Legendary pro to help with funds for MS surf camp

By Laine M. Rutherford

Correspondent

Balance and coordination are key to mastering a surfboard.

In a surf camp Saturday morning on the beach at 57th Street, participants will look to hone those skills both on and off the boards.

They have multiple sclerosis.

Balance and coordination are important skills for MS patients to practice, said Patrick McKeever, a pharmaceutical representative who sells an MS drug.

McKeever, a Bay Colony resident, conceived the idea for the camp on a trip not long ago to Costa Rica. He had read a magazine article about Surfers' Hall of Fame member Robert "Wingnut" Weaver, who had been diagnosed with MS, a chronic disease of the central nervous system.

"He's legendary - a longboarder who starred in 'Endless Summer II' - and I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if we could get him to come to Virginia Beach?' to work with MS patients," McKeever recalled.

For the past eight months, McKeever and a business competitor, Peggy Neidig, organized the camp for MS patients.

"Even though we sell for different companies, we both end up working together at a lot of programs for the MS Foundation and we both surf," McKeever said. "We thought a surf camp was a great idea for people with MS and their families."

The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation thought so, too, and agreed to fund it, he said.

Weaver, too, got on board.

"His coming here is not so much to teach people how to surf, but to show how you don't need to stop living your dreams just because you have MS," McKeever said.

After Weaver agreed to participate, McKeever and Neidig enlisted Jason Borte, a local surfer, writer and founder of The Surf School to run the camp, scheduled to take place near the Wyndham hotel.

"It's satisfying to teach anyone to surf, but to help people with disabilities accomplish something that may seem impossible is very fulfilling," said Borte, who has been involved with the Surfers Healing autism surf camp for several years.

Borte, Weaver and about 15 professionals will take registered campers - some traveling from out of state - on the boards Borte uses in his surf school.

Because Weaver was coming into town for the camp, McKeever and Neidig also thought the community would jump at the chance to meet the Hall of Famer and planned a fundraiser for Friday night.

"For surfers, the chance to see a living legend is like following the Grateful Dead," Neidig said. "We decided we'd have a party and open it up to the public so they can meet Wingnut.

"We are really looking forward to educating people about MS and raising money for the foundation so they can further provide patient programs, services and equipment," Neidig said.

"The weekend is just going to be straight up fun for everyone."

Laine Mednick Rutherford, Laine.R@cox.net.