On Saturday, September 20th, innovative eyewear brand SPY will host a surfing “Expression Session” for local charity STOKED kids, during the 2014 Volcom Unsound Pro surf comp (Lincoln Blvd, Long Beach, NY). This mentoring session will pair 12 kids from youth focused nonprofit STOKED, with 12 world renowned professional surfers who will paddle out as a team to compete in this fun and lighthearted event. Both professional surfers and the participating STOKED kids aged between 14-18 will be judged on a wide range of criteria, including “best soul arch” and “best maneuver.”

After a Summer of surf lessons, the kids at STOKED will be given the incredible opportunity to display their progress in front of the local Long Beach crowd – all the while getting tips and tricks from some of the top US professional surfers.

“We’re really happy to be working with a great organization that gets kids involved in action sports as a form of supporting and giving back to the community,” says Chris Abad, Surf Marketing Manager for SPY, “As a part of our Happy Lens program, we’re all about spreading happiness for our customers and friends of the brand, and we hope the STOKED kids get a kick out of surfing with a few local legends.”

SPY’s professional surf athletes Pat Schmidt, Cody Thompson and Alex Gray are just some of the big names who will take part in the Expression Session, assisting the kids in the water and interacting on the beach. Local Long Beach surfer Balaram Stack, and Montauk’s Quincy Davis will also take to the water with a STOKED partner.

In the week prior to the event, pro surfers will visit a group of students from the STOKED After School Program called ‘Stoked for Success’ at the Brooklyn Latin School (223 Graham Ave in Brooklyn, NY). They will undergo the STOKED Mentoring training and orientation to become familiar with the program, and will get to meet the kids they’ll be surfing with that weekend.

“We’re so thrilled to have this opportunity to work alongside SPY for the 2014 Volcom Unsound Pro. Throughout the Summer, our kids have been learning about the lifestyle and culture of surfing which we hope instills in them with a sense of community, self-reliance and physical resilience,” says Steve Larosiliere Founder of STOKED, “This experience will create a lifetime of memories for students that normally don’t get exposure to professional level surfing in their own state.”

Following the Expression Session, each team will be awarded with a gift bag provided by SPY and Volcom along with Unsound Pro Trophies. The STOKED Students will be judged in many different disciplines including most stylish, best maneuver and more. The students will also have an opportunity to hang with their surfing heroes, receive hints on improving their surfing and a backstage pass to one of the biggest surf contests on the east coast.

Logos courtesy SPY and Stoked