Without a quack about it, Daffy the duck hopped onto a surfboard as her accompanying human paddled out into the ocean at Waikiki.
Then, Daffy waddled to the front of the board while catching a wave back in.
The Muscovy duck is an animal ambassador for AccesSurf, a nonprofit that creates community-based programs for anyone with a disability to enjoy the water.
“She always rides on the nose,” said her owner, Susan Wilkinson, an AccesSurf volunteer.
Daffy started surfing as a week-old duckling while accompanying Wilkinson to numerous events. Initially she rode on an adaptive, seated board. Eventually came a regular surfboard — her eyes on the horizon and webbed toes on the nose.
Now almost 2 years old, Daffy is a regular at many AccesSurf events and was there Monday as more than 75 athletes from as far away as Germany checked in for the Hawaii Adaptive Surfing Championships at Kuhio Beach, which began on Tuesday.
>> More photos ‘Daffy the surfing duck takes to the waves for AccesSurf’
It is the first time the contest is being held as a stand-alone event separate from the annual Duke’s OceanFest, which it had been a part of for seven years, according to board member Candy Luscomb.
The week culminates Saturday with a beach cleanup along the Waikiki coastline from Kaimana to Kuhio beaches.
The annual event is like a reunion, with plenty of camaraderie. In the midst of it all, Daffy greets athletes and mingles among participants as if she is part of the family.
“A lot of the surfers know each other,” said Luscomb. “I know people that come year after year. It’s nice to reconnect with everybody. Who can surf at Queen’s by themselves, ever, right? It’s always so crowded. So this is the time to do it because you get your own surf time.”
Without volunteers, some of whom also fly in from around the world, none of the events would be possible, she said. Daffy’s presence makes everyone smile.
Wilkinson, who grew up with a quadriplegic mother, naturally gravitated toward a nonprofit like AccesSurf when she moved to Hawaii from Florida four years ago. She sits on the leadership committee and helps participants get in and out of the ocean.
Glendalee DeRuiter of Honolulu, who has muscular dystrophy, attends every year.
Formerly an active snorkeler, DeRuiter was no longer able to enjoy the ocean after her diagnosis. Then a few years ago she learned about AccesSurf while celebrating her daughter’s birthday at White Plains Beach in Ewa Beach.
AccesSurf holds a free “Day at the Beach” program there every month, offering tandem surfs and specialized equipment, including a mobility chair that can roll over the sand and float in the water.
She said being able to get out of her wheelchair and into the ocean has lifted her spirits and resulted in improvements, physically and mentally.
“This is freedom,” she said. “This is paradise, being with them, and there’s no cost and no strings attached.”
Wilkinson rescued Daffy as a chick from her backyard in Kailua. At first she was worried Daffy would try to drink the salty ocean water, but she seemed to know better.
When paddling out, Daffy will usually stay tucked under her accompanying human’s chest or hop onto his or her back.
Wilkinson is a beginner surfer, so Daffy sometimes goes out with more experienced surfers like Kristen Kelly, also a volunteer, who took her out on her first few rides a year and a half ago.
“She was a natural,” said Kelly. “The first time we went out, we caught the wave. She just waddled up to the nose and stood there.”
Daffy indicates through body language whether she wants to catch another wave. If she jumps off the board afterward, then she is done. If she stays on, that means she wants to go for another wave, said Wilkinson.
Though she is not canine, Daffy will be a contestant in the “Going to the Dogs Surfer Contest,” a regular event at Duke’s OceanFest in August. The contest has welcomed a surfing pig and surfing cat in the past.
Last year, unfortunately, the contest was canceled due to the threat of Hurricane Lane.
Daffy is looking forward to the contest this year, and she is a serious contender, according to Wilkinson, with The Public Pet in Kaimuki as her official sponsor.
