Para surfing
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Comment: The global name is "Para Surfing" per most sources so I think that should be the title and also the terminology used in the article, except where is historically/contextually necessary to use "adaptive surfing" Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 08:50, 30 November 2022 (UTC)
Para surfing or adaptive surfing is a form of surfing in which a disabled individual uses a board or waveski to ride on a breaking wave. Competitively, the International Surfing Association (ISA) has hosted the World Para Surfing Championships annually since 2015. In addition, the Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals (AASP) was formed in 2022 as the international governing body of professional adaptive surfing, and administers the AASP World Tour including events in Hawaii and California for its inaugural year.
Adaptive surfers are classified into different competitive divisions based on their respective disabilities, with classification generally certified by medical professionals for professional competitions. There are currently nine separate divisions recognized by both the ISA and AASP.
History
The first adaptive surfing organization, Life Rolls On, was created in 2001 by Jesse Billauer, an aspiring professional surfer who sustained a spinal cord injury in 1996. The organization holds multiple "They Will Surf Again" events each year to help disabled individuals learn adaptive surfing.[1][2] In 2007, Duke's Oceanfest added an adaptive surfing heat as part of its competition.[3]
In 2015, the ISA hosted the first World Para Surfing Championships (originally called the World Adaptive Surfing Championships). The inaugural event included 69 competitors from 18 nations. Most recently, the 2021 event featured 134 athletes from 24 nations.[4] The event will be held at Pismo Beach again in 2022. [5]
In 2022, the AASP was formed to be the international governing body of professional adaptive surfing, and to organize a tour of events for adaptive surfing professionals. In its inaugural year, the tour hosted 2 events, the Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships, and the US Open Adaptive Surfing Championships. Surfers were allotted points based on results in each contest, and those with the highest point totals were crowned world tour champions.[6]
Classification
The ISA and AASP each recognize nine different divisions of adaptive surfing.[7]
| Division | Description |
|---|---|
| Para Surfing Stand 1 | Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with an upper limb
amputation or congenital or impairment equivalent or short stature. |
| Para Surfing Stand 2 | Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with a below the
knee amputation or congenital or impairment equivalent, or leg length difference. |
| Para Surfing Stand 3 | Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with an above the
knee amputation or both lower extremity amputations or congenital or impairment equivalent. |
| Para Surfing Kneel | Any surfer who rides a wave in a kneeling or sitting without paddle
position with an above the knee amputation or both lower limb amputations or congenital or impairment equivalent. |
| Para Surfing Sit | Any surfer who rides the wave in a sitting position that does NOT require
assistance paddling into a wave and getting back on the board safely. |
| Para Surfing Prone 1 | Any surfer who rides the wave in a prone position that does NOT require
assistance paddling into a wave and getting back on the board safely. |
| Para Surfing Prone 2 | Any surfer who rides the wave in a prone position that DOES require
assistance in the water, paddling into a wave, and getting back on the board safely. |
| Para Surfing Vision Impairment 1 | Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with IBSA
classification Level B1. |
| Para Surfing Vision Impairment 2 | Any surfer who rides a wave in a standing position with IBSA
classification Level B2 and Level B3. |
Events
The Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships take place annually in Waikiki. Produced by local nonprofit AccessSurf, the competition grew from an event held as part of Duke's Oceanfest in 2007, becoming a standalone event in 2019.[8]
The U.S. Open of Adaptive Surfing Championships are held annually in Oceanside, California, and are the second of two events on the AASP World Tour. They were first held in 2016.[9]
The ISA Para Surfing World Championships are hosted in Pismo Beach, California.[10]
References
- ^ Vogel, Bob (April 1, 2021). "Zen and the Art of Adaptive Surfing". Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Mission". Life Rolls On. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Lund, Casey (June 7, 2022). "Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships underway this week in Waikiki". Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ "ISA World Para Surfing Championship to return to California in 2022". Paralympic.org. Para Sport. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ Iveson, Ali (May 15, 2022). "Pismo Beach returns as ISA World Para Surfing Championships host for 2022". Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "How We Do It". Association of Adaptive Surfing Professionals. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ "ISA Para Surfing Classification". International Surfing Association. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Fujitani, Erin (June 21, 2022). "AccesSurf kicks off first-ever adaptive surfing world tour in Waikiki". Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ Schwartze, Elizabeth. "US Open Adaptive Surfing Championships Stoked on the Waves of Professional Surfing". Osider Magazine. No. July/August 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ "ISA World Para Surfing Championship to return to California in 2022". Para Sport. Retrieved September 21, 2022.