Black Surf Santa Cruz prepares for its second Liberation Paddle Out

Santa Cruz Sentinel ^ | April 30, 2022 | Rachel Kippen

[artichokegrower]

Before 2020, Bella Bonner had never put on a wetsuit in her life. She’d never laid down on a surfboard, let alone popped up on one and felt the energy of a wave pushing her toward shore. Bonner, who moved to Santa Cruz while attending middle school, had lived for 16 years within 5 miles of the ocean, yet had few immersive experiences in or on Monterey Bay. “So many people associate Santa Cruz with surf history, but fail to acknowledge the deep roots that the practice actually has in Native Hawaiian and African communities and cultures.” Bonner suited up for the first time one evening in the spring of 2020, marking the start of a new era in her relationship with the ocean and, unknown to her at the time, the humble beginnings of Black Surf Santa Cruz.

[artichokegrower]

“You could tell white people planned the paddle out because it was like way, way far out in the ocean! Our arms were sore from paddling. These were muscles we weren’t used to moving like this.”

Gosh durn white people

[PGR88]

Headline: If white people surf, black people decide they should do it too.

[Mouton]

Given the water temps in Monterrey are about 25 degrees F below those in Hawaii I don’t doubt many living there have never been in the water.

[skeeter]

“So many people associate Santa Cruz with surf history, but fail to acknowledge the deep roots that the practice actually has in Native Hawaiian and African communities and cultures.”

Good thing she added Native Hawaiians in there.

I surfed in Santa Cruz for years, east side & west side, and in all that time saw no more than three black surfers.

[jaydubya2]

Are black people going to the ski slopes next?

[artichokegrower]

Don’t be trying to join Black Surf Santa Cruz honkey

https://www.blacksurfclubsantacruz.com/

from their joining the club application page

What do you identify as?
Black
Indigenous
POC
White **read header

[Carpe Cerevisi]

I first read this as “Black Santa Claus...”

[EEGator]

Negro fatigue article 12,473,551..

[Bon of Babble]

Headline: If white people surf, black people decide they should do it too.

Headline: "Surfing is Racist with a long history of White Supremacy, oppression, lack of access and exclusion of black people."

Byline: "Reparations necessary to rectify the "legacy of slavery and segregation," and surfing must be regulated to ensure equity."

California government must ensure that all races are represented equally and surfers allowed in the ocean on that bases. To make up for years of inequity, no Whites allowed to surf.

[glorgau]

Yep, I think all black people should be given a surf board as reparations.

[Da Coyote]

A sure indication of a leftist article is when racism is the central idea.

A second sure indication of a leftist article is that it is in a city newspaper.

A third 90% sure indication of a leftist article is that it was written by the bottom of the SAT barrel journalism major.

[VeniVidiVici]

“So many people associate Santa Cruz with surf history, but fail to acknowledge the deep roots that the practice actually has in Native Hawaiian and African communities and cultures.

I know that this is the first thing I think of when going to a new beach. Although I will admit that I fail to connect Africans with being a seafaring community.

[Scrambler Bob]

What about the waves themselves?

With their WhiteCaps?

[artichokegrower]

[Chorus 1]
Let’s go surfing now
Everybody’s learning how
Come on on safari with me
(Come on on safari with me)

[Verse 1]
Early in the morning we’ll be starting out
Some honeys will be coming along
We’re loading up our Woody
With our boards inside
And heading out singing our song

[Chorus 2]
Come on (surfing) baby wait and see (surfing safari)
Yes, I’m going to (surfing) take you surfing (surfing safari) with me
Come along (surfing) baby wait and see (surfing safari)
Yes, I’m going to (surfing) take you surfing (surfing safari) with me

Surfing safari. Safari relates to Africa. So surfing originated in Africa

[doorgunner69]

What next? Take up scuba diving?

Have met a few black divers, not American type though, Fijian and Caribbean.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Then polo ponies, America’s Cup yachts...

[Trailerpark Badass]

But the ankle tether will bring back horrible memories.

[artichokegrower]

Better watch out for Great White Sharks. Oh wait nothing white can be great. Watch out for Sharks of Privilege

[doorgunner69]

“If white people surf, black people decide they should do it too.”

Grew up near the beach in L.A. The darker communities east of us would come to the beach in summer. It was great fun, most would go out in the water no deeper than their knees.

There might have been a few in deeper, but I never saw them. The panic at the sight of a jellyfish was hilarious.

[Rebelbase]

Imagine the cries of racism that will be screamed when the first inexperienced black surfer drowns while white lifeguards are on duty.