2014 season recap

The 2014 season of Water Monkey Camp is history and - with no hyperbole - could be described as epic.  Each year I leave camp thinking it was the best summer ever and the next summer just blows it out of the water.  Many thanks to all of the campers (and their parents), staff, and my friends and family for helping make it all possible. This year we had a 100% fresh staff which included all new instructors and a first time chef.  I was constantly impressed with the quality of work they all produced and the height to which they raised the bar for the Water Monkey Camp program and any camp that hopes to teach water sports.

2014 showed that we are certainly not lacking in top notch students to teach on the lake.  The guys and girls we have welcomed to camp have come from all over the U.S. and the world and each bring with them their own unique backgrounds, water sports abilities, and personalities but all share the same desire to have fun, learn, and make the most of their short time at camp.

Here is a breakdown of the 2014 season:

• We filled 68 out of 70 spaces this summer over seven weeks of camp
• Campers came from 12 states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas) as well as France and Canada
• The average age of our campers was 13.849
• Campers were 74% guys, 26% girls
• Peak sustained water temperature was in Week 7 at 81 degrees
• Lowest water temperature was in Week 1 at 74 degrees
• 10,828 unique visitors to www.watermonkeycamp.com in the past 12 months
• Served up 2,205 meals (and almost infinite snacks)
• Taught eight campers how to do back rolls or tantrums
• Racked up another 200 hours on the Centurion odometer to bring us to 500 hours of fun!
• Burnt through 940.28 gallons of gas producing 8.344 metric tons of CO2...offset by planting 150 trees through www.CarbonFund.org! (we planted an extra 60 trees to offset some of the camper travel to/from camp)

It is too early to tell what the 2015 season will be like for Water Monkey Camp.  We hope to move to our new property but are still facing a long process obtaining zoning approval.  Having turned away more than 60 campers this year we desperately need to increase our capacity in order to make Water Monkey Camp accessible to more kids.  To that end we are purchasing a second boat (we have narrowed down the new boat options to two companies) and already started recruiting additional coaches so that we will be able to instruct 20 campers per day for the length of the summer.  One thing we can guarantee is that camp will continue to deliver the same experience that our campers know and love.

Keep in touch throughout the year and we hope to see you back at camp in 2015!

Sincerely,

Evan Goldner

617-855-WAKE

2013 season recap

As the leaves begin to change and the lake temperature is dropping by the day we at Water Monkey have to finally admit that the summer is almost over.  Every extra day we get on the boat now is just icing on the ridiculous cake which was our 2013 season.  We could not be happier with where the camp has gotten in such a short amount of time. Many thanks to everyone who was involved this year: the campers for giving it their all and dedicating themselves to learning and having fun, my staff for working tirelessly this summer to deliver top notch watersports instruction, gourmet food, and constant entertainment to our campers, our host camp for letting us take over our little island on their property, and my friends and family who helped me renovate our awesome cabin.  Camp would not have happened if it were not for all of you!

Some 2013 stats:

• We welcomed 48 campers over six weeks of camp from late June to August.
• Campers came from nine states (CA, CT, FL, IL, MA, NH, NY, PA, and VT) as well as France and Canada.
• The average age of our campers was 14.
• We were 71% guys, 29% girls.
• The average water temperature on the lake was 77 degrees (a bit chillier than usual due to above average rain in June/July).
• Consumed 420 pancakes washed down with 11 gallons of pure NH maple syrup.
• We drank 68 gallons of milk (Billy was responsible for about 10 of those).
• Chowed down on 250 homemade (big) meatballs.
• We went through 1,500 freeze pops!
• 7,488 unique visitors to www.watermonkeycamp.com in the past 12 months.
• We tacked on another 175 hours to the Centurion's odometer.
• Guzzled 745 gallons of gas producing a little under seven metric tons of CO2...offset by planting 70 trees through CarbonFund.org!
• 0 hospital visits!
• Endless improvement behind the boat!

Goals for 2014

• 20 campers per week for eight weeks of camp.
• Two boats.
• Trampoline training area for land practice of flips, spins, and handle passes.
• New, private, unreal location directly on the lake...

Keep in touch, keep shredding, and, as always, feel free to hit us up any time to chat: 617-855-WAKE

-Evan

2012 season recap

We are riding high at Water Monkey Camp after a tremendous 2012 season of camp!  First off, a huge thanks to our campers and their parents for giving a new camp a chance, our staff for putting in 20 hour days for weeks in a row so that everyone could have an awesome time, and my friends and family for nonstop support (and help breaking in the boat). Some 2012 stats:

• Campers came from 6 states: Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and California
• 19 campers over 2 weeks of camp
• 82% of our campers were 13, 14, or 15 years old
• 81 degrees was the average water temperature during camp
• 125 hours logged on the Centurion from June through August
• 450 gallons of gas consumed producing roughly 4 metric tons of CO2 – offset by planting 40 trees through CarbonFund.org!
• 6,764 unique visitors to www.watermonkeycamp.com in the past 12 months
• 1 newspaper article featuring Water Monkey Camp & wake surfing
• 0 hospital visits!
• 1 chipmunk living in the girls' cabin

And some goals for 2013:

• 70 campers over 7 weeks of camp from June through August!
• 100 more gallons of ballast capacity on the Centurion for an even bigger wake!
• More fresh gear!
• New recipes for even more variety in our home-cooked meals!
• Two additional instructors for even more one-on-one coaching!

I will be travelling the northeast throughout the fall and winter visiting schools, camp fairs, and homes spreading the word about our camp and finding great guys and girls to fill our bunks.  If you want me to come to your town just shoot me an e-mail or give me a call and I will make my way over to convince your family and friends that Water Monkey Camp is the ultimate spot for teens for wakeboarding, wake surfing, waterskiing, wake skating, tubing, and summer fun!

Keep shredding, enjoy the fall, and when you start planning for the summer hit us up!

-Evan

617-855-WAKE (9253)