From The River to the Sea

I’ve heard it many times – “politics has no place in surfing.” And when I hear it, I realize these are the folks who haven’t yet connected politics to our everyday lives; who have chosen ignorance and powerlessness because it’s less responsibility. It’s a privilege to pretend what happens in our government doesn’t impact our everyday life, or the lives of our loved ones or our community. Of course it’s more comfortable. Of course.

I choose to not only recognize the connection between politics and everything else, but invite it in – because I believe that only when we face something can we actually disrupt it.

I also choose to believe in the collective good and the power of the international surfing community. I know we haven’t always and aren’t always good to each other. We’re far from perfect. But we are finding ways to be better – to ourselves, our earth, our oceans and our neighbors from all around the world.

Those neighbors include surfers in Gaza, and in Palestine.

My friend Daniella (@thesectionsurf) reached out to me almost a full year into Israel’s unrelenting genocide of the Palestinian people. We related over our broken hearts, our horror and our anger. We signed letters to protest the war in Gaza and created videos to show the worldwide surfing community stands in solidarity with Palestine. She also shared an idea she had, to lay my photos with a poem she had written. I said I would be honored.

The following are my 35mm film photos, and her words. You can also see them on Instagram here.

And, we are still resisting. Take action today to call for a ceasefire in Gaza – it only takes 60 seconds.

Free, free Palestine.