Perspectives to Listen to >>>

Selema Masekela in a 2014 Interview w/ TheIntertia on the topic:

“I don’t think people understand what it’s like to not see people that look like you doing what you love. I long for a time when I don’t have to be asked the question, ‘What’s it like to be a Black surfer?’”

Watch the entire interview HERE.

From a 2018 surfer_magazine article by Justin Housman expressing the need for more diversity in surfing & surf culture:

Housman explains that although surfing’s roots are found in places like Polynesia & Hawaii, “it doesn’t at all address the issue that surfing today, at least in the world’s two most globally influential surfing nations—the USA and Australia—is overwhelmingly white and upper middle class. This is true in countless lineups, where you’re likely to paddle out and find a mostly homogenous pack of white people surfing on expensive boards, wearing expensive gear in areas with a high cost of living. If you can’t afford it, you ain’t surfing.”

Read the full article HERE.

From a recent Surfline Interview with the women who founded TexturedWaves, co-founder Gigi Lucas said:

“If you Google image search ‘surfers,’ it doesn’t show people like us. As people who have been surfing for years, and for us not to be considered surfers in the mainstream – that’s an issue... It is a battle sometimes going out to just enjoy the session. But we carry this badge wherever we show up. People are like, ‘Oh, she’s a Black woman surfer. That’s an anomaly.’ And so there’s this heavy weight on our shoulders all the time.”

Read the full interview HERE.

Circling back to Housman’s article, he offers these great topics when it comes to diversifying surfing and including more people from communities not typically associated with surfing:

“What styles would emerge and what influences would inform them? What might surf art look like with if it was inspired by a surf experience that differed from the easygoing, middle-class beach life? How might board design evolve if more diverse voices were able to participate in the conversation?”

<<< ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING EQUITY, EQUALITY & DIVERSITY IN SURFING

@SurfearNEGRA

Founded by Gigi Lucas of Textured Waves, this 501c3 non-profit out of Jax, FL is focused on bringing cultural and gender diversity to the sport of surfing. Through strategic partnerships and year round programming, SurfearNEGRA is empowering kids everywhere to #diversifythelineup. Their ¡100 Girls! Program was designed to expose young girls of diverse backgrounds to the sport of surfing through surf camp funding, community-building, and mentorship. Their ¡Surf the Turf! Program brings the FUNdamentals of surfing directly to a school’s gym. Check out their website www.surfearnegra.com for ways to support or get involved!

@BrownGirlSurf

Based out of Oakland, CA, Brown Girl Surf works to build a more diverse, environmentally reverent, and joyful women’s surf culture by increasing access to surfing, cultivating community, amplifying the voices of Women of Color surfers, and taking care of the earth. Their programs are meant to create a path towards surf culture creation that celebrates our diverse experiences as women - placing joy and environmental reverence at the center - so that more women, and women of color in particular, can engage in surfing and ocean connection and all the benefits that entails. Check out www.browngirlsurf.com to learn more and to support their ocean & land programs!

@STOKEDorg

Founded by Steve Larosiliere & Selema Masekela, STOKED creates a community of fearless leaders through mentoring, opportunity, and action. Through mentorship and action sports culture, STOKED empowers underserved youth to reach their fullest potential, instilling passion, resilience, and determination. To learn more, or to get involved as a mentor or to make a donation, check out www.stoked.org.

Diversity in Surfing: Perspectives to Listen to & Organizations to Support