No matter how often fun, fun, fun as a group is celebrated in Beach Boys surfing songs, the sport is a lonely one. Surfing is a solitary journey as the surfer tries to catch a wave to sit on top of the world. This secluded ride on a board at the ocean’s roar has embraced Dan Fischer for many years.

The loneliness for Dan was altered a few years ago. He now casts his eyes over thousands of names etched on his surfboard as he rides the waves along the beaches of Rhode Island. His boards are covered with the names of people who have died, mostly from cancer, and who shared his love of the ocean.

Dan created the One Last Wave Project this past January. He captures the healing power of the ocean to help people celebrate the lives of parents, siblings, partners, children and friends. He was in the same boat, or on the same board, during 2019. Coping with the loss of his father, Dan etched Karl’s name on his board. They had shared a love of the ocean and of adventure—mountain climbing, paragliding, hockey and cycling. Soon after, Dan’s dog died and he etched Rudy’s name on the board.

As Dan remembered his father and dog, he recorded a video from a beach near Newport and shared it on social media. He offered to etch names onto his boards to honor people who have passed away and to celebrate their lives. He takes the boards into the water to catch the waves while, in a spiritual way, memorializing each person who enjoyed the ocean.

Dan’s first two boards contain 3,500 names. The third board that he took to the water over the Memorial Day weekend contained the recently added name of Kinley Sexton. She, too, loved the ocean, according to her mother, but the love affair was short. Kinley died from an aggressive brain tumor at age six just a few years ago.

Dan regularly receives names to add to his boards through email and social media (learn more and contact Dan on the project website. He plans to continue to add names to surfboards for as long as this tribute resonates and helps the people who have remained behind to mourn their losses.