“I’ve seen this guy almost seriously injure
multiple people including children.”
The pretty little beach town of Jupiter in Palm Beach,
Florida, is a tinderbox tonight after the apparent lynching of a
black surfer’s board in an act of “racially motivated
vandalism”.
Story is: Andrew Sherlock, a goofy footer with a wide stance
reminiscent of Waimea Bay superhero Eddie Aikau, runs into a little
heat in the surf. Crackers steal board and nail it to a damn tree
as if it were 1925 and the three-million strong Klan were still
hunting blacks, flamboyant homosexuals, Jews, Asians, Catholics,
abortionists and so on.
“White supremacy is a sickness, a vile thing that rears its
head in so many ways,” posted @black.surfers. “@sherlockdown is a
Black surfer, father, and husband, and was subjected to racially
motivated vandalism and a symbolic lynching of his board. You heard
that right. White surfers in Jupiter, Florida, took his board and
nailed it to this tree and said it was a message. @sherlockdown
says it was someone from the Jupiter surf crew. For those in that
area, that may know who did this, who do not want the actions of a
few to stain the perception of their community, please come forward
so we may demand an apology and acknowledgement of the pain they
have caused. In Andrew’s words:
“This is how real the racism and hate is in Jupiter,
Florida. They can’t stand to see a Black man in their waters. I was
told I’m not welcome. Stole my board when I turned my back and they
did this. Said it was a message. They nailed it to the tree like a
lynching.
I took the board down, stayed and surfed the whole day with
a small board to show face. A few locals that were there were
apologizing and agreed it was wrong. They did said, after what
happened, I’m welcome to surf their waters freely and no one will
bother me. I’m just going to leave it in God’s hands”
Wild yeah?
The Inertia got into it, as you’d
imagine, pointing out surfing is racist from head to toe,
referencing Miki Dora wearing an Army surplus German uniform from
World War II fifty years ago as proof.
“Racially motivated incidents in the world of surfing are part
of a long history of prejudice associated with the sport,” wrote
Cooper Gregan.
But the recent history of fake race hate crimes in the US should
stir a little scepticism, no? Jussie Smollet? Bubba
Wallace? Bells ringing?
What’s the other side of the supposed hate crime?
.
“This is completely out of context. Surfers in Jupiter are far from
racist. Get your facts straight before you post this shit and
accuse people with these false accusations,” writes @bmurray561, a
surfer followed by Florida superstar Evan Geiselman. “If someone is
dangerous in a line up I don’t care if they are white, black,
purple, or blue something will be said. As a local here I’ve seen
this guy almost seriously injure multiple people including
children. He’s very misleading…Acts nice and calm on camera. But,
in the water it’s a different story. Instead of apologizing he’s
tried to fight multiple people saying “you don’t want this smoke”
all when he was in the wrong. We have been nothing but nice and
inviting to him. It’s terrible this page has to flip the script and
pull the racial card before knowing the facts. That being said we
will like to see him out there enjoying the same sport as we all
do…Just needs to get his surfing etiquette cleaned up some.”
And, from a Robert Powell,
“Heinous is trying to assault kids. Heinous is not showing
respect to locals, heinous is screaming and cussing and trying to
act tough to kids, heinous is playing the race card when this was a
kind act juxtaposed to what the clown deserved. Anyone that has
surfed a local spot knows that a beat down for trying to hurt
people, acting tough, assaulting kids, running your mouth and being
an overall ass clown is what’s normal. This was grace nailing the
board to a tree. Only an actual racist would link this to a effing
lynching. But hey racists see racism everywhere, when you’re a
hammer everything looks like a nail. Freaking enabling scum.”
And, from the handful of comments on The Inertia’s story.
“A quick summation from someone who was out in the water that
day, guy was burning everyone and when someone would say something
to him he would immediately call them racist. He ended up colliding
with a local on a wave that was clearly his fault. They told him to
go in or down the beach where he couldn’t hurt anyone. He proceeded
to try and fight them. He went in and put his board in his car then
went back to the board walk to talk to the kid he collided with,
there were about 15 other people around. They ended up talking it
out, the guy apologized and they fist bumped each other (there’s a
video of this). He went back to his car and his board was gone. The
kid he collided with and a few locals helped him look for the
board. Not condoning anyone in this situations behavior, just
wanted to give an accurate account of what went down.”
Two things: getting excited over two-foot waves in Florida
displays a terrible inelegance and maybe doing the board in a tree
thing ain’t the best optics?
Or straight-up racism, hate crime etc?
Where do you fall?
