INCLUSEA International Adaptive Surfing Summit in Somo, Cantabria (Spain) HIGHLIGHTS

The INCLUSEA International Adaptive Surfing Summit held in the municipality of Ribamontán al Mar (Cantabria) from April 27th to 30th is the first European event outside the competitions themselves that connects surfers, coaches and organizations from all over Europe with each other, to provide them with a new tool that facilitates the instruction of adapted surfing. It marks the beginning of a more united and inclusive Surfing Community.

Spain’s first Surf Reserve and one of Europe’s most important surf cities hosted a four-day program of inspiring workshops, lectures and outdoor activities featuring leading specialists in adaptive surf training, surf therapy, blue health and marine environment from across Europe.

The organization recorded a total of 17 hours of surfing and more than 1,000 surfed waves, spread over 187 individual sessions throughout the four-day event. It also held a seminar and a symposium where 21 speakers gave lectures with technical information and group sessions.

This international adaptive surfing summit delivered academic content in an engaging theoretical-practical format, offering findings from a global state-of-the-art study and a systematic review of adaptive surfing program methods, design, approaches and interventions. The event provided a new educational framework based on scientific evidence and a toolkit of recommendations for surf programs for people with physical and/or sensory disabilities.

The summit was a testing site, surrounded by the stunning coastline of the Cantabric Sea that brought together surf instructors, coaches, volunteers, athletes, blue health scientists, sports scientists, environmentalists, surf federations, surf clubs, non-profit organizations, and various stakeholders in the adaptive surf community to test effectiveness, validate findings, discuss results, and develop a bottom-up approach to providing adaptive surf programs.

www.inclusea.eu