In the mid-1960s, filmmaker Bruce Brown traveled the world with surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August in search of the perfect wave. The resulting movie, The Endless Summer, became a touchstone for global surf culture, documenting destinations both commonly known, such as Hawaii and Tahiti, and less so, including the west African nations Senegal and Ghana. Surfing has, in fact, been a pastime on Ghana’s 300-mile Gold Coast for decades, although the area has seen its international profile grow markedly in the last 10 years, thanks in part to the efforts of Brett “Mr. Brights” Davies, a U.K. expat who founded the country’s first surf school. Most travelers head to one of two towns: Kokrobite, a suburb of the capital, Accra, and Busua, a fishing village about five hours to the west, where South African surf photographer Greg Ewing snapped this photo of a local riding the beach break. In spite of its newfound renown, Busua remains true to its humble roots, as one can see from the fishing boat in the background and, Ewing observes, the demeanor of its residents. “In Ghana, the people are so friendly and welcoming—I think they call it Africa’s Jamaica,” Ewing says. “It’s the opposite of, say, South Africa, which has a massive industry and is one of the most well-known [surf destinations] in the world.” Want to ride the waves in Africa’s Jamaica for yourself? This spring, United begins three-times-weekly direct service from Washington Dulles to Accra. Surf’s up!
Catch a Break on Ghana’s Gold Coast
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