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Jun 07, 2024

Shock twist in racism row after “lynching” of Black surfer’s board!

By Derek Rielly 23 hours ago “I’ve seen this guy almost seriously injure multiple people including children.” The pretty little beach town of Jupiter in Palm Beach, Florida, is a tinderbox tonight

By Derek Rielly

23 hours ago

“I’ve seen this guy almost seriously injure multiple people including children.”

The pretty little beach town of Jupiter in Palm Beach, Florida, is a tinderbox tonight after the apparent lynching of a black surfer’s board in an act of “racially motivated vandalism”.

Story is: Andrew Sherlock, a goofy footer with a wide stance reminiscent of Waimea Bay superhero Eddie Aikau, runs into a little heat in the surf. Crackers steal board and nail it to a damn tree as if it were 1925 and the three-million strong Klan were still hunting blacks, flamboyant homosexuals, Jews, Asians, Catholics, abortionists and so on.

“White supremacy is a sickness, a vile thing that rears its head in so many ways,” posted @black.surfers. “@sherlockdown is a Black surfer, father, and husband, and was subjected to racially motivated vandalism and a symbolic lynching of his board. You heard that right. White surfers in Jupiter, Florida, took his board and nailed it to this tree and said it was a message. @sherlockdown says it was someone from the Jupiter surf crew. For those in that area, that may know who did this, who do not want the actions of a few to stain the perception of their community, please come forward so we may demand an apology and acknowledgement of the pain they have caused. In Andrew’s words:

“This is how real the racism and hate is in Jupiter, Florida. They can’t stand to see a Black man in their waters. I was told I’m not welcome. Stole my board when I turned my back and they did this. Said it was a message. They nailed it to the tree like a lynching.

I took the board down, stayed and surfed the whole day with a small board to show face. A few locals that were there were apologizing and agreed it was wrong. They did said, after what happened, I’m welcome to surf their waters freely and no one will bother me. I’m just going to leave it in God’s hands”

Wild yeah?

The Inertia got into it, as you’d imagine, pointing out surfing is racist from head to toe, referencing Miki Dora wearing an Army surplus German uniform from World War II fifty years ago as proof.

“Racially motivated incidents in the world of surfing are part of a long history of prejudice associated with the sport,” wrote Cooper Gregan.

But the recent history of fake race hate crimes in the US should stir a little scepticism, no? Jussie Smollet? Bubba Wallace? Bells ringing?

What’s the other side of the supposed hate crime?.“This is completely out of context. Surfers in Jupiter are far from racist. Get your facts straight before you post this shit and accuse people with these false accusations,” writes @bmurray561, a surfer followed by Florida superstar Evan Geiselman. “If someone is dangerous in a line up I don’t care if they are white, black, purple, or blue something will be said. As a local here I’ve seen this guy almost seriously injure multiple people including children. He’s very misleading…Acts nice and calm on camera. But, in the water it’s a different story. Instead of apologizing he’s tried to fight multiple people saying “you don’t want this smoke” all when he was in the wrong. We have been nothing but nice and inviting to him. It’s terrible this page has to flip the script and pull the racial card before knowing the facts. That being said we will like to see him out there enjoying the same sport as we all do…Just needs to get his surfing etiquette cleaned up some.”

And, from a Robert Powell,

“Heinous is trying to assault kids. Heinous is not showing respect to locals, heinous is screaming and cussing and trying to act tough to kids, heinous is playing the race card when this was a kind act juxtaposed to what the clown deserved. Anyone that has surfed a local spot knows that a beat down for trying to hurt people, acting tough, assaulting kids, running your mouth and being an overall ass clown is what’s normal. This was grace nailing the board to a tree. Only an actual racist would link this to a effing lynching. But hey racists see racism everywhere, when you’re a hammer everything looks like a nail. Freaking enabling scum.”

And, from the handful of comments on The Inertia’s story.

“A quick summation from someone who was out in the water that day, guy was burning everyone and when someone would say something to him he would immediately call them racist. He ended up colliding with a local on a wave that was clearly his fault. They told him to go in or down the beach where he couldn’t hurt anyone. He proceeded to try and fight them. He went in and put his board in his car then went back to the board walk to talk to the kid he collided with, there were about 15 other people around. They ended up talking it out, the guy apologized and they fist bumped each other (there’s a video of this). He went back to his car and his board was gone. The kid he collided with and a few locals helped him look for the board. Not condoning anyone in this situations behavior, just wanted to give an accurate account of what went down.”

Two things: getting excited over two-foot waves in Florida displays a terrible inelegance and maybe doing the board in a tree thing ain’t the best optics?

Or straight-up racism, hate crime etc?

Where do you fall?

A post shared by Black Surfers (@black.surfers)