Grayscale photo of man riding on surfboard

This photo was taken at the first ever Black Surf Club Santa Cruz surf lesson. This club was established in response to the George Floyd paddle outs that sought to bring awareness to the issue that historically Black people have been discluded from surfing. The surf club had it's first meet up in Santa Cruz during the fires and this was the first day the skies were healthy enough to hold the meeting. When I arrived to photograph the event for the club the beach was completely fog banked and you could barely see the person in front of you, let alone the waves. I love this photo because it represents to me what the experience of taking up space in the surf lineup must feel like to Black people who have never been welcome. They couldn't see what it would be like, literally, but they paddled into the unknown anyway.