Peter: Participating in the first annaul surf compitition in Liberia.

Since Elie told me about the surf contes I been thinking how it was going to be like until the day came for the performance.

The night was long because I couldn't wait for the day to come.

It was 6:00 clock in the morning when I heard a car hoon, after that I knew that it was time to go to robertsport.

It was My friend from the U.S. Embassy.

On our way up to robertsport, we started this funny conversation.

He asked me, is there's any price for the least participant? After that I just laugh.

When we came to the beach I saw all lot of thing going on, the Nana's was having a party and at the same time we  were having a surf, it was feeling great.

I met Elie and Nat and give them a huge hug, because I heard doing the week they were ill with malaria so I was happy to see them on the beach agin.

After that they started getting thing ready for the contest and Nat told me to carry a table to ship wreak.

On my way to ship wreak I saw some guys surfing already at cotton three, so I was trying to fegure out who were those untill I found out it was Keath, Mashuel and some other guys.

The waves was looking nice at ship wreak, I had that exaggerated feeling By looking at those waves.

I thougt the ocean was giving us what we needed, when the contest started the waves started getting small but it was still working.

Mashuel, Ealie, Nat and some other peaple were the judges.

First Mashuel started to explain the rules about the surfing contest and after that Keath had to prayed then we started.

The first group  pedle out and Keath was the winner.

I was the was the winner of the sencond group, and the third was Afried.

After that Keath and are when for the semifinal, it was great I had my first wave and it was good but small, the second was small as the first.

When I had that one and ride it down to the beach, I saw Keath surfing a very nice wave, he had two as the same size and those waves was bigger than mine, at the movement I knew that he had the chance to wine me.

When Mashuel ring the alame, he said five menines for the time to be over.

I pedle back up and wiated for the wave and the wave never came so Keath had to win.

Than Keath and Afried went for the final, Afried had Keath and he was the winner of the contest.

I was so happy for my man Keath and Afried, we had fun and took picture together.

After the surfing contest Nat and Elie called up the winner and give them their prices, they also said a lot of good things about the surf support in Liberia.

And that was it for the weekend, I forget to sleep there to party too.

I just want to tell Nat and Elie thanks for everything they are doing in Liberia and I pray that God will bless them with more and more support .

Peter: Participating in the first annaul surf compitition in Liberia.

Since Elie told me about the surf contes I been thinking how it was going to be like until the day came for the performance.

The night was long because I couldn't wait for the day to come.

It was 6:00 clock in the morning when I heard a car hoon, after that I knew that it was time to go to robertsport.

It was My friend from the U.S. Embassy.

On our way up to robertsport, we started this funny conversation.

He asked me, is there's any price for the least participant? After that I just laugh.

When we came to the beach I saw all lot of thing going on, the Nana's was having a party and at the same time we  were having a surf, it was feeling great.

I met Elie and Nat and give them a huge hug, because I heard doing the week they were ill with malaria so I was happy to see them on the beach agin.

After that they started getting thing ready for the contest and Nat told me to carry a table to ship wreak.

On my way to ship wreak I saw some guys surfing already at cotton three, so I was trying to fegure out who were those untill I found out it was Keath, Mashuel and some other guys.

The waves was looking nice at ship wreak, I had that exaggerated feeling By looking at those waves.

I thougt the ocean was giving us what we needed, when the contest started the waves started getting small but it was still working.

Mashuel, Ealie, Nat and some other peaple were the judges.

First Mashuel started to explain the rules about the surfing contest and after that Keath had to prayed then we started.

The first group  pedle out and Keath was the winner.

I was the was the winner of the sencond group, and the third was Afried.

After that Keath and are when for the semifinal, it was great I had my first wave and it was good but small, the second was small as the first.

When I had that one and ride it down to the beach, I saw Keath surfing a very nice wave, he had two as the same size and those waves was bigger than mine, at the movement I knew that he had the chance to wine me.

When Mashuel ring the alame, he said five menines for the time to be over.

I pedle back up and wiated for the wave and the wave never came so Keath had to win.

Than Keath and Afried went for the final, Afried had Keath and he was the winner of the contest.

I was so happy for my man Keath and Afried, we had fun and took picture together.

After the surfing contest Nat and Elie called up the winner and give them their prices, they also said a lot of good things about the surf support in Liberia.

And that was it for the weekend, I forget to sleep there to party too.

I just want to tell Nat and Elie thanks for everything they are doing in Liberia and I pray that God will bless them with more and more support .

