ABOUT US
​​I would like to send out a special Thank You to all of the wonderful people that have donated their time and money to help us form this Non-Profit. The Surfing Community is one of the most selfless and giving groups of people that we have ever had the honor of meeting and we are all so happy to have them in our lives. Jean and Brian Brackins and Nelson Terrell could not have done this without you.....Mad Love To You All!​
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​​Lee's Story​
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​Lee's Lil Shore Breakers is a Non-Profit that was founded by all of the friends and family of Lee Edward Terrell, who wanted to make sure that Lee will never be forgotten. My name is Jean Brackins, I'm Lee's mom.
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Lee was like many children, from a broken home, the result of divorced parents. He lived with his father, Nelson Terrell, in the Northern Neck of Virginia during the school year and during the summer months he lived with me and his step dad, Brian Brackins, in Virginia Beach. On his 13th birthday we gave him a used board, but told him until he took lessons he could not even float on it unless he was in a pool.
So that summer he went to his first surf camp and he LOVED IT! That Christmas we had a surf board shaped for him and when summer came, Brian would drive him and his friends to the beach and they would surf for hours. Lee was always the smallest kid for his age and did not feel real comfortable going out to where the good waves were breaking so he hung close to shore and ended up breaking the nose of the board three times. After that third time Brian started calling him Shore Break, a nickname that stuck for a while, one he didn't like.​
​Lee was always the first one in the water and the last one out, he worked and worked at being the best and yes, he did finally get past that fear and started riding the better waves and he dreamed of being a pro surfer. During the summer of Lee's 8th and 9th year of school he moved to Virginia Beach and lived with Brian and I year round. I would love to say it was because he missed us, but I knew it was the waves he wanted to be near.
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​As the years passed and he and his friends grew up but never apart, they got old enough to be able to ride their bikes down to the beach holding onto their surf boards. Then the day finally came that a driver's license was obtained and they could now drive the two miles to see how the waves were.
​​ I never worried about where he was or who he was with, I always knew he was at the beach with the "Virginia Beach Crew" (as their group became known).
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On August 25th 2011, I received a text from Lee that he was meeting Michael and Jimmy, and that they were going to get in a few rides. The waves were okay, but with Hurricane Irene heading towards us they knew the beach would soon be closed. My last words to him were have fun, please be careful and I love you. At 6:30 I received a call from Michael's mom Susie telling me that something had happened and that I should come down to the beach as soon as possible Before I could get there I received another call telling me that I need to go to Virginia Beach General Hospital, where he had been pronounced dead. As usual Lee was the first one out in the water that day and when he got on his board he decided to do a barrel roll. He was not aware that there was a high sandbar right under him though, and as he rolled the board his head hit the sand bar with enough force that he broke his neck and went into cardiac arrest. At the age of 22 I lost my beautiful son, but at least I can say he died doing what he loved.
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We have formed Lee's Lil Shore Breakers to honor Lee and to teach children from the ages of 10 to 13 to surf. We will be working with children that come from broken homes, or from families that may be down ​​​​​on their luck and otherwise couldn't afford to pay for a child's surf camp. We hope that after reading about what we are doing you will want to help us by making donations so that we will be able to continue the camp each year and maybe open chapters is other coastal towns. Always remember to Ride every wave like it's your last!
