Today we’d like to introduce you to Queer Surf. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Cofounder and director Kyla Langen grew up a water child in Southern California. She began competing in surfing in middle school and surfed professionally all through her twenties. After swimming upstream in a heteronormative, male-dominated surfing industry, Kyla moved to San Francisco and decided it was time to start carving out a safer space for LGBTQ people at the beach. It was there where she and her partner Nic, an insatiable boogie boarder, queer teen therapist, founded Queer Surf. The need and demand for fostering queer culture at the beach became immediately evident. What started in 2016 as surf lessons for LGBTQ folks has evolved into a robust community and mentorship program that guides people’s understanding and relationship to waves as well as marine ecosystems.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In general Queer Surf has been overwhelmingly well-received. However, chipping away at systemic barriers and removing everyday barriers for LGBTQ+ folks has been the most challenging. To surf, consistent access to gear, knowledge, and surf community is necessary. LGBTQ+ folks face systemic barriers- income levels, transportation, leisure time, coastal access, safety, gender expectations and beyond. Homophobia, transphobia and microaggressions are ever present in beach culture and the surf industry. As most new surfers unfortunately experience, conflict in the water with aggressive, gatekeeping surfers is an ongoing struggle. Queer Surf works to support the LGBTQ+ community in ocean recreation. We envision a future with these challenges eliminated, where everyone has access to the mental and physical benefits of the ocean.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Queer Surf hosts lessons, beach days, clinics, overnight surf camps and other community events such as book clubs, panels, drag shows and online night lessons. We partner with organizations such as Rainbow Kids and Camp Lightbulb to support our queer and trans youth. We hold events up and down the California coast, from San Diego to LA, Ventura to the Bay. Our mission is to connect queers to their bodies, the ocean, and an inclusive surf community; Support queer mental & physical health through relationship with the ocean; Expand surf culture by advocating for distributed surf resources and a culture of belonging in the waves. Our programming is sliding scale, with scholarships offered, to help make the ocean more accessible to people with financial barriers. Queer Surf’s motto is ‘All Bodies, All Boards’, as everyone should feel welcome at the beach. Queer Surf is a movement, a culture, and a lifestyle.
Queer surf is a California-based community organization aimed at making surfing more accessible through knowledge sharing and skill building. Founded in 2016 by former professional surfer Kyla Langen and her partner/ insatiable boogie boarder Nic Brise, Queer Surf reduces barriers and helps the LGBTQ+ community navigate all aspects of surfing. Through a host of programs and events including lessons, coaching, clinics, overnight camps, meet-ups, night school, book clubs and more, Queer Surf builds community and fosters a safer space for queers at the beach. Queer Surf believes deeply in the magical healing powers of the ocean and is committed to building access to the beach.
What’s next?
Queer Surf is looking forward to regularly scheduled LA small group and private lessons. Keep posted for more overnight multi-day seasonal surf/camps to new surf breaks, all within a few hour’s drive. More LGBTQ+ Community Beach Days to come. Queer Surf is manifesting coastal space, both long-term and short, for future surf/camps. Queer Surf is partnering and collaborating with like-minded organizations. Reach out to get involved! More big plans in the works, stay tuned!
Contact Info:
- Website: queersurf.org
- Instagram: @queersurf
Image Credits
Chris Grant- Jetty Girl
