Detail of interpretative sign at Historic Belmar Park (Rodd A. Amos/L.A. Sentinel)
Black Surfers Honor Nick Gabaldon With Free Community Surf Lessons
By Rod A. Amos | The Los Angeles Sentinel
June 25, 2025
The Black Surfers Collective (BSC) honored the legacy of Nick Gabaldón by hosting its annual community surf event on June 7 at Inkwell Beach in Santa Monica. Gabaldón is recognized as California’s earliest known African American surfer, and the Inkwell is a historic Black beach dating back to the Jim Crow era, one of the few places where Black Angelenos could safely enjoy the ocean. It was derogatorily referred to as “The Inkwell” by nearby Anglos in reference to the skin color of the beachgoers.
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