Christiaan Bailey

Christiaan "Otter" Bailey (born March 31, 1981, Santa Cruz, California), is an American professional surfer, known for his experience as a surf safari guide and skill as a big wave surfer and skateboarder. Bailey grew up in the Santa Cruz, California area and excelled as a semi-pro surfer and skateboarder. He and his family departed for France when he was young, where he attended the American School of Paris.

Contents

• Volcom spotlight christiaan bailey
• Christiaan bailey at yogyakarta skate competition
• References

Bailey moved back to Santa Cruz in the fall of 2003. He was a professional surfer and skateboarder, who spent much of his time in Central America and west Africa as a back-country surf guide. On July 23, 2006, during the filming of a skateboarding video at Derby skatepark in Santa Cruz, Bailey crashed on his skateboard, fracturing several vertebrae in his back (L3, L4, S3), damaging his spinal cord in the process, which left him paralyzed from the waist down as a result.

Since his injury, Bailey's sponsors have continued to support him, giving him the opportunity to surf on tour. He participates in expression sessions on various legs of several different pro and semi-pro tours; including the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) WQS/WCT (World Qualifying Series & World Championship Tour), Western Surfing Association tour, National Scholastic Surfing Association tour and Volcom Crustaceous Series events.

Since his injury in July 2006, Bailey has surfed and chairskated in expression sessions during the O'Neill Coldwater Classic (2006-12), US Open of Surfing (2007-12), Hurley Pro at Lowers WCT (2008-11) Reef Panama Classic (2007-08, 2010), Quicksilver Pro Hossegor (2008-10), NSSA National Championships (2007), WSA National Championships (2008-10) and the Volcom Crustacious Tour Series (2008-11). Bailey was the first paralyzed person to win the WSA National Championships (Trestles 2009), as well as the first paralyzed person to surf "Mavericks" (Half Moon Bay, California). In March 2010, Christiaan Bailey and Aaron Fotheringham were selected by the IOC or International Olympic Committee to be a part of "Team Extreme" for the Vancouver Paralympic Opening Ceremonies, showcasing the new sport of chairskating at BC Place Stadium in front of 73,000 people. Bailey is currently one of only two professional "chairskaters", and currently remains the only paralyzed professional big wave surfer in the world.

Bailey is also active in many international NGO's and disability related non profit organizations. Including being CEO of the Ocean Healing Group, a non-profit (501c3) dedicated to providing once in a lifetime adaptive sports adventures in Costa Rica, to children who use wheelchairs and their parents. Bailey is an ambassador for the Life Rolls On foundation as well, a non-profit (501c3) that promotes active lifestyles for young people who have sustained spinal cord injuries.