Indo Jax Surf School: Instructors
Jack Viorel
Owner, Wrightsville Beach Surf School Director, Charity Surf Camps Director
Jack Viorel is the owner/ operator/ and one of the surf instructors at Indo Jax Surf School, Wilmington’s newest and most unique surf school.
Jack is from California and cut his surfing teeth in the frigid waters and enormous surf of Half Moon Bay (home of Mavericks). He spent most of his life surfing some of the most humbling, if not deadly waves you can find anywhere. Jack can say this with confidence, because when not surfing his home waters of Nor Cal, he was off traveling the globe in search of great waves. He has been lucky enough to visit some of our planets most exotic locales and ride some of the world’s most beautiful and perfect waves. Besides the staple surfing trips like Baja, Costa Rica, and Bali. Jack has gone on some truly incredible surf safaris. Sumatra, The Andaman Islands, Ireland, Portugal, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, Barbados and the Philippines name but a portion of the places he’s traveled. Jack’s surf travel experience has even been featured in a couple books, Worst Case Scenarios Travel Edition, Worst Case Scenarios Extreme Edition and The Escape Artists by author Josh Piven. Simply put, surfing is his passion and he’s spent most of his life in pursuit of great waves.
“ I am thankful for my travels, not for all the incredible waves I’ve caught, but for what I learned on those trips. I learned to not only appreciate the things I have, but to be compassionate enough to share those things with others who have less.”
Jack Viorel
Jack attended the University of California at Davis, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in history and lettered in two sports, football and swimming. After graduating from UCD, Jack became a certified teacher. For more than fifteen years, he has taught children of all ages and coached several different sports. Jack also earned a Certified Personal Trainer certification and has since taught fitness skills to adults as well as children. With his extensive teaching background, Jack has developed his skill at educating children and adults alike. You’d be hard pressed to find a surf instructor with more qualifications than Jack. If Jack has a passion besides surfing, it’s teaching people of any age to ride waves, get physically fit, and build self-esteem. Whether its math, reading, fitness or surfing Jack knows how to make it fun!
About two years ago Jack, his wife Aileen, daughter Gabby and two Labs moved to Wilmington NC. California had become too crowded, expensive, and fast paced for their tastes. They were in search of a better place to raise a family. The friendly people, beautiful beaches, incredible weather, and pace of life made Wilmington everything they were looking for. Jack currently teaches first grade at St. Mary Catholic School in downtown Wilmington
The warm water and gentle waves make this area a paradise for learning to surf. Since moving here, Jack has taught his 4 year old daughter, 65 year old mother, and heaps of ages in between, how to ride waves.
The combination of his unparalleled surfing experience, and extensive teaching background, make Jack uniquely qualified to operate this one of a kind surf school. The word is out…If you want to learn to surf, and have fun doing it, there’s no better place than Indo Jax.
Kevin Murphy
Co-Owner, Carolina Beach Surf School Director, Charity Surf Camps Director
As Indo Jax is more than just a surf school, Kevin Murphy is a vital part of the charity/outreach programs. With 6 years of experience as a surf instructor and 8 years as an elementary teacher, Kevin brings more than just his love for the ocean to Indo Jax! He has a long history of experience in the water. He was a competitive swimmer for 18 years and lettered at Division 1 St. Bonaventure where he was a captain and received all-conference his senior year. Kevin also was a lifeguard for 8 years and still holds his lifeguard certification.
Kevins first love is the ocean and along with that is a desire to preserve our enviornment. He has pioneered an enviromental movement called 90 Days to Earth Day which challenges students in grades k-12 to collect as much trash as they can from Jan22- April22. This fosters a desire for children to get outside and make a positive impact on the enviroment. Kevin believes in conservation, activism, and education when it comes to saving our fragile enviroment. He is a proud supporter of Sea Shepherd!
