When people think of surfing in Israel, images of fun, warm-water, peaky beach-breaks come to mind. Shores lined with ripped hacky sack-playing commandos, and multi-ethnic bikini-clad beach babes, dotted among the black outlines of Hasidic Jews in full gear. An ecstatic party atmosphere amidst the high tension that is the Middle East, with Tel Aviv as its pumping liberal secular heart. All to the backdrop of reggae in harmonic minor. Well, that’s what I think of.
Surfing was introduced here in 1956 by Doc Paskowitz, and since then, the popularity of the activity (I won’t call it sport) has grown immensely. If you speak with many Israeli surfers they will tell you with pride that considering the inconsistency of the Mediterranean Sea, they shred pretty hard. Kelly Slater also came from a somewhat wave-starved region I would add.
Then along comes October 7th. In one day Israeli surf culture has changed, along with it the entire nation. The country is again in the throes of war, but it doesn’t feel like anything they have dealt with before. First, some context: I’m from Australia. I arrived a few days prior to the attack to see my
