In Senegal, Black surfers want to reclaim the waves despite lack of resources

DAKAR, Senegal -- Ibra Samb first saw people carrying surfboards when he was a little boy, studying at a Quran school in a fishing village in Senegal. Together with friends, he hid from teachers and parents and followed the surfers — who were all white foreigners — to the beach.“They were gliding over the waves,” said the 28-year-old professional surfer. “To us, it was incredible. Seeing them stand up on their boards, we just wanted to try it ourselves.”Samb and his friends could not afford surfboards, so they used pieces of plywood they found on the beach, leftovers from colorful pirogue fishing boats. Little did he know that surfing would eventually bring him opportunities to compete around the world, access to international sponsorships and a sense of belonging and purpose.As the world watches Senegal host the Youth Olympic Games this month — the first Olympic event ever held in Africa — Senegalese surfers hope they can get more resources and visibility on the global surf scene to be able to fulfill their potential.The origins of surfing can be traced back to the native populations of Peru, Polynesia and Hawaii. But today's surfing, especially professional surfing, is predominan...