[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]The found ers of Surf For All , a no n- profi t organiz ation that tea che s di sabled kids and adults ho w to surf, held a fund raiser on June 10 th at The Park Sp orts Bar and Grill in Long Beach.
Founde rs Cliff and Will Sku di n, together with Jim Mulvaney, wer e delighte d wit h the turnou t and raise d over $8,00 0 for the purchas e of Wav e Jets to mak e it eas ier for inst ruct ors to help studen ts in the wa ter.
Cliff Skudin said, “We beli eve the ocean is a source of healing and spirit ual strength that should be acce ss ib le to all.”
Surf For All is a vol untee r- dr iv en organiz ation with no pai d employees .
Pl ease visit the websi te, www. su rfforall.org, for mo re detai ls and to donate. All con tribu tion s go to purchasing eq ui pment and help fun d all outings.
Cliff and Will Skudin als o own and operat e Skudin Surf camps an d lessons in Lo ng Beac h and Rockaway.
Surf For All ’s roots go back to 200 2 with the deve lo pment of a surf program fo r dev elo pmental – ly disabl ed te enager s. Ove r th e year s, the y expa nded th eir outi ngs to cov er a bro ade r spe c- trum of dis ab ilit ies – from autism, cerebral pals y, visual impai rment and oth ers. The y work closely wit h the Long Beac h Schoo l Dis tr ict and pro vi de fr ee week ly le ss ons for middle sc hoo l studen ts during the summ er speci al educat io n prog ram. The y have also expanded beyon d teen agers an d wo rk closely with Woun ded Wa rriors, prov id in g les son s and supp ort for mil itary hero es. They als o provide progr ams for the econ omica lly di sadv antaged
. Th eir work has been fea tu re d on ne twor k television , major ne wspaper s, rad io and so cial me di a. Th eir message is alwa ys the same: We get more enjoy ment out of the prog ra m than the st udents.
Vol unt eers are all certified surf inst ruc to rs and/ or licensed Ne w York State lifegu ards. The y ra nge from studen ts to teachers, from bus in ess men to politi cians, moms an d da ds and at least one grandpa re nt . Th ey hav e been fortun ate to get some of the big gest na mes in in ternat io na l surfi ng involved. It’s quite arush forakidtogetalesson th en go home and Google th e name of his inst ructo r and see that th e teacher is a star. It’s like pla ying catch with Derek Jeter.
Jim set up the first New York outing for disa bl ed chi ld ren in 2002 wit h hi s friend, internationa lly known surfer and autis m expert Izzy Paskowit z. Ji m’s so n, Dan, has profound aut ism. Dan was on e of the fir st stud en ts in the water. Jim is a consultan t who prov id es secur ity and anti- terr orism advice for clients here and abroad. He is a former journalist and winn er of a Pulit zer Prize for Inv esti ga tive Re porting. In th e winter, he is an on- ice coach for a hockey team of you ng adults with auti sm. Cliff has a passion for working wit h studen ts with disabil iti es and he is co- fo und er of Su rf For Al l.
Cliff is co- founder and pre sident of Skud in Surf Inc., as well as a nation ally- ran ked li fe guard and experienced waterman. Cliff is a cer tified New York State teac her an d holds a Mast er s Deg re e in Ph ysical Ed ucation. Cl iff was nominat ed in the 201 2 Billi bong XXL mon ster paddle awards . A 201 2 and 20 13 Bi g Wa ve World Tour Nelsco tt Reef Oregon invitee, he has surfed th e biggest and he avie st surf spots on the plane t suc h as Ma veri cks, Wai mea Bay, Outer Reef s Hawa ii, Nelsc ot t Reef , To dos Santos, Pue rto Escon di do, and Central Calif ornia, and East Coast Hurricane Ch asi ng and pione ered bi g wav e surf spots on the East Coast wit h hi s bro th er Will .
Will is an in tern ationall y ranked big wave su rfer who has co mpet ed in some of the mo st signific ant tournam ents aro und th e globe. Al ong with hi s brother, Cliff, Will ha s bee n fe atured as “Hurricane Chasers,” who race up and do wn the eastern seaboard to hit the wave s when hurrica nes hit la nd. Will’s exploits are all over YouTube. He also runs a program that combines surfing and the arts includ in g vid eo , music , painti ng an d other expr essions of creativity.
Photo and tex t courtesy of Skudin Surf
Article from the Canarsie Courier[/fusion_text][/fullwidth]
