A surfer who lost his leg in a shark attack nine years ago is among those fighting for para surfing’s Paralympic inclusion.
Chris Blowes had been “completely obsessed” with surfing, hitting the waves three or four times a week, before the attack by a 5-metre white shark at South Australia’s Fishery Bay.
The traumatic incident flipped his “whole life” upside down and briefly stole his love of a sport that had been so key to his identity.
“When I lost surfing there, for a bit, I almost lost a part of me,” Blowes said.
“It was hard getting back in the water, but when I did it’s played such a huge part of my mental recovery.”
Blowes lost his left leg during a shark attack at Port Lincoln in 2015. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
With the help of a prosthetic leg, the 35-year-old was eventually able to return to the ocean and took up para — or adaptive — surfing competitively in 2017.
In a strange coincidence, the first-ever International Surfing Association (ISA) World Para Surfing Championships was held in the same year Blowes lost his leg in the shark attack.
Olympic bid
Para surfers were disappointed after cost was cited as a key factor in the decision not to include the sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
An online petition supporting the sport’s inclusion in the next games has over 28,000 signatures.
Ahead of the 2024 ISA World Para Surfing Championships next week, Blowes and his fellow para surfers are hoping the competition will be a good opportunity to present their case for the sport’s Paralympics inclusion.
Australia’s para surfing team, Irukandji, is heading to the US for the World Para Surfing Games. (Supplied: Chris Blowes)
“We’ve signed petitions, we’ve had people like Kelly Slater and all kinds of people come out and promote it,” he said.
“It’s not looking likely for this one but hopefully we can get it in at Brisbane.”
However, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said it would not have representatives at the world championships.
In a statement, the committee noted “the IPC has yet to launch the Paralympic sport program process for Brisbane 2032”.
Blowes is hopeful para surfing will be included in the 2028 and 2032 Paralympics. (Supplied: Chris Blowes)
“When it does launch, all current international federations with sports on the Paralympic program and recognised IPC federations [which includes ISA] will be able to apply for inclusion in the games,” the statement said.
Healing power of para surfing
Blowes will be one of 11 para surfers heading to Huntington Beach in California to represent the Australian team in the championships.
He will compete in the strand three class, which is for surfers with a lower-body impairment above the knee.
Blowes representing the Irukanji, the Australian para surfing team. (Supplied: Chris Blowes)
While it was a competitive environment, Blowes said there would also be an opportunity for competitors to connect.
“I’m competing against another bloke, Colin Cook from Hawaii, who had his leg taken by a shark like me,” he said.
“And his girlfriend is coming along too. She had her legs blown off during the Boston bombings.
“Everyone’s been through quite a bit of trauma in their life in that group and it’s just awesome to see how surfing brings them so much joy and peace in life.”
The world championships take place at California’s Huntington Beach from November 3 to 6.
