Breaking news: The Changing Face of Adaptive Surfing
By Janet Heard
1. The sea is a powerful equaliser. Ask South African adaptive surf champion Daniel Nel. He
navigates land in a wheelchair. He has no feeling in his legs. In the congested tourist hub north of
Kuta in Ball, there are irritating obstacles at every awkward turn. Beachfront access is often via
steps. Bars and restaurants have raised, narrow entrances. There are no proper pavements. You
are forced into the road, competing with a chaotic procession of tuk tuks, motorbikes, cars and
tipsy tourists.
CIDOS
2. It's downright hazardous.
3.
But in the ocean, Nel's terrestrial challenges are swept aside like spumes and of spray. When he
takes off prone on his surfboard in overhead waves at Canggu Beach, he cuts through the water
with effortless, unhindered ease. He charges back through the lineup with his strong upper limbs.
When he wipes out, he holds his breath, and sits it out underwater until he can clamber on his
board to await the next set.
4.
Just like many of us.
5. The South African plumber by trade, who runs a storage business, was among 23 athletes who
competed in the inaugural Ball Adaptive Pro at Canggu earlier this month.
6.
Nel returned home with a silver medal in the prone division after a show-stopping contest that saw
adaptive surfing take a leap into the future, with the first 10-point ride recorded in adaptive surfing
at the first adaptive event to run at a proper surf break.
7.
And the surfers tackled the extra challenge like they do their own lives, with wicked humour and
disregard for other people's fears about their safety
8.
Since the inaugural world adaptive surfing contest at La Jolla in San Diego, US, in 2015,
international and national contests have taken place at breaks that are, well, a bit lame. Safety is
key. Adrenalin is not encouraged.
9. However, Bali Adaptive Pro organisers Reddog Wheatley, a double below knee amputee from
Australia, and Czech Milo Brzak, who lives in Bali, had a dream and they threw caution to the
offshore. They decided enough was enough. They wanted an adaptive event in proper Indo
waves.
10. The event kicked off with a traditional blessing ceremony at a Balinese Hindu temple overlooking
Echo Beach. Surfers were grouped together in five divisions, depending on their disability-
Prone, Stand (Upper Limb). Stand (Lower Limb), Kneel and Visually Impaired. On Day 1, Echo
Beach was cooking, with warm tropical lines heaving onto a shallow reef, testing competitors to
the max
11. "Perfect conditions for a contest," said
Nel, with a grin. Nobody hesitated.
Nobody withdrew
12. In Nel's prone division, contestants were
assisted on beach wheels, then tossed
into the shore break to fend for
themselves. They bobbed around the
backline and hustled for waves sucking off
the reef. The waves were a solid four foot,
"nice and hollow with steep take-offs and
long, open face waves to pull serious
manoeuvres," said Nel
13. On Day 2, the event was postponed due
to wild and woolly 10-foot conditions, with
only a handful out at the usually overcrowded breaks.
14. The contest resumed on Day 3. Conditions were "big and unruly but pumped out quality waves for
a decent contest final showdown," said Nel
15. Competitors in all divisions were hauled out to the backline by jet ski, a vaguely reassuring safety
ng and sets and learning and my
fan. A 30-Pinute inai
he hooked five waves, narrowly losing by half a point to Californian Michael Pingatore, who took
gold.
17. Nel, in his mid-40s, was injured after a motorcycle accident in 2004 that crushed the life out of his
legs. Like Nel, each of the surfers has a traumatic story about their disability, but the last thing
they seek is ableist sympathy.
18. Within the adaptive surfing community, they speak matter-of-factly about their mobility issues.
They own their bodies. They joke about their artificial limbs and prosthetics. They do not share the
fascination t that table-bodied spectators have for "what happened to them. Some contestants are
regulars on the adaptive surfing circuit, which has been growing in size and gravitas year on year
X:What are the 2 simple sentence?