Tom Carroll and Sal Masekela Discuss Boycotting Pro Surfing to Protest Apartheid

“There is no better example in the history of Australian sport where a champion has been prepared to put principles so manifestly in front of his or her own interests.” That’s what former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke had to say about Tom Carroll, the defending two-time world champion in 1985, and his decision to boycott professional surfing in apartheid-ruled South Africa until the beaches were free for all to access. His decision wasn’t widely supported in surfing. In fact, he was fined by professional surfing’s governing body and potentially lost a third world title as a consequence. Those were incidental consequences to Carroll, who was disgusted with the overt racism he observed while visiting South Africa. In this panel, Carroll will discuss this monumental moment in his career with illustrious announcer and producer Sal Masekela, who has a deep personal tie to South Africa. Sal, who grew up in New York and San Diego, has been addicted to surfing since he met the ocean; his late father, Hugh Masekela, is a South African jazz icon, and his music was inextricably tied to the anti-apartheid movement with songs like “Bring Him Back Home” tied to the unifying spirit of Nelson Mandela. Masekela once told The Inertia, “I dealt with a lot of race shit for a while. It took a long time before people just let me be. I long for a time when I don’t have to be asked the question, ‘What’s it like to be a black surfer?’ Because I’ve never thought of myself as a black surfer. I’ve just thought of myself as a very average surfer.’”
The Inertia: The Definitive Voice of Surf, Mountain, and Outdoors // www.theinertia.com
Subscribe to our channel: bit.ly/TheInertiaYT
Follow us!
/ the_inertia
/ theinertia
/ theinertia
/ theinertia

[@rwixy1]

Tom Carroll is a hero for his sacrifices in his opposition to apartheid at a time when most South African and international top tier surfers were milking South Africa's surf while turning a blind eye to the crime against humanity that was apartheid.

[@rebeccaoconnor6310]

Tom Carroll's boycott of South Africa is what turned me on to surfing. It was the first time I'd seen a white professional athlete take a stand for black people. I've loved him ever since.