Surfing is often portrayed as a carefree, sun-drenched pastime. But behind hanging ten in the waves is a sport historically shaped by exclusion. In the United States, surf culture has long centered white men, leaving limited room for women, and even less for Black women.
As the demographics of outdoor recreation slowly shift, new leaders are emerging to challenge that history and widen access. Among them is Jessa Williams, founder of INTRSXTN Surf, a Los Angeles–based surf collective working to create intentional space for Black Women and Women of Color in a sport that has rarely reflected them.
Williams’ mission started with a moment of isolation and hostility that crystallized exactly how far surfing still has to go.
The Catalyst for a Movement
One of Williams’ earliest experiences in the water was a defining for her. As a beginner surfer still gaining confidence, she found herself confronted by a man in the lineup who began yelling racial slurs at her before telling her to “get out of the ocean.”
There was no incident that prompted it. She hadn’t cut him off or broken a rule. The hostility was unprovoked and rooted solely in her presence.
For Williams, the moment was bigger than just a personal attack. It exposed how deeply surfing’s cultural gatekeeping runs and how vulnerable a Black woman can feel when she’s isolated in a space where she is both visible and unwelcome.
Without the ability to simply walk away, she had to remain in the water and process the moment in real time.
“I felt powerless,” she said to 21Ninety. “There’s a particular vulnerability that comes with being in the ocean. You’re dependent on your board, your environment, and your skill. You can’t remove yourself instantly.”
Rather than allowing that experience to push her out of surfing, Williams used it as motivation to build the very community she needed but didn’t see. INTRSXTN Surf was born directly from that gap.
Why Representation in Surfing Still Has a Long Way to Go
For many people, especially those who grow up near the coast, surfing can feel like a natural part of beach culture. But for Black women, the barriers are layered. There are historical, economic, cultural, and psychological obstacles that often feel like dead ends. Williams noticed this immediately during her first months surfing.
“I looked around and saw very, very few other Black women,” she recalled. “And that absence was impossible to ignore.”
The lack of representation is not coincidental. Surf media, advertising, and commercial surf culture have largely sidelined women of color. Access is another factor. Coastal living is expensive, equipment is costly, and lessons can be inaccessible. There is also a generational ripple effect. Many Black families lack a tradition of water sports due to decades of segregated beaches, exclusionary practices, and limited swim access.
So for a Black woman to enter the water as a beginner, the experience can feel culturally unfamiliar and emotionally charged. Williams wanted to directly address these unspoken barriers. INTRSXTN Surf was her answer.
A Collective Designed with Intention and Intersectionality
Founded in 2021, INTRSXTN Surf serves as both an educational program and a supportive community. The name is a reference to “intersectionality,” acknowledging that race, gender, class, and culture shape how women experience outdoor spaces.
Williams built the structure around what she felt she needed as a beginner. Access to equipment, beginner-friendly lessons, a community environment, a safe space to learn and a focus on belonging were the five foundational blocks INTRSXTN Surf was built on.
Her organization has now helped hundreds of Black Women and Women of Color learn to surf, many of whom never imagined themselves in the water.
Williams says the goal is not just to teach women how to catch waves. It is to counter the internalized message that certain outdoor activities “aren’t for us.”
Surfing as Emotional Release
While surfing is physically demanding, many of the women in INTRSXTN Surf describe an emotional shift even before they stand up on a board. Williams explained that simply being in the ocean can feel restorative.
“It feels pleasurable, it feels like leisure, it feels like rest,” she shared.
These are not words typically associated with how society expects Black women to move through the world. For participants, the ocean becomes a rare space where they can disconnect from external expectations, racial stress, and the constant pressure to overperform. Surfing requires presence, just focusing on the wave in front of you, not the demands behind you.
Williams has witnessed group members break down in tears during or after lessons. Not because they are overwhelmed, but because they are releasing long-held tension. The water becomes a site of healing and self-discovery.
These moments highlight that for many Black women, surfing transcends the limits of being called a “hobby” and becomes an opportunity to feel free in a way they were never taught to prioritize.
The Confidence Gained in the Water Follows Women onto Shore
One of the most significant effects of INTRSXTN Surf happens off the board.
Many women arrive with a fear of “not being good enough” or believe they must excel immediately. Williams says this mindset is common among Black women who are often conditioned to approach new spaces with perfectionism.
But surfing forces a different approach. You will fall. You will try again. And that cycle becomes empowering.
“When a woman lets go of the pressure to be excellent from the start, you can see something shift,” Williams said. “You see her confidence grow, and that confidence carries into the rest of her life.”
Participants routinely report feeling braver in their workplaces, in their relationships, and in their personal pursuits. Once they face their fears in the ocean, they begin questioning where else they may have underestimated their own capabilities.
This isn’t the type of impact Williams had in mind when she thought to put this together, but now she sees how much her work pours into the whole of other participants’ lives, not just in the water. She has created a ripple effect that extends beyond the waves and into their everyday ventures.
A Growing Movement Supported by Community Partnerships
INTRSXTN Surf is part of a broader national effort to create inclusive outdoor spaces for underrepresented groups.
According to the recent “Diversity in Surfing” report from Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, non-Caucasian surfers including Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander surfers, now collectively make up nearly 40% of the U.S. surfing population. Women overall now account for about 35% of surfers nationwide. Among the fastest-growing demographics in surfing are Black surfers, yet representation remains limited. Programs like INTRSXTN help bridge that gap by offering structured access and community support.
Recently, the collective secured support from adidas’ Community Lab initiative, which helps fund community-led projects focused on equity and recreation. The partnership is enabling Williams to expand programming, reach more women, and increase accessibility.
With additional resources, INTRSXTN Surf aims to provide more frequent lessons, community events, and opportunities for women to connect outside the water as well. Williams hopes this expansion will continue to normalize seeing Black women in surfing spaces.
Williams’ work is reshaping what surfing looks like in Southern California, but its impact extends far beyond the coastline. INTRSXTN Surf challenges longstanding assumptions about who belongs in outdoor culture and highlights what becomes possible when marginalized communities receive access, resources, and representation.
As INTRSXTN Surf continues to grow, Williams hopes the collective can inspire future generations of women to see the ocean as theirs to explore. Because when the lineup becomes more inclusive, the entire sport evolves.
Black women have always deserved a place in the water. Now they finally have the space to take it.