Your best friend is soon to wed. You’re in charge of the prenuptial ladies fete but your buddy is an iconoclast and so are you. If you’re looking for bachelorette parties that score points for originality, you might consider these unusual substitutes.
Surf’s Up
For an unforgettable bridal shower, head south to the world’s first all-women surf school. Surf Diva has been teaching wahines (Hawaiian for “women”) to become awesome “shredders” since 1996. Competitive surfer and local legend Isabelle “Izzy” and her twin sister Caroline “Coco” Tihanyi founded the company in picturesque La Jolla. They offer an unusual alternative to bar hopping or a Shabbos kallah, when friends of the betrothed visit the traditional bride on her last Shabbat afternoon as a single. Surf Diva’s all-women instructors include firefighters, paramedics, nurses, teachers, lawyers and snowboarders who suit up women with a wetsuit and board and teach them how to ride a wave with confidence. The school is such a success it now offers classes for guys, so ask the bride whether she wants the Y-chromosomes in her life to jump in.
Make sure your squad is comfortable swimming about 200 yards at sea. After an on-shore lesson, you’ll head out with your instructors into the water. When you finally get up on the wave, fellow surfers cheer you on as if you scored a touchdown. You’ll get a workout, too. All that paddling means an hour of surfing equals 200 pushups. Even if you can’t manage to stand up, you can still take home some fabulous souvenirs, complete with the company’s can’t-miss “empowerment” logo.
Surf Diva is located at 2160 Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla. Packages start at $65 an hour per person and typical bachelorette parties run two hours. You can opt to have a catered lunch and take-home T-shirts or hats. Weekend clinics are also available, $135 for four hours of lessons for groups of 10-25. For more information, call (858) 454-8273; or visit ” target=”_blank”>www.fashiondistrict.org for more info and SederOlam.com for an extensive directory of kosher restaurants.
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