He has a powerful belief that our ocean can help to heal people even if it just while they are catching a couple of waves. Kevin is affiliated with Life Rolls on, which is a non profit organization that assists people with spinal cord injuries in experiencing their dreams of surfing! He also works with Surfers healing, wounded warriors, and many others! Each one of these organizations and Kevin have the same goal: to make surfing a reality for people who never thought they would be able to surf; or surf again!
Kevin loves spending time on the beach and hiking through the statepark trying to wear out his crazy and energetic lab mix Koa! He looks forward to sharing his passion and experiences with you this summer in and out of the water.
Kevin’s favorite past time is giving back to the ocean and community that has provided him with so much. Indo Jax has brought Kevin on as our outreach surf school director and he will play a pivotal role in our charity programs this summer.
Chris Lacoe
Co-Owner, Surf School Director of Finance, Charity Surf Camps Director
Chris Lacoe has been with Indo Jax since its inception. Along with being a co-owner, he is also one of our outstanding instructors and has been vital in getting the business of Indo Jax off the ground. He will be instrumental as Indo Jax grows as a business.
Chris was born and raised in rural North Carolina and is very familiar with the beaches and surf of this area. Chris’ father Don is a surfer from the old days and started taking Chris to the beach at an early age. Chris became an accomplished surfer himself and has been surfing this coastline for years. You can often see Chris surfing the southern end of Carolina Beach at his favorite surf spot down there.
Chris is no stranger to hard work. He grew up cropping tobacco and working hog farms. He was also a star basketball player. After high school, Chris went on to Mount Olive College. While in College Chris started working for the then start up hamburger restaurant, Andy’s. Chris liked the vision and philosophy of Andy’s that rewarded loyalty and hard work. He worked his way into an ownership role and has since owned up to six Andy’s Restaurants. All by the age of 33. Chris recently opened up a wine and beer shop in Southport called The Grape and Ale.
Chris’ business sense, enthusiasm and experience as a surfer has been a big part of the success we’ve experienced so far at Indo Jax. His vision, experience in the business world, as well as his knowledge of surfing, will be a big part of the future of Indo Jax.
David Houck
Co-Owner, Surf School Instructor, Kiteboarding School Director
David started surfing at the young age of 10. 20 some years later, he’s still in love with the sport. His years of surfing have in some ways defined his life. David attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, finding it convenient that he could maybe catch a wave or two between classes! Surfing has brought him to distant places such as Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Bali, Lombok, Nusa lombongan, Kauai, Barbados, many places along the coast in California, and hopefully many more places. His love of the water also was a driving force in his decision to enter the United States Coast Guard. His first 2 years brought him to Miami where the surf was less than desirable. However, his weekends were spent north of Miami in Sebastian Inlet where he could get his gills wet. From Miami, this beach boy somehow voluntarily ended up in Anchorage, Alaska to finish his Coast Guard service. Alaska had much to offer in terms of natural beauty and wildlife including Moose, Killer Whales, Bears, periods of extreme daylight and darkness, and of course mounds and mounds of snow!. In Anchorage, David took up another type of board sport…this time he would be surfing the white stuff….snowboarding. Although he enjoyed his time in Anchorage, he was ready to return home to the WB (Wrightsville Beach). Since returning, David has taken his love of surfing to different levels. He converted a shed in his backyard into a ‘shaping shack’ and has begun shaping and glassing surfboards. Also, David is an avid kite boarder and can often be seen flying at the South End of Wrightsville beach or Masonboro Island.
David, along with the rest of the crew at Indo Jax, feels the most rewarded when he is helping others or giving back to the community. Whether it’s helping others experience the joy of surfing or in volunteering his time to various organizations such as the Special Olympics, the Boy Scouts of America, Surfer’s Healing, Wrightsville Beach After-School Program, David hopes he can somehow make a difference in someone’s day.
