Attention Portugal: Your Used Boards Can Help Grow West African Surf Culture
Provide the Slide and make someone’s day.
Jordy Smith once said, “Africa is the last frontier of undiscovered world-class waves.”
But while uncrowded points, slabs and reefs may be plentiful around the continent, the surfing infrastructure needed to access them is not.
That’s where Provide the Slide comes in. You may remember the Swiss NGO from Christian Bowcutt’s deep dive into the Liberian surf scene. As of late 2022, they delivered 350 boards to surf communities around West Africa. But more than just board drive organizers, this group works in multiple counties like Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Liberia to make sure young surfers get their hands on the goods.
The scene is growing, especially in Liberia, where surf-centric clubs and charities are giving groms access to boards, beachfront property and scholarships. Kids are literally trading machine guns for surfboards.
Provide the Slide is currently in the midst of another board drive across five cities in Portugal. Former CT stable and Portuguese core lord Tiago Pires is fully backing it.
The nonprofit is looking for used surfboards (no dings please) bodyboards, wetsuits and surf accessories like fins, leashes and board bags. Here are the last days these locations will take donations:
- Ericeira: 7 p.m. on October 1 at Ericeira Boardriders and on October 7 at Ericeira Surf Club
- Caparica: 1 p.m. on October 4 at ASCC Caparica
- Carcavelos: 6 p.m. on October 4 at Lombos Praia
- Peniche: October 9 at Peniche Surf Camp
- Santa Cruz: 7 p.m. on October 10 at Noah’s Surf House
- Porto: 7 p.m. on October 11 at Picaba Natural Cafe
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