How many Black surfers do you know? Have you ever seen a Black athlete win a surf competition? When did you first notice the presence of Black surfers in the sea?

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t until recently that I started asking these questions myself. Unfortunately, after some further research – and as expected – the number of Black surfers within the surf industry is disproportionately low. It underlines the argument that the crumbs of racism are pretty much everywhere. 

Chelsea Woody and Martina Duran, founders of Textured Waves in the US, Erica Prado, founder of Movimento Surfistas Negras in Brazil and Sandy Alibo, founder of Surf Ghana in Ghana, recognised the lack of representation for those seeking safe places further away from the shore and solace in the ocean.