Vans Surf Welcomes Chelsea Woody Their As Newest Ambassador

* words courtesy of Vans

As co-founder of Textured Waves, Chelsea Woody has elevated a movement to grow the culture around surfing for women of color and underrepresented demographics through representation, community and camaraderie. Together, Vans and Woody are dedicated to shifting the global perspective and narrative around BIPOC women in surfing, by uplifting their voices and experiences through different avenues, including Woody’s new short film, Night Crawler.

Since 2019, Woody’s work with Textured Waves, alongside fellow co-founders Danielle Black Lyons and Martina Duran, has gained momentum and included some notable partnerships with those in the surfing community to help highlight the lack of diversity in the lineup, as well as what’s showcased across surf art and media. Working as a nurse in Santa Cruz, California, Woody was compelled to shine a light on her own experiences surfing during a pandemic. Through Night Crawler, she hopes to illustrate a different side of surfing that happens at dusk, which is notably less crowded and competitive, as well as historically significant in reshaping the perceptions of women and women of color in surfing and beyond.

“I always like to think of how African American women are portrayed; past, present and future. This film is something we haven’t seen before,” Woody said. “I’m reminded of the sundown laws that forbade black folks from being outside past sunset— and even Breonna Taylor getting shot in her room as she slept—and how that relates to black folks, women and women of color feeling safe at night. It’s about women taking back the night and the outdoors when we’ve been told we should stay inside.”

Watch the short film Night Crawler here.