Surf for All Hosts Cerebral Palsy Athletes

Surf for All, New York's pre-eminent ocean surfing program for people with disabilities will host a team of teenagers with Cerebral Palsy for a special ocean outing to introduce them to the joys of surfing.

The program will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at Long Beach Road Tuesday.

"Surfing is about getting your body in rhythm with the ocean," said Cliff Skudin, a co-founder of Surf for All, who holds a masters degree in adaptive physical education. "The motion of the waves can be very therapeutic for people with issues like Cerebral Palsy. And the sense of accomplishment they'll get whether they ride the waves standing, sitting or prone can be a life altering experience."

The students are from the United Cerebral Palsy School in Roosevelt.
Surf For All started in 2002 with programs for young people on the autism spectrum, said co-founder Jim Mulvaney, the father of a child with autism. Since then the program has hosted more than 1,500 surfers with a range of disabilities including physical and cognitive. For the past several years the group has held special events for Wounded Warriors, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, who take to the waves to assist their return to civilian life.
Cliff and his brother, Will Skudin, a nationally ranked professional big wave surfer, start the program with beach training; introducing the athletes to the surfboard and using hand over hand instructions to teach them to paddle, pop up and ride the waves.

"It's not just about surfing," said Will Skudin, a third generation Long Beach surf instructor. "It's about helping the kids recognize what's possible. Yesterday they might have been afraid of the ocean. After riding a couple of waves, they'll be ready to take on the world..."

All of the surfers are supervised by certified instructors and lifeguards.
The event draws hundreds of local volunteers and spectators who cheer on the young athletes. "The City of Long Beach really comes together," said Cliff Skudin. "City government, the lifeguards, local surfers, people off the boardwalk, day trippers, everybody is really stoked to see these guys show that having a disability doesn't mean you lack ability."