Remarkable People

Is this your profile? Click here to recommend more solutions or organizations.

Jesse Billauer

A well known surfer from Pacific Palisades, California

Billauer suffered an accident at the age of 17 on March 25, 1996, hitting his head on a shallow sandbar after being knocked off his surfboard by a wave. The force broke his neck, severing his spinal cord at the C6 level and instantly rendered him a quadriplegic.

Billauer was told by doctors that he would never surf again. However, Billauer eventually did return to surfing, adapting his surfing technique and equipment to the situation of his current condition. He has become a role model guide to many other surfers, both professional and amateur, on how to live a life to the fullest, despite a life changing injury. Through these efforts Jesse has gained sponsorships from companies including Nike, Hurley, Honda, Channel Islands Surfboards (who developed a "Jesse Billauer" model) and Boost Mobile.

After graduating from Malibu High School, Billauer eventually enrolled at San Diego State University, with an emphasis in communications. He graduated in 2002. He is also a motivational speaker, and is involved with a non profit foundation, "Life Rolls On." Through this foundation, Jesse is taking a leading role in awareness and activism for spinal cord injury research, picking up where Christopher Reeve left off.

The 2003 Docu-Film Step Into Liquid featured his story and his friendship with Rob Machado. Billauer was also featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, While You Were Out, E! True American Story and more. In 2004 he won the 10News (San Diego) Leadership Award for his commitment to Life Rolls On Foundation.

In 2005 Billauer became the first quadriplegic surfer to surf the dangerous waves of Cloudbreak in Fiji.

The inaugural "Jesse's Story on Tour" speaking tour began in April 2006. This Tour has traversed the country and Jesse has delivered his message of Overcoming Adversity to over 100,000 people.

In December 2006 Billauer broke his femur while surfing large waves on the North Shore of Oahu (Hawaii). This injury led to the development of improved equipment for disabled surfers. He has recovered and is back in the water surfing again.

(Profile information sourced from Wikipedia and other publicly available internet sources.)

Jesse Billauer on the web

Website: Jesse Billauer
Website: Jesse Billauer.com

My Recommended Businesses and Solutions, Products, Services

Life Rolls on Foundation

400 Corporate Pointe, Suite 525, Culver City, CA 90230

Web

Life Rolls on Foundation

Organization

Life Rolls On, a subsidiary of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to inspire infinite possibilities despite paralysis.

Annually over 6,700 youth incur a spinal cord injury. Tens of thousands more currently live with such an injury.

Who Benefits From Our Work?

The individuals listed below are just a few examples of individuals that the Life Rolls On Foundation has impacted through our various programs. Their stories personify a message of pushing the bounds of possibility despite spinal cord injury. Through individual extensions of courage, whether it be surfing, motocross, wakeboarding, skateboarding or dance, these individuals (and hundreds more who have experienced Life Rolls On's programs) are living life to the fullest, shifting paradigms, and leaving a path of change wherever they go.

Who Is LRO?

LRO is the story of able-bodied individuals, working in concert with those with spinal cord injury, to motivate each other with the inspirational message of achievement in the face of extreme adversity. Life Rolls On utilizes action sports through our flagship program, They Will Surf Again, which pushes the boundary of possibility for those with spinal cord injury (SCI).