BLACK SURFERS RECLAIM THEIR PLACE ON THE WAVES

It was through a Los Angeles experiment in busing in the ’60s that Rick Blocker met the kids who introduced him to skateboarding and then to surfing. But it wasn’t until he came across an open letter in Surfer magazine written by Tony Corley, who was looking to connect with other Black surfers, that he gave much thought to how broad the Black surfing community might be.
Mr. Corley went on to form the Black Surfing Association (B.S.A.) in 1974, with Mr. Blocker and a handful of others as early members. Through an article about the B.S.A. in Surfer, Mr. Blocker learned the forgotten history of the Ink Well and Nick Gabaldón, which he felt compelled to help preserve and share.

What began in Southern California has blossomed into a global movement, spurring the formation of groups dedicated to encouraging Black people to surf. The surf industry — often criticized for promoting the sport as the near-exclusive province of white men — is taking note, as popular brands provide sponsorships, equipment and other support to Black surfers and organizations.
Textured Waves, for example, is an online initiative that focuses on issues of representation in surfing. Chelsea Woody, a surfer and cofounder of Textured Waves who also has a promotional relationship with Vans, says that representation is important because it can make a tangible difference in people’s lives. Ms. Woody, who works as a nurse and grew up playing basketball and running track in suburban Washington State, far from the coast, experienced the power of representation in her own life when she was exposed to surfing at 17 while watching the film “Blue Crush.”
“I saw Michelle Rodriguez and I was like, ‘She kind of looks like me and I would love to do that,’” Ms. Woody recalled. Now she serves as a surf double for Vinessa Antoine, who plays a lawyer and surfer on the Canadian legal drama “Diggstown,” which takes place in Nova Scotia. The show helped spur the creation of a program to increase participation in surfing among Black Nova Scotians.

For an amazing article by DIANE CARDWELL, and visuals by Joshua Kissi and Morgan Maasen, click here