Saturday and Sunday, October 21-22, the first edition of the U.S. Open Adaptive Surf Competition will hit the shores of Oceanside, a town in San Diego County in Southern California.
Representing Guadalajara will be Victor Salas Flores, a Tapatio born without most of his left arm.
This new competition is the project of Stoke for Life Foundation, a non-profit whose mission, according to its website, is to “bring awareness to the rehabilitative benefits of adaptive water sports through clinics and education.”
An adaptive sport, for those unfamiliar with the term, is simply one which is performed by a disabled person.
Salas cut his teeth on the waves of Sayulita on the Nayarit coast, overcoming his handicap through hard work and tenacity; anyone with all four working limbs can attest to the maddening frustration involved in learning to surf.
Indeed, it was while becoming acquainted with the sport that he first felt limited by his disability.
“[My first time in the water] was very difficult,” recalled Salas. “I didn’t think it’d be so difficult. I remember when I entered the water. I couldn’t get past the waves, I had no idea how to do it until I was told the proper method.”
Salas’ competition debut was in 2015 at San Diego’s World Adaptive Surf Championship, which is distinct from the aforementioned competition in nearby Oceanside. He was the first Mexican to compete in the event.
Salas’ first stab at competing might have been in Mexico, except that the country is currently without a contest tailored to persons with disabilities.
The clearly driven Flores is already looking forward to his next move: competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.