Santa Monica Surfers Held A Paddle Out For George Floyd

When the surfing community loses a member, their lives are traditionally honored by a paddle out. The community joins together and paddles out into the water to remember their friend and lay flowers. George Floyd may not have been a surfer, but last Friday, he was treated as one in solidarity by the Santa Monica community. Nearly 100 surfers and allies paddled out in memory of the Floyd, who was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25.

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The paddle out was held at Santa Monica’s Inkwell Beach, a symbol in the fight for racial justice. In the early 20^th century, it was an informally segregated beach, becoming a popular gathering place for black Americans to access the ocean. It is also where Nick Gabaldon, one of California’s first black surfers, learned to surf and is now honored by a memorial statue.