It wasn’t long ago that the nation of Liberia was the poster child of what it meant to be war-torn in West Africa. From 1989 to 2003, Liberia experienced two separate bloody civil wars that together killed over 500,000 people. And between rival rebel factions competing for power, child soldiers, and blood diamonds, Liberia’s modern history is one rife with conflict and violence. If that weren’t enough, from 2014 to 2015 Liberia was one of the countries hit hardest by the outbreak of Ebola.
But, Liberia is nothing if not resilient.
Perfectly groomed left points have quickly become fodder for a burgeoning surf scene. And as Liberia leaves the civil war period in the rearview, surfboards are replacing semi-automatics in the hands of the nation’s youth.
Earlier this year, professional surfers Arthur Bourbon and Damien Castera traveled to Liberia to sample the left points of which we speak and make a documentary film about surfing in West Africa. The short above is a result of their travels, but according to the video description, there’s also a full-length in the works.
Music: “MOYA” by BCUC
