Africa has long been seen as one of surfing’s final frontiers. For decades vast stretches of coastline remained largely unexplored by surfers, shaped by political instability, limited infrastructure and restricted access. Today, that picture is changing with pockets of surf culture emerging across the continent as information, technology and global connection grow.
Senegal is home to one of Africa’s most vibrant and fast-growing surf scenes. First introduced to the wider surf world through Bruce Brown’s The Endless Summer in the 1960s – when Mike Hynson and Robert August landed in Dakar – the country’s relationship with surfing has evolved dramatically. In the decades since, both surfing and surf tourism have continued to build momentum.
“For my friends and the young surfers I teach, surfing has given them hope,” said local surfer Pape Fode Thiaw. “They dream big now – of competing internationally, finding sponsorships and travelling the world. It’s incredible to see the hope surfing is bringing to our community.”
A new short documentary, NIO KO BOKK, tells Pape’s story. Created by filmmaker David Clancy, the film follows Pape and fellow surfer Seydi as they find purpose and belonging in the ocean, choosing a different path to the dangerous journeys many young people take in search of opportunity abroad.
Ahead of the film’s premiere on Nowness on 4 March, we sat down with Pape to talk about growing up as a surfer in Senegal.
How did you learn to surf?
I learnt from a friend, Diaz, when I was nine. We used to play soccer together every Saturday morning and one day I went to his house and he wasn’t there. His mum said he was out surfing. I’d never heard of surfing before, so I went to find him at the beach.
When I met up with him, he just said, ‘Today we’re learning to surf.’ He let me use his board, showed me a little about how to stand up and paddle and then sent me straight into the water. At the time I didn’t even know how to swim. I grew up around the water and liked to play in it but I would never go out too far.
I took Diaz’s board out and tried to stand up on one wave, then two and realised it was pretty hard. But by the fourth wave, I stood up a little bit and something just clicked. The rest was history — I never stopped. I quit soccer the next day.
Some of our brothers grew up surfing but it wasn’t super popular in our village. At the beginning, there was basically nothing. But as we grew up, surf schools started popping up here and there, and slowly things began to change.
What’s it like growing up as a surfer in Senegal?
Surfing has really developed here and changed a lot over the years. Now, Senegalese kids who start surfing at a young age have more opportunities including schools to practice at, even programs like Malika Surf that combine academic tutoring with surfing instruction. Parents are so happy their kids are involved in these programs.
But it wasn’t always this way. When we were growing up it was hard for our parents to understand why we wanted to surf all the time. The general idea was that if you’re spending the majority of your time on an activity, it should be something where you can get paid and bring money home for the family. Our culture here is based on teranga, which basically means ‘what’s mine is yours’- everything is shared and everyone takes care of each other. So parents were much more interested in us fishing or diving, doing something that could provide for others, not just ourselves. It was really hard at the beginning to convince your parents to let you go surfing all the time when they couldn’t see how it would help the family.
Now, there are tons of competitions and even youth teams from Senegal that travel to countries like South Africa and the U.S. This gives hope to young surfers and the whole community that surfing isn’t just ‘playing’ and that it can come with opportunity.
How do other people in your village view surfing?
The attitude has changed a lot. Today, everyone understands that surfing is a sport that can make you healthy and strong. It’s also something that can take you to other countries for competitions, which can show you the world beyond Dakar. More and more people here have started surf schools, teaching tourists and bringing visitors to experience our coast and our culture.
Now people see surfing as something incredible and it’s normal to let your child surf if they’d like. Before, parents of kids who wanted to surf really thought they were just wasting time at the beach. Now, they see young Senegalese succeeding with their surf schools, competing internationally, building businesses. People feel proud to see their family getting involved because they understand it can bring good things.
What barriers are there to accessing the surf in Senegal?
For us growing up it was definitely our parents standing in the way because they were unsure about surfing. Family is everything in Dakar and you don’t want to let anyone down or make decisions that seem selfish. Now, as you can see in the film, my mum is so proud of me for what I’ve found through this sport.
These days the biggest barrier is getting materials. Everyone knows that surf equipment is expensive. Our school is profitable, but it’s still hard to get materials as fast as you need them. It’s like a cycle that never ends – by the time I save up to buy one board, another soft top needs to be replaced. Leashes and fins break, boards crack, wetsuits rip. I spend a lot of time trying to repair what I have because the elements destroy everything.
There’s also not a very developed mail system in Senegal, so I can’t just order things online like people do in other countries. I have to rely on rare shipments or friends visiting from abroad to bring in wax, leashes, fins, or to sell me their old boards before they leave.
How easy is it to access equipment?
The surf schools have equipment but it’s not easy to find otherwise. The markets don’t sell surf equipment, so as a young Senegalese kid, it’s hard to get into surfing without taking lessons first. It’s not like soccer where you can find a ball on every corner.
Almost everything we have is second-hand from Europe or the U.S. So if kids are lucky enough to get their own board or wetsuit at a young age, it’s probably already pretty beat up. But we make it work. You have to take care of your equipment because you know it’s not easy to replace.
Why did you decide to start your own surf school?
At the beginning, I was both a diver and a surfer. I knew these were the two things I wanted to do for the rest of my life. If there were waves, I would surf; if not, I would go deep-sea diving to catch fish. I started coaching surfing in 2015 but it didn’t pay very well so I thought about leaving surfing behind and focusing on diving more seriously.
But diving came with a lot of risks — it was very dangerous work. So I stuck with surfing even though the money wasn’t great at first. Eventually I decided to quit the coaching job I was in and start my own school. I wanted to create a better life for myself but also to have control over my own schedule and build relationships with my own clients.
I had two clients follow me from my old coaching job and now I have over 50 clients. It’s something I’m really proud of.
How much has surfing grown in your area since you first started?
It’s incredible to see. Now in our community all the mothers of kids who love the water want their kids to try surfing. They see what it did for us and they want that for their children too. The surf schools are growing and people are more and more interested every year.
For us it’s also a chance to share our community and culture with the world. More and more people from everywhere are coming to Dakar and it’s slowly becoming recognised as a real surfing destination. We’re teaching people to surf and also showing them what life is like here, the beauty of our coast and the warmth of our people.
How important is surfing to your life and the people close to you in Senegal?
I can honestly say that surfing saved my life. When I was a deep-sea diver I would take many risks every day just to make a living. I had friends and mentors pass away from complications during diving expeditions. Now, working in surfing, I’m not in that dangerous environment anymore. I’m much less worried for my safety and the safety of the people around me. I feel so lucky to be making a living doing what I love and am passionate about without risking my life every single day.
For my friends and the young surfers I teach surfing has given them hope. They dream of big things now, they imagine themselves as champions, competing internationally, getting sponsorships and traveling the world. It’s incredible to see the hope that surfing is bringing to our community. We’re providing opportunities for our youth so they can make a living doing what they love, right here at home.
If you can’t wait to watch the premiere on 4 March, you can also view the documentary on Waterbear. All you have to do is sign up to watch.
