Indo Jax Surf School
by Allison Ballard

When Chris LaCoe, Jack Viorel and Kevin Murphy started Indo Jax Surf School about a year ago, they knew it was a unique partnership for a beach business.

They wanted to create a fun atmosphere that made it easier for students to learn. With their different backgrounds — Viorel and Murphy are teachers and LaCoe is an entrepreneur — they thought that together they could make it happen.

“All of us bring something to the table,” LaCoe says. “It works out well. It’s a nice fit.”

This spring and summer, the business has doubled in size from its first season. For 2009 Indo Jax has added a kite-boarding school and is planning its first surf contest for late May or early June.

Part of the reason for the expansion, LaCoe says, is the Surf School’s commitment to give back. Last year, the owners and staff of Indo Jax volunteered to work with groups such as medically fragile kids and children with autism and attention deficit disorder. These charity camps and lessons let the community know that the school was a serious venture, LaCoe says. And that helped them get their name to the public.

Indo Jax has more of this kind of work planned for 2009, including at least 10 weeks of volunteer projects, including another with Surfers Healing (which works with autistic children). Indo Jax is also starting a non-profit arm to make it easier for people to donate to charities. In addition, money raised through the surf contest will go to charity.

LaCoe also counts their student-to-teacher ratio, which is 3-to-1, as a reason for their success.

“It helps the students learn a lot faster and makes it easier for them to get in and out of the water,” he says.

Indo Jax works throughout the area, including Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Topsail Beach.

About 70 percent of the school’s students are children younger than 12. But they get a lot of requests from adults, too — for private lessons, birthday presents or the occasional bachelorette party (from one recent group of girlfriends from Canada on a beach vacation).

As for the new kiteboarding school, LaCoe says Indo Jax will be able to provide in-the-water training, with a personal watercraft for backup assistance so students don’t have to worry about being stuck in the middle of the water, not knowing what to do.

“It’s good to know that we can provide someone to go out with you and help you, if you need it,” he says.

LaCoe, who is a Leland resident and owns several Andy’s Burgers, Shakes and Fries restaurants in Brunswick County and the Grape & Ale in Southport, says the school will be giving surf lessons with area parks and recreation departments one day a week. And more programs might be in the works, such as winter surf trips and perhaps an after-school program.

“The business is way bigger than we thought it would be in one year’s time,” LaCoe says. “And we want to do more.”

For more information visit www.indojaxsurfschool.com.

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