By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A new breed of surfers is taking to the water at Ocean Grove and their joy at feeling the rolling waves carry them to shore is unbridled.
The select group has a big support crew and even bigger fan base, virtually taking over a section of the popular beach for its annual events.
The surfers have few sponsors but a lot of grassroots help.
The main motivation, though, is the sheer happiness from being in the water, on a surfboard, in the sun and having fun – taking surfing back to its roots.
They are part of Ocean Grove’s branch of Disabled Surfers Australia (DSA), which aims to put smiles on the dials of both participants and volunteers.
And that’s just the title of a program that won DSA Ocean Grove a recent 2013 Victorian Coastal Awards for Excellence award.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Ryan Smith honoured the group’s work in the awards’ community action and partnerships section for its Putting Smiles on Dials program.
As well as putting smiles on dials, it also brings tears to eyes.
“You can’t help getting emotional about it,” group secretary Julia Beshara admitted.
“Seeing the joy on their faces as they hit the water, it becomes such a passion. It’s so important to people to be able to do something they may never have been able to do before.
“Families send in DVDs of the day and we sit around and watch them and we can’t help getting emotional.
“These are people who have the courage to let others they don’t know put them in a wetsuit, on a surfboard, in the water and away they go.
“We have blind people who have never seen the ocean showing such courage for them to put their lives in our hands – it blows me away.
“The biggest compliment they can give us is when they say, ‘No one saw my disability but only saw me for who I am’.
“Not only that, they want to come back, which is why we’re holding a third event this year. They get the bug like any surfer.
“They plan their holidays with their families around these events.”
Julia said the group helped people with all kinds of disabilities, from mild intellectual disability through to participants on ventilators, with extra volunteers to hand-pump the air while the surfer is in the water.
The group has helped 700 disabled people get into the water since 2009, with the popularity of the program leading to a waiting list of eager prospective participants.
DSA Ocean Grove has a volunteer base of 600, with 200 showing up for the last event in March.
“That was amazing,” Julia declared.
“So many people were happy to take a day out of their weekend or holidays.
“But we’re always recruiting because there are always more people we want to get into the water.”
The group provides training for volunteers in lifting procedures and using the sand cruiser wheelchairs and has a physiotherapist on hand.
“We receive no government funding, so we madly fundraise all year round,” Julia said.
“It’s a big challenge because we have costs of up to $8000 a year for insurance and equipment.
“That’s a lot of sausage sizzles but Barwon Coast has been amazing, putting in a ramp for us and adding disabled toilets to the new amenities block specially adapted to fit the sand-cruiser wheelchairs.
“Rotary Ocean Grove are great supporters – they cook all the barbecues, run an art show and donate the proceeds to us. Rotary Queenscliff donated a children’s sandpiper wheelchair and Gloria Jeans locally support us as well.
“What it all means is that so many more people are getting comfortable with disabilities.”
