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On Monday, the opening ceremonies took place for the Hawai’i Adaptive Surfing Championships in Waikiki. Over 100 surfers with physical disabilities are taking part, hailing from 18 countries and competing in 17 different divisions.
The event is hosted by AccesSurf, a local non-profit in Hawai’i founded in 2006 by Rich Julian and Mark Marble. They provide accessible beach and water programs to help those with disabilities enjoy the ocean.
“We use everything from waveskis that resemble a kayak to big longboards with special pads on them. A lot of people have different modifications they’ve made to their boards. We’ve gotten very creative,” said AccesSurf Board Member Eric Welton in an interview with KITV4 News.
The Hawai’i competition will be the first stop of the inaugural Adaptive Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour, that will also include events in Boca Barranca, Costa Rica, and Oceanside, California.
“There is an event out there for everybody,” said Cassandra Eckroth, an adaptive surfer from Nevada. “No matter your ability, they want to make sure you can get out in the water, so they’ll make that opportunity for you.”
More information about the competition, along with a live feed, can be found at AccesSurf.org.
