Kids are boogying down to the beach in San Clemente to get a taste of bodyboarding.
Boogie Camp teaches participants about bodyboarding and skimboarding as well as ocean safety, such as avoiding currents and hazards.
Campers also play games such as Capture the Fin, a version of Capture the Flag using a swim fin, or they can just enjoy playing in the sun and sand.
Camp owners Jay and Vicki Reale said they are hoping campers gain a lifelong love for the ocean and bodyboarding. The camp is being offered through the city of San Clemente’s summer recreation program.
“We hope that they say, ‘This was the best week of my entire summer,” Jay Reale said.
Bodyboarding is a user-friendly sport with a low barrier to entry, he said. Unlike surfing, which requires a honed skill set, kids can ride a wave on the first try.
The Reales took over Boogie Camp three years ago. Both are former professional bodyboarders, having competed on the world tour in the mid-1990s and also own eBodyboarding, which sells gear online and has a walk-in warehouse in San Clemente.
Boogie Camp sessions will see more than 400 kids during the nine weeks of summer.
Luke Simonelli gets a high-five during warm ups at Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)A camper rides a wave at Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Sloane Shevelenko and Nora Kujawa head to the waves at Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Campers and instructors play ‘Capture the Fin’, a version of Capture the Flag, during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Maverick Huffman is all smiles after riding a wave at Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)An instructor helps two campers into the waves at Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Campers ride the waves south of the pier during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)An instructor writes “Boogie Camp” in the sand during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)A camper gets a lift into the waves during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Maverick Huffman watches the waves during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Campers take a group photo at Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)A camper rides a wave during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Nora Kujawa and Sloane Shevelenko enjoy Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Campers and instructors play ‘Capture the Fin’, a version of Capture the Flag, during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)A camper and instructor ride a wave during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)An instructor cheers on a camper during Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)Wilder Ball, Luca Shea and Jaxon Avdee, from left, ride a wave at Boogie Camp in San Clemente, CA on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The camp teaches body boarding and ocean safety. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
