Meira Nelson on a waveski at the 2022 Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships
Meira Nelson on a waveski at the 2022 Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships

Para surfing or adaptive surfing is a form of surfing in which a disabled individual uses a board or waveski to ride on a breaking wave. Competitively, the International Surfing Association (ISA) has hosted the World Para Surfing Championships annually since 2015. In addition, the Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals (AASP) was formed in 2022 as the international governing body of professional adaptive surfing, and administers the AASP World Tour including events in Hawaii and California for its inaugural year. The Para Surf League (PSL), launched in 2022, organizes amateur and professional contests worldwide.

Adaptive surfers are classified into different competitive divisions based on their respective disabilities, with classification generally certified by medical professionals for professional competitions. There are currently nine separate divisions recognized by the ISA, AASP, and PSL.

History

The first adaptive surfing organization, Life Rolls On, was created in 2001 by Jesse Billauer, an aspiring professional surfer who sustained a spinal cord injury in 1996. The organization holds multiple "They Will Surf Again" events each year to help disabled individuals learn adaptive surfing.[1][2]

In 2006, Duke's Oceanfest with the help of AccesSurf Hawaii added an adaptive surfing heat as part of its competition. Since 2007 the Hawaii ASC has been held annually sustaining the platform of adaptive surfing and raising it to a professional level.[3]

In 2015, the ISA hosted the first World Para Surfing Championships (originally called the World Adaptive Surfing Championships). The inaugural event included 69 competitors from 18 nations.[4] Most recently, the 2022 event featured 181 athletes[5] from 28 nations.[6]

In 2017 the U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships was born as the first professional adaptive surfing championship to offer a cash prize pool purse for all podium winners and was also the first to implement priority judging. The U.S. Open ASC was born following the standard set by AccesSurf and the Hawaii ASC as a professional platform.

In 2022, the Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals was formed to be the international governing body of professional adaptive surfing, and to organize a tour of events for adaptive surfing professionals. In its inaugural year, the tour hosted 2 events, the Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships, and the US Open Adaptive Surfing Championships. Surfers were allotted points based on results in each contest, and those with the highest point totals were crowned world tour champions and were able to award over $100,000 dollars to adaptive athletes in its first year.[7]

The Para Surf League launched in 2022 to organize Para Surfing competitions around the world.[8] The Para Surf League Series will be organizing events in Costa Rica, Spain, Wales, France and more.[9]

Classification

Jesse Billauer, a para surfing prone 2 surfer, paddling out with assistance at the 2022 Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships
Jesse Billauer, a para surfing prone 2 surfer, paddling out with assistance at the 2022 Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships

In 2018 Dr. Maureen Johnson PhD,MS,OT/L,BCPR,C/NDT, Stoke for Life Foundation and the U.S. Open Adaptive Surfing Championships developed and copy wrote the current classification system being used by the AASP, PSL, and ISA. The ISA adopted the classification system in 2020. The ISA, AASP, and PSL each recognize the same nine divisions of adaptive surfing.[10]

Adaptive Surfing Classifications
DivisionDescription
Upper Limb Stand or Para Surfing Stand 1Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with an upper limb

amputation or congenital or impairment equivalent or short stature.

Below Knee Stand or Para Surfing Stand 2Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with a below the

knee amputation or congenital or impairment equivalent, or leg length difference.

Above Knee Stand or Para Surfing Stand 3Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with an above the

knee amputation or both lower extremity amputations or congenital or impairment equivalent.

Any Knee/Kneeling or Para Surfing KneelAny surfer who rides a wave in a kneeling or sitting without paddle

position with an above the knee amputation or both lower limb amputations or congenital or impairment equivalent.

Waveski or Para Surfing SitAny surfer who rides the wave in a sitting position that does NOT require

assistance paddling into a wave and getting back on the board safely.

Unassisted Prone or Para Surfing Prone 1Any surfer who rides the wave in a prone position that does NOT require

assistance paddling into a wave and getting back on the board safely.

Prone Assist or Para Surfing Prone 2Any surfer who rides the wave in a prone position that DOES require

assistance in the water, paddling into a wave, and getting back on the board safely.

Blind/No Vision or Para Surfing Vision Impairment 1Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with IBSA

classification Level B1.

Partial Vision Impairment or Para Surfing Vision Impairment 2Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with IBSA

classification Level B2 and Level B3.

