Meet the autistic surfer who’s inspired generations of groms
- Text by Alex King
“Everybody that surfs in Southern California knows Curt, he’s famous,” explains pro Dane Reynolds.
Curt Harper was diagnosed with autism aged just two years old. Now aged 50, he’s been surfing for four decades and has helped to nurture and inspire multiple generations of SoCal surfers, including Reynolds, Timmy Curran and Bobby Martinez.
Filmmakers Jordan Tappis and Brendan Hearne have turned his story into the brilliant short documentary, Curt.
Autism affects 1 in 42 boys, making it hard for them to communicate verbally and non-verbally, and making interacting with the world around them challenging. But Curt has never let that come in the way of his surfing, competing for Hurley and ferrying countless young groms to and from the beach near his home in Santa Monica over the years.
Curt is a powerful reminder that even the biggest challenges shouldn’t get in the way of doing what you love, supporting others and helping build community.
Find out more about the film.
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