• Current Issue
  • About Surfing Medicine
    • History
    • About
    • Team
    • Submissions
  • Authors
    • Information for Authors
    • A Call for Submissions
  • Surfer’s Medical Association
  • Archive (1987-2011)

Life Rolls On

Oct 15, 2022 ~ Author Surfing Medicine Staff

Inaugural event Narragansett, RI September 24, 2022

On March 25, 1996, on an average day at Zuma Beach, 17 year-old Jesse Billauer dropped into a wave at the punchy California beach break. He pulled inside a barrel and got thrown headfirst into a shallow sandbar. The impact broke his sixth cervical vertebrae, and he instantly became a quadriplegic. At the time he was one of the top junior surfers in the world, on the fast-track to going pro.

Jesse takes it from here: “The good news … my story didn’t end that day. With the help of the surf community, I got back into the sport I love and went on to help thousands brave the waves – and in the process, rediscover their infinite potential. I’ll leave you with this: your power is in your perspective, not your circumstance.”

After rehab, reflection, and getting back in the water with the help of friends, Jesse went on to found Life Rolls On, a non-profit foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with various disabilities. He founded it on the belief that adaptive surfing and skating could inspire infinite possibilities beyond any disability. Life Rolls On began as a splash into the unknown on September 11, 2001; achieved 501c3 nonprofit status in 2002; and now touches the lives of hundreds of thousands.

With adaptive equipment and numerous dedicated volunteers, They Will Surf Again empowers people living with paralysis to ride a wave –  blowing away physical barriers. Adaptive surfing builds confidence, and even more importantly, brings a sense of reward and fulfillment that their condition doesn’t make them less whole, less like everyone else.

This quality-of-life program has grown to 10 events on all 3 coasts of the US and for 20 years, participation has been FREE. The latest addition to this busy schedule of adaptive surfing events had its debut on September 24, at Town Beach in Narragansett, RI and was organized with LRO by Marc Guttman, a Connecticut hospital emergency physician and his 16-year-old daughter, Tara, a high school junior. “As an emergency physician, I often see patients and their families dealing with their disabilities,” he said. “Having enjoyed surfing myself for many years, and enjoying the good feelings it offers, I thought that adaptive surfing must be a great way for individuals with disabilities to be active, share in the joy, and maybe help be a springboard to other endeavors that could enrich their lives,” explained Guttman, 48, who has been a surfer for many years. Marc, his daughter, and longtime friend, surfer and LRO volunteer, Doug Denny organized a team that reached out to local medical groups, hospitals, insurance companies, surf shops, and others, in search of sponsorship and volunteers.  After scouting out an appropriate venue, LRO sought and gained approval for beach access from local authorities. They then contacted rehabilitation centers, neurosurgical, neurology, and rehabilitation departments of hospitals in CT, RI, and MA to let their patients know about this unique opportunity to get in the ocean and ride the waves.

Fiona leftovers providing great conditions for Life Rolls On participants. Photo Credit: PJ Dougherty, www.PJDougherty.com/shop.

The September event took place in stellar conditions with leftovers from Hurricane Fiona delivering a 3-foot, long-period swell with moderate off-shore winds, and sunny skies. Nearly a hundred family members, caregivers, and volunteers assembled on that bright September morning in order to help about a dozen people of all ages ride the beautiful waves on offer, many for the first time in their lives. Marc, Tara, and Doug were assisted by a large local crew of in-water and land-based volunteers.

Chief Kahuna was Chris Antao, founder of Gnome Surf, who provides surf-therapy to children with autism, Downs-syndrome, and LGTBQ youth in nearby Little Compton. Chris and his staff provided adaptive surfboards and served as in-water team leaders. The University of Rhode Island and Bryant University swim teams also volunteered. Four teams of a dozen members each were stationed in deep, moderate, and shallow water, as well as on the beach to ensure a fun and safe experience for these first-time surfers.

Dr Guttman recounts the in-water action: “Narragansett Town Beach is a great venue because it is wheelchair accessible, has a short beach to the water, and has a relatively shallow shore break which is ideal for assisting adaptive surfers. Early in the morning we set up sand-free, wheel-chair compatible mats, tents and banners for a staging area. After a group gathering, introductions, and a briefing we started surfing around 9:30am allowing for the tide to go down and for air to warm up a bit. Chris Antao and his Gnome Surf team were a huge help. The vibe in the water was from participants and volunteers was amazing, with lots of positive energy and enthusiasm. We surfed until about 12pm and then picked raffle winners and had a great lunch on the beach. We hope to build on our success to make the event even more impactful next year.”

Keeping LRO events free to all participants and running them safely requires time, talent, and treasure. I’m talking to you, dear reader. As a surfdoc this fits squarely in your wheelhouse. Please contribute at least one of the three tees of this truly remarkable organization to help provide the experience of surfing we have all come to cherish to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity.

