Darryl Tait is excited in the knowledge that surfing will be part of the Olympics in Tokyo 2020, but efforts are still on-going to take adaptive surfing to the biggest stage.

So for the time being Tait must bide his time.

Tait had lots of experience skateboarding and snowboarding prior to the snowmobile crash in 2009, that severed his spinal cord. 

Tait learned adaptive surfing during a vacation in Hawaii.

There are several types of adaptive surfing and Tait lies prone on the board in a push up position using handles for turning. 

"It's a lot of work, but for those few seconds of riding that wave, it's so worth it," he told CBC News.

He accepted that invitation this year to join Canada's national team and participated with financial support from Sport Yukon in the world championships earlier this month in Southern California.

"It felt really amazing just to be doing the sport, and then it was another thing to be representing Team Canada on its own," said Tait.

More than 100 athletes from 26 nations were there. 

Tait aims to remain grounded helping build the sport to get it to Paralympic status.

"The ocean really teaches you a lesson of like you're not in control out here … and it will hammer you," added Tait.

"And eventually, it's just learning that respect of the ocean, and putting things into perspective of  "all right, I will take what you give me," and that was a very humbling experience for me".