For this journal entry, I will be talking about my volunteering at the surf competition QS 3000 women - QS 6000 men organized in Spain where I work every single summer. This year was longer than the other because they also organized the European junior final (even though it was the European, surfers from around the world competed there), so it lasted 10 days in total. From the 25th to the 2nd of September.
This year I was assigned to work at check in the whole week and we worked from 8AM every day until 8:30PM. I had a lot of fun, not only because I love to be there and work there, but because due to the reason I was in check in, I got to talk to everyone there and to make new friends such as competidora and people from the staff. There is one thing that I love about being there, which is work in groups and no matter your age, you’re going to be coexisting with people from all different ages.
I was in charge of reciving the staff in the morning, competitors (men and women) and also everyone from the WSL. Besides that, I also revived all the VIP’s, sponsors, etc. And guided them to the VIP area, depending on whi are they coming with. When the competitors come in, I have to check they are on the list, then, give them a “welcome back gift”, give them the bracelet and a parking ticket, also ask if they have any guests to give them a bracelet too; them maximum of guests per competitor we’re two.
There are usually 4 types of bracelets, but this year were 6. I had a computer in front of me with lists of the staff with everyone’s personal info, WSL, VIP’s, Sponsors, Pull&Bear, etc. VIP’s had 3 different bracelets: classic family, which is a permanent pass for VIP area number 2, ABANCA, for one of the sponsors of the VIP area #1 (where only guests of ABANCA could go in there, and 1 day passes for area #2 (for the rest of sponsors that are only coming that day. In case they were coming one more day or two we would change those bracelets with the color assigned for that specific day). Each time the VIP’s wanted to go there, I would have to check if they were on the list, and if not someone that had the power to check them in online, do that so that we could let them pass, then give them their assigned bracelet and if they needed to, a parking sticker.
Besides that, I would also have to give everyone from staff and WSL lunch tickets.
I also had to give tours inside the riders area for the big sponsors families that went there and explained everything to them on what everything is, how everything works, etc.
At the end of the day my partner Lucia and I had to re count how many passes we gave that day, etc. And I would also help some of the workers clean the competitors area before leaving because it was pretty bad. They leave everything on the floor and one of them even threw two water bottles in front of one of the cleaners.
When it all ended, I took time to reflect on how much I wait for that week if the year to happen but how quickly it passes by and once you noticed, you’re waiting again for the next edition. It’s something really special that I feel so lucky that I get to do that and to experience it. I get to work on many different characteristics such as communication, leadership, organization and many more.