Life at the Bay

He’s been a counselor at Sugar Bay for 6 months now and is the King of Body-Boarding…  Not sure why…. But they call him; BOUNCE! Maybe it’s because of the spring in his step or the way he bounces back on his board every time a wave knocks him down.  But yip, he’s Bounce, and a pretty cool body-boarding Pro Counselor (PC) he is indeed.  It’s no secret that Bounce’s favourite Sugar Bay activity is body-boarding… How else would he earn the title as “Body-Boarding PC”? Yes, Bounce is very passionate about body-boarding. He loves it when the sun rises at Sugar Bay so that he can hit the beach and do what he does best. Another thing he loves?   The Alfredo at camp too.  When we asked him to describe himself in 3 words;  Bounce used “Funny, Weird and Random”.  “I’m funny and always making people laugh” he admits with a few chuckles.    Bounce’s most memorable Sugar Bay camp was Ridiculousness week, held e...

Our Sugar Bay campers always head home with lots of stories to share with mum and dad. Mostly stories about the fun activities we offer, the delicious food we serve, the new friendships they have made and the crazy but cool counselors we have at camp. Quite often, parents become confused and wonder “Why is my kid speaking politics so casually?” Cool it mums and dads… This isn’t politics. This is camp jargon. For those of you who didn’t know, counselors are actually young adults who are individually chosen to care for the children at camp.  At Sugar Bay, our counselor to child ratio is 3: 1 , which is the highest in the country. Our counselors come from all around the world and most of them have actually worked in American summer camps. Our Sugar Bay Counselor’s first priority is the care, supervision and happiness of every child. Some young campers leave camp w...

It's no secret that one of the best things about Sugar Bay is the weird and wonderful counselors . They make the Sugar Bay experience an unforgettable one, whether it be during Holiday Camps or School Bonding Tours. But just who are these staff members and how do we make sure they're not crazy in a bad way but only wacky in the good way? I was lucky enough to spend some time with our 17 trainees last week and let me tell you, they are an exceptional group of people. And I'm not just saying that. This group of trainees astounded me. I've spent the past 4 summers in America dealing with over 50 international staff members each summer - I know staff - but hearing these trainees share their passion for camp and the difference it has made in their lives brought tears to my eyes.    Camp Director Zoe Ellender wasn't without teary eyes either as she heard how her dream of creating an American-style summer camp right here in South Africa has touched so many ...