You will have the chance to meet Mikey February, watch his new film Sunsong, and win one of Stephanie Gilmore or Caity Simmers’ boards this Friday, September 19 if you head along to Beya Benny Bash at Pilgrim Surf Supply in Brooklyn, NYC.
Laru Beya Collective, who is behind the event, is a community organisation in its ninth year that was born out of a need for historically marginalized youth in Far Rockaway to have a safe space to surf and be in the ocean. It was co-founded by Aydon Gabourel and Warren Sampson after Aydon’s daughter and her friends were struggling to find a place where they belonged in the surf. Gabourel began to take the group to the beach on weekends, helping them learn about water safety and teaching them to surf. Laru Beya grew from this small initiative into a fully-fledged nonprofit that works to empower “the historically excluded youth of Far Rockaway through surfing and year-round mentor-led activities.”
Funds raised through the Beya Benny Bash will be used to sustain the program, which is fully volunteer-run. Laru Beya organizer Peyton Lee elaborated on the detail of how important this fundraiser is to their operations: “We’ve calculated that running the program costs about $1,200 per kid per year and this year we had around 68 kids. That covers wetsuits, boards, sunscreen, snacks, rash guards, van rentals, transport — everything. We don’t limit how many kids we take based on funding; we commit first and figure out the money after. So the fundraiser goes toward keeping the program free and running,” they said.
Far Rockaway surfer Farmata Dia, who was one of the first to be mentored in the Laru Beya program and is now a mentor and organizer, said Laru Beya has transformed her life: “Surfing is our main thing — we run two free, six-week surf programs every summer. All the equipment is provided; the kids just have to show up. We’re 100% volunteer-run, so our community is the engine behind everything we do,” Dia said.
“I’m one of the original five girls, and I’m now the first graduate of the program — Laru Beya completely changed my life,” Dia reflected. “The rest of that original group are in college now, and some are learning to take on leadership and organizing roles themselves. It’s come full circle: nearly ten years later, the kids who started it are becoming the adults shaping what it becomes next.”
The work of Laru Beya extends beyond surf lessons and water safety. They advocate for public space access and have been active in organising the New York surf community in support of Palestine. “We [also] run a media-intensive program where kids shoot and edit their own photography and can sell their work to the community. We do college readiness programming, and we’ve started helping kids with driving licences,” Dia said.
The New York surf community is unique in the context of the global surf community. On the shores of one of the biggest and most diverse major cities in the world, the Atlantic is a space where people from all corners of this hub have an opportunity to connect with each other and form strong bonds in the waves. “It’s one of the most diverse surf communities you’ll find anywhere,” Dia said. “You’ll find people from all different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds, with the craziest stories. And it’s the kindest people ever. It’s still that New York energy, where you never know what to expect. It’s hustlers and bustlers, but we don’t have the best waves here. It’s scraps at times, so people really do it for the joy and the love of it.”
“The vibe is very reflective of that, where I think surfing feels like an addition to your life or something to be really grateful for. The lineup is an extension of New York. Every possible type of person you could think of is out there. It’s definitely gotten way more popular in the past few years, and more colorful, which is good,” Lee added.
Since Laru Beya was incepted, Farmata also observed that the surfing community has also changed: “I remember when we first started, I always made it a point of going up to every black person that I saw on the water and over these last few years I’ve come to a point where it’s like, I can’t keep up.”
Laru Beya is sustained by the hard work of volunteers. If you would like to get involved in the organisation they need help, not just on the beach on weekends, but also from afar with social media and other online activity. Send them a DM on Instagram if you’d like to get in touch.
To head along and support their fundraiser the details are below:
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 7:00–10:00 PM
Location: Pilgrim Surf + Supply, 33 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Tickets: Required for entry — any board ticket purchase grants admission; advance purchase is recommended, though tickets will also be available at the door
Related: New York City Fire Department Uses Drones For Rockaway Rescue (Video)