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On Saturday, August 13, 2007, I will be paddling 28 miles around New York City as part of my effort to raise money for both Surfers Environmental Alliance, and Autism Awareness. As both a surfer and an occupational therapist working directly with children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum Disorder, I knew I had to get involved and raise money and awareness for both worthy causes.

Autism is a developmental disorder that impacts an individual's social and communication skills. Stereotypic behaviors are frequently seen with these individuals, such as shaking their hands for visual stimualtion, or rocking back and forth for vestibular stimulation. Individuals may over-register sensory input, such as being aversive to certain clothing textures or being extremely sensitive to auditory input; while others may under-register sensory input, such as not noticing someone calling them or only reacting to more exaggerated stimulation. All of this can impact a child's ability to function within the school setting, which is where I come in as an occupational therapist. My job is to help these children achieve as much independence as possible during their school day.

Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA) is a grass-roots, project-based organization aggressively committed to the cultural and environmental integrity of the sport of surfing. We are as much devoted to protecting the natural wonders of the coastal environment as we are to fostering and protecting beach access. Lately we have been working hard to ensure that coastal real estate and infrastructure development does not destroy our heritage, or our children’s. Based in California and New Jersey, SEA is looking to expand their chapters, especially within the Great Lakes Region.

Both surfing and helping children with Autism and other disabilities completely occupies my time, following family ofcourse. Within the past couple of years, I have become fascinated with surfing on the Great Lakes, specifically Erie and Ontario, due to their relative close proximity to the East Coast.

Discovering both the true potential of surfing the Lakes as well as maximizing the true potential of children with Autism has inspired me to perform in Toronto on the night of Saturday, June 23 at MonoLoco Bar & Restaurant, located on 1590 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4L 1G1. Hey, it's only 531.37 miles (855.16km) from my home here in New Jersey! This fundraiser will include live music and a raffle for a used surfboard. Hope to see you all there! www.seapaddlenyc.org

Ryan

Support our brother. Become a sponsor or come to his fund raiser in Toronto.

Here is all the information if you want to go. There will be music and surfboard raffles and free Eastern Surf Magazines.

Click here for more info and directions to Monoloco in Toronto:

http://main.originsurf.ca/home/2007/6/17/origin-charity-event-june-on-23rd.html

Yesterday Ryan surfed some knee high Sodus Bay on the way up from New Jersey. He stopped by here in Buffalo for a short beverage stop, picked up some ESM's, gassed up at the lower priced gas station in the neighborhood and took off for the Peace Bridge and Canada.

He has four used short boards that he is raffling off towards his gas money and for autism.

I regret that I cannot get to Toronto tonight but I will be there in supportive spirit. It should be a fun evening for local eastern Great Lakes surfers and raise money for a worthy charity.


Good luck Ryan White a New Jersey surfer who has rode two Great Lakes and been lucky to score Wyldewood and Area 51 last Fall when it was firing big. I hope that surf comes up on Sunday. I saw a forecast last night on Buffalo television that predicted stronger SW winds and might bring surf. I will keep hoping positive thoughts of waves.

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scored some small shin to maybe knee at Sodus on Friday. Checked out Fort/Erie, Port Colborne yesterday.........but nada surf. Beautiful water though.

Great seeing you again Magilla. Hope you get some more surf up there soon.

Ryan

You got the shot of the only thing in Buffalo that is forward looking towards a new future. Ryan you see that ridge with the one wind turbine above. That is Andy Ramming's "Buffalo Reef." To get into to it you have to pass the green lake that looks like it is filled with anti freeze. You time the jump off the slag cliff as the wave comes towards the cliff. You take off, do one quick turn on the wave and better kick out fast or you hit the slag cliff. It's unforgiving and made out of thousand of steel pours that in the sixties used to light up the night sky when the molten metal hit the cold lake water.


Sorry you didn't score something bigger. Come again in the Fall. It's like Jersey here in the summer. Mostly flat and crowded with non surfers and all kinds of stuff spewing smoke. One exception is the algea glop that we get on our lake beaches in summer. You aren't missing nothing if you don't encounter the green goo.