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Jesse Billauer, founder of Life Rolls On, one of the coolest spinal cord injury foundations on the planet, is a lifelong surfer from California. A surfer before and after his accident, discovering adaptive surfing, Billauer went on to apply the same spirit he put into surfing into helping the spinal cord injury community. Read on for his epic story.
Why He’s Fearless
In 1996 at 17 years old, Billauer was living the semi-charmed life of a California teenager – young, athletic and about to become one of the next big surfers. But his world turned upside down in 1996 when a wave threw him off his surfboard, paralyzing him from the chest down. Jesse hit his head on a sandbar and became a C5-6 quadriplegic.
He however refused to withdraw from the surfing world and made an amazing return to surfing. Jesse figured out a new way to surf by laying on his stomach and propping himself up and on his elbows. He began to compete right away. And in 2000, he founded Life Rolls On, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life in people with SCI by using adaptive sports like adaptive surfing to inspire and motivate.
Life Rolls On has been hosting free adaptive surf days since it’s inception and they also host celebrity-studded fundraiser parties, with attendees like Paris Hilton and Jason Mraz. Their annual “Night By the Ocean” black-tie event is their biggest event. In 2009, the foundation went on to partner with The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. With the foundation’s backing, they started another free adaptive clinic, “They Will Surf Again,” helping even more people get out and surf. They now host clinics around the country.
And Jesse’s adaptive surfing got the attention of filmmakers, going on to be featured in the documentary, Step the Liquid. Jesse has also created new surfing equipment. But one of the most impressive things about Jesse are the competitions he has won post-injury. In 2005, Jesse became the first quadriplegic surfer to conquer “Cloudbreak” in Tavarua, Fiji; an area notorious for giant waves. And he is a 2X World Champion Adaptive Surfer, winning both in 2015 and 2020. He also won the US National adaptive surfing championship six times, and in 2021, he was an Espy Award nominee for Best Athlete with a Disability.
What’s Next?
Outside his duties as executive director and CEO of Life Rolls On, Jesse is a motivational speaker. He speaks at schools and companies across the country on a topic anyone can relate to – overcoming adversity. Jesse has also been the National Outreach Director for the Christopher & Dan Reeve Foundation. Jesse’s life however really took an exciting change when in 2014 he married his longtime girlfriend Samanta. They went on to have twin boys and Jesse couldn’t be happier. We wish Jesse and his new family all the best <3
— Official site of Jesse Billauer
— His foundation: Life Rolls On
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