Selema Masekela broke down barriers in the pursuit of his passion, creating a career in the action sports world. He is a vital leader in the Black surf movement, an Emmy nominated producer, hosted ESPN's X Games for 13 years, hosted NBC's Red Bull Signature Series and so much more.
His journey began when his family suddenly moved to Southern California. In 1988, he caught his first wave at Cherry Street, Carlsbad. That wave changed his life. At the time, there wasn't anyone that looked like him in the action sports industry.
During his career, Selema Masekela discovered he was able to carry on his father's storytelling legacy while doing what he loved. Selema's father, Hugh Masekela was an internationally renowned South African jazz musician. He was also a singer, songwriter, and powerful political voice. Hugh incorporated political messaging in his music and performances about the apartheid regime. Selema was a child of the arts and hip-hop but fell in love with board sports when he moved to California. He ended up establishing a career in action sports through hosting on television. Selema has found various platforms to spread his story and his values, just like his father.
This led him to realize we're all racing towards the same stop sign no matter what team you're on; "it's over at a certain point. So what do you want that experience to be?"
