Surfer helps families honor loved ones with ‘one last wave’

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island surfer Dan Fischer created the One Last Wave Project to use the healing power of the ocean to help families coping with a loss. He etches their loved one’s name onto one of his surfboards and takes them out into the ocean, in spirit anyway, for “one last wave,” as a way to memorialize them in a place that was meaningful to them. He started the project in January 2022 while coping with the loss of his father and his beloved dog. He says surfing is no longer a solitary pursuit, he’s committed to helping the families and honoring them every time he goes out.