Surf Ghana | Accra and Busua, Ghana

Words by Karen Edwards. Photography by Erica Etornam Aryee.

Sandy Alibo had long held a passion for action sports and worked as a sports sponsorship manager for a cell phone company. While on holiday in Ghana in 2016, she met local surfers and skateboarders and witnessed how inaccessible action sports could be to many people. Despite the lack of infrastructure and resources for boardsport programming on a local level, Alibo recognized the potential of the sport and culture sector as a catalyst for job creation, economic growth, and social inclusion. Packing up her life in France, Alibo moved to Ghana to start Surf Ghana – a woman-led non-profit collective dedicated to education, social inclusion, and youth empowerment through board sports.

When I first came to Ghana, there was little infrastructure for sports and fitness development. Local people were surfing and skateboarding, but there were limited resources to help passionate individuals grow to professional levels. As a result, there was also a lack of Black representation in board sports on a national and international level. It meant local people weren’t aware of the value of action sports in job creation, social inclusion and economic growth. I felt a need to draw on my knowledge and skills in action sports management, to overcome these barriers and support motivated young people to develop their talent further.

I moved to Ghana in 2016 and launched the Surf Ghana Collective. At first, my focus was to develop an awareness of action sports, such as surfing and skateboarding, in local communities. With my background in brand sponsorship, I understand the importance of storytelling in doing this. I created the Surf Ghana Instagram page, where local writers, filmmakers, photographers come together to tell stories of surfing and skateboarding. My hope was that through creative storytelling, I could build an action sport ecosystem to benefit young people and the country.

At the heart of Surf Ghana’s mission is the goal to provide a nurturing environment. For this we need spaces that promote the importance of good physical health, mental well-being, and leadership skills. In December 2021, we built the Freedom Skatepark. This is a recreational center dedicated to skate culture, and it is the first skatepark of its kind in West Africa. The following year, we created a community recording studio called Vibrate in Accra, to provide upcoming music artists with access to a free studio.

The Surf House – a safe space for youth in a small fishing village called Busua – was built in 2023. While people come together here through a shared passion for surfing, we wanted young people in this rural area to feel empowered and supported. This is a community hub that empowers the youth and inspires the village by giving them a space to do homework, use the internet – perhaps even endorse business collaborations between local people.

Anyone is welcome to join our Collective. There is no age limit for attendees. We just ask people to be passionate and motivated about surfing or skateboarding. Members receive surf and skate lessons from our experienced coaches, plus access to sporting events, surf and skate excursions and even a discount on quality activewear. We don’t have a structured program, so each member receives a bespoke experience. Life is already so structured with family, worklife and societal expectations – we don’t place the pressure of routine on our members. Most young people approach us on social media, but many visit us in person.

Today, Surf Ghana has 40 active members, including 17 employees. Our skateboarders tend to be between 17 and 25 years old – and because skateboarding is an urban sport, they mostly come from Accra. Meanwhile, our surfing community tends to be younger, between eight to 20-years-old – and they practice in Busua. The collective is made up of sportspeople who are also instructors, filmmakers, photographers, DJs, carpenters, producers, writers and artists. We celebrate and showcase talents across sports, art, music, and fashion.

I’m proud that Surf Ghana is a woman-led organization, where 80 percent of the executive board members are female. In sport, that’s a big achievement – especially as surfing and skateboarding tend to be male-dominated in Africa. We have Harmonie Bataka, the General Manager of Surf Ghana, leading our Skate Gal Club dedicated to women, and Francis Kwofie in Busua heading up the Sankofa Surf Club project. We continue to rely on our brand partnerships, like Right To Run, and donations, to help fund all our empowering projects.

On’s expertise in movement will assist us in developing our initiative further. This year, we hope to implement a comprehensive fitness program across our clubs – such as running, yoga, swimming and hiking activities – to enhance our skateboarders’ and surfers’ wellbeing and performance. Partnering with Right To Run also allows us to provide our athletes with dedicated transport, equipment and access to facilities. We will also establish a scholarship fund to support talented surfers to pursue their passion, while alleviating financial burdens.

Ultimately, my hope is that Surf Ghana can support our surfers and skateboarders on an international scale. In a few years’ time, I would love to see our athletes representing Ghana, and Africa, on the world stage.

Through the On Right To Run partnership, Surf Ghana aims to grow the board sport infrastructure in Ghana on an international scale. Find out more about Surf Ghana’s work and how you can support their projects here.