Adam: Can people get involved and volunteer at the upcoming camps?
Izzy: Absolutely, the day of, absolutely. Everyone kind of finds their place once they’re there. We’re starting in Long Beach on the 12th at 9:30am – well depending on the tide and the waves of course. But just come down and watch and experience it because there’s no way to put into words what they’ll see. You know volunteering to me is even just watching and just seeing what it’s like. Seeing some of the difficult times of the kids, fighting on the boards, and instructors taking charge and getting the kids out in the water and riding - ripping waves. You know, standing up!

Adam: Ripping…What are some of your more memorable events?
Izzy: I’ll have to say our best event ever had to be two or three years ago at Long Beach, when it was like 4ft and perfectly hollow. Every left was barreling and I got this one little boy up on a wave and time like just slowed down. I squatted down and we sat in this tube for a few seconds and it was just remarkable, absolutely remarkable.

Adam: I heard you guys take them out in some good size surf. Was it at Huntington where it was 4-6ft?
Izzy: Jesus that was San Onofre! And then there was Trestles during the Boost Mobile where it was 4-6ft and we had some really, really good wipeouts. But you know I got to attribute it back to the guys who I grew up with that were born and raised in Hawaii and who are just so willing to go. It’s almost like it’s inherent with a lot of these Hawaiians who are such amazing watermen. They ride huge waves on a daily basis, so with the children it just comes so natural.

Adam: It’s sounds like you’re having some fun at the camps. Is it difficult running it as a business?
Izzy: Yeah absolutely. We’re getting a little smarter and a little more together as a business. We just hired Joey Santley as our new figurehead and we have a great attorney, Steven Reiss at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, who is doing all pro bono work. I really want to keep doing this, but it’s so difficult. It gets taxing on my personal life, and it takes away from the regular business, which is the Paskowitz Surf Camp. Sometimes I feel like I’m the world’s worst Jewish businessman [laughs].

But you know what, it keeps me straight. If I didn’t have Surfers Healing to keep me rolling, I might be living on the beach in Cabo drinking a bottle of Tequila everyday. I swear to God I mean that. I really do.

Adam: What kind of turnout are you expecting?
Izzy: In New Jersey we have 550 autistic children signed up. We can only take 160 kids surfing, but 550 will come down. We’re looking at two to three thousand people on the beach. We’ll do different things because some of the kids are bigger and we have to put a limit on the tandem rides. It’s going to be an absolute Autism Fest [laughs]!

Adam: Do you have to turn families away?
Izzy: Oh yeah. They knew that only a certain amount can get in. But it’s cool because the other children that wanted to come can still do other things, and watch! They’ll be a part of the whole support system.

Adam: How about the New York events?
Izzy: A huge thing that we’re doing this year is having the Long Beach event during the same time as the Unsound Pro. If they run the event on the day of the camp, then we can go to the side, and if they don’t then we go straight in front, and then have some of these goddamn pro surfers to come out and help some of the kids. In my opinion some of the most selfish people in the world are surfers. Every day they're out in the water fighting for the best waves just for themselves. So it’s such a revelation when you get some pro surfers to help. And we’ve had guys on the North Shore like Jamie O’Brien, Nathan Carroll, who were just blown away by the whole situation. Guys like Makua Rothman, who were like “Wow man, these kids really dig it. It ain’t easy, but these kids really dig surfing.” So I’m hoping to get them, because the guys will be there, and to have them all involved will be really special. Whether they’re helping in the water or getting the child a coke or something.

Adam: What does the future hold for Surfers Healing?
Izzy: The future of the program is the sky’s the limit. Almost like a “Step into Liquid for Special Ed [laughs]." Now with the recognition, the funding is getting way better, and the surf world is beginning to recognize that what we do is as legitimate as Surfrider. So we are working on setting up committees in locations like Hawaii and New York, and hopefully we’ll be able to have the volunteers to continue what we do. It’s also especially important to me that we have a permanent location in Southern California.

We got a green light to shoot a documentary in 2008. We’re going to Galveston, where my dad grew up, and to Florida. We’re exploring the possibilities of going to different countries like Japan where it’s prevalent, and to Australia as well. So you know it’s very exciting. Lucky for me that we got some great people on board on the business side to perpetuate what we do because I’m just a dumb surfer.

But really, being a conduit to bring the community together is such a blessing. You know my dream is that we have a permanent surf shop that’s run by autistic kids, or a bakery or pie shop with a surf theme, whatever it is, just to make sure we include a child in the community that is too often swept under the rug. It’s increasing the awareness part of it that needs to happen more. Because there are still too many people out there that don’t know why my son is acting like he does, and they don’t consider that it’s Autism.

 

---