Surfers With Disabilities Compete in the Canary Islands
When going into the sea, blind surfer Aitor Francesena uses his hearing to create a mental picture of how the waves are behaving.
Francesena, who lost his vision a decade ago, is the current adaptive surfing world champion and is competing in the Open LPA Surf City 2022 championship, which takes place from December 15 to 18 at Las Canteras beach on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria.
People with disabilities adapt their techniques and equipment to participate in adaptive surfing.
“I listen to the sea to see if the waves are large or small, strong or weak,” Francesena explained. “I draw a picture, a map, of how the sea looks, and I usually ask people who can see how it looks. I get in the water with that sketch I did.”
“The limit is in your head. That’s what people say and it’s a fact,” said David Fernandez, another competitor, who suffered an accident a year ago that left him having to use a wheelchair.
