INFO: ASSOCIATION SEE SURF !!!

In 2017, we introduced you to the Association See Surf. Its goal is to develop a network of mutual aid between able-bodied and disabled people, around the practice of Surfing, and to organize events so that people with visual disabilities can overcome the isolation sometimes created by their situation.

 

“With surfing, everything is possible”. A motto that has resonated as a hope for many visually impaired and blind people for the past 8 years. This association was created in 2012 by Claudy Robin, himself blind following a genetic disease that occurred at the age of 9 years old. Its aim is to help people with visual disabilities (children, teenagers, adults) to discover the practice of surfing. For this purpose, Claudy, accompanied by 114 volunteers of the association, have already organized about twenty days of initiation in collaboration with the Lacanau Surf Club. After a complicated year in 2020, the association is launching a donation campaign to prepare for the year 2021. They need you.

 

Hello Claudy. Can you tell us how the Association See Surf was born ?

See Surf was created in the fall of 2012, in order to meet the blind Brazilian surfer Derek Rabelo, who had surfed the mythical wave of Pipe. We set up with friends the project of the meeting on Hawaii at the end of 2012. At the same time, I went to the meeting of the federal authorities of surfing, at the time of their annual general assembly. Because in June 2013, we had the hope and the desire to help visually handicapped people discover surfing in Bordeaux. That’s where the national headquarters of one of the largest associations for the visually impaired, the UNADEV National Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired, is located. They had the necessary members to start the initiations. During my meeting with the French Surfing Federation, the president of the Lacanau Surf Club, Laurent Rondi, touched by my research and my request, offered me free of charge to put at my disposal his club, the changing rooms, the equipment, their club house, and a State Certified Surf Teacher so that we could organize our first day in June 2013, which was followed by a second session in September 2013. A great gesture because See Surf, had no resources, no equipment, no surfing Diploma, no wetsuits, no boards, nor space.

What is the goal/message of the association?

The goal and message of See Surf is simple. To bring a message of hope for people with visual impairment. To know that it is possible, in spite of their handicap and natural isolation, to be able to discover, learn and practice surfing in complete safety, supervised by our teams of volunteers .

 

Because surfing is by nature a very visual sport, See Surf has set up a strategy and a pedagogy of supervision and support so that all our see surfers, young and old, can learn to surf safely.

What kind of events have you been organizing since 2013?

Since June 2013, we’ve organize several days per year. Those of June and September are reserved for children, teenagers, and adults with visual impairment, and the one in July is more specifically reserved for children and teenagers from a center taking care of children and teenagers with visual impairment, coming from the suburbs of Bordeaux, the Alfred Peyrelongue Center.

We also take part in awareness initiations to discover surfing with sighted and able-bodied people where we put them in a situation of visual disability with a blindfold on their eyes. These are real moments of sharing and exchange, between our see surfers, our volunteers, and people who wish to learn to surf in a blind situation.

How was the year 2020?

Due to the health crisis we had to cancel all our days. It was a real heartbreaker. But because our See-Surfers need contact to surf with the help of our volunteers, it was impossible for us to put in place the barrier gestures that could have allowed our See-Surfers to be able to surf. It was therefore a rather complicated year for our whole community. We keep our fingers crossed and hope for better days in 2021. There will always be waves, the ocean is waiting for us and we are reaching out, it’s up to us to be responsible and to respect the sanitary instructions.

This Donation Campaign aims to revive these events?

The Donation Campaign for 2021 aims to help us finance our initiation days. See Surf does not charge any membership fee as a matter of principle. Our initiation days are free, and the association, in order to keep a family atmosphere during our days, offers since the beginning the meal to all our participants, see surfers, volunteers and companions. It is important that we are united and close to each other throughout the day.

We also need to invest in equipment, as we did in 2017 when we bought Couine Marie GONG inflatable SUPs, and more recently Couine Marie inflatable surfboards. We also need to equip ourselves with safety lycras and other materials allowing us to be autonomous, hence our Donation Campaign that allows us to raise some funds to prepare our days for 2021.

Why did you make an investment in GONG Boards?

