A little bit about us…

The Kinnane and Barend families have much in common, but a deep respect and love for surfing is what brought the idea of having a seasonal surf camp into fruition back in 2009. Maureen (now Azize) and Janie were born and raised in Little Compton, RI. Their large family can be seen in the water throughout the year, and they add local knowledge and great teaching expertise into our team. Maureen and Janie have traveled to many places surfing, and they enjoy sharing the art of a sport that blesses their entire family. 

Ana and Chuck met in Hawaii in the early 1990s when Ana was surfing on the professional world tour. When Ana went to college Chuck joined the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and upon Ana’s graduation, they got married. They got stationed in Martha’s Vineyard, Newport, and Hawaii, where their twins, Ed and Maria, were born (they are now LC Surf Camp instructors!). The Barends moved to Little Compton in 2003 and met the Kinnane family through surfing and homeschooling—which birthed our surf camp!

Individually speaking, when Janie is not in the water or enjoying family, she is making the world a more beautiful place by creating. Janie is an amazing artist, and her work can be seen at https://charlielou.com.  

Chuck, when not in the water, is working as a caregiver. Chuck and Ana closed their surf shop in 2018, and they both reinvented themselves; they are now doing what they love in serving others.

Maureen is a very busy mother. She is the webmaster for our camp and loves taking photos for fun (https://www.maureenazize.com/). She also enjoys embracing the beauty of Little Compton daily with her family on their family farm.

Ana, when not in the water, she is working as a licensed mental health counselor at The Well in Bridgewater, MA (www.visitthewell.org), or studying for her doctorate program. She also loves to go for runs in our beautiful Little Compton.