A new generation of black surfers
After 1994, the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa allowed people of colour to use beaches and swimming pools that were previously labelled 'white only'. Yet, surfing and other water sports still remained a distant idea for many black South Africans. Black surfing groups emerged after 1994 with the promotion of young, male Zulu surfers within competitive surfing.
Like many sports in South Africa today, competitive surfing is mostly comprised of white males. This contrasts with our country's population demographics.
As stated by a black surf coach writing for Amaza in 2013, “[m]any black people see it as an elitist pastime for white people only".
Samukelisiwe and her best friend Randy mention in the documentary that many members of the older generation believe in myths surrounding the sea, where the ocean will "eat you up” or a shark will bite you, leading to a fear of the ocean. Stereotypes, myths and the lack of access to information about the sea and surfing have held people of colour back in getting involved in water sports. It has for many years been viewed as a white sport.
In 1991, The South African Surfing Association (SASA) official Robin de Kock began discussions with the aim of unifying the South African surfing bodies. It was agreed that surfing should work towards unification.
Transformative organisations have been started around South Africa to bring surfing to people of colour. Durban has Surfers Not Street Children and Sisonke Surfing Outreach. Samukelisiwe’s couch, Alvin, started Sisonke to empower, motivate and skill the youth of Durban in the sport of surfing. A surfer himself, Alvin strives to give other people the opportunity to take on the surfing world.
The Sisonke team teaches young children from the townships and other areas of Durban to surf from a young age and empowers a number of females who are also gaining experience in surfing. Samukelisiwe works with Alvin and his team in helping other female surfers as they learn to swim and surf at Durban’s main beaches. More and more girls are joining the team and are learning quickly.
Often these organisations take children who grow up in poverty and dangerous circumstances and provide them with equipment, a wet suit and surfing lessons. Such programmes prevent poverty stricken children from engaging in risky behaviour out on the streets and keep them focused.
Competitions are organised within communities to encourage surfers to work towards a goal and many of these surfers, both male and female have dreams of making it further in the surfing competitive world and many, such as Sam, compete in national competitions. With this, the faces of surfing are changing as more and more black children take up surfing.
Being a black surfer is not easy though and many surfers still have to struggle with social pressures tht sometimes lead them astray. Some of these problems are shown in the short film Kushaya Igagasi.