Icah Wilmot

The article is a ridiculous stab at humor. I personally didn’t find it funny or entertaining. What I did find is exactly what I had known all along, racism in surf industry is a reality.

Stab Magazine was a reputable surf magazine based in Australia. The readership of the magazine and the site had remained untainted until now.

In “Super Breed Descends”, Jed Smith, the author starts off with the line, “ Icah Wilmot is bad for the white devil.” Then continues by saying,” Last week this multi-talented Negro became the first Jamaican winner of the Pan American championships, held in Cuba, signaling, amongst other things, an uncertain future for the Aryan domination of surfing.” 

You are calling yourself “white devil” for a reason.

If you look from under the sheet, you will see clearly that Hawaiians, Brazilians, Portuguese, Venezuelans, and Tahitians are not Aryan. Black people haven’t been called “Negro” in nearly 30 years, by the way. Kelly Slater is a very proud Syrian.

Is that the Kelly he refers to in his article?

I don’t know about Australia, but in the United States and throughout the world, that is not only racist but inflammatory. His ignorance goes on to say, “ Kelly, Dane and Andy are very aware of the racial homogenization that has occurred in every athletic pursuit the genetically superior black man has turned his cantaloupe-sized palm to.

But it gets worse .

Icah not only surfs very well (a four-time National Junior Champ and five time National Open Champ, no less), Icah’s family are not only Jamaican surfing royalty, Icah is not only an accredited ISA judge, surf instructor and holder of a bachelor degree in Information Technology (majoring in enterprise computing), Icah is in a band.”

Kelly, Dane and Andy who? Slater, Reynolds and Irons? And how does he know they are aware? Are they? If they are, as you say, aware of the homogenization of what I think he was referring to as main stream sports. Why hasn’t it been printed somewhere? This is irresponsible journalism at its finest.

The three paragraphs, which I used the term paragraphs lightly, become so racist in its wording that stereo-types are thrown in the mixture of ignorance and common sense.

Dude, do you realize that you hit the send button on that article? A second thought beforehand may have not caused such a blaze of hatred thrown at your magazine within an hour or so of finding it.

Jed, do you realize that you have not only hurt the magazine’s reputation, but your own? Who cares about you? Do you realize that you hurt someone and their family?

You cannot take back what has been done, but, a written apology on that site and magazine might be a good start. The Wilmot family has held their heads up and has represented the finest in surfing.

Not black surfing, surfing period. Their unique ability to mesh together as one to accomplish a goal is undeniable, and yet, you dare tarnish their reputation by trying to be funny?

I am in shock and awe by,” They are called “From the Deep” and not only is he in them, he plays bass. He stands to the side and t’umps out riffs no one hears though everyone needs. The same ones that make petite white women to go wide-eyed and silent as they watch. He is a rare combination of the genetic pooling that’s doomed basketball, seen our first Negro president and brought Lou Suluola Samuel into the world (the daughter of Seal and Heidi Klum).”

Why? I have so many questions to ask Jed Smith. I want to ask him if Icah’s talents scare him a little. Sounds to me like a tad bit of the “bubble guts”, if you know what I mean? The fact that a petite white woman would be captured by Icah’s talent hurt you in anyway?

Hello? Icah’s talent is apparent.

As for the comment, he is a “rare combination”.

You are right. He is exactly that, young, gifted and black.

The basketball, our President of the United States, and Seal and Heidi Klum’s baby remarks show exactly how ignorant and insensitive people can truly be. Why bring someone child into your mad world? Obama ran for President, won and “never” brought race to the table, your point again is?

Apartheid in Australia has become a hot topic over the last 20 years. Their on again off again system to randomly discriminate has been running rampant for quite some time.

These are the people with a firm grip on the surf industry. Stab Magazine is one of quite a few companies owned and operated in Australia. Jed, check your own country’s racist history.

The ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) located in Australia, has not one single African American in its line-up, well there is a suspected African American, but he definitely hasn’t stepped out and made claim. Now I see why.

Why would he step out only to be hurt emotionally by some ignorant person?

When we say “(wun)” that is what we mean, that is what I meant.  In the dictionary the definition of “one” is: one  (w n) adj.

1. Being a single entity, unit, object, or living being.

2. Characterized by unity; undivided 

(wun) doesn’t care what the color of your skin may be. (wun) doesn’t pre-judge, but is aware of reality. (wun) means “one” ocean, “one love” for all mankind, and we are “one: is this sport. (wun) means “Worldwide Underground Nation.”

The color line has been drawn, but we can rise above ignorance and become victorious in our progression of the sport.

The story has been taken down but the memory of this moment in time will never leave my mind. This is a new day, a new era and definitely a new attitude in the world’s view on race relations.

Stab Magazine and the rest had better play catch-up quick.

Like it or not, we shall not be moved again.