Peter Swen, 2011 Surf Liberia Contest champion. Photo: Sean Brody
Nine years since the conclusion of the long and ill-begotten civil wars that raged through Liberal and Sierra Leone, recent news has spurred hopes of turning a new leaf in the region.
As many may recall, Liberia’s 64-year-old president, Charles Taylor, has long been accused of backing militias who killed tens of thousands of people in Sierra Leone’s 1991-2002 civil war. The long and tragic turmoil in Taylor’s own country was funded in part by trafficking of blood-diamonds from Sierra Leone. Last week Taylor became the first former head of state to be convicted by an international court since the Nuremburg trials after World War II.
This historic verdict on April the 26th marks a new turning point, where injustice might be recognized and the people of the country have the opportunity to heal and grow while turning their attention to economic growth. Among their options, tourism looms large as a way to bring investment back into the country and empower the youth of Liberia to embrace the opportunities of their land.
Surfing tourism is one good option, given that Liberia is home to wide-stretching, white sand beaches, ideal untouched waves and beautiful culture. Liberia’s surf potential is rich and relatively untouched as the sport of surfing is relatively new to the area. Waves break year-round, on both beaches and reefs from waist high to double overhead. There are also a few point breaks, but as far as how many surf spots there are, and what sort of gems make be hidden behind the next bend the coast, no one is quite sure.
In a press release issued by the International Surfing Association (ISA), former president of SIMA, Fernando Aguerre, observed the benefits that surfing and tourism might offer to developing nations, stating “we are aware of all the good that surfing has done as a social, economic and cultural force for a better world. it’s a sport and a lifestyle that breeds opportunity and positive energy.”
But it’s also important that Western developers do not simply have a field day buying up property in order to establish all incusive resorts only available to the super rich. Eco and development-friendly tourism advocates, such as Surf Resource Network, have been steadily working for change in the troubled country since 2009. Past programs generated by Surf Resource Network focused on CPR and swimming lessons, photography and other resources to develop the community from the inside out, in a sustainable way. Further advancements are planned in the near future including a five-year proposal for for health, education, and sanitation. Hopefully their efforts can, in small ways, help coast-dwelling Liberians utilize their natural resources in a way that will benefit them.
There is definitely a “strong push” at the ISA to develop the sport in Africa, comments Aguerre, as well as a drive to engage locals in a way that they may benefit from their land of opportunity, especially now that the dark days are over.
