12 Miles North: The Nick Gabaldon Story

12 Miles North: The Nick Gabaldon Story

In the 1940s, The Inkwell was the only place on the Westside of Los Angeles where people of color could congregate comfortably and enjoy a day at the beach.

One day a teenager named Nick Gabaldon borrowed a lifeguard's paddleboard and took to the surf.

Segregation was an obstacle for him when he first sought to surf the famous waves of Malibu. So Nick paddled the 12 miles from the Inkwell to the famed point break.

On June 6, 1951 Nick drowned in a surfing accident at Malibu, but his undying passion is an inspiration to anyone who has ever had the courage to dream.

The waves of Mother Nature belong to all of us, and so does the memory of Nick. Find your surfing, "12 Miles North." A film by Richard Yelland.