Surf Docs

Some totally board-certified physicians pitch in on earthquake relief in the Pacific

On March 28 the remote Indian Ocean island of Nias was devastated by an earthquake. Within four days, doctors from SurfAid were providing expert medical aid there. Founded in 1999 by New Zealand doctor Dave Jenkins to provide medical aid to the wave-rich but cash-poor islands around Sumatra, SurfAid already had teams in the region helping after December's tsunami.

Before that tragedy SurfAid had been a 10-person operation, but after the tsunami the group received six-figure donations from Billabong, Quiksilver and Burton, and its staff was increased to more than 70. Not all its doctors surf, but some who do will bring their boards along on aid missions. "We've got doctors working for an enormous amount of time," says Andrew Griffiths, head of the U.S. arm of SurfAid. "That's their release."

COLOR PHOTO

SIMON COWLING/SURFAID (JENKINS)

HOUSE CALL

Jenkins founded SurfAid as a way to give back.