The Healing Power of Hanging Ten

Hammer Surf School teams with a nonprofit organization to let kids with special needs ride the waves.

BY KATIE HIRSCH

Cheers from crowds gathered on the beach could be heard from the boardwalk each time a wide-eyed, smiling kid stood and rode a wave into shore. Riding tandem with a surf therapist for the day, each of the children with unique needs became an athlete who defied expectations and opened a new world of connection with the ocean.

The cheers continued for two days during the annual A Walk on Water (AWOW) Surf Therapy event held the first weekend of June on Remsen Avenue. For dozens of special needs children and their families, it was an opportunity to use the ocean as an agent of hope and happiness.

Hosted by Hammer Surf School, the event focused on connecting special needs children with the healing powers of the sea. Owner Sam Hammer teamed with the California-based nonprofit AWOW organization to provide a safe surfing experience for participating children and their families.

“It’s really touching,” Hammer says. “You’re providing an experience to someone who would never have the opportunity to do something like this, and all it’s costing you is your time. We’re just lucky to pass along the joy of surfing and share our love of the ocean with other people.”

There was no shortage of shaka signs and high fives as athletes and their volunteer surf instructors geared up in wetsuits to brave the chilly, late spring water. Parents stood on the shore ready to record the moment their child hopped to their feet. You could see bonds of trust build between athletes and instructors as wave after wave rolled through and duos glided into shore.

Rounding out each session was a trophy ceremony in which participants received a small wooden surfboard and posed for a final photo and hug with their new surf-therapist friend.

Community Support

Since 2012, AWOW has connected surf communities all over the country with thousands of families to introduce loved ones to the ocean and transform them into athletes. With professional surfers and trained surf therapists, AWOW and Hammer Surf School create a safe, secure environment for local kids to learn about the ocean and develop a love of surfing.

Deciding to hold the event in Spring Lake was an easy call for Hammer. With experience hosting successful charity events at his other surf camp location in Lavallette, he knew that Remsen Avenue could handle the volume of people needed to run a large charity operation like AWOW.

With the backing of Mayor Jennifer Naughton and the community, Hammer connected with AWOW event coordinators and launched the first local event in 2018.

“The town is so supportive, and they trust us to host events like this,” Hammer says. “It’s held over two days with 50 athletes participating each day and just as many people volunteering.”

Local sponsors and donors including Bare Wires Surf Shop, Bagel Basket Café, Surf Taco, Playa Bowls, Divi Tree Coffee, Benny’s Pizza, Lava Java House, FINS Tropicali Cuisine and Jersey Mike’s helped feed attendees and keep each day’s events running smoothly.

Personal Connections

A small group of athletes returns to the beach during the summer to continue developing their love of surfing. Adam Holloway of Bare Wires Surf Shop in Spring Lake recognizes the lasting impact of surf therapy and lends a hand during these sessions.

Having a family member with Down syndrome, Holloway understands that the athletes are not defined by their limitations and can do far more than people may assume. Whether kids communicate well or not, when they hit the water, something special happens.

Bare Wires team riders, surf shop customers and Holloway’s children all volunteer for the AWOW event. But it’s the ripple effect the event has on participants’ families that keeps

Holloway coming back each year.

“There are families coming from as far as Connecticut and upstate New York to attend this event, and it means so much to them to see their children so happy,” Holloway said. “The families get a break on the beach, and it’s a chance for them to relax.”

To celebrate the weekend of surfing, a fundraiser in support of AWOW took place at Beach Haus Brewery. Donated items for raffle prizes came from local vendors, including Spring Lake surfboard shaper Charles Mencel, who contributed a handcrafted Mencel board.

Volunteers and surf therapists at Hammer Surf School say they are forever inspired by the AWOW program’s athletes. A lasting connection between the families and the entire surf community of Spring Lake—one of acceptance, love and support—will keep a passion for surfing alive for years to come.