By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
HUNTINGTON BEACH — What is being promoted as the largest gathering of Black surfers in history will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Huntington Beach Pier, home of the U.S. Open of Surfing.
It’s the third annual “A Great Day in the Stoke,” an event that includes a surf competition, free surf lessons, a Double-Dutch jump rope contest, a wellness zone and beach yoga by Lululemon, music, a 5K Run/Walk, and giveaways.
The surfing competition includes longboard and shortboard and also includes categories for those 18 years and younger. It features male and female pro and amateur surfers representing the U.S. and across the diaspora, including Senegal, South Africa, Brazil and Jamaica.
The purpose of the event, expected to attract 2,000 spectators, is to draw more people of color to the sport of surfing.
The day culminates in an awards ceremony honoring winners in various categories and a recognition of trailblazing Black surfing pioneers who have made significant contributions to the sport like Nick Gabaldon, the first Black surfing legend who surfed in the late 1940s at the Inkwell Beach in Santa Monica.
Launched in 2021 with the first event happening in 2022, “A Great Day in the Stoke” is the brainchild of Nathan K. Fluellen, 43, the event’s founder, an advocate for the Black surfing community, and also a TV host, travel journalist/vlogger, producer and entrepreneur.
The host, creator, and executive producer of the Telly Award-winning adventure travel TV show, “World Wide Nate: African Adventures,” a guide to living a global lifestyle, Fluellen, 43, has traveled to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, South Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
He has visited six continents, 60 countries and all 50 states.
Fluellen, who lives in the world and vacations in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, is a Chicago native who grew up in Calumet City, Illinois. He attended Tennessee State where he graduated with a degree in economics and speech.
When he speaks about surfing and getting more Black people interested in the sport, the enthusiasm in his voice makes it clear it’s his passion.
He is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in surfing and has been a prominent advocate for increasing the visibility of Black surfers on the global stage. “A Great Day In The Stoke” is the marquee event under Fluellen’s Kavata Kids 501 C-3 organization.
I recently caught up with Fluellen, a fitness enthusiast, to talk about “A Great Day in the Stoke.”
DD: Why did you create this event?
NF: I wanted to foster the growth of Black competitive surfers at the professional level but also to offer beginning surf lessons to attendees to help inspire the Black community to feel more at home in the ocean on a casual and fun level. I want to be of service to the community.
DD: What kind of feedback have you received over the years about the event?
NF: Everybody is thrilled. It’s been all positive energy and feedback. It keeps me energized. It’s not easy. It’s a lot of work. People look forward to the event. We’ve had positive reviews. We want to just keep growing.
DD: Why is this event being held in Huntington Beach?
NF: The U.S. Open of Surfing happens there. I wanted to give our community the chance to come out to where the best compete.
DD: Who can compete in the upcoming competition?
NF: People from the African diaspora. We want increased participation. I want to give people a platform to celebrate our existence. During the pandemic, the surging community would hold paddle outs. I would go. It was a reaction to a tragedy. I don’t want to do that anymore. I just want us to come together on a happy note. We’re Black, we’re happy.
DD: You had a reaction to the aftermaths of the murders by police of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. How did it affect you?
NF: All of the killings just became more heightened. When someone is killed, there is a deep emotional trigger. It’s traumatizing. At that time, there were a lot of paddle outs where surfers paddled out into the water to pay tribute and recognize a tragedy. There were a lot of those. I’m not going to do any more paddle outs. It’s just reacting to a tragedy. I want to do something really meaningful.
DD: When will you have free surf lessons?
NF: We have two surf sessions. One will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and the other 12 noon to 2 p.m. We won’t have swimming classes that day. I have a non-profit called Kavata Kids intending to give free swim lessons. We also have Kavata Swimwear. It’s the first Black-owned performance swimwear line. I didn’t see any — so I started my brand.
DD: It’s tricky getting Black folks into the water.
NF: Surfing is a mechanism for Black folks to learn how to swim. In the Black community, I learned that 70% of the community has low to no swimming skills. Now, through surfing, we can change the narrative.
DD: Why is it called Kavata?
NF: The name Kavata is my sister’s middle name. Her name was Laini Kavata. She passed in 2009, due to triple-negative breast cancer. My family created a foundation in her memory to join the fight to find a cure.
DD: The website says the goal of “A Great Day In The Stoke” is to get young Black surfing athletes on the medal stands of some of the world’s major surfing competitions and to diversify the U.S. Olympic Surfing team for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and beyond. Why do you care so much?
NF: We gotta be able to fully explore the human experience and maximize our full potential.
DD: How long have you been surfing?
NF: I started in 2017. I lived in the valley, and rarely went to the beach. Then I moved to the West Adams district. Surfing was something I’ve always wanted to do. Logistically, I live close enough to the beach. I was so excited about it. Surfing felt natural to me.
DD: When you first started, did you see people who looked like you in the water?
NF: No, I didn’t see people like me when I first started surfing.
DD: How do you know this will be the largest gathering of Black surfers in history?
NF: There have been surf competitions but none of them have been this big.
DD: How many surfers are you expecting?
NF: We’re expecting 70. Twenty of them are women. I’m bringing in four girls from Brazil. We don’t have a plethora of Black female surfers in the U.S., but there are a lot in the African Diaspora, Caribbean, Brazil, South Africa, Senegal and Mozambique.
DD: What is the difference between short and longboard?
NF: Have you heard of the term Hang 10?
DD: Yes.
NF: You would Hang 10 on a longboard. That’s when all 10 toes are on the nose of the board. The short board is more high-performance. It’s like when you’re riding the wave.
DD: You wanted to capture an iconic picture like the one with jazz greats called A Great Day In Harlem (1958) and the more recent one A Great Day In Hip-Hop (1998). Did it happen?
NF: Yes, we did it in year one. We had 500 Black surfers. I was inspired by the photo, A Great Day in Harlem. I wanted to be in that same zeitgeist.
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“A Great Day In The Stoke” partners/sponsors include the city of Huntington Beach, Visit Huntington Beach, Breitling, lululemon, Black Girl Sunscreen, Bones Loves Milk and YETI.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
