Between the waves: identity, belonging, and community formation among young surfers in Tel Aviv

This study examines how participation in a local surf community contributes to the construction of identity, belonging, and social meaning among young surfers. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with eleven members of a surf club in Tel Aviv, the study explores surfing as an embodied leisure practice and a social world through which participants negotiate who they are and where they belong. The findings reveal four central themes: family-like bonds, surfing as a basis for identity formation, the sea as an emotional and restorative resource, and the transition from learner to instructor. The study contributes to leisure and sport sociology by showing how a local surf club operates as a community of practice in which embodied participation, shared place, informal mentorship, and emotional attachment combine to produce durable forms of belonging. The article highlights the importance of local leisure communities as sites of identity work, emotional support, and social continuity.