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< September/October 2004
	Hotline
Paddlers with disabilities hotline blurbs

Smacking the Lip

Infinity Surf Shop makes the surf accessible with its custom wave skis

Three and a half years ago Jeremy McGhee sustained a P-10 spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident. A San Diego native, McGhee, now 27 and a paraplegic, had been a lifelong surfer, and the injury temporarily put the ocean out of his reach. That’s when he learned of Steve Boehne’s Infinity Surf Shop in Dana Point, Calif.

In the late 1990s Boehne began inviting people with disabilities to join him for rides on his custom-built, tandem wave skis. McGhee was soon out on the surf again, riding tandem with Boehne. "I ordered a wave ski from him on the spot and he had it ready for me a few weeks later," says McGhee, who runs the Fight 2 Walk Foundation, a nonprofit that helps people with spinal cord injuries. "I was on cloud nine."

Boehne builds these special wave skis to provide more stability than a normal wave ski. Because someone who can’t feel his lower body is more tippy, the wave skis need more girth. Boehne’s wave skis are up to 10 feet long and 23 to 27 inches wide. "Most of the people who do it were surfers before," Boehne says. "Some may have been in car accidents and just really miss surfing. We get them out there doing it again, and it brings tears to their eyes."

Infinity also helped T-12 paraplegic Freddy Carillo, 34, get back in touch with the ocean. After sustaining complete paralysis from the waist down from a car accident, the lifelong surfer tried to focus on other activities. He thought his surfing days were over until he found Infinity five years ago. With the help of Boehne and others, Carillo is now tearing up the surf, performing as well as he was in his days as a young board surfer. "I really didn’t think it could be done," he says. "But after my first tandem ride I took a single out and saw that it was completely possible."

McGhee and Carillo hit the surf two or three days each week, often having to be carried down to it by their friends. The paddling skills have taken some time to master, but they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. "Others with disabilities should do the same," says McGhee. "It makes all the difference to be back out there." Info: www.infinitysurfshop.com, www.fight2walk.org.

--mh

Proving a Point

Wilderness Inquiry shows that all can access the wilderness

In 1977 Greg Lais took a canoe trip to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters to prove a point with two of his friends who used wheelchairs. There was a law in question about motorized access to the area established on the premise that women, the elderly and those with disabilities needed motors to enjoy wilderness. Lais and his friends wanted to prove otherwise. "I was 21 at the time, and the law sounded really screwball," Lais says.

More than 25 years later, Lais is the executive director of Wilderness Inquiry, a nonprofit outdoor adventure company offering canoeing, hiking and other trips for anyone who wants to go. Based out of Minneapolis, Minn., Wilderness Inquiry offers trips to Florida and Hawaii, among other locales. With 11 full-time staff members and 80 trail staff, the organization’s goal is to focus on offering trips for anyone regardless of age, ability or gender. The company encourages all family members to join in.

Twenty-five years ago, Lais and his co-founders Paul Schurke and Bill Simpson had to make all of their own equipment. Now, many companies like Crazy Creek and Beneficial Designs make gear specifically suited for people with disabilities. Technology and mentalities have progressed over the years offering better experiences for everyone. As Lais says, "It’s all in the attitude." Info: www.wildernessinquiry.org.

--Alan Panebaker

Rocky Mountain High

Crested Butte’s Adaptive Sports Center is a resource center for those with disabilities

Nestled in one of Colorado’s most spectacular valleys, the Adaptive Sports Center offers paddling activities for people of all ability levels. Since 1987, this Crested Butte, Colo.-based nonprofit has provided outdoor activities year round for people with disabilities and their families. "We feel like when people have increased confidence in the outdoors, it gives them more confidence in life," says Summer Program Director Karen Reader.

Originally known as the Crested Butte Handicap Ski Program, the ASC was started by a few locals with a friend who became disabled. Desperate to help their friend continue skiing, the program began to grow each year. At about the same time of the ASC’s adolescence, former President Jimmy Carter learned of the organization’s goals, and donated a gift of $50,000 to the ASC. The gift helped jump-start the program, ensuring its survival. "It has really blossomed into the program it is today," Reader says.

A recipient of the Peter Goth Wilderness Medicine Scholarship, the ASC has been commended for its work in making wilderness adventures available to a wide group of people. From multi-day trips through Dominguez Canyon to whitewater rafting on the Taylor River, interns and staff offer many options for anyone ready to go play. Clients can also explore the lakes and reservoirs of the Gunnison Valley from the seat of a canoe or sea kayak. The ASC is always looking for new volunteers and eager to see new faces. From fly fishing to whitewater, the adventure continues to grow every year. Info: (970)-349-2296, www.adaptivesports.org.

--ap