It’s all about bringing positive vibes and experiences to the beach.
The second annual A Great Day in the Stoke, an event to spotlight Black competitive surfers and introduce others to the coastal community, was held in Huntington Beach on Saturday, Sept. 16, drawing hundreds of people to the sand and surf.
“It’s great to provide positive energy to the world,” said Nathan Fluellen, who created the inaugural event last year in response to the growing community of Black surfers.
The goal of the mini festival on the sand is to foster the growth of Black surfers who want to compete, inspire the Black community to feel welcome in the water, offer attendees the chance to take their first surf lesson or partake in yoga.
Fluellen is originally from Chicago, drawn to the water as a kid, but growing up never seeing anyone who looked like him swim or surf.
Now, Fluellen is part of a wave of Black surfers who are changing the culture, connecting with others on social media and holding events to make people of color feel welcome at the beach – where traditionally most surfers have been White, affluent males and there has been in some Southern California beach towns a history of segregation and racism.
A TV host who created the travel series “World Wide Nate,” Fluellen said he hopes that the next generation feels comfortable in the sea and embraces the sport of surfing.
Fluellen said he saw a shift in surf communities around the world in 2020 when surfers took a stand on the sand and during paddleouts in protest following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmad Aubrey and Brianna Taylor.
He wanted an event that drew people together, he said, not just in tragedy, but for fun.
“I was exhausted and wanted a few moments of positivity. We need to wake up and celebrate our existence and love for surfing,” he said of the inaugural event. “It was heartwarming, it was great to see it all come together and see the support and then just the feedback from…
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