Part 2 of 3

Mike Gerhardt and camper, tandem surfing at the Ride a Wave beach camp, Santa Cruz. Photo courtesy of Howard "Boots" McGhee.

by Heidi Trilling

Parenthood is a balancing act: meeting the needs of your children while meeting your own needs. Add household upkeep, full-time work,   exercise — and each day is filled to  the brim.

Big wave surfing couple Sarah and Mike Gerhardt, parents of a 4-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, renew their spirits by giving of themselves even more, by volunteering in their community.

“It feels good to give back,” Mike says, “to help out in your neighborhood and get your kids involved, so they can see what it means to volunteer. … Sarah and I are Christian folks trying to set the foundation of our faith this way. … It’s important to reach out and connect to something bigger than yourself.”

“We try to teach our kids by example,” Sarah adds. “They’re young now, but they can see where our values and priorities are.”

Setting priorities is second nature to the Gerhardts, whose professional work depends on it. Sarah, 35, holds a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she did leading-edge cancer therapy research. She taught chemistry at Cabrillo College, and currently works in pharmaceutical sales. A general contractor with Santa Cruz County Builders, Mike, 42, oversees crews and navigates troubleshooting aspects for all residential remodels.

Both Gerhardts are also industry-recognized surfers. They catch Santa Cruz waves regularly and surf the menacing swells at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay each stormy season.

“Mike’s a world-class big wave rider, but he’s too modest to tell people — so I do it for him,” says Shaun Healy, carpenter and colleague of Mike’s. “He’s been in the Mavericks Surf Contest. He’s even on a Coors ad, surfing a 20-foot wave — one of the best Mavericks shots I’ve ever seen! I always keep a few posters in my car. Clients are so excited when they realize there’s a celeb working on their house!”

“Want to hear a funny story about the Coors ad?” Mike asks. “I called the headquarters in Golden, Colorado. I said: ‘You’re a brewing company, I’m a construction worker. How about a case of beer?’ Spoke with a top-level guy who said it’s not that easy to deliver a case. … So then, they came to town to sponsor the Coldwater Classic. They were using that same Mavericks photo of me on their coasters … but no case of beer! It was just hilarious — one of the biggest beer companies in the world, and they were telling me that they just can’t get a case of beer delivered! … But I have my own poster, which is a cool little thing to have. … The kids will appreciate that, one day!”

“Both Gerhardts are superstar athletes who are also just the folks next door,” says Jason Camara, instructor of organic chemistry at Cabrillo College and Sarah’s former colleague. “Sarah goes after her surfing the way she has gone after her education and her teaching: with a lot of confidence, tenacity, hard work … but she is very humble. So is Mike. They’re role models as far as handling it all: They always seem so calm and relaxed … whether they’re surfing big waves or taking care of their kids.”

Or taking care of their community.

Sarah has been a keynote speaker at Girls, Inc. and Expanding Your Horizons conferences, empowering young girls to dream big and draw inspiration from strong women role models.

“Surfing and science have traditionally been considered male-dominated, so my background in both makes me attractive to groups wanting to inspire girls,” Sarah says. “It’s important to me to help young women this way. It’s also great because their dads come — and they need inspiration and encouragement just as much!”

The Gerhardts also inspire and encourage people at the beach. Both are devotedly involved with the non-profit Ride a Wave Foundation, which provides joyful surf camps to children with special needs. Mike is one of the top tandem surfers, and Sarah manages meals for all campers, parents and volunteers.

“It’s probably the most rewarding surfing I do,” Mike says. “We’ve got a really talented pool of surfers and non-surfers helping out. You know, all of us — we’ve got to be the hands and feet of the Good News … give of ourselves, do things for people who are less fortunate. It could be financial support, or something physical, but just do something for your community.”

“It brings so much happiness to so many people,” Sarah continues. “All of us are so stoked to be out there with the children and parents.”

Danny Cortazzo, founder of Ride a Wave, is emphatic about the Gerhardts’ dedication: “Their volunteerism is so impressive. Both of them have an intense passion for the ocean, for surfing, for helping the children … you couldn’t pick two more responsible people in the water than Mike and Sarah. … I attribute the success of our program to the Gerhardts and people like them. They’re amazing. I’m so honored to have them as my friends.”