Surf's the way

The sun was shining as 120 special needs children took to Long Beach waters at Riverside beach for the last Surfer’s Way event of the summer on Sept. 13.

“It was absolutely perfect,” said co-founder Elliot Zuckerman, a nationally certified surfing instructor.

Surfer’s Way, a 501(C) 3 charity, is a Long Beach based organization that holds multiple surfing-related events throughout the summer that gives children with special needs, particularly those with autism, a chance to ride the waves. Working with 12 local surf instructors, children and young adults headed out into the surf throughout the day as family and looked on. More than 30 volunteers offered their time and assistance.

The organization was founded by Long Beach local Zuckerman, who also owns Surf2Live surf school, and Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) in 2002 when the organization went by the name Surf Pals.