Causes

HEEL! HEAL!

Skyler the Surfing Dog spreads stoke to those who need it most

*Previously published in the Oct/Nov issue of Santa Cruz Waves

By Neal Kearney

A considerable crowd lines the beach, eyes fixed on the sea, bearing witness to a touching sight: pro surfers sharing waves with wounded veterans, many of whom are missing one or more limbs. There’s hardly a dry eye on the shore. The next set of waves leads to an eruption of applause from the crowd. An Iraq war veteran is sliding down a playful wave, hanging on with giant smile. The man riding alongside him throws shakas while a Queensland Heeler perches on the nose, her tongue hanging out and her tail wagging furiously.

The pooch is Skyler, and she and her dad Homer Henard have been bringing their interspecies surf act to events like these for the past couple of years, combining surf and animal therapy in their own unique and impactful way.

Henard, a former professional surfer, and Skyler have become true local celebrities in recent years for their inventive and intuitive tandem surfing act. The 9-year-old cattle dog has been braving the punchy Santa Cruz surf with balance, bravery and panache since she was just a puppy.

“At first I started going out in the water with Skyler to get exercise on small days to keep the paddle arms going,” explains Henard. “We kept it up it, having an amazing time no matter the size of the waves. It was epic.”

One day in 2016, Henard’s good friend Adam Replogle called him up and told him that he was working with Waves of Impact, a surf therapy program for children facing exceptional challenges. He asked if Henard might come down and bring Skyler, sensing the kids would get a kick out of the dog’s surfing skills.

Skyler shreds with such proficiency that she has no problem riding waves to the shore solo these days, so long as her loving pops provides her with a gentle push. She even competes regularly at “surf dog” championships up and down the coast, earning a victory at the 2015 “World Surf Dog Championships” in Huntington Beach. Her Instagram following has gone worldwide and her Jimbo Phillips-designed merch is flying off the shelves.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but going down there with Skyler changed me forever,” Henard reflects. “I realized how important the kind of therapy [was that] my dog was providing these kids. They show up intimidated and scared of the ocean, but once they see Skyler jump on the board and paddle out with me, they get all excited, and the anxiety melts away. It’s a double dose of stoke!”

Once they are out there, instead of focusing on the waves, cold, or sharks, they’re focused on the silly sight of the surfing dog.

“Next thing you know they’re on a wave themselves, squealing with joy and grinning ear to ear. During these high-energy moments of surf and stoke, I look at these kids and it’s like their disability goes away- it may be brief, but for that moment I’m just blown away at the power of these therapies. The highs and joy levels are crazy.”

Since they started surf therapy, they’ve volunteered for organizations such as Mauli Ola Foundation, which takes kids with cystic fibrosis out in the water, and Operation Surf, another surf therapy program for wounded veterans.

The man/canine duo plans to expand its volunteer work by hitting every therapy event possible; starting in California and willing to branch out internationally should the opportunities arise. Henard suffered a major head injury when he was 18 in a head-on car crash and woke up in a coma, losing a lot of information and memories—something that surfing and Skyler’s companionship have helped with greatly over the years. But it wasn’t until Henard was exposed to the brave, injured and ill men, women, and children he met as these events that he felt comfortable discussing his own struggles.that he felt comfortable discussing his own struggles.

“Starting to tell my story, although vulnerable, has been another therapeutic thing,” Henard explains. “Surfing and animal therapy have saved my life and I’m so stoked we can bring it to others who can benefit from it.”

Follow their exploits @skylerthesurfingdog

Surf Therapy This Weekend! w/Adam Replogle, featuring Skyler the Surf Dog!

Nothing heals like the ocean. Former professional surfer Adam Replogle, who underwent a hip replacement 4 months ago, has been spotted swimming and longboarding Pleasure Point to stay fit during his bionic bonding. Not only does Replogle know how therapeutic the ocean is for himself, but for those suffering from a wide range of health problems; especially kids.

roadieshaka — Replogle-pure stoke! Framegrab by Kyle Buthman

Over the past decade, Replogle, and a number of other local surf stars such as Anthony Ruffo and Jimmy Herrick have been participating with surf therapies such as The Mauli Ola Foundation, which brings those afflicted with cystic-fibrosis into the healing sea, as well as Operation Surf, which focuses on wounded and traumatized veterans, just to name a few

roadieocean — Replogle soaking up the sea

This weekend, Replogle, along with Waves of Impact, a surf therapy charity for children with special challenges, are hosting a touching day at the beach here at Pleasure Point. Volunteers like Replogle are helping children with severe disabilities, health problems and more get in the surf for a fun day of safe surfing and community support.

