Meet Les!

Les is new to our AccesSurf Community and has been rocking it right from the start!
From standing up on the board his first time out surfing at DATB – to swimming like a champ at our most recent Swim Clinic – Les’s courage and determination shines bright. His positive attitude is contagious and we are so thankful to have him and his family part of our ‘ohana.

Hi, this is Les Saito from Honolulu. I grew up surfing town and the north shore. My family and I returned home to Honolulu about two years ago from Hong Kong, where we lived for over 15 years. It is great to be back in paradise. In January, I took a very bad fall snowboarding and severely fractured my back. That injury together with my scoliosis has made it difficult for me to lay prone especially on a surfboard.

How and when you heard about /started with AccesSurf?

On May 8th I was watching the KHON2 evening news when I saw a segment on the Adaptive Surfing Championships. I went down to Waikiki beach the next morning and spoke to a volunteer (Amy). She showed me around and said “you can be a participant at the next DATB and you will surf again.” I was super stoked and had a huge grin on my face.

What does AccesSurf mean to you?

Boundless hope, compassion and inspiration.

Favorite AccesSurf memory:

Catching my first wave, standing up and hearing the AccessSurf ‘ohana loudly cheering for me. I was so happy that I could pop up on a surfboard safely despite my injury. It felt great to experience that wonderful “gliding” sensation again. That DATB wave goes down as one of my top ten best.

Anything you want to say or share with our AccesSurf ‘Ohana?

My family and I are very thankful to the entire crew for helping me continue my lifelong love for surfing. I was amazed that everyone at DATB were so passionate about getting me back in the water safely.

Meet Les!

Upcoming Events

New Volunteer Virtual Training

Day at the Beach