'Black Girls Surf' group honors George Floyd

'Black Girls Surf' group honors George Floyd

From California to Indonesia, Australia and Senegal, black girls and supporters floated on surfboards on Friday to pay tribute to George Floyd, the black man whose death in U.S. police custody has sparked protests worldwide.

The “Solidarity in Surfing” events in more than 100 locations were organized by Black Girls Surf, a group founded in 2014 to teach the sport to girls of color aged 5 to 17.

In Santa Monica, California, about 200 surfers of various ages and races gathered under cloudy skies on a stretch of beach once known as Inkwell Beach, a place where black Californians sought an oceanfront refuge in the 20th century.

The event was meant to honor Floyd and others who were victims of police brutality, said Sayuri Blondt, 29, a local coordinator for Black Girls Surf.

The surfers waded into the water for a paddle out, a traditional Hawaiian ceremony to celebrate the life of someone who has died.

About 200 yards offshore, they held a moment of silence while floating on their boards in a large circle, and placed yellow, pink and red flowers in the water.

Some had written “Black Lives Matter” on their surfboards.

Panpan Wang, 37, displayed the names of black people killed by police on his chest.