ABOUT US
OUR STORY
Locals Surf School was founded in NYC by two life-long surfers who have a passion for teaching, surfing, and sharing their love of the sport with others. Since 2011, Locals has grown into an established brand that is recognized for its excellent service and deeply authentic surfing roots. As a local or non-local, one can trust the quality of services that we offer and identify with the culture that our company represents.
With strong community ties and family roots in Rockaway Beach, our goal is to positively impact more people, stay true to our roots, and foster the growth of the NY surf culture from which the company was born. Come join us as we share our unique and authentic Locals surfing experience.
Thanks for choosing Locals. We look forward to teaching you how to surf!
FOUNDERS & CORE VALUES BELOW
GET TO KNOW BELOW
OUR FOUNDERS: MIKE & MIKE
MIKE REINHARDT
A Master Level Instructor with NSSIA & ISA, Mike is one of the founding members of Locals and has over 11 years of leading and operating surf school & retreat programs. As a people-person who loves learning & teaching, he truly passionate about sharing his love for surfing with those who are eager to learn.
Mike is a 5th generation Rockaway resident and as such, he truly enjoys getting involved within the surf community, he is eager to continually foster that connection with the area!
Mike is also passionate about learning, growth, & discovery. As such, he has gone to great lengths to earn the highest level of certs & credentials that an instructor can obtain.
MIKE KOLOLYAN
Mike Kololyan, aka "Kook Mike", is the other half of the duo that founded Locals Surf School. Mike also grew up in the Rockaways and has been surfing here all of his life. One can always catch him around the neighborhood as he is known to keep very active by surfing, skating, running his several business, and being involved in the community.
He and Mike Reinhardt started Locals because they were eager to share their love of surfing and the Rockaways with others who wanted to experience more joy in their lives. As such, Mike is committed to being a force of , joy, positivity and growth within the surf community.
Get inspired by Mike's story and learn with the best!
OUR CORE VALUES BELOW
CORE VALUES
Every good company that takes pride in what they do and that cares about the people they work with has strong, clearly-defined core values. After years of building Locals Surf School to the business it is now, we have come up with our own set of core values that we believe embody who we are as a small surf company.
Have Fun and Ensure Clients are Having Fun
We want this job to be enjoyable for our instructors and we want instructors to know that part of the fun is to making sure your students are having fun
Be Positive and Proactive
There can be many challenges when working with the elements of mother nature. Our exceptional instructors are able to remain positive no matter the situation and take initiative to ensure the best practices are in place at all times.
Provide Exceptional Value
We are committed to providing exceptional value to our clients. Instructors should make this their mission each time they teach a client.
High Quality Instruction
Our team strives to teach our students a wide variety of topics and skills that are consistent with our training and certifications. Our goal is to give more than just a great surf experience and make sure that our students come away from their lessons having LEARNED as much as possible.
Be Safe & Promote Safety
Surfing comes with some risks. We want to make sure that all of our instructors are constantly reminding themselves and their students of safe practices. After all, this experience can't be valuable, fun, or positive if it's not safe.
Giving Back
Giving back to the community is an integral part of the Locals Surf School culture. We achieve this in the following ways:
• Monthly beach cleanups
• Annual fundraiser for a local child in need
• Partnering with A Walk on Water for their Annual surf therapy even for kids with unique needs
• Partnering with Life Rolls on for their surf event for people with disabilities
• Annual winter toy and clothing drive
• Annual surf camp donation to a deserving child
• Annual donor to the Surfrider Foundation
WHY SURF WITH US
Locals is committed to providing the best possible lessons in the most fun and safe environment. We accomplish this by obtaining an abundance of certifications, by hiring the best staff, providing thorough training, and through a commitment to excellence…. And oh yeah, we like to have fun!