Chrissana Wilmot's Surf Journey

“By no means do I consider myself to be an amazing surfer. There's so much more that I need to learn, but I assimilate bit by bit with every session that I paddle out for. However, with the little that I do know, I thoroughly enjoy passing on the knowledge to others or at least pointing them in the direction of someone more capable. With that said, my heart is heavily invested in getting more young girls of colour in the line-up. I want to open doors for them giving them access to all the resources I have and eventually finding their own paths to more. I want them to better than this generation, reaping the benefits of the seeds we'd sown eventually becoming ambassadors and role models for the generations that follow.” - Chrissana Wilmot

What drew you to start surfing? 

For as long as I've known myself, I've always been enchanted by all things water and living between several Caribbean islands throughout my life perpetuated that relationship even further. I probably saw something surf-related on TV when I was a child and was instantly mesmerized, but my future as a surfer was cemented after I witnessed my first surf contest when I was 17, thanks to my dad. I was hellbent on learning this unique sport one way or the other. Fast forward a few years later, I'd found a local surf shop and I was one of the first people to sign up for lessons. Although it took a while before the trigger was actually pulled, I'm grateful that my steadfastness to learn never wavered because surfing has literally changed and molded my life to what it is now.

What made you choose to overcome any difficult experiences you've faced in the water? 

I'm grateful that my difficult experiences in the water have been exceptionally minimal in comparison to other female surfers I know. However, I also believe that the line-up, belongs to no one person so the existence of aggressive localism is a ridiculous notion to me. Maybe I'm just naive in my way of thinking because I frequent uncrowded Caribbean line-ups where everyone is welcomed and we try our best to practice proper etiquette. I'm also pretty tenacious and have no tolerance for unprovoked aggression so I stand my ground because I have the right to be there just as much as the next person. I once had a guy constantly hassle me for waves when I was surfing in New York last summer. I let him have a few and he still dropped in on me, so I said forget it, and I went for every wave I wanted which meant dropping in on him a few times. Not my proudest moment, but I did what needed to be done to get him to realize I wasn't going to take his impolite and aggressive behavior, and that there were enough waves for the both of us. There’s always enough waves for everyone!

How can we as a society or individual take smaller steps to be inclusive or consider the way we navigate our worlds to include representation? 

This is a tricky one but I think the road to inclusion really does start from within. There needs to be a greater level of self-acceptance. When you think about it, as humans, it's not uncommon for us to covet the physical attributes of others. However, deep down, we know that we'd feel a little better about ourselves if we saw someone in the limelight with supposed 'undesirable' commonalities. That also includes the powers that be: the corporate mafia, ad execs and their marketing teams, after all, they're human too! We need to not necessarily dwell on, but remember and learn from what it felt like to be excluded and consciously try to not let others feel the same. Putting yourself in both your own shoes and the shoes of others. And hey, for the under-represented, we all have voices. No matter how small you think it is, someone will always hear.  

Who inspires you in your local community of surfers where you are from and how have they influenced your own surf journey?

 I'm inspired by anyone who's willing to try, who's willing to step out of their comfort zone, who's willing to up their game. And it's usually the females all of varying ages. The little girls who are fortunate enough to have a much earlier start than I did. The ones who aren't afraid to ask questions and hold your hand every step of the way until they're ready to let go, and the ones who, no matter how many times they wipe out, are still filled with so much stoke and drive! They fill my heart and soul with so much joy and trigger a desire within me to do whatever I can to make their surfing experiences more pleasant and welcoming. Because of this, I'm very conscious about how I present myself as a female surfer, especially one of color. To each her own, but it's not all about butt shots with surfboards.  

All Photos by: Icah Wilmot