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 premier 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®.

 

Will “Billy Boy” Eppes
Right Hand Man
Founder, Clara Eppes Memorial Surf Camp

Will began surfing 23 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 week-long surf trips, Will has surfed in Hawaii (where he worked for 6 months), St. Croix USVI (where he lived for 3 months), Eleuthera, Portugal, Australia and Italy.

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 and sociology at a junior college, volunteered as a board member for an adult day health care center and was active in community theatre, both on and off the stage.

Jack spread the word throughout his California surfing circle that the Wilmington beaches are the place to be! So, Will visited Wilmington 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. On his first day in Wilmington, Jack invited him to the CARE clinic (those affected by HIV). He was greeted by Jack with a huge scream and the words “it’s Billy Boy”… and the nickname stuck. This is now Will’s (Billy Boy’s) 4th season with IndoJax and Jack often introduces him as “the oldest surf instructor known to man!”

In the early 1980s, Will became very active in the scuba diving industry. For four years, he was a divemaster/instructor 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.

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 many more charity clinics and opportunities to teach surfing.
To quote Will: “this by far is the BEST ‘job’ you can have”!

 

 

Dan Williams
Surf School Director - Full Day Camps

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.

 

 

Josh Torres
Surf School Director - Onslow Beach

Josh started surfing at the age of 10 when he first moved to Topsail Beach, NC. At the age of 11 he started to surf competitively throughout the central North Carolina region. With some competitive experience on his belt, he started to surf the National Scholastics Surfing Association. During those few years he placed 5th place on the East coast and ranked nationally. Throughout those years surf contest took him from all around the US, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico. With that experience and knowledge of the ocean he started teaching and coaching kids throughout the community. Josh now directs the Topsail Island Surf Camp and Onslow beach Surf Camp and plans to continue giving back to those who serve and fight for our country. "Being a military child I truly see the importance of what surfing can do and how it can truly help those who serve". Josh currently attends Cape Fear Community College and wants to major in business.

 

 

DJ Kinney
Surf School Director - Topsail Island

This is DJ's second year as a surf instructor. He was born In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he grew up playing football, soccer, deck hockey and ice hockey. In addition to surfing, DJ continues to play ice hockey at the Wilmington Ice House. He also likes to rollerblade, skateboard and bicycle. DJ developed a passion for the ocean during his visits to the Outer Banks every summer. He started surfing at age 12 after he moved to Topsail. Encouraged by his parents, DJ would hit the waves in Surf City after classes at Topsail Middle and High School during his student years there… and every day during the summers.

DJ has a history of volunteerism, including work with the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and the Topsail Humane Society. Two years ago, he established the Relay for Life team "Surfers for the Cure" to help the American Cancer Society with their programs. In 2010, he won the prestigious North Carolina Governor's Medallion for Volunteer Service.

DJ currently attends the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, studying Marine Biology. When not in class or studying, he can be found surfing on Topsail Island or Wrightsville Beach… regardless of the weather.

 

David Branch
Surf School Instructor

David is a Native of the Virginia Beach area and has always had a passion for the ocean. David graduated with a BS in health/recreation/physical education from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he was a member of the UNC-Pembroke baseball team. He has 4 years teaching and coaching experience of various sports. In 2009 David started a surf program at the Community Boys & Girls Club for underprivelaged inner city kids and continues to volunteer to keep that program rolling. He enjoys teaching kids how to enjoy life by taking the positives out of their environment and using them in a healthy way.

David has been surfing for 10 years. Surfing has become a passion for David. "For me surfing a wave gives me the same feeling as hitting a home run in baseball." He began surfing while in college and would drive from Pembroke to Wrightsville Beach on the weekends to surf. After college he resided to Wilmington to be closer to the ocean. Surfing has taken David to Costa Rica, Sand Diego, and up and down the east coast. Besides surfing David plays baseball in the Carolina Men's Baseball League and likes to train in the gym.

 

 

