Student confidence soars through free San Francisco surf program Student confidence soars through free San Francisco surf program. Frank Mallicoat reports SAN FRANCISCO - If you need to clear your head sometimes some fresh air and a trip to the beach can change everything. That’s the premise behind the San Francisco-based non-profit City Surf Project. "There is something that just connects us all to something bigger than what we are by just being in nature and in the ocean," said City Surf Project Operation Manager Meghan Hanebutt. City Surf Project started seven years ago when high school teacher Johnny Irwin took his class on a surfing field trip to Ocean Beach and discovered his students were more engaged and their confidence soared all thanks to a day on a surfboard.