'Surfing saved my life': Wounded Warriors ride the waves at Hampton's North Beach

HAMPTON — Oscar Toce made the shaka, also known as the “hang loose” sign, with his hands as he surfed on his belly.

He toppled over when he hit the shore, but with the help of other surfers, he picked himself back up on the board and went back to the ocean, hoping to catch another wave.

“It’s awesome, you can’t beat that (feeling),” he said.

Toce was one of dozens of Wounded Warriors who took part Friday in the American Legion Post 35’s Hit the Beach . The event, which brings local surfers and volunteers together to teach wounded veterans to surf, celebrated its 16th year.

Toce was an Army National Guard and Army Reserve veteran who lost both his legs following his 24 years of service.

Still, he was no stranger to surfing, having participated in the event for a few years now with wider smiles, higher energy, and better balance each time he returned.

“You can’t keep a peg-legged man down,” he joked.

Ralph Fatello, past commander of the American Legion Post 35 , also a former Marine, said he started this event in 2008 because of his own experience with surfing. He said he was in a “dark place” following his return from the Vietnam War and “surfing saved my life."

“When you feel the sensation of actually riding a wave, that feeling is unlike anything on the planet,” he said. “So, when I became commander at the legion, I kept seeing the Wounded Warrior Project (a charity nonprofit organization for veterans) going kayaking and skiing, and I’m like, ‘Why don’t we take them surfing?’”

For Fatello, he believes that “surfing heals all wounds,” citing that it provides a deep connection.

“This is the part that most surfers don’t think about because it’s too cerebral, it’s too deep. These waves are the remnant of (Hurricane) Ernesto, which is in Ireland right now, so those waves traveled thousands of miles to get here, and you meet that wave, and you ride it at the end of its life,” he said. “What else is like that? … It’s beautiful.”

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Veterans return each year to surf at North Beach

Other familiar faces of the event include Lin Schott, who said she was “excited” to return for her sixth time. She said Hit the Beach is the only time she surfs.

“I’m very uncomfortable on land because I have balance issues, but in the water, I feel better, and if I fall, I don’t get hurt,” she said.

Schott, a former Navy nurse of 23 years, served at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina before being sent to Vietnam to work in intensive care during the war. She recalled the average age of her patients was 20 years and nine months old, noting that many of them didn’t make it.

Although it was Genis Timmerman’s first time surfing, nobody would’ve guessed by her stance as she rode the waves to shore successfully on her second try. The Air Force veteran, whose 11 years of service include a tour in Iraq, said she’s already looking forward to the next event.

“It’s amazing, the ocean is grounding and therapeutic, and it is healthy,” she said. “It’s healing. To watch all the people with disabilities out here surfing with whatever their abilities are is just absolutely incredible. It really bonds the veterans' community together, and that’s what we’re here to do, to support each other – we’re here to give support and receive support.”

Chris Gippo, a long-time volunteer, said his favorite part of being involved the past 14 years is the friendships he's made with these veterans.

“Way back, we’ve heard some really tough stories of veterans coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq, and they went through a really tough time both over there and coming back,” he recalled. “They got themselves involved… and they found their purpose again. To me, that’s something I take with me because everyone has bad days, but when you know what they go through and they’re coming back smiling, and they’re stoked to be here, you see them come back year after year, it makes you smile.”

Gippo said it’s “100% all the smiles and positivity” that makes him return each year.

“It’s the smiles and generosity, it’s the stoke,” he said. “It’s that energy that if you can bottle that up and hand it out, the world would be 100% a better place.”

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Hit the Beach is not just for surfers

The annual event was not just exclusive to veterans. Fatello said aside from bringing veterans who are a part of the Manchester VA and Wounded Warrior Project , they also work with New England Disabled Sports .

“(New England) Disabled Sports works with veterans and non-veterans,” he explained. “They asked if they could bring non-veterans too, and I said, ‘Bring them.’”

Among those was 10-year-old Liya Roberts, who joined the event for the first time together with her parents, Adam and Ardys.

“It’s about being free in the water,” said Ardys.

“It’s that feeling of just the speed of the waves pushing her in,” added Adam.

Liya has complex neurodevelopmental disorder and has been trying new sports, such as kayaking and skiing with New England Disabled Sports. Though, this wasn’t her first time on a surfboard, having tried the sport a few times prior. Still, both Adam and Ardys said they would return next year if possible.

“It’s definitely the community and the people cheering each other on, it just makes me wanna cry – it’s a feel-good event,” said Ardys. “Everybody’s supporting each other, everybody’s in the same boat. Everybody just wants the best for each other, and everybody’s helping each other.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 'Surfing saved my life': Wounded Warriors ride the waves at Hampton's North Beach