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Small morsels of local happenings ... for you to sink your teeth into. beachbites
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
Photography by Allison Breiner Potter
In the life of a local,
beach activities such
as swimming and surfing
are second nature.
But regular trips to
the shore may not be the same for
some. From this, Ocean Cure was
formed in an effort to offer medically
fragile and at-risk children and
adults the opportunity to do what
seems impossible: surf a wave. This
year, the Life Rolls On: They Will
Surf Again event will take place at
Wrightsville Beach on August 27, to
give children and adults with spinal
cord injuries the chance to catch a
wave.
“My goal was to make it as large as many of the local surf contests
we have in the area in order to give our participants that
same feeling we all get when we show up to a big surf event,” says
Kevin Murphy, who will be running the event for the third year.
Last year Life Rolls On: They Will Surf Again gathered 200
volunteers and 30 participants. Murphy hopes to make this year
even bigger. In order to remain safe, the participants will wear
life jackets, and some of the surfboards are constructed with
hand holds.
“An Ocean Cure instructor who has worked with disabled
children and adults will take the surfer out and remain with that
person on the board at all times,” Murphy says. The experience will
be nothing short of magical for the participants and their supporting
family members as they feel the thrill of surfing as any other
person might feel.
Wrightsville Beach is also the host to other camps for those
with special needs. This summer’s surf camps include Surfers
Healing on August 22 for those diagnosed with autism. Ocean
Cure will assist with Surfers Healing, as will Indo Jax Surf
School, which also takes its camp overseas in the offseason for
women in the Homes of Hope orphanages in southern India.
— Jordan Smith
inspiration
Keep on
rollin’
Life Rolls On: They Will Surf
Again takes children and
adults with spinal cord
injuries on a ride of a lifetime