Peter: Surfing on the weekend and talking about the surf competition.

In my whole life, I never compete with no body in surfing, I don't even know how it's feel like.

Elie, Math, Mashuel and I went up to Robersport last weekend for a surf.

On our way going, Elie started this conversition about surfing competition and she said it will be done in Robertsport on (November 29, 2009.)

 Elie said that, all surfers in Liberia  are invited and even if you are not a surfer, you can come and see how surfing is expanding and how good is the surfers in liberia.

I pray for good waves becouse it will be lot of fun.

I believe this is the first surfing competition in Liberia and I also pray for support from in and out of Liberia for this sport that had never been in Liberia for years, with all those awesome waves.

ROBERTSPORT COMUNITY WORKS is making a great positive change in Liberia for tourism and also surfing.

Those pass two weekends  was unbeliveble, the waves was great.

The first weekend waves was double over head and glassy, I surf for six hours and doing the evening time we was surfing with lot of dolphin in the water, that real make me feel awe.

Peter: Surfing on the weekend , Meeting with some new guys and Starting first period test at school.

Before the mounth of september Keath told me that some guys was comming to Liberia to do some surf TV show, I was so happy to hear about that.

At the end of september they arived in Liberia and stay about one week in Keath house after that they went up to rebertsport for one week.

The day they arived in rebertsport it was on saterday, I was there but I never talk with them because I thought they needed a rest after a long drives.
 so we left that day and come to Monrovia.

The waves on that weekend was small and  not so good but we had to surf because we drove a long distance.

Doing the week Keath told me that on thousday will be good to surf in robertsport because big waves was comming in, and I was so happy but I had school so I never went.

On sunday I went up and all those guys told me how good was the waves, how it was breaking, how many feet over head and about all the berries they had.

I felt so bad because I missed that section of surfing but after I went down to cotton tree and started surfing, I was so happy because I could feel those wave that were breaking.

You could see those little waves making tube and by surfing them you could tell  how beutiful it was on thousday.

After surfing those waves I went down to ship wreaks and they were still nice and after that I was trying to go see loko.

On my way to Loko I met a guy by the name  of Shean, he and Afried was on their way back from there.

He said that he was the photographer of the TV show and he told me how good was the waves in Liberia.

He also said that it will be very good to have a surf team in liberia and some surfing industries because we need more surfer to come and we need those equipment for surfing.

After he got through expleaning, he took some photo of me and handed his surfdoard to me said I should try it out.

The surfboard was (5, 6) it was a very nice board it had four (4) fen and it was very thin.

When I cought the first wave it started moving very fast and on my third one, I had a nice ride and went down to the beachto him.

It was fun ridding his board, I was so happy because of all the good things he told me about surfing.

I believed that few years from now surfing will be one of the bigest sport in Liberia.

I also want to say thanks to Nett and Elie for their great work in Liberia, bescause they are really trying hard to make Liberia well known in the surf world.

School is great, I just started me first period test and I will be through on Friday.

Sometime it is hard when you are in school and all your friends are going to surf,   but  what to do, I just have to get  through with school before surfing.

Two new surfers join Liberian Surfer blog

Two new surfers are joining the Liberian Surfer blog -- Alfred Lomax and Benjamin McCrumuda. Along with surfer Peter Swen, they make up the Surf Liberia team, a group of young Liberian surfers are sponsored by the local NGO Robertsport Community Works.

Over the next week or so, they will be introducing themselves and sharing their stories, writing about the surf and the community work they do through the organization. Stay tuned!

Peter: Surfing on the weekend, the first week in school, and playing basketball for the school team.

This week was great, I started school on the (sept 1, 9, 09) and I met some new friends.

The first day I went to school I had my SURF LIBERIA shirt on, so I had lot of people asking me about surfing in Liberia, how it feel like surfing and when do I go surf. I told them lot of things about surfing and they said they want to try it out, but it is in raining season now so I told them to wait for the dry season but they said they still will like to see me do it.

Now I trying to schedule a day for surf in monrovia bescaus I do not have a vehicle to take them t Robertsport. It still lot of fun in school, you know joking with friend and trying to achive your goals. The teacher have allready started giving us some assignments and it is lot of writting but my friends and I can do studies together so it was fun doing it together. We had about three Assgnment doing this week and we just submated it on the 10th of September and it was fun.

I went for basketball pritice with the school team and they siad that I was good so they have me join the school teams. I am so happy to be playing for the school and I like it, I still waitting for class league to show them my game.

