London gets waves. Hawaiian highschoolers get championships. Young New Yorkers get the gift of surf. Surfing vet gets a new tooth.

Great week for feel-good surf news!

London approves its first surf lake

Finally! North London is about to get some waves. Enfield Council just approved plans for Surf London—a 100-acre inland surfing facility in Lea Valley. The project will replace parts of Lee Valley Golf Course and the camping park with a purpose-built surf lake, skate areas, playparks, and wellness spaces. And that’s like 1h away from where I used to live. If only…

Backed by Crest Experiences, the venue promises £50m investment, 200 jobs, and discounted local rates. Residents asked for more parking (yep, surfers get their own spots), and the committee voted unanimously in favor.If the Greater London Authority signs off, this will be the UK’s second surf lake—after Bristol’s Wave, which opened in 2019.

Surf school changing lives in Queens

New York Times loves surfing, and this is a great profile piece! At Rockaway Beach, Louis Harris has been running the East Coast chapter of the Black Surfing Association since 2016—offering free surf lessons, wetsuits, and boards to kids every summer weekend. 

Parents say the program has transformed their children’s lives, building confidence, resilience, and even saving some from depression and trouble. Harris, 53, started the nonprofit to give local youth a safe outlet—and today, kids travel an hour or more to be in the water by 8 a.m.

Beyond surfing, the group provides water safety education, plus year-round activities like cooking workshops, volunteer programs, and community meals. Harris says: “It doesn’t matter what color you are, doesn’t matter what gender you are. Then Mr. Lou will teach you.”

Hawaii to host first-ever high school surfing state champs

Surfing is finally going varsity. Starting May 1–2, 2026, Hawaii will hold its first official HHSAA Surfing State Championships at Hoʻokipa Beach Park, Maui.

Announced by Gov. Josh Green, the event will include boys’ and girls’ shortboard, longboard, and bodyboarding divisions, with all five statewide high school leagues participating. The Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) will host the first event, after nearly three decades of pushing to legitimize high school surfing.

Olympic champ Carissa Moore called it a full-circle moment, while student Kylie Sato summed it up: “Mom, we did it.”

Officials say it’s safe, insured, and culturally important: “We’re building community and culture. That’s what this is.”

Surf injury, fixed with a smile

Marine veteran Brendan Gilmour broke his front tooth while learning to surf during the Waves of Valor event in Huntington Beach. But thanks to a quick-thinking surf instructor and a local dentist, he was back to smiling in no time.

After a board-to-mouth mishap, Gilmour was treated same-day by Dr. Muhammed Khan—a nearby dentist, fellow veteran, and all-around hero—who bonded the tooth back perfectly.

“Instead of letting it ruin my weekend, I got my tooth fixed and left with a big smile,” said Gilmour. Proof that surf communities really do look out for each other.