In Senegal, Black surfers want to reclaim the waves despite lack of resources

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Ibra Samb first became fascinated by surfing as a young boy growing up in a fishing village in Senegal. He and his friends watched white foreign surfers glide over the waves, sparking a desire within them to learn how to surf themselves. With limited resources, they fashioned makeshift surfboards from plywood salvaged from fishing boats. Little did they know, this humble beginning would one day lead them to compete on the world stage.

As Senegal prepares to host the Youth Olympic Games, a historic first for Africa, local surfers are eager to gain more resources and global visibility to reach their full potential. Despite their country's expansive coastline, African surfers remain rare at the elite level of competitive surfing. One of the driving forces behind this disparity is the high cost of equipment and travel, as well as visa restrictions for professional surfers.

Ibra Samb, along with fellow professional surfer Cherif Fall, founded Anda surf school to address this issue. The school provides paid coaching sessions and free weekly classes for children from their hometown, Ngor village. Samb dreams that the kids, who have shown promise in surfing, will eventually qualify for the World Tour. Ngor, a fishing village made famous by the 1966 surf documentary "The Endless Summer," has a long history of deep ties to the ocean, with many young people possessing natural talent for surfing.

On a recent Sunday, Samb and Fall, along with local volunteers, taught around 20 children aged 7 to 14 how to surf. Using donated boards from Australian surfers, the kids practiced the pop-up motion, a crucial skill in surfing. Parents are eager to provide their children with surfing opportunities, as evidenced by a father's request to sign up his two-year-old daughter for lessons.

Samb notes that in the past, girls were discouraged from participating in outdoor activities like surfing, but attitudes have shifted, allowing them greater freedom to pursue their passions.

While Senegal's surfing scene has grown significantly over the past two decades, it still faces challenges. There is a shortage of surfboards, and many children lack proper attire, such as wetsuits. Additionally, all teachers volunteer their time, limiting the number of students they can coach. Furthermore, ocean pollution poses a growing threat to the sustainability of surfing in Senegal.

Babacar Thiaw, founder of Surfrider Senegal, an environmental organization, emphasizes that the health of youth and the country's tourism industry depend on cleaner waters, as sewage and plastic waste continue to pollute the ocean.