‘Everybody belongs here’: Hot Sushi hosts surf camp for international students

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Hot Sushi, a local surf instructor who teaches young children, is back in Tybee Island’s waters. But this time, he’s teaching students from around the world.

Teens from countries ranging from Chile to Slovakia were on Tybee Island learning the art of surfing. While they all came from different places, they were all able to connect in the ocean.

“We don’t need any languages. We can communicate somehow in the ocean water,” said Atsushi Yamada, also known as “Hot Sushi”.

Feeling tensions surrounding immigration and international visitors in America, Hot Sushi explained that it was his goal, as he hosted this international surf camp.

“I want them to feel welcome,” said Yamada.

These students are all a part of an exchange program through Pan-Atlantic Foundation. They bring high school students to the Savannah-area for 10 months with a host family.

“They’ve never done this before. It’s just one of the many experiences that they get to have in America. And since we’re on the coast, this is it. They might as well take advantage,” said Pan-Atlantic Foundation’s Savannah-area representative, Connie Polk.

Students like Giada DeAngelis experienced surfing for the very first time thanks to this program and help from Hot Sushi.

“It was like hard at first getting balance on the board. But then with the help of the instruction, it was really like easy going, like easy,” said DeAngelis, who is from Italy.

Others say they also enjoyed learning about the other student’s cultures while all spending time in the water.

“You are not just learning about the American culture. You can learn about Italian culture, the German culture, and a lot of places that you didn’t know how the people is there,” said Javiar Barriga, an exchange student from Chile.

Hot Sushi has been doing an international surf camp for nearly ten years and says it’s something he feels is more important now, more than ever.

“Least I can do to welcome them to the ocean water, everybody belongs here,” said Yamada.