RSS
Home
Meet an unusual surfing duo of disabled teen Patrick Ivison and dog, Ricochet
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Meet surfing duo Patrick Ivison and Ricochet.
If you find yourself identifying all the reasons you can’t accomplish something, take a cue from an unlikely surfing duo from Southern California who are wowing crowds by riding the waves of success.
Quadriplegic teen Patrick Ivison, of Scripps Ranch, Calif., suffered a spinal cord injury as a toddler when an uninsured driver accidentally backed up and struck him. Being confined to a wheelchair has never stopped Ivison from learning to play soccer or rugbyand it wasn’t going to stop him from fulfilling a dream shared by many young Californians: to surf.
Ricochet is a happy, athletic golden retriever who almost graduated as a certified service dog – except for one hitch. Ricochet just couldn’t stop chasing birds – an action that could prove unsafe for a person with a disability.
After finally accepting that she could not curb this prey drive in Ricochet, professional dog trainer (and Ricochet’s owner) Judy Fridono, of Escondido, Calif., got creative and turned Ricochet into a “surf-ice” dog.
“I stopped looking at what Ricochet can’t do and started looking at what she can do,” says Fridono. “I realized that she would never be a service dog in the traditional sense, but she could be a fundraising ‘surf-ice’ dog and help others.”
It was at a fundraising event sponsored by Surfin for Paws-abilities, a nonprofit group created by Fridono to solicit matching grants to aid the disabled held earlier this year that Ivison and Ricochet met.
Fridono introduced Patrick to Ricochet, whose surfing talents earned her the nickname, “Rip Curl Ricki.” It was love at first wave for this teen and dog. Together, they have turned their personal setbacks into “can do” triumphs as they amaze people with their surfing prowess and determination.
At the first Surf City Surf Dog event held in October at the world famous Dog Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif., this unusual tandem drew applause and inspiration from the 1,500 attendees when they shared a surfboard during a demonstration ride – Patrick in front and Ricochet in the back doing the balancing – and confidently rode the waves into shore.
“I ride on my stomach and Ricochet stands behind me and despite having to straddle me, she does a great job balancing and counterbalancing the board,” says Patrick. “I’ve learned to trust her and we surf well as a team.”
Part of the proceeds from this event raised $8,200 to help pay for Patrick’s ongoing physical therapy and his new service dog, Kona.
“I tried introducing Kona to surfing,” says Patrick. “He loves the water, but not being on the surfboard.”
Patrick says that learning to surf – with a dog – is just one of his many goals he has set for himself.
“My main goal is to being able to walk across the stage at my high school graduation to receive my diploma,” he says. “I’ve got 2 ½ years of training to accomplish this. I just remind myself that I can’t swim, but I can surf. If you put your mind to it, anything is possible.”
Just ask Ricochet – she may have flunked out as a traditional service dog, but she is definitely making a difference in the lives of people with her surfing talents.
“In her own way, Ricochet is a true service dog – through her surfing, she is helping others,” says Fridono. “I am so proud of her.”
For more info: .Watch videos of this amazing pair surf and learn more by visiting www.helppatrickwalk.org and www.ripcurlricki.com,
Related Articles:
Comments
