Surfer helps families honor loved ones with ‘one last wave’

Surfing is no longer a solitary pursuit for Dan Fischer. When he catches a wave along the shores of Rhode Island, he looks down at a surfboard covered with the names of people who have died, and who shared his love of the ocean.

His father’s name is the guiding light at the top.

“It’s a very different experience for me than it used to be, when it was just me and the board,” he said this month after surfing in Newport. “Now it’s sort of me and all these individuals. I feel a commitment to helping their families and honoring them every time I go out.”

Fischer, 42, created the One Last Wave Project in January to use the healing power of the ocean to help families coping with a loss, like he was. He etches their loved one’s name onto one of his surfboards and takes them out into the