Staff photo by Allison Breiner Jason Colclough gives Madison Kudlacz a lift to her surfboard

Imagine gliding on the swell of the ocean, riding the nose of a tandem board with one of the top surfers in the world, even to the other professionals, he’s royalty.

Now imagine you’re autistic, suffering from sensory integration disorder, meaning your brain cannot properly sort the world as it is—sounds seeming louder, one glance sending thousands of photographic images to your brain, an altered state in which things do not always appear as they do in reality.

Finding your body and mind calmed by the water you say, "I’m the king of the world!" with your hands raised to the sky, when Hawaii’s Garrett McNamara, world-renowned surfing legend, pulls you up by the straps on your life jacket at the crashing peak of a wave.

But once you make it safely to shore in his arms, you’re once again unsure of the world and the people before you.

This is what McNamara recounted, reminiscing over a solid day’s work, making a child’s world enjoyable, even if just for a brief 30 seconds on the break of a wave.

He, along with 10 other professional surfers from Hawaii and California, have chosen to take the time in between worldwide competitions to take on the smaller waves up and down both the East and West coasts with kids who have autism.

One parent told McNamara that many kids with autism never get invited to birthday parties and the like but each year Surfer’s Healing is their function and one they are always welcomed to attend.

Izzy Paskowitz, former longboard pro, founded Surfer’s Healing 11 years ago, not long after his three year old son, Isaiah was diagnosed with autism. He said he began selfishly taking his son to the ocean while he was trying to deal with the reality of what he’d been told by doctors, all the while realizing how therapeutic the ocean was to both him and his son, and that was something he wanted to share.

Jason Magallenes, Hawaiian pro volunteering during his time off from a European surf tour, said, "I defiantly believe that the ocean heals. It’s been scientifically proved that the ocean has the highest magnetic positive energy in the world."

Magallenes said most kids are scared before they go out but once they catch their first wave they’re full of joy.

Puna Moller, Hawaiian pro known for his skill at tandem surfing, explained that the boards average at about 12 feet and are built for two people and for those kids confident enough Moller showed off his tricks pulling them up on his shoulder with one arm, leaving the crowd in awe.

The 11-man crew took turns driving their bus the six hours from Folly Beach, South Carolina, to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina one day last week. They were set up and ready by 8 a.m. on Aug. 13 at Public Beach Access 27.

They day began with the sun barely visible through heavy fog. The muted setting felt appropriate for the dedication of a surf board in memory of John L. Whitehead III, an active member of the Wrightsville Beach surf community and 2008 Surfer’s Healing volunteer who passed away earlier this year. After a prayer, a group of about 20 fellow surfers rode their boards out to sea forming a circle where they held hands allowing the ocean’s saline water to dissolve tears from their cheeks and to heal.

This is the fourth year Surfer’s Healing has made its way to Wrightsville Beach thanks to John Pike of Eastern Surf and Skate Company and father of a six year old autistic child. Pike, who rounded up hundreds of local sponsors and made the initial connection with Paskowitz said, "There’s something to be said about the power in the ocean and the waves and the magic just gliding on the water especially with these kids who have sensory issues—it’s calming."

This year 185 kids with varying forms of autism from all over North Carolina signed up to hop on the boards and there were still many more who didn’t register in time who were generously taken out by instructors from Indo Jax Surf School of Wrightsville and Carolina beaches.

Kevin Murphy, co-founder of Indo Jax, said the reactions of the kids varied tremendously. Each kid, 22 months to 16 years old, was allowed 30 minutes to catch as many waves as they could with one-on-one help from the pros. Murphy said he caught an awesome wave with one kid and as soon as they got to shore the kid got off and ran around giving high-fives to everybody he was so happy.

That Thursday, no one left the beach without a smile—the autistic kids, parents and pros alike felt healed.

Professional body boarder and head lifeguard from Kona, Hawaii, Ricky Alvarez said, "For us to be able to go surf anywhere in the world and then for us to be able to come do this, even if it’s one foot or flat, to me this is more rewarding."