Will “Billy Boy” Eppes
Surf School Instructor/Shop Manager
Will began surfing 19 years ago when he moved to Half Moon Bay, California…and where he met Jack. During that period, he has been fortunate enough to travel frequently while surfing along the way. In addition to many trips to various spots in Mexico for weekly surf trips, Will has surfed in Hawaii (where he worked for 6 months), St. Croix USVI (where he lived for 3 months), Eleuthera, Portugal, and most recently in Australia.
Will “retired” in 2007, after practicing law in Tennessee and working in the legal publishing industry. His legal career involved criminal litigation and frequent “pro bono” guardianship work. He also taught business law at a community college in Tennessee, volunteered as a board member for an adult day health care center and was active in community theatre.
Jack spread the word throughout his California surfing circle that the Wilmington beaches are the place to be! So, Will visited last year for 2 months, fell in love with the community, surfed almost every day and made a big decision. He and his wife, Megan, moved here in May, 2008.
In the early 1980s, Will became very active in the scuba diving industry. For four years, he was a divemaster in Missouri (no, this is not a misprint) where he led tours in Bonne Terre Mine and in caves in middle Missouri. Bonne Terre was the cover story in Scuba Diver Magazine and Phillip Cousteau dove the mine during this time. In 2000, Will became an instructor and worked in St. Croix while also teaching his wife to dive. He frequently took his kayak and spear up and down the Northern California coast to fish and abalone dive. He has always loved the ocean and water in general; he has been swimming laps for decades.
The Indo Jax mission of giving back to the community attracted Will immediately and, of course, the fact that it involves surf instruction and surfing makes this the perfect combination. He is very excited to be a part of this unique surf school and looks forward to learning more from Jack and Kevin.
Micah Tootoo
Surf School Instructor
Growing up at the beach, Micah has spent the majority of his life surfing. Beginning at the young age of six he found Wrightsville Beach waves to be perfect, however as time has passed Micah has broadened his surf horizons to include waves further abroad. With his love for surfing growing at such a young age, he decided to begin competitive long boarding.† However this decision lasted for only a short time. After participating in ESA as well as many other local contests in both long boarding and short boarding, he found that his love for surfing was altered by the more competitive atmosphere. Ever since, Micah has found more enjoyment in free surfing and continues to surf whenever and wherever he can. Although originally intrigued by long boarding, Micah made the scrutinized transfer over to short boarding quite a few years back. However, given the circumstances of east coast waves, you can often find him back on a “log.” In addition to surfing, Micah has also grasped on to other water sports such as: wake skating, wake boarding, free boarding, fishing, and diving. With a heritage rich in water sports, its no wonder how he got his love for the ocean.
After graduating from Hoggard High School in 2008, Micah has found it hard to leave the beach, but has continued his education through online classes at N.C.† State, as well as Cape Fear Community. His relationship with Indo Jax began with a service-learning project through Cape Fear, which resulted in a Special Olympics Surf Camp as well as a job opportunity. Micah comes to the Indo Jax team looking to share his knowledge of the ocean, as well as to give back to the community in any way possible.
Charlie Ball
Surf School Instructor, Director of Ocean Safety for Kids
Charlie is originally from NC and recently came back to the area to pursue a second degree from East Carolina University. He moved to the beach the day after graduating from high school and lifeguarded in Kill Devil Hills, NC for five summers. The lessons he learned and the opportunities he gained from working on the beach have stayed with him throughout his travels and adventures since. Charlie graduated from ECU in 2002 and has lived and worked in the Florida Keys, the Outer Banks of NC, Guam, Miami, and the US Virgin Islands.
In 2003, Charlie started a program called Ocean Safety for Kids while working part-time for Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue. Building on his love and respect for the ocean, the program offered children the chance to become more comfortable in the water while learning training techniques used by ocean lifeguards. The classes also included surfing, with safety being the highest priority. Charlie’s favorite part of the program was sharing his experiences and seeing the children progress through the week.
