The road to the Olympics for Para-Surfing athletes from around the globe begins here

Over 130 adaptive athletes from around the world are gathered in La Jolla California for the 2020 AmpSurf ISA World Para-Surfing Championship! This is the world championships of surfing for people living with lifelong disabilities! These athletes surf the same “Para” Parallel as their abled bodied counterparts and represent the pinnacle of adaptive surfing and will be competing to bring home gold medals for themselves and their nations.

Team USA will field 16 athletes, 8 men and 8 women, that will include 5 military veterans from around the country. AmpSurf, based in Pismo Beach, is also sponsoring 7 of the athletes competing in the championships, six who are Veterans of the U.S. Armed forces; Dana Cummings a Marine from East Livermore, ME who now resides in Atascadero, CA (USA), Christy Gardener, an Army Veteran from Auburn, ME (USA), Jose Martinez , Army Veteran from Grass Valley, CA (USA), Sarah Bettencourt a Marine from Oceanside, CA (USA), and Carter Hess a Marine, from Florida (USA), Buster Kawasaki, a Navy Veterans from Honolulu, HI (HAW).

These wave warriors have stood for our country in the past and swore an oath to protect and defend the constitution. Now these amazing athletes represent their nation once more in the uniform under the team USA and Hawaii banner, with hopes of bringing home gold. AmpSurf is also sponsoring visually impaired surfer Shane Lopes from Turock, CA, Who now resides in Pismo Beach, CA (USA).