Special guests include Homer Henard and Skyler the Surfing Dog, the talented tandem man/pooch duo. As if getting the chance to surf with surfing legends isn’t enough, Henard and Skyler will be out in the lineup sharing the waves with the courageous kids.

“That’s our calling, to spread awareness about ‘surf therapy'”, proclaims Henard.

“It’s real and helps out a lot of people. When we work with groups like Waves Of Impact, one thing that we’ve noticed is that the kids, sometimes they’re afraid of the waves and the ocean, but when I get Skyler out there on the board, all the attention goes to her, you know? The fear goes away when they see it, probably thinkin’ to themselves, ‘Well if that dog can do it, I can do it!’. It helps them believe in themselves–we love sharing our passion for riding waves. It’s impactful!”.

skynnuts — Follow Skyler @skylerthesurfingdog on Instagram!

Come down to Pleasure Point tomorrow for a touching display of the power of surf therapy!!

You Are What You Eat #001

7-11

Like clockwork, I pull out of the 7-11 parking lot, mind spinning with the array of toxic mistakes in my lap: Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie, two 16oz Gatorades, a bag of Doritos, an Almond Snickers bar, and a pack of Skittles. When I finally snap out of my trance, I realize I’m already at the front door, hands clutching my bag of crap like a dope fiend. I stow away my preciouses, knowing that after dinner I’ll be able to dig in and slide into that comforting sugar coma snugger than O.J.’s black glove. The next day, I wake up on the couch, slumped over with my neck sagging painfully into my shoulder. The detritus of wrappers and empty bottles stand testament to my evil deeds. Aside from the financial and physical repercussions involved in this addiction, my self-esteem tanks when I get up to look at my sagging gut and puffy face in the bathroom mirror.

Reckless self-care breeds sorrowful self-hate, and after recently that I’ve been suffering from significant chronic pain for over half my life. It’s been such a lonely, sad, and frustrating road, yet this struggle has made me dig deep for new ways I can take control of the runaway train that has me so derailed.

Almost to the point of obsession, I’ve been jumping head-first into mental and physical methods to heal and remain healthy: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, cognitive based therapy, breathework, Heartmath, journaling, cranial sacral therapy, hypnotism therapy, rolfing, acupuncture, yoga–just to name a few. Over the years, along with these methods, I’ve built my resolve and taken control of my spun-out existence. I’ve been steadfast in this mission; utilizing deep dedication, discipline, and commitment to integrate the good ones into my daily life and weed out the ones that harm or do not serve me.

I’ve made some tremendous leaps and bounds in this journey and am incredibly proud of myself. However, rich and sweet foods have been one part of my lifestyle I’ve clung to like a baby his blanky. Crappy food became a place of comfort and refuge, an escape from the unpleasant sensory experiences that have come to infiltrate my earthly existence.

From maintaining a healthy heart and brain, lowering cholesterol, increasing energy levels, improving circulation, lowering inflammation, and much, much more, a healthy diet can seriously affect one’s health and quality of life. Even the most conscious and informed eaters must work hard, day-in and day-out, to make sure they are consciously feeding their bodies with the type of fuel it needs.

suggestions

For everyone it’s different. For myself, I chose to start with a simple diet that made sense, the Mediterranean Diet (more on this next post), and I’m really stoked to report that I haven’t had refined sugars, gluten, or dairy for the past few months!! I’ve always been advised and at times scolded for not paying sufficient attention to the kind of fuel I’m putting in my body (Juices, candy, processed foods, genetically modified, etc.), yet never utilized that steely resolve I know I’m capable of summoning to address my diet. Until now.

