On Sunday, Lobster Jo’s returned home.
The summer camp held a one-day family day event at East Beach, drawing dozens of community members to participate in capture the flag, dodgeball and boogieboarding. It was Lobster Jo’s first event at East Beach, where owner Joseph Evers founded the camp, since the city unexpectedly terminated its lease in November.
The event allowed both parents and their children to join in on the fun, Evers said.
“We lost this camp ecosystem, this trifecta of amazing, fun, low-cost programs downtown,” he said. “This is kind of a taste of what it was like the past five years—getting this Sunday to be here.”
Lobster Jo’s organized the event through the Semana Nautica, Santa Barbara’s annual summer sports festival. The family day ran from around 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and had a registration fee of $10 per family member.
Throughout the event, parents surfed alongside their kids and rested under beach tents while counselors led spontaneous story time sessions.
A highlight of Lobster Jo’s events is when the kids take out a 15-foot paddleboard to the pier, Evers said.
“This is not a money-making event,” he said. “It’s a community-building event.”
Evers said he hopes to continue expanding Lobster Jo’s summer camp programs throughout Santa Barbara. This past year, he ventured into pickleball and started a new fishing camp.
Regardless of the venue, Lobster Jo’s will continue growing and running its summer programs, Evers said.
“Not only are the kids showing up, but the parents are,” he said. “That’s how much they care about and love it.”
Among the parents who showed up was Jen Santarossa. Her son, who has been a camper for around four years, participated in buoy swims and learned about camp safety precautions at the event.
Lobster Jo’s welcoming and inclusive atmosphere makes it stand out, Santarossa said.
“It’s a family,” she said.
Lobster Jo’s has helped her son build self-confidence and inspired him to become a more responsible citizen, Santarossa said. Since participating in the camp, her son has learned more about recycling and cleaning up the ocean.
“It’s everything he looks forward to in summertime,” Santarossa said.
Another parent at the family day was Tian Boydston, whose son has participated in Lobster Jo’s for five years. She said her son, who has also attended Lobster Jo’s camp at Goleta Beach, played dodgeball and went boogieboarding at the event.
Boydston said she hopes Lobster Jo’s continues instilling confidence in campers. Her son would “follow them wherever they go,” she said.
“They’re not trying to make him into a great surfer,” Boydston said. “They’re helping him learn what the most fun part about it is and encourage that.”
