Many neighborhoods and schoolyards have basketball goals, the suburbs have gigantic soccer parks, and each corner seems to have an athletic gym. These are all underappreciated, often ubiquitous opportunities provided by resources and efforts of many people and businesses across the country. Such a concerted effort is so successful that most children and even adults enjoy the option of many sports. This is not the case for people with varying disabilities and that’s why Coastal Adaptive Sports exists. Well, one of the most exciting and most accessible sports to support is surfing. Together with The Adaptive Surf Project, we hold events through our Wheel to Surf program that helps bridge the gap for participants who happen to have disabilities.
Wheel to Surf originated from a vision of several individuals to provide safe but thrilling surfing experiences to people needing adaptation. The primary function of the program is hosting adaptive surfing events for dozens of participants and hundreds of volunteers here in the North Myrtle Beach area. At these events, athletes come from miles around (sometimes hundreds of miles around) to experience what many people take for granted. With time, and together with Adaptive Surf Project, Wheel to Surf has procured the safest, most effective equipment available - much of which was developed locally and is now used in other parts of the world.
As we write this, Wheel to Surf just wrapped up another successful event at Cherry Grove Pier at North Myrtle Beach. We saw hundreds of volunteers, dozens of athletes, a million smiles and laughs, and a few faces of terror as participants experienced the power of the ocean. We surfed in multiple positions, including prone, seated, tandem, and standing - all on some gnarly equipment.
If you would like to participate in an upcoming event, follow our link to sign up. Our specialized equipment accommodates most disabilities, so don’t assume you can’t experience one of the most exciting activities in the world. People here at Coastal Adaptive Sports and Adaptive Surf Project wait eagerly to meet you and have some fun.
If you are considering volunteering, here’s a sales pitch: it will change your life. We both know it’s not about us, but the reality is change in you is change for the world and others. When you meet the athletes and possibly their families, it’s going to open your heart to an even greater affinity for people and you’ll be hooked. Not sure of the percentage, but many of our volunteers are repeats and that speaks to the effect meeting the participants and watching them can have. Contact us, come get changed, and then change lives!
Wanna get involved? You may also volunteer to help out with a Coastal Adaptive Sports event by clicking here.