Events

ISA

The ISA Para Surfing World Championships are hosted in Pismo Beach, California.[11]

AASP

The Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships take place annually in Waikiki. Produced by local nonprofit AccesSurf, the competition grew from an event held as part of Duke's Oceanfest in 2006, since 2007 the Hawaii ASC has been held annually sustaining the platform of adaptive surfing and raising it to a professional level. They became a standalone event in 2019 breaking away from Dukes Ocean Festival.[12]

In 2023, the Adaptive Surfing Open Pro Costa Rica will be held at Boca Barranca in Puntarenas.[13]

The U.S. Open of Adaptive Surfing Championships are held annually in Oceanside, California, produced by local non profit Stoke for Life Foundation and is the last of three events on the AASP World Tour. They were first held in 2017.[14]

PSL

The first Para Surf League contest of 2023 will be the SA Para Surf League Open, at Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town, South Africa.[15]

The Para Surf League and USA Surfing will hold the United States National Championships in Oceanside, CA. US Citizens competing in this contest will be eligible for selection to the USA Surfing National Para Surf team.[16]

The Para Surf League Open Costa Rica will take place at Playa Jaco, Garabito, Puntarenas as the third stop of the Para Surf League Series in 2023.[17][18]

The European leg of the PSL will have contests in Spain, Wales, and France with the 2023 Para Surf League Open España 2023 Para Surf League Open España,[19] the 2023 Welsh Para Surf Champs and Para Surf League Open,[20] and the 2023 OPEN DE FRANCE #2 et Open de la Para Surf League Euro Cont. Champs.[21]

Other

The 2022 English Adaptive Surfing Open ran at The Wave in Bristol, England.[22]

Paralympics

Para surfing was one of 33 sports, including ten new sports, with submitted applications to the International Paralympic Committee for inclusion into the LA28 Paralympic Games.[23] The IPC has put Para Surfing on the short list of sports for further consideration for inclusion, and a final decision for inclusion will be made by the end of 2023.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Vogel, Bob (April 1, 2021). "Zen and the Art of Adaptive Surfing". Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Mission". Life Rolls On. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  3. ↑ Lund, Casey (June 7, 2022). "Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships underway this week in Waikiki". Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ "DAY ONE OF COMPETITION UNITES GLOBAL ADAPTIVE SURFING COMMUNITY AT THE 2015 ISA WORLD ADAPTIVE SURFING CHAMPIONSHIP". isaworlds.com/. September 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ Smart, Zack (December 27, 2022). "'The ocean is for everyone': Canadian Para surfer Victoria Feige at forefront of growing sport". Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ "10 Things to Know About the 2022 Pismo Beach ISA World Para Surfing Championship Hosted by AmpSurf". December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  7. ↑ "How We Do It". Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  8. ↑ "What is the Para Surf League?". Ampsurf.com. AmpSurf. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  9. ↑ "2023 Para Surf League Series". EventBrite. AmpSurf. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  10. ↑ "ISA Para Surfing Classification". International Surfing Association. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  11. ↑ "ISA World Para Surfing Championship to return to California in 2022". Para Sport. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  12. ↑ Fujitani, Erin (June 21, 2022). "AccesSurf kicks off first-ever adaptive surfing world tour in Waikiki". Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  13. ↑ Solano, L (January 13, 2023). "Back-to-Back, 2 International events of the elite of Adaptive Surfing will be held in Costa Rica in June". Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ Schwartze, Elizabeth. "US Open Adaptive Surfing Championships Stoked on the Waves of Professional Surfing". Osider Magazine. No. July/August 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  15. ↑ "2023 Tyrelife Solutions SA Para Surf Champs and Para Surf League Open". EventBrite. AmpSurf. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ "2023 US Nationals and Para Surf League Open". EventBrite. AmpSurf.
  17. ↑ Solano, L (January 13, 2023). "Back-to-Back, 2 International events of the elite of Adaptive Surfing will be held in Costa Rica in June". Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Abierto Adaptado de Costa Rica 2023, presentado por la Para Surf League". EventBrite. AmpSurf. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  19. ↑ "2023 Para Surf League Open España". EventBrite. AmpSurf.
  20. ↑ "2023 Welsh Para Surf Champs and Para Surf League Open". EventBrite. AmpSurf. 17 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "2023 OPEN DE FRANCE #2 et Open de la Para Surf League Euro Cont. Champs". EventBrite. AmpSurf. 28 August 2023.
  22. ↑ Dines, Hannah (July 12, 2022). "Surfing moves closer to Paralympic inclusion with event at The Wave, Bristol". Wavepoolmag. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  23. ↑ Pinelli, Brian (August 5, 2022). "Para surfing attempting to ride wave of momentum into LA28 Paralympic Games". Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  24. ↑ Houston, Michael (January 30, 2023). "Climbing and surfing still considered for Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics". Inside The Games. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
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