know that this community sees what we are building and took the time to vote for us is something we do not take for granted for a single second.

Why This Award Means So Much To Us?!?

 The Santa Monica Daily Press has been the voice of the Santa Monica community for decades. Their Most Loved awards are chosen entirely by local residents, no algorithms, no paid placements, just real people voting for the businesses they love. That makes this recognition genuinely meaningful to us. 

Sunrise Surf Academy was built on a simple idea: that surfing is about more than just catching waves. It is about confidence, connection, courage, and a lifelong love of the ocean. We started with that belief and we have never wavered from it.

Every morning our coaches show up to the beach with one goal — to give every single student the best possible experience in the water. Whether it is a five-year-old catching their very first wave at our Venice Beach camp, a teenager pushing their surfing to the next level at Will Rogers, or an adult finally checking "learn to surf" off their bucket list, we bring the same energy and care to every session.

This award is a reflection of that commitment. And more than anything, it is a reflection of the incredible community that has supported us from day one.

Thank You!!!

To every family who has brought their child to camp, every student who has taken a lesson with us, every local who has cheered us on from the shore — thank you. This award belongs to you as much as it does to us.

We are incredibly proud to call Santa Monica and the greater Westside home, and we are just getting started.

 If you have been thinking about trying a surf lesson or enrolling your child in our Summer Surf Camp, there is no better time. We are currently running camp at Venice Beach and Will Rogers State Beach all summer long, with availability for private and group lessons year round.

See you in the water.

— Conor & the Sunrise Surf Academy Team