Inaugural Class of Special Olympics Surfers Graduate!

July 13, 2010 -- With 200 family members, friends and surf enthusiasts looking on, the first-ever Special Olympics-sanctioned surfing program culminated on Tuesday, July 13 as 8 athletes and their instructors competed in a head-to-head Unified competition, judged by an ASP judge. Clayton Gage took top individual honors for having the rest best wave of the day, scoring an impressive 7.5!

And once the competition was over, a special graduation ceremony was held where athletes and Unified surfers (the instructors) receive thier "surf-tificates" declaring them official surfers!

And Ron Jon's gave our athletes a BIG surprise: their own boards with their names on them! The "big reveal" happened at the beach prior to the competition: at first when the instructors stood the boards up and turned them around, it didn't sink in for the athletes...until they saw their names on them and realized that thosee were THEIR boards! It was like Christmas morning on the beach!

The program, which was developed as a partnership between Special Olympics Florida and Ron Jon Surf Shop, began June 5 with an afternoon of instruction and education for the athletes and continued with weekly lessons at the Cocoa Beach, Fla.-based Ron Jon Surf School.

The surfing program provided one-on-one interaction between the Special Olympics athletes and the experienced team of professionals at the surf school and offered water safety education and fun on the beach.

It was led by surf-industry veteran Craig Carroll, whose Ron Jon Surf School is the largest and most experienced surf academy in Florida and the Southeast.  Carroll, a former professional surfer who has surfed in Cocoa Beach for more than 40 years, has operated the surf school since 1993.

"We knew from the very beginning that these athletes would not only enjoy this new experience, they would thrive on the waves and truly learn how to surf,” said Carroll.  "Seeing the excitement in their eyes and watching their confidence grow was inspiring to all who participated.”

For Special Olympics Florida, successfully completing this first surfing class opens the door for expansion and growth, and the potential of bringing the sport to a global audience for Special Olympics.

Special Olympics Florida and Ron Jon Surf Shop will begin a second class with a new group of Special Olympics athletes at the Cocoa Beach location and have selected Jacksonville and Stuart as areas for expansion.

"Our athletes have once again shattered the stereotype of what people with intellectual disabilities are capable of.  In just a few weeks, they've become legitimate surfers!" said Special Olympics Florida President Monty Castevens, adding “Ron Jon Surf Shop has set in motion something that has great potential to benefit many, many more Special Olympics athletes, all while giving them the skills to enjoy the sport of surfing with their friends, families, and the broader surfing community, for the rest of their lives.”

Ron Jon Surf Shop provided all gear and equipment necessary and covered all costs associated with the program.

 "It has been exciting for us to watch the progress of the athletes as they not only got up on the surfboards, but also learned about the surfing lifestyle and formed bonds with their surf instructors," said Debbie Harvey, president and COO of Ron Jon Surf Shop. "We are proud to have been a part of this inaugural surfing program and look to be a catalyst in its ongoing development and growth."

Video from Graduation day, produced by the folks at Ron Jon!

Surf School Owner Craig Carroll shares his thoughts on graduating class.

Graduation Day Photos!

Ron Jon Surf Shop was founded in 1959 by surfing enthusiast Ron DiMenna.  Two years later, he opened a tiny oceanside shop in Long Beach Island, N.J. The lifestyle-apparel and board-sports-equipment retailer has since opened stores in Cocoa Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Ft. Myers, Key West, Panama City Beach, Fla., as well as Myrtle Beach, S.C. The flagship store in Cocoa Beach is the world's largest surf shop.  It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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