Dana Cummings a native of Livermore Falls, Maine and the founder of the AmpSurf program based in Pismo Beach, CA qualified and became a member of the United States Surfing team on Thursday June 13th, in Oceanside, California.
Cummings, A left leg below knee amputee, has been surfing since he lost his leg in 2002 and has been surfing competitively since 2004. Mr. Cummings has won the title of West Coast Champion Twice in his division, once in 2011 and recently in 2019, qualifying him to compete for the USA Team at the 2019 Toyota, USA Surfing Nationals. Cummings, is 49 years old and grew up on a farm in rural Maine and always dreamed of coming to California as a child. Cummings Joined the Marines in 1989 and was stationed in California also serving in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. When he lost his left leg he wasn’t sure what he would do, but when asked by doctors what his expectations were after the loss of his limb he said “I want to surf! It is the only thing I haven’t been able to do.”
Though Cummings has faced many challenges through the years, he has never given up and has now taken his ability to surf to the highest level. Cummings will surf in the coming weeks at the Hawaii Adaptive Championships on Oahu, The English Adaptive Open, in Cornwall England, and the Welsh Adaptive Championships in Snowdonia Wales. Later this year he will compete at the World Adaptive Championships, location to be determined.
After losing his leg, Cummings founded the AmpSurf, Learn to Surf Program based in Pismo Beach, CA with chapters in New York and New England, to teach others with disabilities how to surf and to “Focus on Abilities”. Cummings says “As long as you ‘Focus on Abilities’, you can accomplish anything through adaptation, and he credits Adaptive Surf Therapy for getting him through the various struggles of his life.
Cummings has also been recognized for his work with those living with disabilities and veterans as a CNN Hero, California Veteran of the year, Patriot of the year, and on the floor of the U.S. Senate by former U.S. Senator Olympia Snow (ME). To learn more about AmpSurf and to Participate, volunteer or sponsor the program please visit ampsurf.org.