In the summer of 1961, on the Central California coast of San Luis Obispo County, Tony Corley, an eleven year old(l1) black boy was invited, by a school mate, to spend a summer day at his favorite beach. He had played there on the ocean's shore many times before with his family, but that day was different. They each rented a surfboard and ventured out beyond the breakers hoping to experience the thrill of riding a wave while standing on a surfboard. In summers gone by, he had ridden the rushing white foam of collapsed waves on inflated rubber mats, but never a surfboard. "Wipe-out" was the thrill call of the day and the beginning of his life-time, lifestyle choices.

In 1964, having acquired his own Dewey Weber surfboard the previous year, Tony met Jim Norman, a Black Army captain from New York State, who was on training duty at near-by military base. He, too, had a surfboard and from this ethnic oneness and a shared enthusiasm for the ocean and surfing, a lifelong bond began. For years, he and Jim shared many surfing adventures on the Central Coast. Treasured experiences that molded and solidified our friendship and lifestyle. In early 1967, Jim shipped out to Vietnam, the world, and eventually marriage and children. No other Black surfers had Tony met or really heard of, save a 1965 Ebony magazine article featuring Frank Edwards, a Black surfer from the Santa Monica California coastal region (we never met… ).

In 1973, compelled by a lonely, but focused desire to find, meet, and befriend some of his own surf Brotha's who also sought the oceanic pleasures of the surfing lifestyle, he turned to Surfer Magazine to vanguard his search for this rare breed of brother he'd occasionally heard of. Shortly after, a "letter to the editor" was printed in the January 1974 issue of Surfer Magazine, the realization that there were truly other Black surfers was finally realized. The first answer to Tony’s plea was delivered to his mail box in Port Hueneme, California, just weeks after the magazine issue reached the news-stands. Following that first letter, the second letter was racist-hate threat, which he initially thought was a ''joke" from an unmet Black Surfing brother (BSB). The letters continued to trickle in for months, even years after that issue publication.

Now, with e-mails replacing letters and the world wide web-sites reaching 'round the world', Black's who are surfing and wanting to learn to surf are reaching out to acquaint themselves with other Blacks who share that same growing passion for the oceanic pleasures found at the coastal regions of the world beaches. As a result of this initial reaching out, long standing friendships have been established and, of course, the BLACK SURFING ASSOCIATION. And, as the well used adage reads, "the rest is History”.

--Tony Corley, Black Surfing Association founder and CEO