In addition to changing up my diet for healthier alternatives, I’ve become determined to educate myself and others as I make these adjustments. You Are What You Eat will be a regular series here on How to Heal With Neal— where I will convey the information I’ve gleaned about proper nutrition through books, online content, and my own experience on this healing journey.

Life Doesn’t Wait w/Darrin Caddes

Life doesn’t always proceed the way we planned it. Many of us come to some kind of roadblock or speed bump that forces us to hit the brakes, change lanes, or turn around back the way we came. But what matters isn’t the loss of time or the frustration endured in the face of such an obstacle. What matters is how we choose to keep moving forward.

Enter designer/artist Darrin Caddes, a former board sports and motorcycle junkie who awoke facedown in the Mexican desert on March 6, 2001 with a broken back. He had been motorcycling from Southern California to Los Cabos with friends, and, around 600 miles from border, he went into a corner at 60 miles an hour, lost control, and crashed on a long dirt road. The crash resulted in the loss of movement from his chest down, dramatically altering his life in a matter of seconds.

While some would understandably struggle with how to move on, Caddes managed to kick start his life. He adapted to life in a wheelchair and learned to cope with his physical and mental duress by pushing through, shifting his spiritual motor back into the high gear that helped him achieve success prior to his injury. He worked in Italy designing cars for Fiat from 1991 to 1994, and for BMW designing cars and motorcycles from ’94 to 2001.

He designed first BMW GS Adventure, which was a bike set up for long-distance travel for both on- and off-road excursions. On his design, one could literally circumnavigate the globe. (Actor Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charley Boorman did just that, then wrote a book and produced a mini series about their travels, both called the “Long Way Round.”) After leaving BMW, Caddes took a job at Indian Motorcycle as director of design from 2001 to 2004, where he learned how to get the job done with his new limitations.

When offered a job as vice president of corporate design at Santa Cruz-based tech company Plantronics in 2004, Caddes found a position that let him work on something else he was passionate about: headsets. Being in a wheelchair can stifle one’s ability to freely move about an office space fielding calls, and he found that headsets helped solve this problem. Since joining Plantronics, Caddes has managed a world-class team of industrial designers.

His noteworthy work at Plantronics led the group Santa Cruz NEXT to honor Caddes as one of their four “Nexties” recipients in 2013. This award is bestowed yearly upon individuals promoting community action, spearheading innovation, and helping to reduce inequalities along the Central Coast.

While Caddes enjoys his job, his role as an overseer means less involvement in the creative side of the design work. Eventually, he found himself itching for an artistic outlet, and was inspired to fill this creative void with another long-lost passion of his—drawing.

“One day, I told myself, ‘You know, I’m going to draw something every day in 2013,’” he recalls. “I didn’t care if it was a smiley face, I just needed to do something.” He stuck to the challenge, posting his “Daily Doodles” to his Instagram account (@unclewillard). The sketches range from simple cartoons to intricate motorcycle designs, illustrations of waves to skateboarding scenes, and paintings to tattoo-inspired designs.

The posts began to attract a following. Without promotion, he garnered about 350 Instagram followers.

“Now I have this little audience who I have to feed—that I want to feed—everyday, and that’s been my thing,” says Caddes.

He has just two simple rules for himself: he must draw and post the image on the same day, and he must post a drawing every day.

“I’m so afraid that if I miss a day, the whole thing will be broken,” he says. He hasn’t missed a day since he started the Daily Doodles on Dec. 28, 2012, sometimes posting more than one per day.

“So I constantly remind myself, ‘I’m doing it everyday, I don’t care how bad it is, or how bad I feel. If I’m sick, in pain, or traveling, it’s going to be done,’” he adds. “They don’t all have to be masterpieces. It’s more about the discipline of drawing every day. Over all, it’s been very therapeutic for me. It keeps me in touch with who I am.”

Fueled by successes at work and his artistic endeavor, Caddes has nurtured a hard-to-miss joie de vivre.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘How do you do it despite all of your limitations?’” he says. “I find myself saying, ‘Honestly, I don’t find my accident or me being in a chair that interesting. Because there are so many other things in my life that are so much more interesting and meaningful.’”

Reinvention and the search for meaning at the intersection of design, technology and art–previously featured in Santa Cruz Waves magazine