Video and photos below provided by Mitch Haynie and The Surf Ranch
Meet Kauai’s Eric Lazar

Life Rolls On for Paraplegic Surfer Eric Lazar

Slotted at the Surf Ranch!

Life Rolls On for Paraplegic Surfer Eric Lazar

Custom surfboard by Mitch Haynie

Life Rolls On for Surfer Eric Lazar. He was rendered a paraplegic as the result of a motorcycle accident in 2003, (a tough break for a Californian Surfer). Prior to the accident , he frequently surfed the breaks from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Twelve years after his accident he decided to move to Kauai and began a new life. It’s here that he met local Surfer/Shaper Mitch Haynie and they became fast friends. Haynie built Lazar a custom board perfectly suited for his needs and he began re-learning to surf at the breaks of Kauai, (without the use of his lower body). A new normal evolved and he progressed by surfing regularly. Eventually he entered the Hawaiian Adaptive Surfing Championships on Oahu’s South Shore where he got the highest scoring wave in the Prone Division. Afterwards, he was gifted a chance to surf at Kelly Slater’s Wave Ranch, (how cool is that!). Later, with the use of Mitch’s Wave Ski they began tow surfing as well and mastered small waves with the goal of tow surfing larger waves in the future. With Eric’s determination and Never Quit attitude, we are sure that will happen! When asked what goals he has for the future Eric answered, I want to help others, whatever I can do to help others is my goal. (Video and photos below provided by Mitch Haney and The Surf Ranch).