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Celebrating Juneteenth through surfing
Dozens of people celebrated the Juneteenth holiday by descending on Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz, to learn to surf. The event, hosted by a nonprofit Black Surf Santa Cruz, provided 100 fere surfboards, wetsuits and lessons. For many participants, it was their first time venturing past the shorebreak waves.
SANTA CRUZ., Calif. - Dozens of people from across the San Francisco Bay Area gathered at Cowell’s Beach on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth by learning to surf, part of an annual event aimed at making the ocean more accessible to communities of color.
The event, hosted by the nonprofit organization Black Surf Santa Cruz, provided 100 free surfboards, wetsuits, and lessons, alongside a live DJ and food. For many participants, it marked their first time venturing past the ocean’s shorebreak.
"It’s important for us to come together and try new things, have it be accessible when it would not be otherwise," Chennel Bowles, a mail carrier who traveled from San Francisco to participate, said.
Esabella Bonner, founder and executive director of Black Surf Santa Cruz, noted that the event, now in its sixth year, serves both as a celebration and a reclamation of the sport's history.
"It’s important to celebrate our Black and BIPOC community," Bonner said. "Surfing has indigenous roots, not only to Hawaii but West Africa."
Safety concerns
What they're saying:
The celebration took place amidst heightened regional coastal safety concerns, with a Beach Hazard Statement remaining in effect along much of the Northern California coast. Santa Cruz marine safety officials emphasized water safety following an uptick in rescues this month.
Brendan Daily, a marine safety officer with the Santa Cruz City Fire Department, urged beach goers to always seek out locations with lifeguards, noting that remote stretches of the North Coast and the San Francisco area often lack onsite supervision and suffer from long emergency response times.
"Our main message would be go to a beach with lifeguards," Daily said. "Come in, check in with the lifeguards, they are going to tell you the hazards for the day, where it is safe to swim, where it is not safe."
Organizers integrated a team of water safety instructors to monitor the event alongside city lifeguards, providing a secure environment that left newcomers like Bowles considering a return to the sport.
"With a safety team around, I felt good getting in the water," Bowles said. "If I could take this home and share it with more people there, I would love to."