Atongular is a mentor at Laru Beya Collective, a surfing focused non-profit organization based in Far Rockaway in Queens, NY. While it's not the first place you think of when thinking of surfing, its a place with a vibrant and connected surf community. Faith first met Atongular while climbing at the Women's Climbing Festival in Bishop, CA in 2018. Getting connected with Atongular is one of the things that made Faith want to surf in the first place. While surfing can be a place where outsiders are often explicitly unwelcome, a popular bumper sticker was once "Don't Surf, Don't Start," the NYC community is quite different. We meet up with Atongular just a short walk from the ocean. She talks about the beauty of being involved in this community and why Laru Beya specifically focuses on young women of color learning to surf and invites us to join for a Beach Clean Up.
When you think about surfing and catching waves, Queens, New York is definitely not the first place that comes to mind. However, the community of Rockaway, Queens is home to a very vibrant and well-connected surf community. Atongular Monique is a mentor at Laru Beya Collecting, a surfing-focused, non-profit organization that offers free surfing and water safety intstruction to historically excluded youth in the community. She is also an avid climber and outdoor enthusiast.
Faith first met Atongular while climbing at the Women’s Climbing Festival in Bishop, California, back in 2018. Today, Faith and Addie chat with Atongular about her entry into the world of surfing, climbing, and other outdoor spaces. They have an important discussion all about the work that Laru Beya Collective does, particularly their focus on supporting young women of color in their surfing journey. Laru Beya Collective also plays a huge part when it comes to supporting the Rockaway community in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Atongular also recounts and shares her experience of often being the only Black woman in climbing spaces and other outdoor activities. This sparks an important discussion on why representation matters in sports and the world of outdoor activities. More specifically, representation in leadership roles in these spaces can often break down barriers for younger members of the BIPOC community. This is an important episode all about the importance of representation, leadership, and the different ways in which individuals can support outdoor communities in order to make them a more inviting and inclusive space.
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