Mami Wata (meaning “mama water” in West African pidgin English) is a guardian water spirit, venerated throughout Africa. Legend has it that those she takes as her lovers return to land more beautiful and successful than before—a fitting lore for the surf apparel brand that is not only named after the spirit, but whose garments, embodying African traditions and cultures, crowned the surf label as …
Laru Beya Collective is a non-profit organization offering free surf lessons and water safety education to Black and Brown communities in NYC’s Queens borough. At Rockaway Beach, “environmental racism prevents access and comfortability: from lack of protection from lifeguards to poor beach maintenance, not to mention a stark wealth inequality along the channel.” This, coupled with a generational fear of water apparent in Black communities, makes …
Surf-centric website Indoek continues to expand the breath of its offerings, in turn demonstrating an increasing global interest in the full culture surrounding those addicted to waves. “Surf Shacks,” a 288-page foray into the home lives of creatively-employed surfers, has just released on Gestalten. An extension of Indoek’s photography project, the book offers 42 photo shoot’s worth of architecture and lifestyle imagery—oftentimes capturing quiet moments …
