Surfing Kelly Slater’s Lemoore, CA wave pool, aka the Surf Ranch, used to be an elite, exclusive invite. So much so that when one got the opportunity to ride the wave, it was likened to getting a “golden ticket” – like a visit to see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Grandpa Joe dancing and all.
Today, a Surf Ranch session is a bit less special. It’s still coveted, exclusive, no doubt. But nearly everyone and their mom has had a chance to surf the mythical manmade wave breaking 100 miles from the ocean, surrounded by cow farts, and agriculture communities…even POTUS’s daughter.
Behold, Ivanka Trump, getting the red-carpet Surf Ranch treatment courtesy of Raimana Van Bastolaer:
Raimana, ever the ambassador of stoke, captioned the clip with a politically-neutral, positivity-fueled note: “No hating please. I’m all love for everyone at any time. Today is a good day for a friend @ivankatrump. Keep charging and never give up.”
*The clip shows Ivanka stand up on her girthy soft-top all on her own, then, she quickly bogs. She goes down nearly immediately once she starts to drop down the face, but Raimana is there, knee-boarding to the rescue, and grabs before she goes headfirst into the drink. He stabilizes POTUS’s daughter, gets her back on the board, and standing on her own. From there, it’s smooth sailing until the end section. Nothing fancy, no wiggles, no tube – just an over-accentuated “surfer” stance.
By now, Raimana has become the surf coach to the stars, helping many-a celebrity find their footing – often with an extremely hands-on approach – at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch. As Sterling Spencer, east coast surfer and merchant of many laughs on Instagram, once described his methods:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xG7V2DiWhHI
“This guy, Raimana, he is ahead of the coaching game. This is a new surfing technique where you force people who don’t want to surf, to surf. He’s like, ‘nope. I got ya. No worries. Lemme just grab you by the butt cheeks. You. Will. Surf. Damnit! You will, you little bastard.”
In all seriousness, keep sharing the stoke, Raimana.
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