World’s First Para Surf Training Center

ONETEAM El Salvador has been supporting athletics and positive youth development in El Salvador since 2011. The effort has been privately funded with the Colgan, Powers and Winklevoss Families providing the financial support necessary to ensure that programming and training center operate without any tax payer funding… from any country.

When our founders witnessed Salvadorans elect President Nayib Bukele, and his announcement that security issues would be addressed and that the coastline would be a place for the world to enjoy… we knew we had to get involved. With the President’s announcement that the coastline would be rebranded as ‘Surf City El Salvador’ it caused our staff to reflect back to a similar effort that was implemented in Brazil decades ago.

History has a fun way of playing out and in the case of Brazil, the record speaks for itself. As the country is now a powerhouse throughout the international competitive surfing community - all because of a government that focused on Surfside development and individuals like Luis ‘Pinga’ Compos, who took advantage of the movement and created comprehensive positive youth development programming surrounding the sport of competitive surfing.

We see the same phenomenon occurring in El Salvador in the years to come, but unlike Brazil’s singular focus - ONETEAMSV is taking advantage of the Salvadoran government’s economic development plan to support the international adaptive ‘Para Surf’ community which has been underserved worldwide and in our opinion desperately needs more access and opportunity.

Why?

Both Sean Colgan and Rob Powers, have a combined experience spanning over 40 years of Olympic Team involvement. When the two starting supporting athletics in El Salvador, they pointed out Surfing as a sport that could naturally support itself due to the world class warm water and year-round waves. Sadly, there recommendations to the then sitting Olympic Committee fell on deaf ears.

Now over a decade later and with President Bukele’s determination to showcase these amazing surf breaks and Surfside communities, and his focus on equal opportunity for persons with disabilities along with the ISA’s continued efforts to gain inclusion of Para Surfing in the Paralympics… it was time to act.

For those who follow adaptive sport at the Paralympic level, it is easy to see that the best athletes come from nation’s that provide the best opportunities to train and compete. Rob comes from a Olympic skiing background and together with his wife Laila, raised their 5 children on skis in Steamboat Springs, Colorado - known throughout the world as “Ski Town U.S.A.” and home to more winter Olympians then any other small town in the world. When Sean moved to Steamboat Springs the two became friends and together witnessed the effort placed on para ski and snowboarding by both the city, local ski resort and NGO STARS.

The fact is that the International Ski Federation’s ( FIS ) Para Ski and Snowboard programming’s explosive growth and comprehensive opportunity based development was spearheaded by communities that played host major ski and snowboard resorts. The fact remains to this day, that every major ski and snowboard resort in the WORLD offers Para Programming.

So while we are new to surfing, we are not new to athletics and it is based on our experience that we believe the same explosive growth can occur within Para Surf if ‘sleep-eat-surf’ opportunities are made available. Sadly, no country in the world other than France has invested in developing oceanside training facilities and programming for para surf athletes and their support staff. While our friends at AMP Surf and other outstanding organizations do the heavy lifting with instructional programming and continue to serve as the backbone of development for para surfing, they too currently operate out of popup tents and remote offices from where the athletes train.

The Colgan Foundation Para Training Center, is simply the first of what we hope will be a model replicated throughout the world, whether training centers are located adjacent to wave pools or natural point breaks, the bottomline is that in order to compete at the highest level in any sport - opportunity needs to be close by and as effortless as possible.

Schedule Your Individual or Team Visit

Our goal in 2023, is to provide the best possible support to international athletes and their support staff, which will limit the number of available slots per month so please do not hesitate to start your team or groups discussion with our Director Claudia.

TRAINING vs SURF VACATION

The Colgan Foundation Para Surf Training Center powered by ONETEAM El Salvador in Surf City El Salvador serves as an elite training facility for international para surf national governing bodies and accomplished para surfers.

Training Center vs Surf Camp?

The Colgan Foundation Para Surf Training Center is designed to accept accomplished athletes and their coaches from all over the world. For those who are focused on pursuing excellence at the ISA Para World Championship, AMP Surf Para Surf League and eventually Paralympic Games our training center will serve you well.

Our guests and their support staff have access to:

Currently, 7 single or double occupancy rooms with private bath, Air Conditioning, Wifi - 2 workout areas, large multi-use building which houses the athletes kitchen, living and dining room, Staff and Coaches living room, carving skate park with ramps, covered oceanfront patios, outdoor showers and access to our partner Papaya Surfboards who makes our PS-1 boards just up the road from the training center.

Our staff consists of ISA Certified Para Surf Instructors, Olympic and National Team Coaches, Psychologists, Dietitians and Meal Production, Massage Therapists, USA Board Certified Physicians and ESA National Water Safety Professionals and local Volunteers.

Our rooms are mobility friendly and purpose built to accommodate para surf athletes and their federation support staff.

Whether training on Cocal Point directly in front of the training center or driving 5-10 minutes to Punta Roca, La Paz, Sunzal ( El Tunco ) or 20 minutes to El Zonte or even 3 hours to Mango and Las Flores … our fleet of vehicles and staff is here to ensure that wave conditions match with each athletes training goals for the day.

NOTE TO FEDERATIONS

Our training center has been built to support the International Olympic Committee’s designated governing body of Surf - the International Surf Association ( ISA ) We encourage all National Governing Bodies to engage with Alex Reynolds, Dir of ISA Para Programming who can answer specific questions on how your country can fully develop Para Surfing and how our training center can be utilized by both your NGB and ISA if necessary to accomplish growth objectives. For more on ISA please visit: www.isasurf.org

AMP Surf Para surf league

ONETEAMSV and the Colgan Foundation Para Training Center are partnered with AMP Surf in continuing to support the growth of Para Surf Worldwide. For more on AMP Surf please visit: www.ampsurf.org