Photos | Riding a wave of hope at High Fives Foundation's surf camp
Mark Pfister, of Ben Lomond, exults as he surfs a wave in Pleasure Point Saturday with the help of New Jersey waterman Bruce Boyle. Boyle flies into the area each year to help at a surf camp held by the High Fives Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports athletes and veterans who have suffered life-altering injuries, providing resources, recovery funding and adaptive sports opportunities. Pfister became a quadriplegic a decade ago following a mountain biking accident and his family said this was the first time he's been able to ride a wave since. Founded in 2009 in Truckee by Roy Tuscany, High Fives provides grants for rehabilitation support to athletes with life-altering injuries as a result of mountain sports and promotes awareness of injury prevention. The foundation's website says, "At High Fives Foundation, we believe a life-altering injury should never be the end of your outdoor adventures. As an adaptive sports foundation, we provide hope, resources, and vital grants to athletes from all walks of life who have experienced devastating setbacks, including spinal cord injuries. Our main goal is to help you get back to the physical activities you love, whether that is adaptive skiing, adaptive snowboarding, adaptive mountain biking, surfing, adaptive fishing, or adaptive motorsports." Many local surfers participated as guides at the event.
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