Waves for all

From the Editor

Every Saturday all summer long, you’ll find me on the beach with the most incredible group of people. In 2014, Bob and I founded Heart of Surfing, a non-profit organization offering free adaptive surfing sessions for families with autism and related developmental disabilities.

The mission of Heart of Surfing is not to develop skilled surfers, although many do learn to surf well, popping up almost instinctively. Others ride the waves while lying down. Either way, we cheer them on, meeting each participant where they are with smiles and words of encouragement.

Our journey began with our son, Jamie, who was on the autism spectrum and loved to ride the waves. The ocean, with its moving currents, was his happy place. Although he never stood on a surfboard, he enjoyed it immensely. Sadly, our son passed at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 at the age of 25. The devastating loss left us heartbroken and uncertain if we could continue Heart of Surfing. But how could we not? What better way to honor our son’s legacy? We quickly formed the Jamie Fertsch Memorial Scholarship and just last week, we presented the fifth annual scholarship in his memory to an amazing young woman heading off to college.

This summer, we are celebrating 10 years of Heart of Surfing. Our vision, which began with just five people on the beach, has grown rapidly. Now, 10 years later, we take more than a hundred participants with autism and their siblings surfing each Saturday throughout the summer.

The success of Heart of Surfing is its dedicated volunteers, who truly embody the spirit of our organization. Their time, skills, compassion, and encouragement make everything we do possible. We are also grateful for the unwavering support of the surf community, beach patrols, and our generous sponsors.

Heart of Surfing brings Bob and me so much joy. Seeing the kids’ faces light up as they catch a wave always makes my heart smile. Time and time again, it is the highlight of my week. Summer is my favorite season, largely because of the Heart of Surfing organization.

For more information about Heart of Surfing, please visit www.heartofsurfing.org, or call 609-705-5323. You can also follow Heart of Surfing on Facebook and Instagram.