Surfing on weekend was great, the wind was not too high as last weekend so we had some nice waves.

It was kind of sad because Nate wasn't there surfing with us, he travel but Elie still caught some nice wave and I was still there chearing for her.

Elie had one of her friends  taking photo so that make me little crazy try to show off. I think she had some nice photo of Elie, Alfred, Marshall and I.

I still pray for protection and good waves this month. The beach was different lot of the rock at Shipwrecks have gone under the sand and the wave started making barrels.

Peter: The choppy wave and running after school activities

The wind still making the waves ugly, I tell you last weekend was great but I don't know why this weekend was like that.

I still  praying for this month to be good and it should bring nice waves because I can't still stand the pain by driving for two hour to this point and nothing good to surf.

I still love the sport, I can't live with out it.

The week was crazy, I was runing after my school bisness.

I had to go to the bank to do my regestratson, The line was very long so I had to wait for 3 hours after that I had to go to the school for my deposit slip.

I just want to think God that everything went on well and also think him for good health.

I can't still believe that I will be wearring color cloths for this week because my uniform is not still out yet. I am still happy that I meeting some nice friend and I going to be on the basketball team, think God.

Peter: Surfing on the weekend and selling T-shirts, bags and rashguards

www.robertsportcommunityworks.org is selling T-shirts and a rashguards. The T-shirt and the rashgard is nice with SURFLIBERIA logo on the front of it and it is a very nice cotton.

I like it because it says something about my country Liberia and it is also suportting the Liberian surfer and making the people of Liberia to know more about the sport.

Believe me, I take it with me every where I go and every where I surf.

Lot of people asked me what the surf on the T-shirt means, I can tell them that it is one of the new sports in Liberia, then I will show them some photo of a surfer ridding a wave and start to explain how you do it.

Surfing was great this weekend, those waves were small but they were clean and nice.

Elie had some nice rides, she is getting very good, she never use to ride those type of waves she was ridding on last weekend, she was challenging them.

We were surfing at Shipwrecks, Marshall had some nice berrieds, he came back up and said it was yelling at him and he will show the example.

After surfing Shipwrecks, I came back to Cotton Trees and surf with Taya and some of her friends, I talk to them about the waves and how to ride it.

It was fun, Taya had some nice rides, she is getting good.

I was surfing at Cotton Trees and I saw Nate and Elie comming from surfing Shipwrecks, he told me that he lost one of his fins, I was try to tell him sorry and he said that I brought the bad luck because I have lost about three of my feans from surfing, but he was kidding.

It is bad if you lost those things in Liberia because you can't find them here.

On my NSP surf board I have a right fins on the left side because I lost it and had a right one.

After surfing we had source, fish and rice for lunch because the Nana's was open, I was so hungry after surfing for 5 hours so I ate a lot, then came back to Monrovia.

We had a little bad luck because one of my friend Sergei lost his water cam in the water, and he said that some guys was fishing right next to him with a net, so he tell them they will catch a camera but it was fun surfing on a new board.

Peter: Nice waves in the rainy season

On Sunday morning by 5:00 Mashual came to get me from my house to go to robertsport to surf but I felt bad because last weeekend wasn't too good and Afread called on saterday night and said that the wave was still the same so I thought the wind and the wave was the same way as last weekend but I was wrong.

When we got to robersport that morning we met Alfred on the road at his house getting ready to go surf so he had to ride with us to the beach.

When we turn on the left at Nana's we saw that the wave was so different, the ocean was nice and the wave was like dry season and Cotton Tree was working so I took my board and ran to Nate and Elie because last weekend I had a latele problem with my NSP board and I asked them for some stuff to get it repire but they were still at sleep under the Cotton Tree in their tents so I left it there and ask for one of Alfread board bescause I couldn't ride my other on, I left it with them last weekend.

So Afread, mashual, and I went out and the wave was just nice at Cotton Trees, it was a beutiful day the first wave I had I got beried in it and it keep comming, after few minutes Nate came he started surfing those wave, the next wave he took was a nice one, when he came back up I saw a nice logo on his rashgard says SURF LIBERIA so I asked him how can I get that on my mine.

After surfing we came for lunch and the Nana's wasn't open so we ate all we had and came back to Monrovia.

I tell you last weekend was so bad, the first  wave I took at Ship Wrecks, I ride it for few seconds when it was getten like a wall I try to jump off it but my leach left my leg and my NSP board went in to the rocks, the wave hit it on the rocks and I saw it in the air about three feet, I try swimming down to save it but Marshall help me out, I try to go to him but the corrent took me  in the rock so I had a little scar on my leg.

