New Mobility, May 1997
Jesse Billauer is well connected. When we first called he was connected to Goldie Hawn on his other line. During rehab, he was connected to Christopher Reeve. In March, he had time to connect with New Mobility. When we spoke, he had just turned 18 and was about to celebrate the first anniversary of becoming a C6-7 quadriplegic.
Jesse Billauer is well connected. When we first called he was connected to Goldie Hawn on his other line. During rehab, he was connected to Christopher Reeve. In March, he had time to connect with New Mobility. When we spoke, he had just turned 18 and was about to celebrate the first anniversary of becoming a C6-7 quadriplegic.
“It’s amazing how you can say anniversary,” Jesse notes. “Doesn’t anniversary sound good?” When Jesse got hurt, “on a 6-to-8 foot day at Zuma,” he was an emerging big-wave surfer. He’d already made courtesy calls at some happening beaches – Costa Rica, Puerto Escondido, Cabo San Lucas, Hawaii, Tahiti, Indonesia – and was doing well at contests at home. He had a reputation, some sponsors and good shot at turning pro.
So Jesse, like anyone else who’s broken his neck, had a lot of changing and patching together to do. In one short year, he’s made a fast start.
This June he graduates from Malibu High and from the family home in Pacific Palisades, a western suburb of Los Angeles. In the fall, he’ll enter San Diego State. It’s a harder transition for him than for his friends, he admits, but he sees it largely as an attendant issue. It just takes somebody I’m confident with who can allow me to do what I want,” he says. And he won’t be alone in San Diego. “All my friends are going down there, and we’re all staying in the same place. There’s a lot of love between all of us.”
Jesse says he’s ready for the move, and his parents aren’t holding him back. “They know whatever I put my mind to, I’ll accomplish. They’ve got that confidence. If I’m ready, I’m ready.”
“Surfing epic Tahiti.” That presupposes a cure, right? “Absolutely, but if that doesn’t happen, then I want to be a psychologist. I love helping people, getting their problems solved.”
Dating? “I don’t think that’s a problem.” But he’s still feeling this way. Sometimes he sees the chair as an obstacle, sometimes not. “I miss surfing when it’s hot and sunny and there’s all kinds of girls on the beach,” he says. “You can’t just wheel out there and talk to them. But if a girl want you for who you are, they’ll come up to you.”
Goals? Regaining enough strength to drive. Becoming a great cook. Playing quad ping-pong. Marriage. Kids. His idea of a good time? “Cloning myself. (Makes a sheep sound.) So I could have someone else out there surfing.”
Jesse’s pretty relaxed about his future. “I’m not really a worried guy,” he says. But not all changes resolve easily.
Everything is not perfect.” he says. “The problem I have is with independence. What I’ve got now is freedom of speech and freedom of choice, and I need that space to be a happy person. If someone takes those freedoms away, it can change your heart from a big smile to a big frown.”
What threatens his freedoms? “Somebody not listening to me, or not trusting what I say.” Does that happen now? “Yeah. A lot of my best friends when I did surf don’t really talk to me anymore. It’s kind of hard. You’ve been friends for so long, and then it’s like if they see you, they’re cool, but no way do they go out of their way to call you.”
Jesse isn’t eager to abandon the surfing scene, and he hasn’t. “I know a lot of the pro surfers and I’d like to put a surf movie together,” he says. “I just want to be part of the surfing industry. If I can’t surf I’ll film it.”
He’s part of the industry now. He flies the flag for Billabong and Von Dutch, both clothing companies, and Arnette sunglasses and Reef Brazil shoes. They’ve continued to sponsor him since his injury.
Whatever the future brings, Jesse says, it won’t be entirely new. “I’ve already lived a life. This is my second life, you know? Before I got injured, I traveled around the world surfing. I basically was living on my own. Now it’s like re-teaching myself, but I already know the road.”
Jesse Billauer: Starting a Second Life
New Mobility, May 1997
Jesse Billauer is well connected. When we first called he was connected to Goldie Hawn on his other line. During rehab, he was connected to Christopher Reeve. In March, he had time to connect with New Mobility. When we spoke, he had just turned 18 and was about to celebrate the first anniversary of becoming a C6-7 quadriplegic.
Jesse Billauer is well connected. When we first called he was connected to Goldie Hawn on his other line. During rehab, he was connected to Christopher Reeve. In March, he had time to connect with New Mobility. When we spoke, he had just turned 18 and was about to celebrate the first anniversary of becoming a C6-7 quadriplegic.
“It’s amazing how you can say anniversary,” Jesse notes. “Doesn’t anniversary sound good?” When Jesse got hurt, “on a 6-to-8 foot day at Zuma,” he was an emerging big-wave surfer. He’d already made courtesy calls at some happening beaches – Costa Rica, Puerto Escondido, Cabo San Lucas, Hawaii, Tahiti, Indonesia – and was doing well at contests at home. He had a reputation, some sponsors and good shot at turning pro.
So Jesse, like anyone else who’s broken his neck, had a lot of changing and patching together to do. In one short year, he’s made a fast start.
This June he graduates from Malibu High and from the family home in Pacific Palisades, a western suburb of Los Angeles. In the fall, he’ll enter San Diego State. It’s a harder transition for him than for his friends, he admits, but he sees it largely as an attendant issue. It just takes somebody I’m confident with who can allow me to do what I want,” he says. And he won’t be alone in San Diego. “All my friends are going down there, and we’re all staying in the same place. There’s a lot of love between all of us.”
Jesse says he’s ready for the move, and his parents aren’t holding him back. “They know whatever I put my mind to, I’ll accomplish. They’ve got that confidence. If I’m ready, I’m ready.”
“Surfing epic Tahiti.” That presupposes a cure, right? “Absolutely, but if that doesn’t happen, then I want to be a psychologist. I love helping people, getting their problems solved.”
Dating? “I don’t think that’s a problem.” But he’s still feeling this way. Sometimes he sees the chair as an obstacle, sometimes not. “I miss surfing when it’s hot and sunny and there’s all kinds of girls on the beach,” he says. “You can’t just wheel out there and talk to them. But if a girl want you for who you are, they’ll come up to you.”
Goals? Regaining enough strength to drive. Becoming a great cook. Playing quad ping-pong. Marriage. Kids. His idea of a good time? “Cloning myself. (Makes a sheep sound.) So I could have someone else out there surfing.”
Jesse’s pretty relaxed about his future. “I’m not really a worried guy,” he says. But not all changes resolve easily.
Everything is not perfect.” he says. “The problem I have is with independence. What I’ve got now is freedom of speech and freedom of choice, and I need that space to be a happy person. If someone takes those freedoms away, it can change your heart from a big smile to a big frown.”
What threatens his freedoms? “Somebody not listening to me, or not trusting what I say.” Does that happen now? “Yeah. A lot of my best friends when I did surf don’t really talk to me anymore. It’s kind of hard. You’ve been friends for so long, and then it’s like if they see you, they’re cool, but no way do they go out of their way to call you.”
Jesse isn’t eager to abandon the surfing scene, and he hasn’t. “I know a lot of the pro surfers and I’d like to put a surf movie together,” he says. “I just want to be part of the surfing industry. If I can’t surf I’ll film it.”
He’s part of the industry now. He flies the flag for Billabong and Von Dutch, both clothing companies, and Arnette sunglasses and Reef Brazil shoes. They’ve continued to sponsor him since his injury.
Whatever the future brings, Jesse says, it won’t be entirely new. “I’ve already lived a life. This is my second life, you know? Before I got injured, I traveled around the world surfing. I basically was living on my own. Now it’s like re-teaching myself, but I already know the road.”
Category: News