#9 The Documentary

The message on my phone this afternoon was “I heard you got started. A friend told me there were a bunch of Black guys with boards and cameras at the beach. “

We’ve actually been brainstorming, researching, making connections and have had one other filming session but today did feel like the beginning! Kevin, who I interviewed a few blogs back, and myself are putting our energy into making a documentary about the Black Surfing Experience.

This morning at 7:15am my buzzer sounds the arrival of Kevin with the camera. He’s here to get some footage of me packing gear into the car for the session. At the van I meet another Black surfer who Kevin met one day getting out of the water. His name is Jerrod Ewell. He grew up surfing the waters of Oahu and has become a recent transplant to the mainland. Right away the deep camaraderie of this shared passion makes the stories start to flow. He tells me how in one of his earliest sessions he was saved in the water by the legendary Black surfer Buttons Kaluhiokalani.

The stories continued to flow all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge as we made our way to Cronkhite Beach where we would meet up with another Black surfer whose roots go all the way back to the Dogtown crew, Jason Gittens. He’s surfed & skated with some of the best of them, traveled the world in search off waves and now calls this cozy, tucked away wave his homebreak.

The cameras rolled in the cold, misty morning as we enthusiastically came together to share some waves. The elements joined in by giving us a small window of some fun little waves before the onshores turned on and blew us out of the water. Jason and I introduced Jerrod to the Nor Cal tradition of carrying a large bottle of hot water in the car for a euphoric post cold-water –surf rinse. From there it was off to the local Marin surf shop, Proof Lab. Without any notice they welcomed us in and let us set up to do some on camera interviews right in the middle of the shop.

It was an epic day. Everything came together in ways greater than our expectation. For me today was an inspiration that this film need to be made. These stories need to be told. The more I learn the more excited & surprised I am by the depth of the Black Surf Experience. Stories reaching back to the 40’s. Stories arising from all over the globe. Stories that transcend race, class, gender & any other artificial divisive classification are alive and ready to be shared.

I started this blog with the intention to add one more voice to a growing diversity of surfers. That impulse has grown into a desire to share the many voices that are relishing the joys of a life in the ocean….

Check out the website!

www.BlackSurferDocumentary.com

Contact us if you would like to get involved!

Surf like there is no tomorrow!