Neighbors in the NewsM.T. Bourque Catches the Wave! Local surfer Mary Townsend Bourque, a rising sophomore at Wando High School, has been carving up the competition in local and regional surfing contests. Here are a few photos of M.T. catching the breaks. The Island Eye News recently published a profile about M.T. - we thought we'd share this story (see below), along with a few additional photos, of this burgeoning island star. Also, if you'd like more information and would like to support M.T., go to www.mtbourque.org   It Takes an Island
by Ali Akhyari
Reprinted with permission from the Island Eye News
Surfing has long been considered, by the more romantic among us, as a state-of-mind which has created an evolving, world-wide collective of people that are perpetually sharing the experience of riding waves. Souls are revived and awakened in this primordial element. For those who take up the board and strive to find the point where man, nature, and raw energy can coexist, surfing becomes passion. M.T. Bourque can tell you all about that.
Fifteen year-old Bourque, or "T" as she is called, has been surfing for several years now. "Surfing is really addictive," she says with a smile. That's evident when your favorite board came out of a trashcan. She found a JS whose fins had been ripped out and had been beaten up pretty badly. But with some guidance from Charleston Watersports, she fixed it up and dot herself a very rideable $13 board (the cost of fiberglass and resin).
But with her garbage board, T is getting her fix. She says she loves the adrenaline of surfing and the feeling of dropping in on one of the bigger sets which we occasionally get in the Lowcountry. However, her passion is beginning to take her to different breaks. The search is on.
Recently, Bourque competed in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals and fond herself surfing beautiful chest-high waves in Puerto Rico. In 2008, she was invited to the Eastern Surfing Championships in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, one of the best sections of surf on the east coast, where she placed 10th among the best ESA surfers in her division; including Keenan Lineback. The experience was inspiring. She has since been making a name for herself in her group within the Southern South Carolina division of the ESA, consistently placing in the top three as she travels to compete in as many contests as she can. Her new goal is to master "Regionals."
But Bourque has fouind out that sometimes it takes a village to raise a child. Competitive surfing can get expensive and dreams are often put aside when money is a factor. However, local business owners have been instrumental in making sure she gets a shot at the next level. When Bourque began to approach local businesses to sponsor her, she wasn't sure what to expect. But the response was overwhelming.
"I walked in there as a scared little girl," Bourque recalls when she approached Malcolm Burgess of the Windjammer. She wasn't sure how it would go. It was the off-season for island business, meaning money was scarce. She explained the situation, her desire, and gave him a packet of information. Burgess read it and offered her some money. As she continued to seek help, a community began to take shape around her. Just like the surf mentality that connects people from all over the world, local business persons were being brought together by a single girl's desire. She was humbled by the selflessness that was being displayed. In the midst of an economic crisis and a town that floats through winter on Summer money, people reached into their hearts.
" I was thrilled that they would actually support me with my dreams," Bourque says.
In addition to the Windjammer, Bill Ripley of Horizon Pacific joined the cause. His wife, knowing the expense of travel since Bill has opened a business in Costa Rica, was very understanding. Mark Elasai of Tasi placed Bourque among the female athletes which his business sponsors. Charleston Water Sports, Splash, Everett Presson, Demi Matouchev of Edward Jones, Rick Houston with the Atlantic Spine Clinic, Palmetto RV, Island Liquors, Allied Mortgage and Peter Coleman are among those who have done something to support her dream. In fact, after displaying her dedication and surfing 12 hours one day, Rick Houston happened to walk by on the beach and gave Bourque some much needed therapy on her back.
In awe of all the support she has received, Bourque had a jacket made with logos of all of her sponsors on it. The jacket and printing were a gift from Peter Coleman. While the logos she proudly wears are not the typical Lost, Quicksilver or Roxy emblems you might typically find on a surfboard, they are most certainly representative of something even more special: a spirit of community that uniquely exists on our East of the Cooper islands. As T paddles toward her dream, the desire in her heart coupled with the push of her community will provide the swell needed to catch the next wave.
Thanks to those two pieces of momentum, T is surfing in at least nine contests this year. There's no telling how far she'll go after that. But when one looks out over the Atlantic Ocean where life has been shaped by the endless sea, the possibilities seem infinite. |
Welcome to the NeighborhoodA Great Place to Come Home To! We want to extend a big, neighborly welcome to new residents Anne & John Bauer. The Bauers moved into the Beachside neighborhood several months back and have jumped right into the social (and political) scene by joining the Isle of Palms Neighborhood Association. Anne and Jack have, we must say, a very fascinating background. We thought we'd share their story here (bios below). We're excited they have chosen IOP to make their home. Welcome to the neighborhood!  Anne Bauer has recently retired as a colonel in the Army Nurse Corps. She grew up in Michigan, met her husband John in Denver on her first tour of duty in 1969. She was transferred to the Army hospital in Munich, Germany, for two years to fulfill her active duty requirement. Retuning to civilian life, she worked in hospital medicine until her three children were grown, and then went back to active duty in 1998. After tours in Tennessee, Maryland, and Texas, she ended her career in the Pentagon as Deputy Surgeon, Chief of the Army Reserve, as a key player in the structuring of the Warrior Transition Units, the first major change in soldier care since 1947. She plans to continue working as a part-time nurse at the VA Hospital. John Bauer has recently retired from teaching as a member of the graduate faculty, University of Memphis, having pioneered the online program in the College of Education. He grew up in California and after college served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa. He was drafted shortly after his return and sent to Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader. Upon being wounded in action, he was hospitalized first in Japan, and then in Denver, where he met his wife Anne. He was first a high school English teacher, but after his travels began with Anne, he went back to school for his doctorate with a specialty in Educational Technology. He plans to finish writing a novel and work on a series of children’s stories. |
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