It feels like yesterday we were engulfed in the Ohana vibes as we watched Athletes and their family experience gorgeous waves together in beautiful Maui.
This year we are back, and the Ohana vibes are as strong as ever. We brought 12 Athletes and their families to Maui to grow, improve, heal and love in the warm water of tropical paradise. The plan for the camp is the same as any camp we host; get Athletes safely shredding, create a community that lasts well beyond the camp dates, and help everyone find out what they are capable of.
Sam Summers, Rio Peterson, Jason Abraham, Josh Dueck, Ryan Bodine, Nate Smids, Claudio Morales, Cassie Eckroth, Alex Duff, Alana Nichols, Paul Basagotia, Jose Martinez came together as individuals but, over the week, became one collective community with a deeper understanding of themselves, their families and their injuries.
One of the many memorable moments that we wanted to highlight was Cassie Eckroth’s triumphant return to surfing. In 2021 Cassie sustained Surfers Myelopathy while in a surf lesson. Unfortunately, this extremely rare injury left her with a spinal cord injury. Cassie initially expressed a fear of returning to the ocean, but she came to Maui with the intention of getting back in the water.
We are very proud to say that Cassie got back in the water on a waveski and shredded waves with fellow adaptive surfers, overcoming her fears.
Way to go, Cassie!
The Ohana surf trip was fantastic all around. The crew of people was amazing, the scenery, food, and weather were all unforgettable! On top of that, I overcame a fear!
Getting back in the water felt amazing for a multitude of reasons. The more surface reason is now I have a new sport and something that I can do and enjoy doing, but on a deeper level, it felt incredible to overcome something that had scared me since my injury. That fear is no longer there. The feeling of overcoming something is my biggest takeaway. I can use this as a stepping stone to show myself what I am truly capable of, and that feels great!
-Cassie Eckroth
High Fives Athlete #416
On top of the beautiful waves we had curling directly in front of our accommodations a few of the veteran surfers, went out with the goal of catching some bigger waves on their minds. Jason Abraham, Claudio Morales, and Jose Martinez tackled some challenges of their own as they took on the large waves of Honolua Bay.
High Fives Ohana Camp by quick stats:
First-time surf Camp Attendees: 6 (Paul Basagotia, Rio Peterson, Nate Smids, Claudio Morales, Cassie Eckroth, Jose Martinez)
High Fives slapped: 5,555
Waves Surfed: All of them
Memories made: Uncountable
We want to extend an extra special hug and High Fives to all the donors, friends, and Family who made this possible. Without you and sponsors like SunBum, Slowtide, Eddie Bauer, Adapt/Destroy, STAS and GoPro, these camps would never be a reality, only dreams.
If you would like to see the complete photo album from the trip CLICK HERE
