Brave the Wave at Gordy’s

Brave the Wave at Gordy’s 

 “What ever it is, always make it fun”. That’s Lexi Youngberg’s philosophy and a big part of the legacy she’s working to create with Brave the Wave. When Lexi was 16 she lost part of her leg in a boating accident. Instead of giving up on the water sports and activities she loved, she resolved to make a way for anyone with a disability (whether it’s cerebral palsy or an amputation like her own) to make the impossible possible and experience the joy of wake surfing.  

Brave the Wave offers free in tandem rides with professionals as well as coaching from those professionals for those who can get up on their own. As a low impact sport, wake surfing is easily accessible for anyone. Lexi and her team travel all over the country in an effort to make this opportunity a reality for as many people as possible. Now, with Gordy’s help, Brave the Wave has been able to extend their reach further into the mid west.   

This Thursday, two boat loads of families spent a day on Lake Geneva making dreams come true. Both Malibu boats, equipped with boards, ropes, and lifejackets galore, set off at 9 am. The electric blue Malibu took off with the boys while its red and white counterpart took off carrying the girls and their families. According to the Brave the Wave team, there’s typically not enough girls signed up. Today was different. Brave the Wave had enough first-timers to fill three sparkly Malibu boats, and half of those participants were girls.    

I had the privilege of being a passenger on the girls boat. The experience began with the girls’ and their families getting a private show watching professional wake surfer, Ashley, shred some waves. Confident and focused, Ashley easily got up, and, quickly shedding the rope, began painting big swooping strokes across the water with her board. She rode into the center of the wave and carved sharply back out towards the borders of the boat. She continued with multiple 360s. After two impressive rides by Ashley, it was now time for the main event.   

The first brave soul was little Ivy, a young girl adopted from East Asia. The bottom half of Ivy’s legs were both amputated, but when you’re riding with Brave the Wave, you don’t need two legs to get up on a board. Ivy wrapped her arms around Ashley’s legs, and, with the all clear, the motor whirred to life. In seconds they were up. Ashley threw in the rope, and just like that Ivy was enjoying her very first wake surf ride with a master of the craft. On their final ride together, Ashley whisked the two of them around in a full 360.  

Next up was Sarah, another young girl a bit older than Ivy, also adopted from East Asia. Both of her arms had been amputated at the elbow. Sarah is a skilled athlete, excelling at karate, and she dreams of one day becoming a professional surfer like her idol, Bethany Hamilton. Nervous at first, Sarah timidly edged her way into the water. Ashley hugged her close, gave some words of encouragement, and then hollered that they were ready. Sarah was standing up and riding tall right away. After a leisurely ride, she eagerly agreed to try out some tricks on the board, slicing through waves and taking on some daring spins. After today, there’s a good chance that Sarah’s surfing dream morphed into a tangible wake surfing goal. 

Charla was one of the last girls to go. She was hesitant at first, shaking her head and asking her mom why they were even there. Already an accomplished athlete at age twelve, Charla is a competitive swimmer, she plays sled hockey, runs track, and throws shot-put and javelin. She does all this without the bottom half of both her legs. Nevertheless, her athletic skill and perseverance when it comes to trying new things undoubtedly shined through. After easily getting up, Charla’s knit brow and anxious frown were replaced with the brightest smile of the bunch.  

Lexi and Ashley made a fantastic team; Lexi joyously connecting with the girls and getting to know their families on the boats, and Ashley cheering them on during every ride and ultimately sealing the deal with an unforgettable experience.  

Each girl was offered three lengthy rides in the morning, and then it was off to lunch at Gordy’s Surf Shack, courtesy of Brave the Wave. Afterwards, the girls and their families, donning lingering smiles, journeyed back out in the afternoon, greeted by a marvelously serene lake. A Gordy’s photographer and videographer accompanied both boats, making sure to capture every incredible moment, from snapshots of invaluable first-ride reactions to heartwarming scenes of amputees wake surfing for the first time on their own.  

 For more information on Brave the Wave, visit their website or check out their Instagram @bravethewaveco.