'Legends In The Making', The Rise of Adaptive Surfing

Around the world there have been many individuals and organizations who are hard at work to increase access to the ocean for those who want to surf, but may need some extra help, or simply for those who want to enjoy a day at the beach. Not long ago, the prevailing mentality was that surfing would be out of reach for anyone with a disability but the reality is that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Jesse Billauer first brought visibility to this by continuing to surf after suffering a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed and starting an organization called Life Rolls On. Bethany Hamilton was another who helped open the door of possibility after she lost her arm to a shark attack on her home island of Kauai. 

For those interested in learning, there are groups that host clinics with varying frequency aimed at both introducing newcomers to surfing and providing space and support for others to progress. In the United States there are several ways to get involved: Waves 4 All is a free adaptive surf clinic that happens on the last Sunday of every month in Oceanside, CA. Stoke for Life Foundation also hosts open surf camps in Oceanside. The High Fives Foundation offers several adaptive surf clinics throughout the year in several locations. The Challenge Athletes Foundation (CAF) hosts a few events throughout the summer in both San Diego and Los Angeles. There are surf schools, like Surf Education Academy (SEA) that can offer private and group adaptive surf lessons around the year. 

John White, director of Waves 4 All, says, “the clinics are a great way to get started but the real goal is to build the confidence and networks so that surfers can go out independently of the clinics. I don’t want people to think that they can only go once or twice a year, I want them to get stoked on surfing and be able to incorporate it into their lives just like everyone else. There shouldn’t be anything stopping them from getting out.” 

For those who excel in the clinics, and want to take their surfing a step further, there are several competitions, like the US Open of Adaptive Surfing, the ISA Adaptive World Championships, and the Olympics. The goal is for adaptive surfing to be included in the Brisbane Olympics of 2032 in Australia. There are 8 categories for adaptive surfing, split between men and women, as seen below.

Each new athlete helps pave the way, as White says, "This is still in its infancy, these guys and girls are legends in the making. Jose (Martinez) is like the Gerry Lopez of multiple amputee surfers and Josh (Loya) is like the Greg Noll of blind surfers. In the future people will look back and recognize just how important their contributions have been to the sport."

Consider this a short introduction that we will follow up over the coming weeks with stories and profiles on specific athletes, organizations, and competitions. If you would like more information on learning or getting involved as a volunteer, you can email John White at waves4allsurf@gmail.com or if you have an adaptive surf story you would like to share with SURFER please email me at chris.dodds@surfer.com