He always has a project going on, whether it’s building something around the house with the help of his two Lab puppies, or planning his next trip. He is SCUBA certified, and enjoys spearfishing when the ocean’s flat. Even then, he’s happy to paddle out on his longboard just to get in the water. Charlie is looking forward to working with the other instructors at Indo Jax and explore the endless opportunities to share his safety message with the community.
Jeff Berlin
Surf School Instructor
Jeff was born and raised in Normandy Beach, New Jersey. Growing up on the "Jersey Shore" provides experience in a vast spectrum of beach-oriented life-styles. The summer is hot, humid, crowded, and waves are usually non-existent. The fall is the local's dream because all the tourists are gone, the weather is still warm, and the waves come up. The winter, however, is frigid, desolate, and the waves are huge. All these phases have their unique pleasures and prepare one for a variety of conditions.
To escape the freezing winters of New Jersey (and to get an education), Jeff attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2000 where he majored in psychology. He lived on the south-end of Wrightsville Beach for four years while attending school. His parents also wanted to escape the frozen north-east and moved to Wilmington in 2001, thus further establishing roots. After UNCW, Jeff moved to Half Moon Bay, California where he lived for 5 1/2 years completing a master’s degree in cross-cultural organizational psychology and worked for NASA. Although the air temperatures in California are vastly more pleasant than New Jersey, the ocean temperature never gets above 55 degrees. These cold temperatures, combined with fog, kelp, reefs, rocks, and large, abundant sea-life, makes for a unique surfing experience. Further, Half Moon Bay is home of Mavericks, one of the biggest, heaviest, and coldest waves in the world. Although never surfing Mavericks, per se, Jeff had plenty of humbling experiences in the waves of Northern California.
Although Half Moon Bay in particular and the San Francisco Bay Area in general have many perks, one can never surf in a bathing suit. This was a significant motivation for Jeff’s application and subsequent acceptance to a PhD program at the University of Hawaii. Here, he will be studying, among other topics, cross-cultural environmental attitudes and their affect on pro-environmental behaviors. He moves to Hawaii in August where he will set up shop on the North Shore of Oahu; often deemed the “mecca” of surfing.
Growing up within walking distance to the beach, Jeff has salt-water in his veins and a deep appreciation for the ocean and its ecosystem. He often says, “Surfing has had a significant impact on every life decision. These decisions have allowed a productive life-style in some of the best beach communities in the US and ample time to search for waves in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. He plans on surfing forever and realizes this can only be achieved by maintaining a healthy, balanced, and positive life-style. In addition, the global community needs to take action and maintain the health of our oceans and ecosystems.
Bryan Abernethy
Intern
Bryan grew up spending his summer vacations at the Carolina Beach. He began surfing during the summers in Wilmington while attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1997, he graduated with a double major in Exercise Science and Psychology and has been living at the coast ever since.
In 2001, Bryan graduated with his teaching certification from UNCW and began working as a P.E. teacher and a coach at D.C. Virgo Middle School in Wilmington. He worked there until 2007 when he graduated with his Master’s of School Administration degree from UNCW. He is now an assistant principal at Penderlea Elementary School in Pender County. He loves working with children and has decided that it will be his lifelong pursuit.
Not only is Bryan an educator, but he is also avid surfer. Surfing has taken him to places all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, California, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. He has introduced many of his friends and family to surfing and loves spending time in the ocean with them as much as possible.
Bryan is also a musician. He has played drums for over 20 years and is currently the drummer for the local Wilmington band, Warriors of the Atlantic. The "Warriors” are a group of friends who all share the same love of music and surfing that he does and he has high hopes for their future.
Bryan is now a doctoral student at UNCW’S Watson School of Education. He will be our Doctoral Intern this semester and is really excited to be a part of Indo Jax surf school and Ocean Cure.
