Nothing beats the feeling of catching a wave all the way to the beach. The Disabled Surfers Association will help share the stoke in Thirroul on 30 November. Photo: Disabled Surfers Association.
Are you in desperate need of a smile?
There aren’t many guarantees in life but if you head down to Thirroul Beach on Saturday 30 November we challenge you not to crack a grin.
The South Coast branch of the Disabled Surfers Association has its next event scheduled.
The volunteer organisation helps people with disabilities from asthma to quadriplegia enjoy a surf.
President of the South Coast branch Ian Picton first lent a hand in 1993.
He was working as a council lifeguard on Bulli Beach when Len Snowden ran up to him.
“He said his group were there for a surf and asked if I could help,” Ian said.
“I said, ‘Of course’, then he gave me his arm and his leg.”
Ian has spent the past 30 years putting his surf skills to good use for the organisation.
He said that every time they went out, he was impressed by the bravery of participants.
“Imagine maybe you can’t swim or keep yourself above the water,” he said.
“When you go out there you put all your safety into the hands of a volunteer you don’t even know. That takes a lot of guts.”
The buzz on event days is palpable. Shrieks of joy and laughter rise above the sound of the surf and everyone, from participants to their families and volunteers, have enormous grins plastered on their faces.
If you’d like to help support gutsy participants and enjoy a day at the beach, it’s easy to get involved.
All you need is a willingness to help and some spare time.
“November is going to be a big one, and there’s a job for everyone,” Ian said.
“You don’t need to have a surfing background; there’s jobs to do helping people find wetsuits that fit or helping people in wheelchairs down to the sand, there’s always something to do. We don’t turn anybody away.
“We have a ratio of six volunteers to every one participant in the water.
“So far we have 38 participants booked in on the day, 30 volunteers and 65 carers, so we need lots more.
“We could have a million dollars in the bank but without volunteers on the day we can’t go ahead.
“It’s all about putting smiles on dials, the friendship, being around good people and knowing you’ve done something to give back.”
This year participants who aren’t able to get in the water have an opportunity to have a unique surf experience of their own.
Sally Fitzgibbons recently conducted a fundraising event and purchased two headsets for the Disabled Surfers Association.
The headsets provide a VR surfing experience with Sally and will be launched at the Thirroul event.
Also on the day will be the hotly contested Code Cup competition, a paddle challenge between the Northern District Tigers AFL side and the Helensburgh Tigers Rugby League team.
“The teams always get involved and provide a helping hand in the water too,” Ian said.
“We’ll be putting on a barbecue lunch as well to say thank you to everyone involved on the day.”
If you’d like to volunteer a pair of hands head to Disabled Surfers Association “Hands-on Surf Day” – Thirroul 2024 (humanitix.com)
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