Ross, our director, is an avid, life-long surfer from Virginia Beach, VA and a graduate of the University of Virginia. He is also the proud husband of Hannah Byrd and father of two-year-old Ila! Ross was the Director of High School Ministries for Galilee Church in Virginia Beach for three years, and now serves in the same capacity at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, Va, where he is working on a Masters in theology. He has led summer camp sessions caring for children and teenagers in the Outer Banks, in Virginia, and even internationally in Nicaragua and China. As a surfer, he has ridden waves around the globe – from Costa Rica to Hawaii, California, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and Fiji. He is also an accomplished singer/songwriter. At Surf Hatteras, he is dedicated to ensuring that each camper is safe, well cared for, and having the week of his or her life.

Hannah is a native of Virginia Beach, but has spent her summers on Hatteras Island for the past twenty years. This is now Hannah’s sixth year as Surf Hatteras’ camp coordinator, and her passion for kids shows through in everything that she does. Hannah is a graduate of James Madison University where she studied Psychology, and is currently halfway through a Masters in Counseling. In the off-season she is on staff as a youth worker with her husband Ross at Christ Episcopal Church. Before Surf Hatteras she worked as a snowboard instructor at Massanutten Ski Resort, and for two summers she worked as an oceanfront lifeguard in Virginia Beach, where she placed in both local and regional lifeguard competitions. Her favorite aspect of Surf Hatteras is seeing each camper’s confidence increase over the course of the week – in surfing, and in just being who they are. She also LOVES being a mom.

John grew up surfing with our director Ross, and this is his fourth year working at Surf Hatteras. John graduated from Duke University with a master’s degree in coastal management and is currently teaching biology at Tidewater Community College. He has extensive experience leading and teaching youth, ranging from full time employment as a youth minister to volunteer work. John also spent two summers as a lifeguard at a sports camp outside Austin, Texas where he taught sailing and swimming. He is a self-proclaimed “beach rat” and has been surfing for nearly twenty years. John enjoys both shortboarding and longboarding and has extensive surf experience in the Outer Banks as well as Costa Rica, Hawaii, and California. When not surfing, John can be found fishing, boating, or in the nearest hammock.

Coleman is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Exercise & Sports Science, and he is returning for his third year as a surf instructor with Surf Hatteras. He is from Williamston, NC and has been surfing for 9 years, year-round, mostly on Hatteras Island. Coleman played both soccer and tennis in high school, and was active in Boy Scouts, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. As a former Surf Hatteras camper himself, he looks forward to making camp a great experience for every camper. Coleman is also an experienced skateboarder, snowboarder, and wakeboarder.

Lex returns this summer for his fifth year at Surf Hatteras and his third as a counselor. He is a rising sophomore at the University of Virginia and a member of St. Elmo Hall tentatively studying Pre-Med with a Religious Studies major on the side. As a Virginia Beach native, Lex grew up in the waves of Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks. Having seen his own surfing improve tremendously by viewing the video footage of himself at Surf Hatteras, he loves sharing the same experience with others. In Charlottesville, Lex keeps in touch with his lacrosse roots by reffing nearby high school and middle school games, and he also volunteers with the high school youth group at Christ Episcopal Church with Ross and Hannah.

Hilary is from Charlottesville, Virginia and just finished her first year at University of St. Andrews in Scotland where she studies Theology. This will be her second summer working at Surf Hatteras and she can’t wait for another great year of photographing and hanging out with campers. Hilary is an experienced photographer. She has participated in many photojournalism projects and her work has been displayed in a number of local galleries in both Charlottesville and St. Andrews. Hilary loves the outdoors, especially the Outer Banks, and looks forward to photographing and caring for surfers all summer long!

Peter is a veteran surf instructor of Surf Hatteras. He has grown up surfing with his family and friends, both in Virginia Beach and in the Outer Banks. He graduated from James Madison University with a degree in International Business, and also worked as a lifeguard and an employee of Freedom Surf Shop in Virginia Beach during college. For five years he was a committed leader with WyldLife, and has led several summer camp trips to Rockbridge, Va. Peter loves to travel, and when he’s not surfing, he enjoys snowboarding, rock climbing, and playing guitar. He is currently a professional musician with the Philly-based band Oldermost.

William is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a longtime love of board sports. Snowboarding being his favorite, William serves as a ski and snowboard instructor for mentally and physically handicapped students at Wintergreen Resort in Virginia. Hailing from landlocked Southwest Virginia he is excited to spend his summer at Surf Hatteras as a counselor and videographer. When William’s not snowboarding, wakeboarding, or surfing he is studying economics as a rising fourth year at the University of Virginia. Here, as a Younglife leader, William is a mentor to local high school students. William is looking forward to camp and is excited to film the camper’s surfing progress.

Christian is a new counselor this summer and is excited to spend the summer at Surf Hatteras with campers. Christian has grown up surfing and swimming (competitively since he was 6 years old) in Virginia Beach, and is a rising senior at Norfolk Christian. He learned how to surf at Surf Hatteras and has been a camper for the past 4 summers. Now he wants to help make those amazing memories for others. He taught surf lessons last summer in Virginia Beach. He is also on the verge of completing his Eagle Scout Rank. Christian has traveled to Nicaragua and Dominican Republic on mission trips to serve the youth there, and managed to catch some of the best waves of his life in both places. In his spare time Christian enjoys playing electric guitar with his band, painting, drawing, photography and snowboarding.

Morgan is a rising freshman at the University of Georgia. She was a lifeguard for the past two years for some community pools in Atlanta. After a grueling senior year of working toward her International Baccalaureate diploma she is ready to hit the beach! Morgan was also a captain of her school’s golf team as well as a member of the National Honors Society. Once a camper and now a counselor she is excited to get to know and care for all the surfers this summer.