Genevieve Ballard
Intern
From the time Genevieve was in grade school, she insisted on surfing. "Surfing is my passion and the best thing that has happened to me. It keeps me in shape, healthy, traveling throughout the world, and allows me to meet a diverse group of great people who also enjoy the surfing lifestyle." Having been an avid surfer for over fifteen years, Genevieve enjoys being in and around the ocean as much as possible. She is a senior at the UNC Wilmington and a recreation and management for tourism major; she hopes to honor her love of the ocean. She has been lifeguard, CPR and first aid certified for over six years, and has lifeguarded at local beaches for three years. She has shown her love for children, by working at the local gym in the children’s care program for the last six years. Genevieve, had the opportunity to explore the island of Oahu and surf its waters abiding by the rules of the waves. From gunning the north shore, to discovering the private rules of the local spots; she has challenged herself and her abilities. She surfs with finesse and grace which edify her sweeping style. "Being a competitive swimmer since I can remember, I thank the sea for challenging me, going beyond the normalcy of calm water which I crave. I have now taken this challenge to the center of the sea, with a scuba certification. I also have the love to climb the heights of the world, and so I enjoy many disciplines of rock climbing, from traditional climbing to trad climbing, for which I am also certified."
Dan Williams
Surf School Instructor
Dan grew up in Cedar Point, NC, just a short drive across the intra coastal waterway from the beaches of Emerald Isle, NC. After starting surfing at the age of ten Dan spent most of my free time at the beach. A few years after starting Dan began traveling. Surfing has taken Dan to Costa Rica, California, and Nicaragua. Also, Dan has been making the drive to the Outer Banks, sometimes at a moment's notice, for most of the good swells that hit up there. Besides surfing Dan also grew up skateboarding, wakeboarding, and fishing. Dan attended Appalachian State University in the mountains of Boone, NC. Living in the mountains Dan took up snowboarding and have been going on snowboarding trips to Colorado for the past few years. After spending almost two years in the mountains Dan began missing the ocean too much and transferred to UNCW. Dan is currently a parks and recreation major at UNCW.
Tim Linn
Surf School Instructor
Although my Birth Certificate says that I was born in our nation’s capital, Wilmington has always been an important part of my life. When I was growing up, my parents brought me to Wilmington 3 or 4 times a year due to the fact that my father grew up here and still had a lot of love for his home town. He had always dreamed of returning to Wilmington and retiring. While visiting, I attended a few surf camps operated by Joe Pickett and also took some private lessons as I progressed as a surfer. I bought my first surfboard at Whalebone Surf Shop in Nags Head, NC. No one up north could understand why I had a surfboard when the closest body of water to me was the Chesapeake Bay. After I had my own board and was suffering from an advanced medical case of surf stoke I knew that I belonged in the water and that Maryland was not where I was supposed to be. So one day in June after school had ended and the 6th grade was finished, my parents surprised me with news that we were heading to the beach. Before I knew it I was in Wilmington, NC attending St. Mary’s middle school. I graduated from St. Mary’s and headed to New Hanover High School where I spent most of my time playing baseball. I was always busy with baseball so I had to hit the surf early before school started and pretty much whenever I had any free time. During the summers my friends and I would surf for 6 hours at a time. During one summer I had a rash on my chest for 2 months and would frequently find myself in a lot of pain after a surf session. After surfing Wrightsville Beach for so long I have a deep knowledge of its waters and how the ocean works. I have found a love for surfing that only a fellow surfer would understand. I have been in and out of a lot of different sports throughout my life but I knew ever since I started surfing that I would die with a surf board still in the trunk of my car.
Matt Evans
Videographer
Matt Evans the owner and operator of South Eastern North Carolina (S.E.N.C.) Films LLC, is a native to North Carolina. Growing up in Richlands N.C. close to coast, Matt has always had a passion for the ocean, and has been an avid surfer since the age of twelve. He teamed up with Indo Jax Surf School in March of 2009 to film their feature documentary "Ocean Cure, Surfing Through Barriers". Beside documentary work Matt and S.E.N.C. Films also specializes in wedding and commercial cinematography.
Additional Surf School Instructors:
