LITTLE COMPTON Gnome Surf’s newly opened store isn’t your typical surf shop. It’s a “sensory surf shop,” aimed at embracing neurodivergent children as part of the nonprofit’s mission of helping children through a unique tactic: surf therapy.
“When you walk into the shop, you feel it right away. The place is just filled with good vibes,” said Chris Antao, the founder of Gnome Surf.
The new store, on Main Street in Little Compton, sells surfing gear and apparel in an environment that’s meant to calm and engage children like the ones served by Antao’s nonprofit. There are interactive sensory lights that are beneficial for autistic people all over the shop, inspiring artwork and a fish tank perfect for kids to sit and stare at.
FALL RIVER Call it an early Christmas present or a belated birthday present. Either way, The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation For Autism delivered a great gift to Gnome Surf founder Chris Antao last week.
Two days after Antao’s birthday, Flutie announced Gnome Surf as one of The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation For Autism grant recipients. The retired NFL quarterback made the announcement on Dec. 16th during a Zoom version of the Flutie Family Holiday Spectacular. In announcing the foundation’s grant to Gnome Surf, a surf camp for kids of all abilities, Flutie, a football star at Boston College as well as in the NFL and Canadian Footbal League, also professed his own love of surfing saying, “I just got off the waves, anything surfing I love,” said Antao.