Izaro Williamson-Sasia, 12, is planning to surf every day of September in an effort to raise funds for communities in Indonesia and across the South Pacific. Photo: Supplied / Surfing Taranaki
Surfers from around the country will be taking to the ocean today as part of the Make A Wave challenge by not-for-profit charity SurfAid.
Grommets through to season professionals are aiming to surf every day of September - come rain or shine - in an effort to raise funds for communities in Indonesia and across the South Pacific.
Izaro Williamson-Sasia, 12, is one of those spearheading the SurfAid initiative in New Zealand alongside pro surfers Paige Hareb and Ricardo Christie.
The Sacred Heart Girls' College student and local age-group champion was up for the challenge.
"I just really care about others and I just want them to be happy and safe and healthy and it's also something that's like exciting to do surfing everyday and it will make me better at surfing."
Surf conditions in Taranaki during spring can be fickle and with ocean temperatures hovering around 13 degrees - none too welcoming.
But that didn't faze Izaro.
"I guess it will be tricky but I don't know, it just doesn't really matter because it's about helping people, so even if the surf isn't that good just get a couple of waves and yeah have fun."
A not-for-profit NGO, Kiwi doctor Dave Jenkins set up SurfAid about 13 years ago after witnessing the hardship in a Mentawai village while on a surf trip to Indonesia.
Last year its Make A Wave event raised $1.2 million across New Zealand, Australia and the US
Taranaki surfer Paige Hareb - one of the few New Zealanders to have competed on the WSL professional circuit - was also a SurfAid ambassador.
Professional surfer Paige Hareb (left) and Izaro Williamson-Sasia (right). Photo: Supplied / Surfing Taranaki
She was in awe of Izaro's commitment to the cause.
"When I was that age I probably barely even knew about charities, so that's so cool that she wants to give back already.
"Yeah and I remember being a 12-year-old as well and it was super hard to get out there in the middle of winter. I was actually having to wear some of my ski thermals under my wetsuit just to survive."
Hareb who was recovering from a knee injury, hoped to return to the WSL qualifying series at Nias in Indonesia during September.
She was stoked SurfAid was helping to support some of the communities where she had made her name.
"Obviously, with my career of being in Indonesia a lot and [being] to a lot of those villages before, it is nice to be able to give back to the places you go to for fun and to surf."
Surfing Taranaki chief executive Craig Williamson was Izaro's dad.
He had witnessed SurfAid's work first hand.
"It's about clean water, it's about healthcare, it's about mothers and babies, it's nutrition.
"I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Sumba in Indonesia this year to have a look at the programmes that they've been running over there and it was really eye-opening the sort of stuff they are doing."
One of the most curious initiatives he saw involved adding the huge snails found in the nearby forest to the local cuisine.
"They just thought they were yuck and they didn't see why they should eat them, but these snails have more protein in them per gram than chicken does.
"So, now they're adding the snails, which they just gather, into their diet.
"We had actually tried some snail kebabs and they weren't bad at all. Honestly it's amazing the stuff they are doing."
For those worried about Izaro's health during Make A Wave challenge - fear not - she was going to undertake part of it in Spain.
"For me I'm going to be staying on a beach with my grandparents, so I could just walk down some stairs and I'm in the water."
Anyone wanting to join the challenge or support the surfers' efforts, there was a dedicated Make A Wave website.
