Imagine living your life in complete darkness - never being able to see a sunrise or sunset. Now imagine taking a leap of faith, and trying to stand up on a surfboard and ride a wave in that world of darkness. Impossible? Not quite.
Instructors from Brickhouse Boards, the Bass Avenue surf shop, took seven blind teenagers from the Newton-based Carroll Center for the Blind to Good Harbor Beach and taught them how to surf on Sunday. By the end of the day, all seven teens, three with complete visual impairment and four with partial visual impairment, were riding the waves.
"It was just literally the greatest experience of my life," said Jamie Hosker, co-owner of Brickhouse Boards and surfing instructor. "I cannot see topping that night. It was, and probably will be, my greatest surfing moment."
Hosker, who has surfed on some of the meanest breaks in the world, including the North Shore of Hawaii, was humbled by the teens' determination.
"Somehow they'd find the strength and courage to stay up," Hosker said. "Their success was based solely on their courage. It's proving to them that there's nothing they can't do."
At least two instructors were assigned to every teen. One instructor, standing in waist-to-shoulder-deep water, helped the teen stand up on the surfboard, while the teen held onto the instructor's shoulders, before being launched into the wave. The other instructor, standing closer to shore, was the catcher, making sure that the wipeout was as smooth as possible.
"I was humbled by their faith in me to push them safely into a wave and the intestinal fortitude they displayed by not jumping off at the first sign of trouble," Hosker said. "We were really successful because of our knowledge - it was really gratifying."
Shouts of joy could be heard from the beach, each instructor voicing their excitement from the salt water of a successful ride by their surfer.
"Everything went well for these kids," Hosker said. "They were just inspiring."
Hosker was nervous and lost sleep over the event the night before. The main question he had resonating in his head: "How exactly do you teach a blind kid how to surf?"
"I couldn't imagine what someone's first wave would be like, going over the crest of a wave into darkness," said Hosker. "And if I couldn't imagine what it would be like, how was I supposed to give instructions on how to survive such an even?."
Instructors from Brickhouse Boards, the Bass Avenue surf shop, took seven blind teenagers from the Newton-based Carroll Center for the Blind to Good Harbor Beach and taught them how to surf on Sunday. By the end of the day, all seven teens, three with complete visual impairment and four with partial visual impairment, were riding the waves.
"It was just literally the greatest experience of my life," said Jamie Hosker, co-owner of Brickhouse Boards and surfing instructor. "I cannot see topping that night. It was, and probably will be, my greatest surfing moment."
Hosker, who has surfed on some of the meanest breaks in the world, including the North Shore of Hawaii, was humbled by the teens' determination.
"Somehow they'd find the strength and courage to stay up," Hosker said. "Their success was based solely on their courage. It's proving to them that there's nothing they can't do."
At least two instructors were assigned to every teen. One instructor, standing in waist-to-shoulder-deep water, helped the teen stand up on the surfboard, while the teen held onto the instructor's shoulders, before being launched into the wave. The other instructor, standing closer to shore, was the catcher, making sure that the wipeout was as smooth as possible.
"I was humbled by their faith in me to push them safely into a wave and the intestinal fortitude they displayed by not jumping off at the first sign of trouble," Hosker said. "We were really successful because of our knowledge - it was really gratifying."
Shouts of joy could be heard from the beach, each instructor voicing their excitement from the salt water of a successful ride by their surfer.
"Everything went well for these kids," Hosker said. "They were just inspiring."
Hosker was nervous and lost sleep over the event the night before. The main question he had resonating in his head: "How exactly do you teach a blind kid how to surf?"
"I couldn't imagine what someone's first wave would be like, going over the crest of a wave into darkness," said Hosker. "And if I couldn't imagine what it would be like, how was I supposed to give instructions on how to survive such an even?."
At 3 p.m., Hosker and Brickhouse instructors gave a hands-on instruction about the waves, safety and how to ride a wave on dry land, before the teens took the plunge into the cool Atlantic Ocean. By 5 p.m., the teens were hanging ten.
"Their sense of balance was amazing," Hosker said. "Their thought process was really sharp."
They loved surfing so much it was hard to get them out of the water before sunset, Hosker said.
The surfboards the teens used were "soft boards," surfboards that are about 9 feet long, 2 feet wide, and have a soft surface to lie on. The surfboards are made by Global Surf Industries, the world's largest surfboard producer. Hosker e-mailed pictures and the story of the experience with the blind teens to a representative from the company. By the end of the day, the pictures and story had circulated throughout the entire company. The CEO of the company saw the pictures and read about the event, and personally e-mailed Hosker about the amazing experience.
"This event was a thrilling experience for all seven Carroll Teens students, as well as the organizers and volunteers who donated their time and resources to make it such a memorable day," said Dr. Karen Ross, vice president of educational services at the Carroll Center for the Blind, in a press release. "We're already looking forward to doing it again next summer. This kind of activity exemplifies the spirit, confidence and motivation we try to instill in our students through such Carroll Teens programs."
Hosker always believed that big-wave surfers were the bravest people in the sport, but, after this experience, has completely changed his view.
"Prior to this experience, I used to think that the men who ride mountains (huge waves), the (big-wave surfers) Laird Hamilton and Jaws crew, were the pinnacle of bravery in our sport," said Hosker. "I couldn't have been more mistaken. All it took was one 14-year-old, visually-impaired young woman, to demonstrate to me what true bravery is. And now I see."
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