Christopher (A.K.A Simba) Coughlan Fernandes
Surf School Instructor

I grew up in Durban, South Africa, which is more of a dream for most surfers. I started surfing at the age of 11, at my home break “Cemetery” next to such crowd favorites as Grant “Twiggy” Baker, David Weare and Jordy Smith. I attended Clifton Preparatory School, and then Hilton College as my high school in 2004. In my final year, I transferred high schools to Crawford College La Lucia, to focus on my grades as well as my surfing. I immediately became a lifeguard on Umhlanga Beach, volunteering on Sundays as well as receiving my Boat License. Surfing in South Africa had many benefits. The opportunity of surfing different breaks so closely packed to each other, such as North Beach, New Pier, Bay of Plenty, and Umhlanga Main which all had completely different environments, meant that there was surf everyday, however all you needed to do was find it. I soon began working with close friends and owners of Hurricane Surf, brothers Craig and Ryan Butcher, competing under the Hurricane logo for a brief period of time before turning back to free surfing and surf instructing. With some travels to Australia during 2009, I was able to test out the waves in Perth, before officially moving to the USA. I lived and worked as a Lifeguard in Myrtle Beach for 6months in the summer of 2010, before moving to Wilmington. In the winter of 2010, I headed back to South Africa to catch some waves and continued Surf Instructing before returning to Wilmington in February of 2011. I am currently enrolled and studying a Bachelors in Mathematics through the International University of South Africa (UNISA). I am glad to be here and am excited to begin working at Indo Jax®.

 

 

Shane Wall
Surf School Instructor

Hey, What up?! My name is Shane Wall, I’m 19 years old and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I have spent every summer of my life (except for this one) on the Jersey shore at my family beach house. I was given my first surfboard at the age of 7 and have been hooked ever since. Surfing has taken me to a huge variety of places and waves and has introduced me to some of the best people I have met. Some of my surfing experience includes trips to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, working at a surf camp instructing and guiding in Chiriqui, Panama, surfing competitions between Cape May and Montauk New York, and countless others. Some of my other interests are playing music, spear fishing, skateboarding, meeting interesting new people, and just making the most out of what I have.

 

 

Shayne Carlsen
Surf School Instructor

I have always been a very patient instructor. If I know how to do something, I can teach you, whether it be Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, skateboarding, guitar, surfing, or just how to be cool. Just kidding on that last one, I’m actually not cool at all. I am currently enrolled at UNC-W, majoring in biology. I am EMT-B Certified and an Ocean Rescue Lifeguard at Wrightsville Beach, NC. The summer of 2011 I organized a cross-country longboard skateboard trip from Wilmington, NC to Venice Beach, CA, raising money for military veterans and their families. I currently work with disabled children at Lindley Habilitation. I work one-one with a child, improving any social, emotional and intellectual skills that may need improving upon, so I have experience with children. This will be my second Summer working with IndoJax Surf School.

 

 

Anthony (T-Fab) Shimkonis
Surf School Instructor

Anthony has been surfing for 40 years. In 1971 he learned to surf by bumming boards from unsuspecting Marines right up the road at Onslow Beach on Camp Le Jeune. At the end of summer in 1972 the family moved to Florida where Cocoa Beach,Tables, 3rd Light, Indian Atlantic, Sebastion Inlet and Monster Hole were his haunts as a youth in the 70's. He even saw Kelly Slater work his magic on waves years and years before he was 10 time ASP world champion.

Since that fateful, life altering time in NC, Tone has been blessed to have the opportunity to travel around the world and live in different cities in North America. He has surfed east and west coast USA, The Hawai'ian Islands , Barbados, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Viet Nam, South Africa, most recently India and of course numerous hurricane swells through the years.

Anthony graduated from University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in education. During college he lettered in football and track and field. In the summers he worked as a lifeguard and boat mechanic. In 1982 a fellow surfer, lifeguard and close friend Ricky Harper and Nicole, his wife, left Orlando and started working for Eastern Airlines as flight attendants. Post cards from surf spots and exotic destinations around the world started to arrive.

After a year of student teaching in Orlando and spinning records at Church Street Station, receiving those post cards caused the travel bug to bite. He tried to enlist in the Marine Corps but was denied due to a spinal injury and operation.

In 1983 he ended up landing a career as a flight attendant with USAirways. During this time he earned his wings as a pilot and became a certified flight instructor. Then earned his Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. With that he is still a flight attendant with USAirways and maintains his status as a corporate pilot.

Along the way he has succumbed to the addiction of luge and is member of USA Luge. So when the surf is flat during the winter you'll find him sliding and competing on a frozen wave hitting speeds in excess of 100 kph at different tracks around the world.

The passion Tone has for the ocean has imbedded itself into a life style of travel and surfing. Since meeting Jack his life has risen to another level incorporating his love of surfing and teaching to help benefit the well being of others through the charity “work” at IndoJax.

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something good that will outlast it"

 

 

Gabby Viorel
Junior Instructor

Gabby has been helping out at are camps since she was 6 years old. She has now been promoted to Junior instructor. Gabby has competed in the East Coast Wahines for 4 years running and has become quite a surfer. This past Christmas she got her first custom surfboard. She has been training with Jo Pickett the past two summers and really progressed to the next level. Gabby also plays softball, piano and violin. She is 8 years old and in second grade at St Mary School.