HAMPTON – Oscar Toce made the shaka sign, also known as the “hang loose” sign, with his hands while surfing on his stomach.
When he reached the shore, he fell over, but with the help of other surfers, he got back on his board and swam back out to sea, hoping to catch another wave.
“It’s incredible, you can’t beat this (feeling),” he said.
Toce was one of dozens of wounded soldiers who participated in American Legion Post 35’s Hit the Beach on Friday. The event, which brings together local surfers and volunteers to teach wounded veterans how to surf, celebrated its 16th year.
Toce was a veteran of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve who lost both legs after 24 years of service.
However, he was no stranger to surfing. He had been taking part in the event for several years and each time he had a bigger smile, more energy and better balance.
“You can’t keep a man with wooden legs down,” he joked.
Ralph Fatello, former commander of American Legion Post 35 and also a former Marine, said he started the event in 2008 because of his own experiences with surfing. He said he was in a “dark place” after returning from the Vietnam War and “surfing saved my life.”
“When you feel like you’re actually riding a wave, it’s a feeling you can’t get anywhere else in the world,” he said. “So when I became commander of the Legion, I kept seeing the Wounded Warrior Project (a nonprofit veterans charity) going kayaking and skiing, and I thought, ‘Why don’t we take them surfing?'”
Fatello believes that “surfing heals all wounds” and that it creates a deep connection.
“That’s the part that most surfers don’t think about because it’s too intellectual and too deep. These waves are the remnants of (Hurricane) Ernesto, which is in Ireland right now. So these waves have traveled thousands of miles to get here and you hit this wave and ride it at the end of its life,” he said. “What else is there like this? … It’s beautiful.”
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Veterans return to North Beach every year to surf
Other familiar faces at the event include Lin Schott, who said she was “excited” to be taking part for the sixth time. She said Hit the Beach is the only time she surfs.
“On land I feel very uncomfortable because I have balance problems, but in the water I feel better and if I fall I don’t hurt myself,” she said.
Schott was a nurse in the Navy for 23 years, serving at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, before being sent to Vietnam during the war to work in critical care. She recalled that the average age of her patients was 20 years and nine months, and noted that many of them didn’t make it.
Although it was Genis Timmermans’ first attempt at surfing, no one would have guessed her attitude when she successfully rode the waves to shore on her second attempt. The Air Force veteran, who served in Iraq during her 11 years of service, said she is already looking forward to the next event.
“It’s incredible, the ocean is grounding and therapeutic and it’s healthy,” she said. “It’s healing. Watching all the disabled people here surfing, no matter what their abilities are, is just incredible. It really brings the veteran community together and that’s what we’re here to do, to support each other – we’re here to give support and receive support.”
Chris Gippo, a longtime volunteer, said the most rewarding part of his involvement over the past 14 years has been the friendships he has made with these veterans.
“A long time ago, we heard some really tough stories from veterans coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq. They went through a really tough time both there and when they came back,” he recalled. “They got back into it… and found their purpose again. That’s something I take with me because everyone has bad days, but when you know what they go through and they come back with a smile and are excited to be here, you see them come back year after year, it makes you smile.”
Gippo said it was “100 percent the smiles and the positive attitude” that kept him coming back every year.
“It’s the smiles and the generosity, that’s the enthusiasm,” he said. “It’s that energy, and if you can capture it and pass it on, the world would be a 100 percent better place.”
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Hit the Beach is not just for surfers
The annual event wasn’t just for veterans. Fatello said they not only brought veterans who are part of the Manchester VA and the Wounded Warrior Project, but they also partnered with New England Disabled Sports.
“(New England) Disabled Sports works with veterans and non-veterans,” he explained. “They asked if they could bring non-veterans, and I said, ‘Bring them.'”
Among them was 10-year-old Liya Roberts, who attended the event for the first time along with her parents Adam and Ardys.
“It’s about being free in the water,” Ardys said.
“It’s this feeling like the speed of the waves is pushing them in,” Adam added.
Liya has a complex neurodevelopmental disorder and has been trying out new sports like kayaking and skiing with New England Disabled Sports. However, this wasn’t her first time on a surfboard as she had tried the sport a few times before. Despite this, both Adam and Ardys said they would return next year if possible.
“It’s definitely the community and people cheering each other on. It just makes me cry – it’s a feel-good event,” said Ardys. “Everyone supports each other, everyone is in the same boat. Everyone just wants the best for each other and everyone helps each other.”
