Inspiring surf action in Huntington Beach at ISA World Para Surfing Championship

It was six years ago that Jose Martinez hit rock bottom.

He lost an arm, a leg, and several fingers while serving in the Army in Afghanistan in 2012 – and now out of the military and casting about he had to find a way to stay afloat.

“Instead of doing something dumb, I remember some of the therapy that worked for me and I ended up calling one of my buddies and said ‘I need to surf again,’” he recalled. “It’s given me my life back. It’s been super helpful to understand being in the moment and appreciating the little things. It feels like for most of the world, everybody makes their problems so big, when they are truly miniscule. I‘ve got nothing to complain about. I’m still mobile, I can still move, I can still surf.”

Not only did surfing help Martinez out of that dark place, but it also has turned him into an elite athlete looking to earn yet another world championship title.

Martinez is one of more than 150 competitors from around the world who have been in Huntington Beach this week for the International Surfing Association’s World Para Championships, an event that brings athletes of various abilities together to not only earn their own medals, but to surf for their country’s pride.

The nine-day event, which started Nov. 3 and wraps up on Nov. 10, features teams from 25 nations that compete in an Olympic-style format. The event kicked off with a parade down Main Street and a Sands of the World ceremony at the north side of the pier. 

There are various categories, with the sit and visually impaired divisions taking to the water for their finals on Friday.

France’s Guillaume Colin was all smiles as he was hoisted across the sand after winning his final, earning a championship in a heat that also included Team USA surfers Chirs Oberle, who took silver, and Jeff Munson, with a copper medal.

“I feel very proud, very proud to be part of the team,” said Colin, noting there were 17 surfers from his country who traveled to Huntington Beach to compete. “I’m very happy and proud to be part of the team, proud to represent France and proud to win gold for the sit surf category.”

He said he was nervous about the small, inconsistent waves for Friday’s final.

“You have to wait for the waves, so I was a bit scared about that,” he said. “But I managed to catch my waves.”

Team USA surfer Cass Eckroth bested mentor Alana Nichols, who has won several world championships.

Eckroth grew up in Nevada and was left paralyzed following a surfing lesson in Maui, when she felt a shooting pain in her back as she stood for the first time, according to her bio on Adaptive Training Foundation. By the time she returned to the shore, she was unable to stand, experiencing a rare spinal cord injury called “surfer’s myelopathy” that caused her to be paralyzed from the waist down.

During an interview with ISA, she said she was thankful to her coach Courtney Conlogue and her teammates.

“It’s been such a fun journey,” she said, noting she’s only been surfing for two years, calling Nichols her mentor and her fiercest competition. “It’s just so incredible, those are my only words. It’s so exciting to be out here winning gold.”

Competitor David Chavez, of El Salvador, was watching the competition from his wheelchair on the sand. This is his third ISA event, and while he didn’t make it to the semifinals like he did last year, the team still ended up Top 10 in the world.

He hopes by showing up in Huntington Beach representing his country, it will inspire other Central American surfers to join the competition, he said.

Surfing’s first world champion Peter “PT” Townend was on the sand with team Australia. Back in 1972, he won bronze for his home country, and has also been part of Team USA as a coach.

“This particular event has the most spiritual meaning of any contest you’ll ever go to,” said Townend, now executive director of the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum. “The camaraderie among the competitors is what is incredible.”

The Costa Rica team is staying at his home in Huntington Beach and hearing all of their stories has been amazing, he said.

He said participation suffered this year due to LA2028 organizers not approving surfing for the Paralympic Games, opting for sport climbing instead. Several countries pulled out of the ISA event, unable to get government support for the travel and training without surfing in the Paralympics on the horizon, he said.

Still, the stoke was at an all-time high among the athletes who did make the journey.

Townend quoted the late Kobe Bryant, who said winning a gold medal meant more than any NBA championship.

“It’s not about points or money, it’s about pride for your country,” Townend said. “That’s what’s most important.”

For Martinez, who grew up in Los Angeles and now lives in Apple Valley, surfing has given him a renewed drive to succeed.

He earned a world championship at Pismo Beach in 2021 and hopes to once again take the podium. He was selected Team USA captain by his teammates this year.

It’s more than about showing their abilities in the water – but also about what it means to be a part of Team USA, he said.

“I’m trying to make sure I’m showing them how to connect,” he said, “be a team and be one.”