Posted in Rehabilitation
←
→
Comments are disabled

Summer 2018 Issue #31 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor
  • No Other Options (a true story)
  • Big Wave Surfing: A physician’s perspective
  • Origins of the Paddle Out Ceremony
  • Case Report: 63 y.o. male surfer “found down”
  • What Happened to Zika?
  • Orthopedic Injuries in Professional Surfers: A Retrospective Study at a Single Orthopedic Center

Summer/Fall 2017 Issue #30 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor
  • Don’t Eat the Fish!
  • A Surfing Life
  • The SMA Barefoot Doctor Course
  • The Surfer Health Study
  • Terry Farrell Interview
  • Case Report: Eye Trauma from a Surfboard

Summer 2016 Issue #29 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor
  • Catching Waves: Perspectives of Physicians Who Surf
  • Should you Frika about Zika?
  • Case Report: A 29-Year-Old Female Surfer with a Thigh Laceration
  • Case Report: Central Cord Syndrome in a Bodyboarder
  • Images from Surfing Medicine
  • Druku’s Life
  • Druku: SMA Remembers a Great Man
  • SMA Conference Report – Nicaragua 2016

Summer 2015 Issue #28 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor: Surfing Medicine to the Extreme
  • Sun Protection for Surfers
  • Cold Water Surfing and Hypothermia
  • 2013 Triple Crown + HIC Pro Injury Report
  • Wanna pee on my Wana? Sea Urchin Injuries, a Literature Review
  • Larger Than Life, Don James, MD
  • Granny and Doc
  • SMA Nicaragua Conference Report, May 28 – June 4, 2015

Winter 2014-15 Issue #27 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor
  • Beware the Devil Fish – “Don’t tread on me”
  • SURF: A Unified Surfing Competition Medical Reference Form
  • Surf Stronger, Paddle Longer
  • Sea Ulcers
  • The SMA Scholarship Program
  • Tavi 2014 Summary
  • ASLS Portugal Conference

Fall 2013 Issue #26 Table of Contents

  • A Message from the (new) Editor
  • Case Report: A Nicaraguan Stowaway
  • Knee Injuries in the Barrel: How Heavy and Deep Can You Go?
  • Concussions in Surfers
  • Surfer’s Ear – The Bane of Cold Water Surfers
  • Surfing Injuries – Literature Review
  • Keeping the Stoke: Dealing with Declining Competence in the Aging Surfer
  • Helping Vets to Feel the Healing Waters

Fall 2019 Issue #32 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor
  • Surfing Injuries at the Pipe Masters 2013-2017
  • A Non-Healing Surf-Wound
  • Images in Surfing Medicine
  • Terry Farrell Tribute
  • Surfing USA, a Literature Review
  • The Baker: Archives of the SMA

Fall 2020 Issue #33 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor
  • In the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Should Surfers Continue to Surf?
  • Improving Safety in Surfing
  • Case Report: Widespread Pruritic Papules after Bodyboarding in Long Island
  • Case Report: Severe Fin Laceration
  • Tourniquets and Hemorrhage Control

Fall 2022 Issue #35 Table of Contents

  • Message from the Editor, 2022
  • Life Rolls On
  • Beware the Leash: Seymour Fracture of the Finger
  • Bill Jones Ph.D, in Memoria
  • The Old Man and the Sea: Video on Surfiatrics from the 2022 World Congress on Extreme Sports Medicine
  • Common Surfing Injuries: Video on Surfing Injuries from the 2022 World Congress on Extreme Sports Medicine
  • Images in Surf Medicine
  • Literature Review: Is Surfer’s myelopathy an acute hyperextension-induced myelopathy? A systematic synthesis of case studies and proposed diagnostic criteria.
  • 2022 Magdalena Bay Conference Report

Fall 2021 Issue #34 Table of Contents

  • Letter from the Editor
  • Impact of SMA Conferences on Wellbeing
  • Surfing and Health in the Covid-19 Era: A Narrative Review
  • Case Report: Femur Fracture in a Kitesurfer
  • Images in Surfing Medicine
  • Characteristics of Surfers as Bystander Rescuers in Europe
  • Acute Injuries in Surfing: A Systematic Review
  • Mag Bay 2021

Browse by Category

  • Acute Surfing Injury (22)
  • Assorted Flotsam and Jetsam (6)
  • Case Report (13)
  • Chronic Surfing Injury (9)
  • Conference Report (1)
  • Conferences (2)
  • Environmental Injury (10)
  • History of Surfing Medicine (2)
  • Images in Surfing Medicine (2)
  • Infectious Disease (5)
  • Letter from the Editor (10)
  • Literature Review (9)
  • Original Research (6)
  • Other (4)
  • Rehabilitation (3)
  • Surfing Conferences (6)
  • Travel Medicine (5)
  • Uncategorized (1)

Tag Cloud

Abscess ACL repair Aging Auditory Exostosis Big Wave Surfing Botfly Central America Concussion Conference Report Dangerous Marine Animals Dermatobium Homonis Drowning Evacuation External Auditory Exostosis Femur fractur Head Injury injury kitesurfing Knee Injury Literature review: Surfing Injuries Marine Envenomations Message from Editor Nambila Paddle Out Ceremony Palliative Care Pro Surfing Rehabilitation Sea Ulcer Stingray Summer Surfer's Ear Surfing Surfing Death Surfing Injury Surfing Therapy Swimmer's Ear Tavarua Veterans Vets

Copyright Notice

All written content on this website is the copyright of the Surfer's Medical Association. Material may not be reproduced for commercial or non-commercial uses without express permission from editor. Contact the Editor to request the appropriate permission.

© 2022

Contact the Editor

Contact the editor at ANathanson@Lifespan.org.

Join SMA

Learn more about Surfer's Medical Association
Top