Iconsider myself an unlikely surfer.

A few years ago, I — a middle-aged Black woman in search of mini-adventures — put on a wetsuit, rented a big foam surfboard and took some lessons.

What surprised me was how freeing it felt. Not because I was any good, but because I didn’t feel a need to be. It was enough just to be outside, in the ocean, trying something new.

Something a little unexpected.

I’ve had several surf sessions since that first one, but last week was different. I had a lesson with Nathan Fluellen, founder of A Great Day in the Stoke, a free event in Orange County billed as “the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.”

The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach.

“Every year it’s growing, and it’s exciting to see it grow at a rapid pace,” Flue

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