Group aims to provide safe space for Bay Area LGBTQ+ surfers

SAN FRANCISCO – For surfers, being a part of the “lineup” and waiting for a wave can sometimes be a hostile environment. There’s either a culture of acceptance, or exclusion, depending on each surfing spot.

A San Francisco-based group is doing what it can, to make surfing feel more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community.

Frigid ocean surf can push you out, or pull you in. For Santi Roman, she wanted in.

“As a queer person, as a trans person it can be really hard to find safe spaces,” Roman told KPIX.

Roman has found a space in the ocean that has made her feel more comfortable, thanks to Queer Surf, co-founded by former pro surfer Kyla Langen.

“It’s just so nice to have a community to paddle out in the water,” said Langen.

They offer surf lessons and organize meetups.

From a young age, Langen has been waxing boards, to carve waves, and now wants to build a bigger LGBTQ+ surf community.

 “I needed the ocean and still do to go to feel good and go about my day in a nice way,” said Langen.

The San Francisco public school science teacher’s pride isn’t her former pro surfer status. She and partner Nic Brisebois are bringing LGBTQ+ lovers of the ocean, closer together.

“This is a welcoming opening and encouraging space for them to find wellness and well-being,” said Brisebois. 

“Sometimes people aren’t the most welcoming. So to come out here with a big group of folks from Queer Surf you feel so safe and you feel so empowered. And, it’s really special,” said Roman.

For Santi, and so many others whose pronouns aren’t always understood, or accepted, this is where she, and they belong.

Queer Surf said the organization recently received more grants from various foundations. It has relied mostly on volunteers so far but plans to have full-time staff in the near future.