Surfing: Adaptive surfing day aims to bridge gap for people with disabilities and surfing

Surfing New Zealand sport development manager Lee Ryan hopes an event at Mount maunganui this weekend will bridge a gap for people with disabilities and surfing. Photo / Andrew Warner

People with physical disabilities do not need to shy away from surfing as a sport - and a have a go day at Mount Maunganui this weekend will showcase just that.

The Adaptive Surfing Have a Go Day is a Surfing New Zealand event, being held with funding from the Halberg Foundation, that is open to people of all ages with physical disabilities including vision impairment, mobility or limb loss.

The free event will cater for up to 20 people and be held at Mount Maunganui's Main Beach.

Surfing New Zealand sport development manager Lee Ryan says he hopes the event will bridge a gap between people with disabilities and surfing.

"We will have a high number of coaches and supervision," Ryan says.

"Some won't be able to stand up, so they will just ride the board, and we will have a lot of different abilities. It will help increase their confidence around the water, and we just want them to get the thrill of riding a wave."

Surfing has been added to the Olympic Games for 2020 and there is some momentum behind adaptive surfing being added to the Paralympic schedule.

The sport is on a list of proposed sports to be considered by the International Olympic Committee for the 2024 games in Paris.

Ryan says events like tomorrow's have a go day may be the first step to high level competition.

"We have a lot of coaches who are adaptive surfers themselves. It is getting it out there and making people aware that there is a pathway. It is a challenge to connect with people who want to do it and we want to build a database of people who want to surf.

"We are trying to grow the adaptive surfing season in New Zealand as well and we had two adaptive surfers at nationals last year."

Adaptive surfing have a go day:
When: 9.30am-2pm, Saturday, March 2
Where: Main Beach, Mount Maunganui
How: Register with Lee Ryan, lee.ryan@surfingnz.co.nz