A special screening of the documentary “Wade in the Water, a Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture” took place on February 23, 2024 at the Park Cinemas in Paso Robles. Featuring surfer Tony Corley, a SLO county native and founder of the Black Surfing Association, the film aims to “reclaim the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing. Braiding historical accounts with modern-day testimonials, the film dismantles the racial barriers of conventional surf culture, delves into the overlooked history of Black surfing’s legacy, and honors its current movement—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: C.M. Florence, with Tony Corley.

More about Tony:

Tony Corely was born in Paso Robles and used to visit Cayucos and the beach with his family. Corely began experimenting with surfing when he was 12 when a friend from Southern California moved to the area. The two started body surfing the Cayucos beach waves on rented air rafts. By the time he was 14, he had acquired his first surfboard from a fellow surfer and by around 18 had purchased his first of around 30 boards he would come to own.

In 1974, Corley founded the Black Surfing Association after writing a letter to Surfer Magazine, calling for black surfers to unite and support surfing. Since then, the organization has been bringing black surfers together in California, and around the nation and world, celebrating both the waves and the long-ancient history of black surfers.

For more information, please visit: /https://wadeinthewaterproject.com/