When we came out of the water I took the board and look at it there was only a little hole like a finger print.

I tell you if that board was fiberglass board it was coming to break in pieces.

Peter: Surfing - and starting school

This weekend was great but the wind was still high but we had some nice waves.

I still praying for the September season that is when the wave get very big and you can get berried a lot first, I use to be afread to get berried but now I am ready to ride it.

The week was nice and I still thinking about this school year, meeting new friends and teachers, like last year I had to get up from bed at 5:00 to be ready for school but this school year will like getting up 4:00 in the morning because I have to be on the campus soon to help with the junior students.

Peter: Robertsport weekend session

The waves was not very good on weekend because the wind was too high, but we have fun surfing them.

The first wave I had was fun, I made a turn up and down two time and turn back to the white and the wave was gone.

The first time I try my new board, it felt a little faster then my other one and it turn faster and I like it.

I think I will  try the 360 move and have a nice air time soon wish out for that.

It was little bad on the side of the food because the Nana's  was closed so there was no food but I had like three  coconut and after that I went for the afternoon sessoin.

After that we started for monrovia and that was the day.

Peter: A new board

I just get a new board, I am so happy.

I just want to tell all of my friends in New York thanks a lot.

The first time Elie told me about my board I was so happy that I never slept that night, I had to tell all my Friends in Liberia about.

Still I am very glad and I thank God for that, it's brought me joy.

Yesterday I try it, it is 6, 2, short board like my other 0ne but it little faster. Yesterday we had lot of wind so the surfing was not too good but we have fun.

After surfing we came back and there was no food at the restaurant so I had to drank about 3 cocoa nut water and eat the meat, today surfing was all most like yesterday but we have lot of fun then yesterday, today.

Peter: Sunday in Robertsport

Sunday we went to Robertsport, on our way going we had a flat tire. We were able to get it fix with in ten minutes so we still made it.

We surfed for four hours and we went for lunch at 12:00, the lunch was great  We had rice with fish and some hot sauce after that we rested a little and went back to surf for 3 more hours.

The morning section was nice but the tide was very low, we had some nice waves. In the afternoon the tide started getting high and waves were good.

I had a 1-second berried and that was the best.

Peter: Getting berried at Loco

I tryin to get in to this berried on this wave but it refused to break over my head, I was surfing at Loco and sometime those wave get very big. I never knew the important of geting berried in a wave untill I had one at Loco and it was one of my best wave I ever surf, now I want to time the wave everytime I go out get berried. 

Elie and Nate give me about six chikens and two ducks to rise, They started eating some wheat yesterday. One died from the heat in the bag but it was lot of fun catching them yesterday. I think we will have lot of chikens and duck soon, we just have to wait for them to have eggs and make more babies and we will be able to have a little party. 

Peter: Breaking my board in Robertsport

This is Keith and I at Robertsport beach -- the guy that buoght the NSP 6'2" board for me.

One day we went out there to surf and those waves was like 7-8 feet, glassy and the day was bright. I took my two board in Robertsport and one of my board broke because the waves was heavy and now I have only one board and this worry me everytime I go out to surf because if the last board happens to break I will have no board to surf with.

Peter: Kendeja Beach

This photo was taken in the Kendeja beach break in Monrovia. It was in dry season. In that mounth, a guy from New Zealand came to Liberia to help the youth with bible lesson and he was staying at the same compound I live so every weekend or doing the week we will go surf when the wave was good. He was a good guy and anytime we go surf he will be on the beach taking picture of us. This is one of the photo he took, I use to like this guy because he wouldn't mine if the food he ate is african food and he is a good photographer.

I can still picture that day of surf the waves was so nice that I never left the water and Keith had to left me back because I took a ride with him and he had to go some where but I could't get out of the water so I had to walk 45 mine back to the compound where I live.

I still miss all my friend that left Liberia and the time we had and all the fun we had together. I pray that I will see them some day. Sometime it somehow different to meet other people from all part of the world and you learn other thing from other country so everytime I met a person I will be happy but one of the thing is that some of those people you met you can only see them for one day or a hour. Sometime I think how traveling out of your country is like because I stay all my life in Liberia.

Peter: Sometime of robertsport surf.

