If you haven't already met Kris Primacio at a surf therapy conference, surf therapy event, or in the lineup around the world, let us introduce you.
Kris is the CEO of the International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO), which brings together hundreds of surf therapy organizations around the world for conferences, workshops, and all around community.
But Kris doesn't just run the organization behind a computer. Because surf therapy — using surfing as a therapeutic means — is near and dear to her heart, you can find her as a volunteer surf instructor at any given surf therapy event around the world.
When she's not focused on all things ISTO, she's receiving her own form of surf therapy in the lineups around Los Angeles and beyond.
We chatted with Kris about how she got involved with ISTO, the organizations' rapid growth, and why surf therapy is so important to her. In her own words: "No matter your struggles, participating in a surf therapy program can help you feel better."
Photo courtesy Kris Primacio
ASM: How did you get involved in surf therapy?
Kris Primacio: After a friend recommended it, I began volunteering with a few local surf therapy organizations in Southern California.
I had just started surfing in 2011 and had recently returned from a month in Kenya, where I worked with a local orphanage.
I had never heard of surf therapy before, but my friend thought I would enjoy volunteering in the ocean with kids living in foster group homes and at-risk youth throughout Los Angeles, especially since I had quickly developed an addiction to surfing.
She was right—volunteering with surf therapy programs became my new obsession.
Photo courtesy Kris Primacio
How do you define surf therapy?
As defined by the International Surf Therapy Organization: The use of surfing as a vehicle for delivering intentional, inclusive, population-specific, and evidenced-based therapeutic structures to promote psychological, physical, and psychosocial well-being.
What's your home break? Where do you surf the most?
I would have to kill you if I gave this up—haha, surfers are the worst!
I have been spending most of my time along the Sea of Cortez on the East Cape of Baja. I consider all the surf breaks along the East Cape my home breaks now.
The most well-known spots are Shipwrecks, La Fortuna, and Santa Elena (Nine Palms).
Photo courtesy Kris Primacio
What/who can surf therapy help?
Seeing the variety of populations served through surf therapy programs is tremendous. This can include individuals with PTSD, stress, and anxiety; individuals with autism and Down Syndrome; people who are amputees; Veterans and fire victims; people who are blind; sex-trafficking survivors; individuals in marginalized communities or developing regions; Chernobyl survivors in Ireland; people recently incarcerated in New Zealand; refugees in the UK or young women in Sri Lanka and Nicaragua to youth-at-risk in San Francisco, CA; first responders from Kansas (USA) to the Netherlands; and shark attack victims in Australia.
Our nonprofit, International Surf Therapy Organization, is developing a policy brief advocating for the inclusion of surf therapy in mental health institutions.
Our goal is to enhance mental health services by integrating surf therapy as a viable treatment option.
No matter your struggles, participating in a surf therapy program can help you feel better.
Photo courtesy Kris Primacio
How much has ISTO grown?
At the end of 2017, we were founded with eight programs from 5 countries, and today, we collaborate with nearly 140 organizations in 41 countries on six continents for a 1650% increase in less than 8 years.
Photo courtesy Kris Primacio
How can people get involved in ISTO?
Contact us via our website (intlsurftherapy.org), join us on Instagram @intlsurftherapyorg, or email us directly at connect@intlsurftherapy.org.
We have volunteer opportunities to help us grow or attend our quarterly live webinars and annual global conferences.
In October this year, we're heading to Lost Shore Surf Resort in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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