A new boardwalk, ramp onto the beach and special polyester matting made it easy to get wheelchairs onto the sand at Point Leo on Saturday.
It was the first surf event for 2019 held by the Disabled Surfers’ Association Mornington Peninsula branch and the upgraded beach access saw 99 surfers enjoying time in the water with the help of a record 300 volunteers.
DSAMP president John Bowers described the turnout of surfers and volunteers as “fantastic”.
“Everything that that happened was just so good. The boardwalk enabled regular wheelchairs to be taken onto the beach, whereas before people could only get there in our own wide-tyred beach wheelchairs,” he said.
“We can now get all people with disability issues onto the beach where they can sit in their own wheelchairs to watch what’s happening.
“The boardwalk, which was finished last March, but not in time for our last surf day for 2018, is a game changer.”
DSAMP committee member Joe Hart said the number of “regular” wheelchairs “probably set a record for any beach in Australia”.
“There must have been at least 20 or more people were sitting in their own wheelchairs either under the sun shades or in the sun.”
The DSAMP’s next surf day is on Saturday 16 March.
Visit the group’s website or Facebook page for details or call Jenny Angliss Goodall on 0417 453 669.
First published in the Western Port News – 16 January 2019
