Adaptive Surf Project, a non profit organization located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina just pulled off something amazing. They took four adaptive surfers, five family members, and nine volunteers (Yes, nine) across the country to the USA National Surfing Championships in Oceanside, CA. The Adaptive Surf Project held several fundraisers during 2016/2017 to make sure the four adaptive surfers could compete in the national event, one of the most important competitions in adaptive surfing.
Leading up to the event, the team of 18 people spent their time training. Jim Holland, Luke Sharp, Brandon Bellegarde, Caleb Reed and Tyler Watkins helped the surfers in middle and deeper water. The Californian native Paul Towers was adopted by the team and helped them in deep water. Cate Sutz, Becky Carter, Brian Hughes, Summer Strickland and Ana Mellone helped the surfers in shallow and middle water. Some days, it was a struggle, with the waves and conditions in Oceanside wildly different from what they were all used to in South Carolina. One of the team Carolina surfers, Ernie Johnson broke his nose during training when his board hit him in the face. Later that same day, Jim Holland, the same person who had first responded to help Ernie, was struck in the head by a board and passed out in the water. Tyler Watkins hit his head in the sea floor and also needed assistance.
After all the bumps and bruises though, they still made their way to the Oceanside where they’d compete against some of the best, like adaptive surfing pioneer Jesse Billauer. The team worked together through one stretch of five consecutive heats of as long as 30 minutes. They were exhausted, but the shared love for surfing kept them going. Brock Johnson (Brockstar) finished 2nd in the Assisted Division, Veronica Lynne Tario took 7th and Ernie Johnson took 9th place. Terrel Rawson and Jim Holland made history as the first tandem surf team in a national championship. Together, this group from South Carolina showed how friendship, love, and perseverance can make a difference.
Note: You can keep rooting for Team Carolina on their Instagram page here, and Facebook here. Learn more about The Adaptive Surf Project online here.