In fact we chose the GONG brand for several reasons. First of all, for GONG’s reputation in terms of quality Inflatable Boards with an unbeatable price/quality ratio. Then, we realized that the large size SUP Couine Marie we had were not all adapted to our public. After having reinvested in smaller Boards, we were able to adapt our practice to all our See Surfers. We kept a few large SUP’s, which are used for the bigger sized riders, who need buoyancy/stability. The generous volume of these Boards is perfect for our See Surfers. We use the smaller ones for the smaller sizes, children as well as adults, of normal and medium size. So with all our range of Inflatable Boards, we have a maximum comfort for the accompaniment and the practice of our See Surfers, and especially adapted also to the supervision of our volunteers.

Obviously, the practical side of the Inflatable is for us its easy storage. These Boards are easy to inflate and maintain.

Moreover, the GONG brand is known by many of our volunteers who surf on Rigid or Inflatable Boards. We have also made the Tidal Bore several times. In kayak for some, and for me, in SUP Family for two, and in pirogue. It seems to me that you have a very well known GONG Ambassador from the Tidal Bore, a certain Manta man.

Volunteers play an important role in the Association. Can you tell us about them and how they became involved in the Association?

Volunteers have an important, preponderant and fundamental place and role in the organization of See Surf. They are the ones who accompany our See Surfers on the water. We have made an accompanying list that they receive by email before each session, explaining how to coach a See Surfer during a session. We prepare the teams beforehand between the volunteers who are three for a See Surfer. We have to pay attention to each other’s body type by putting the smaller sizes together and vice versa for the bigger ones. The goal is to obtain teams that are as coherent and logical as possible.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life. No need to be a surfer. You just need to have the desire and the desire to offer a little of your time to others, because See Surf, is an association made up only of volunteers, the office and the board of directors included.

The volunteers come from all socio-cultural backgrounds. From all ages, from 16 to 75 years old, from civil servants to architects or doctors, from the professions to teachers or business people. See Surf receives and accepts all good will to give time and desire to share good times with our See Surfers.

You are a surfer too. How and when did you start?

I have been surfing since 2007. I had to stop surfing because of health concerns in 2015. I practiced tidal bore on the Dordogne river during several sessions. I had the chance to surf all over France and in Morocco on Agadir as well as in Hawaii in 2013. A great session with Jérémy Florès, on Waikiki beach, the most beautiful waves in the world .

Can you explain what a blind or visually impaired surfer feels when he surfs? What are his/her bearings ?

As I often say, once the take-off is done, the blind surfer feels swept away by the speed of the wave and then the foam. The sensation is the feeling of walking on the water, and also to feel free because by being alone on the board, we are surfers like everyone else. Apart from our visual handicap, we are able to be free and feel the sensation of sliding and speed of the board on the water.

Can you tell us about young Lou and her fabulous journey?

Lou is 13 years old today. She was affected at the age of 2 with a brain tumor that caused her to lose much of her vision. She had to fight for a few years against this terrible disease, with heavy treatments. At a conference I was giving at a center for the visually impaired, Lou came to meet me with her mom, telling me that she would never be able to surf because of her visual impairment. I told her and certified that she could surf. Lou was 7 years old, and by 2014 she was able to start surfing with us. I passed on and gave her my first surfboard. She continued to come with the help of her parents to all our events and initiation days. She held on and showed incredible perseverance. Since 2019, Lou has been a member of the Lacanau Surf Club, in both leisure and competition formulas. Last year, in September, she participated in her first departmental championships of para surfing where she finished first and champion of Gironde in the visually impaired category. She then participated in the French para surfing championship in Hossegor in the fall of 2019 where she finished third in her category, which allowed her to be selected, qualified and selected to participate in the World Para Surfing Championships in California in the spring of 2020. She finished 4th, a great result after so few years of practice. A nice prize list, and a great course which is only at its beginning.

See Surf was created for that too. Propose a path of initiation, discovery and awareness. Then by passing by the inclusion in a valid and Federal Club, to practice in total inclusion the surfing in leisure and if desire in competition as Lou joined this dynamic since last year.

How to make a donation to the Association?

To make a donation to See Surf, nothing could be easier. Either by mail with a check payable to See Surf, at the following address: See Surf, at Claudy Robin, 33 rue Pierre Curie, residence Pierre Curie, building C apartment 81, 33140 VILLENAVE D’ORNON France. or by also passing by the website of See Surf via the following link by the button Pay Pal.

In the following link make a donation to see surf : https://seesurf.fr/faire-un-don/