- Title: USA: FEATURE: BLIND SURFERS.
- Date: 24th July 2000
- Summary: MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 20, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MANHATTAN BEACH 2. SURFER RIDING A WAVE BY BLIND SURFER WITH INSTRUCTOR, AND NEW ZEALAND LIFEGUARD, LLOYD HERBERT 3. FORMER PROFESSIONAL SURFER DRU HARRISON WORKING ON LAND WITH 11-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH HERNANDEZ 4. TEENAGE SURFER WALKING ALONG BEACH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HERNANDEZ: "It felt kind of scary, but then - when I started to get more into it - it felt fun." 6. HARRISON RIDES BACK OF SURFBOARD AS HERNANDEZ ATTEMPTS TO RIDE SURFBOARD WHILE STANDING-UP 7. BLIND CHILDREN GETTING ON-THE-WATER SURFING INSTRUCTION (2 SHOTS) 8. HERBERT WORKING WITH 12-YEAR-OLD SHAIN (CORRECT SPELLING) SCHAERRER 9. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SCHAERRER: "That's my dream, that I was hoping would come true, you know? I've always wanted to surf." 10. HERBERT AND SCHAERRER ON SURFBOARD 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCHAERRER: "When I'm done with summer school, I'm going to go to Malibu Beach with my uncle to surf." 12. FORMER PROFESSIONAL SURFER AND HEAD OF KANOA SURF CAMP KIP JERGER 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JERGER: "I took my instructors out and blindfolded them, so that they see what it was like to be somebody on a surfboard without any sight. And then, we went over all the steps. We take the kids down, we actually have them feel the boards, how long the boards are, where to stand, how to stand, how to paddle. So, it's a lot different than teaching someone that can see, because you have to think of all the extra steps, but in fact it actually helps me teach someone with sight a little better." 14. JERGER CONGRATULATING BLIND STUDENT BRENDAN ON STANDING ON THE SURFBOARD 15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JERGER: "I had one kid earlier, Brendan. He weighs about 260-pounds and I don't think he has a thought of himself being large, but he is. When I got him out there on the board, he stood up like he was twinkle toes and it just blew my mind. I don't know who had a bigger grin on their face, he or I." 16. HERBERT WORKING WITH SCHAERRER ON-LAND 17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANITA WRIGHT, YOUTH CONSULTANT FOR THE LOS ANGELES CHAPTER OF THE BRAILLE INSTITUTE: "In a nutshell, awesome, outrageous, cowabunga. It's meant that they were able to come out here and prove to themselves, to prove to their families, to prove to their peers, that they're capable of doing anything that they sent their minds to. You know, a little adaptation here and there, a little support, a little confidence and they can conquer." 18. HERBERT WORKING WITH BLIND SURFER Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 8th August 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA7WF592NZCXLVRZY9JC0L5N494
- Story Text: The beaches of southern California have long been
recognised as an international mecca for surfers of every
stripe. Recently, a unique group of young people gathered on
the sands of Manhattan Beach to shout "cowabunga" and pay
homage to the breaking waves.
The waves off Manhattan Beach were a little more
crowded last week, as a group of blind youths from Los Angeles
took to their surfboards, looking to fulfill the dream of any
California kid.
The staff of the Kanoa Beach Camp volunteered a week of
their time to put on a special surfing camp for members of the
Los Angeles chapter of the Braille Institute.
For eleven-year-old Joseph Hernandez, the week was about
overcoming fears on his first trip to the ocean.
"It felt kind of scary, but then, when I started to get
more into it, it felt fun," he said.
Fun seemed to be the order of the day for these kids, as
smiles were the one thing all of the young surfers shared.
The camp was particularly special for Shain Schaerrer, who
was given the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong goal.
"That's my dream, that I was hoping would come true, you
know? I've always wanted to surf," he said.
Shain had a rough time of it out in the surf, but the
12-year-old wasn't the least bit discouraged by the amount of
time he spent under his surfboard. In fact, he intends to
continue with the sport.
"When I'm done with summer school, I'm going to go to
Malibu Beach with my uncle to surf," he said
The surf camp was the brainchild of local surf legend Kip
Jerger, the head of the Kanoa Beach Camp. After four
successful years of instruction, Jerger felt he and his staff
were ready to take on the unique challenges of sharing his
beloved surfing with these special kids.
"I took my instructors out and blindfolded them so that
they see what it was like to be somebody on a surfboard
without any sight," said Jerger. "We take the kids down, we
actually have them feel the boards, how long the boards are,
where to stand, how to stand, how to paddle. So, it's a lot
different than teaching someone that can see."
The camp was an inspiration to both student and instructor
as is apparent when Jerger recalls the accomplishments of one
of his blind aspiring surfers.
"I had one kid earlier, Brendan," recounted Jerger. "He
weighs about 260-pounds and I don't think he has a thought of
himself being large, but he is. When I got him out there on
the board, he stood up like he was twinkle toes and it just
blew my mind. I don't know who had a bigger grin on their
face, he or I."
For Anita Wright, a youth consultant for the Braille
Institute, the week-long adventure was about a lot more than a
couple of kids "hanging ten."
"It's meant that they were able to come out here and prove
to themselves, to prove to their families, to prove to their
peers, that they're capable of doing anything that they sent
their minds to," said Wright. "You know, a little adaptation
here and there, a little support, a little confidence and they
can conquer."
While their accomplishments may strike some as unique, to
these kids it was just another day at the beach.
(cl/lh)
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