This photo was taken in 2008 I was surfing at loko the second to the last break, it was in dry season the sky was blue and the ocean was glassy, those waves was so good it was about 5 to 6 feet and you could ride it for 50 to 70 yards. We went to robertsport on the weekend and for everyday I will surf for 6 hours and on Sunday we had to go back to monrovia.

Peter: The autobiography of Peter Swen Jr.'s surf life

First name - Peter
Last name - Swen
Nick name - Pete

Date of birth
Day - friday
Week - last week
Month - November 30
Year - 1990

Located
ELWA compound. Monrovia, Liberia.
Email address - peterswen3@yahoo.com
Phone number - locally 06-212-706 or internationally +231-6212-706
Home number - locally 06-819-233 or internationally +231-6819-233

High School - last year of high school 2009-2010
School name - Bethesda Christian Mission School
Located at the Robertfield Highway, Liberia
First School - Carver Mission Academy

I attended the Carver Mission Academy for nine years and left for the Bethesda Christian Mission School.

I left the Carver Mission Academy because after my year of 9th grade I had no money for high school and started Bethesda Christian Mission School as a scholarship student by playing basketball for the school. The condition under which the school gave me the scholarship was for me to play basketball for half of my tuition and pay the amount of $150 USD, which is the balance.

In the year 2005, I saw a guy on the beach. He was doing something but he called in skim. He had a nice blue short board. It was very flat and thin. This guy was always seen on the beach waiting for the wave to break and he will throw the board after two seconds and jump on it very fast and ride it for 30 to 50 feet long. And for each time he doing this, I will always tell myself that I can do it.

After a few weeks later, I found a flat wood and try making it the same size and shape as his board. I ran down the beach and try it for the first time, and it worked. So everyday I will go on the beach and practice. I started getting good and good at riding it.

At that time, I was working for an English guy named Gareth Evans as a house caretaker. A few months later, I met a guy named Kelvin. He was working for EQUIP, a non-governmental organization, as an expatriate from Canada.

The first time he saw me practicing, he told me about surfing. He said that surfing will be a little easier for me to do, so he took me out to surf. He gave me a very long board. It was about nine feet long. I try standing on it for the very first time and it was fun. I told him I liked it, so I started going out with him every weekend to surf.

I like surfing best for sporting activities. It is what I do now. Everyday I go out with my friends. We surf and have fun together. I do believe with my four years of surf experience I can now serve as a surf instructor. So in 2008, I started giving a lesson to a girl named Taya Riane. She is a Canadian who works for Samaritan Purse, some non-governmental organization in Liberia and almost all of Africa. Every weekend we will go to surf and she is getting very good.

After a few months later, I met a guy by the name of Kim from Germany. He told me that he likes surfing and he needed someone to help him with some surf ideas. So I started helping him. Sometimes, afterwards, he will give me a call to go surf and now we are surfing most of the time.

I believe that Liberia is one of the African countries that has the best waves. I pray for more surfers to come to Liberia to try those waves and I believe they will like them. I pray for more support from friends in and out of Liberia.

I want to tell all of my friends, thanks for everything they've been doing for me in those past years and now, and thank God for His help and protection.

In the year 2006-07 I met a good friend of mine now by the name of Dr. Keith, a guy who worked for Mercy Ships as that time as a dentist. We surfed at Robertsport together for a few times. After a month later, he gave me a nice short board that he used to surf with. It was a nice board. I used to like it very much because it was the first board I ever owned. After few months of surfing, it started soaking water and I never had no repair equipment so it had to spoil because I never stopped surfing on it.

In 2007-2008, Kelvin came back to Liberia. He brought me a 6'2" short Spider board. I tell you, the first week I had my Spider, I surfed for like six hours every day. After a few months later, we went to Robertsport. That day was so nice and the wave was like nine to ten feet, but it was breaking very heavy, so I had little problem with my board after surfing. I repair it and started surfing it again until later Keith brought me a brand new board.

The board is like 6'2" NSP and has nice flotation, good shape, very strong and also easy to surf with. The first time I saw this board, I was so happy. It brought me joy and I thank God that he gave Keith the understanding and wisdom. So I surf with it every time I go out and I like it.

One of the best things is, we used to to Bible studies every Sunday night and now we're having church every Saturday at 6:00 pm at Keith's place.

It is like my last year of high school and I want to start saving money for college and to buy more boards, so I just started asking for the amount of $10.00 for a half-day and $20.00 for a day of surf lessons.

I pray that my student will be able to cooperate with me and I also tell them, thank you for the help.