Rising Tide Indigenous Surf Team

Rising Tide Surf is organizing this fundraiser.

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Rising Tide, the Nuu-chah-nulth Surf Team, is breaking down the barriers to surf education. We are based on the unceded traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, an area also known as Tofino on Vancouver Island.

The Nuu-chah-nulth Peoples and the Ocean
Nuu-chah-nulth loosely translates to “all along the mountains and sea”. The Nuu-chah-nulth people are connected to the ocean and are known for their confidence in the water and exceptional swimming skills. The ocean provides nourishment, for the body, mind and spirit. The tide dictates life - when to harvest, where to swim, how to launch a boat or canoe. Nuu-chah-nulth teachings of the ocean include the healing qualities that rush through beings in waves, like the sea.

Mułaa - Rising Tide Surf Team
Mułaa, or Rising Tide in Tla-o-qui-aht, is a project to support Indigenous peoples with surfing through educational and healing programs. Rising Tide offers an exponential number of Team Surf Sessions in the Fall, Spring and Summer, and the team currently focusing on youth but is open to all Indigenous peoples (the Nuu-chah-nulth are young at heart!). Our regular meetups start with connecting with the instructor, organizers, and other Indigenous surf guides. After getting into our wetsuits we go through some surf safety, skill-building, and warm-ups. After a fun few hours in the water, we debrief over some post-surf snacks.

How Support Helps
By supporting this campaign, you are providing the Nuu-chah-nulth Surf Team with access to surf gear and equipment, culturally relevant instruction, and surf instructors who practice with cultural humility. We support by organizing the meet-up spot for changing into our wetsuits and doing some pre-surf eduction, and we make sure there are some other Indigenous surf guides in the water to keep the stoke up.

Thank you to the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation for providing the venue located in the community of Esowista, the healthy post-surf snacks, and the staff to help make this surf dream possible.

Decolonizing Surfing
Surfing originated in Hawaii, an Indigenous activity that was all about fun and skill. Tofino, a settler community on traditional Tla-o-qui-aht and Nuu-chah-nulth territory, is the so-called 'surfing capital' of Canada. Few Nuu-chah-nulth have been able to participate in this traditional Indigenous surfing activity due to barriers in accessing instruction, culturally safe educational environments, and quality surf equipment, despite the proximity to consistent surfing waves. We want more Indigenous representation in the water, it is time for Indigenous peoples to take back surfing!

What Your Support Buys
Thank you for supporting the Nuu-chah-nulth Surf Team! Your donation will go a long way!
- If you can donate $5 that would be so cool! Thank you for helping fill our surfers' bellies with a healthy post-surf snack.
- Just $10 can go towards renting a pair of surf booties. The water get's cold in the Fall and early Spring, and we like to keep our surfers' toes warm
- If you have $30 we can use a wetsuit for the season for practice on their own!
- For $50 we give you a big virtual hug, and this can a youth into a surf session!
- WOW! $100, you are amazing! Thank you for covering a rising tide surf practice for two youth!
- To support a surf team member their own board for the season, thank you for the $200-$500 donation. We have so many natural talents on the surf team and board progression is happening faster than we can keep up with. It's every surfers' dream to have their own board, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity.

Visit our website www.risingtidesurf.com for more information.
Read more about our surf team in the Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper here .

Thank you so much, from the Nuu-chah-nulth Surf Team. Kleco Kleco.