Jill
Pless – The Surfin’ Mama of Seal Beach
Sunny
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When mothers are being honored on Mother’s Day surfers
will be giving special recognition to wife and mother Jill Pless, who is known as the Surfin’
Mama of Seal Beach.
A scientist by
training, Pless is as comfortable in a wetsuit as a lab jacket. Whether she’s
out in the water giving surfing lessons or teaching kids about biology, one
thing is clear – she’s having a blast…and her students are, too.
Pless helps her surfer husband Michael Pless Sr. run the M&M Surfing School (714-U-Go-Surf) in Seal Beach…
and also has her own business, Science-2-U, which brings
educational science programs to local students who are being home-schooled. Pless,
who graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a degree in
biology and marine biology, loves the outdoors and nature, especially the
ocean.
“Michael and I met at the beach,” Jill told SurfWriter
Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel.
“A friend and I wanted to learn to surf
and we went to Seal Beach. I saw Michael’s truck with the surfing school name
on it and took a lesson from him.” One thing led to another as they became
friends and eventually married.
The concept for Science-2-U came to Pless one day when
she was in her car at a stop light thinking about what kind of business she
could start.
“When my kids were born I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom,” she
said. “I was working as a biologist for the L.A. County Sanitation District and
the straw that broke the camel’s back was when they asked me to work on
Mother’s Day…and I was the only mother in the group.”
For Pless, the thrill of seeing a first-time surfer catch
a wave is hard to beat. When the lesson is over and the new surfer is excitedly
telling everyone about the experience, Pless is excited, too, and ready to go
back out again.
It’s the same feeling for Pless when she shows a student
how to do a lab experiment and sees that look of comprehension come over the
student’s face – the “a ha! Moment” that says, “I can do this.”
Life in the Pless household definitely revolves around
the ocean and the M & M Surfing School, founded in 1995. Jill, Michael, and
son Michael Pless Jr. all give surfing lessons...
and Jill offers surf camps that
teach children about the ocean environment.
During the camps, on any given day, she can be seen with
the kids gathering water testing samples, studying the marine life, or
explaining the tides and waves.
Michael Sr., who has become a local celebrity and good will
ambassador for surfing, is known as The
Saint of Seal Beach because he puts on a Santa Claus suit at Christmastime and
surfs up and down the coastline. Jill joins in the fun, dressed as Mrs. Claus,
and Mike Jr. dons a Frosty the Snowman suit.
Jill and Michael enjoy spending family time together with
their five children Michael Jr., Lisa, Jennifer, Sierra and Austin and two
grandsons Jace and Jake Ryan. On a typical weekend, Jill says, “We all surf
together and then come home and make enchiladas.
Or we go across the street from the pier to El Burrito
Jr., our favorite place, or to Nick’s.” At home Jill does most of the cooking,
“but Michael will pinch hit when needed.”
As the Surfin’ Mama
of Seal Beach, Jill Pless is nurturing the surfers she teaches and helping
to train the next generation of marine biologists. Her dream of being a
stay-at-home mom has expanded to include the beach and ocean that she loves.
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I love the story...surfing and burritos! Great job.
ReplyDeleteGood article on the Pless family. Proves to others you can be contributing citizens to the community, care for your family and find employment in a field that you love. Hats off to them.
ReplyDeleteBarbara