The opportunity to win a surf trip with five of the best surfers in the world by donating to a non-profit cause is not only inspirational, it's unprecedented.

Here are our five featured Wave of Compassion surfers:

> Quiksilver: Strider Wasilewski

Ironically, Quiksilver's Strider Wasilewski is most recognized for charging "waves without compassion" all over the world. His full throttle approach to tackling the most dangerous waves imaginable has earned him a solid reputation among the entire surf industry. When he's not pushing himself over the ledge of a Teahupoo monster Strider is hard at work managing Quiksilver's talented team of surfers, snowboarders, and skaters. All of us at Wave of Compassion are stoked Strider is a part of this event. Click here to read more about Strider.

> Reef: Ben Bourgeois

Reef's Ben Bourgeois is always on the go. This North Carolina native made a huge impact on the WQS tour in 2002 but just missed out on making the 2003 WCT by the smallest margin. With more time comes more experience strength and confidence. Ben is destined to make the big time. In the mean while he fills his time shooting photos for the mags and his sponsors, searching the globe for the best surf, looking for the next Reef girl, and now he's helping save lives in the Mentawai Islands. Click here to read more about Ben.

> Billabong: David Rastovich

Billabong's David Rastovich, aka "Rasta" is one of the most talented, stylish, and underground surfers in the world today. He has been fortunate enough to be able to travel the globe in search of perfect waves; but, his real gift is his ability to maintain a soulful approach towards life in general. He is a very unique individual with surely just as unique a life ahead of him; he is a tremendous asset to our event and we're excited to have his involvement. Click here to read more about Rasta.

> Patagonia: Keith Malloy

Pro surf icon Keith Malloy is one of those rare breeds of guys that you don't find too often. He comes from a great family, has two brothers, Chris and Dan, that are also pro surfers, and they have all lived in Ventura since 1977. What makes Keith and the Malloy brothers so unique is that they are a trio of brothers, all talented surfers, but none of them opted for the competitive surfing route as a career. Click here to read more about Keith.

> RVCA: Conan Hayes

Conan has been a fixture on the professional surf scene for over a decade. He hails from Hawaii and not surprisingly is known for charging everything thrown his way. Conan has recently joined the Wave of Compassion event replacing his good friend Jason Bogle who has had to pull out due to illness. Conan is a compassionate person who is looking forward to helping the Mentawai Islands community. Click here to read more about Conan.

> Saraina Koat Mentawai: Jason Bogle
(Pulled out due to illness)

In 2003 Jason Bogle was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. But that was just beginning. Facing the fight of his life against cancer Jason had another problem, he had no insurance, and with the estimated cost of treatment expected to run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars he needed help.

Jason's good friends, Conan Hayes, Peter Miller, and Mike Miller, spearheaded an effort to raise money to get Jason the treatment he desperately needed. Fortunately, surfers and companies from all over the world rallied on his behalf and through their efforts, fundraisers, and direct donations they were able to raise a substantial amount of money to help pay for his exorbitant medical costs. Now, almost a year later, Jason is at the end of his long road to recovery and anxious to not only get back in the water but give something back to all the people who supported him along the way. He's still got some work to go but he's ready for whatever gets thrown at him and is excited to have the opportunity to help the people of the Mentawai Islands.

From the outset of this event's origins all of the participating surf companies and surfers have been more than willing to lend their ideas, influence and recognition to make Wave of Compassion more than just a unique opportunity, but a success for everyone involved; the people who choose to donate to a worthy humanitarian cause, and the people who will ultimately benefit from their generosity in the Mentawai Islands.

The surf industry's compassion to make a difference to the inhabitants of one of their favorite surf destinations speaks volumes about the nature of its character. All of us at Surf Aid International sincerely hope that their actions will establish a benchmark for future goodwill efforts in the Mentawai Islands and beyond.

 

Click here to see the complete list of our donated prizes.