Ask A Local is a new series where we ask clued-up insiders to share their top tips for the place they call home.
Louis “Lou” Harris: You might recognize him as the surfer who led the massive, viral 400-person paddle out for George Floyd in 2020, but on a regular day, he’s the guy in Vans and a hoodie handing out free surfboards and wetsuits to New York City kids at Rockaway Beach, the Queens neighborhood he calls home.
“Rockaway is the only place where you can surf and an hour later go see a Broadway show,” says Louis Harris. “It has character.”
Harris has lived in the Rockaways since 2006, when he moved down from Harlem, itching for more time at the beach he grew up visiting. Though he’d been skateboarding for decades, he didn’t know how to surf until the only other Black surfer in town, Brian James (B.J.) showed him the ropes. He’s now passing the torch to a new generation, riding the waves with his daughter each morning, and teaching local kids to surf and swim (for free) through the East Coast chapter of Black Surfing Association, which he founded in 2016. “You get a lot of kids here who live by the beach and can’t swim,” he says. (And, for the record, his classes are open to anyone whose parents can’t afford paid lessons.)
So, what is it that he, a now-local, loves so much about this cityside beach town? It’s a tight-knit community for one: the family that owns the cute hotel also owns a few cafés; the guys who run a popular surf school also tend a longstanding bar. Naturally, he’s friends with everyone.
Below, he gives us the rundown on the perfect day at Rockaway Beach—which, if he’s being honest, is from the end of April to September/October, before a number of residents “go chase waves elsewhere.”
Editor’s note: Rockaway Beach is a long, thin strip of land facing the Atlantic, so most people use street numbers as reference points (included below) to know how close or far things are from each other. If you’re hanging on the sand in front of Beach 90th, for example, choose your lunch or drink spot accordingly.
Grab a quick and healthy breakfast
Harris is all about a healthy fuel-up before hitting the water. “When people come out to the Rockaways, they ask me about a deli for a bacon, egg, and cheese (BEC) sandwich, and I say, Bro, if you eat a BEC you’re gonna surf like shit in the water!” Harris says. When he isn’t scarfing down a bowl of oatmeal at home, he heads to Rockaway Roasters (Beach 92nd Street), for coffee and a killer açai bowl. Another go-to of Harris’s is Cuisine by Claudette, which has several locations (Beach 69th, Beach 116th), and serves healthy meals and snacks like protein shakes, falafel, and wheatgrass shots. Greenhouse Café, at the bottom of the Rockaway Hotel (Beach 108th), also has great coffee and fresh bites like corn salad and ceviche.
Hit the waves solo…
Harris is always on dawn patrol, meaning he and his daughter are out of the house by 5:45 a.m. each morning and among the first in the water. But whenever you choose to paddle out, Harris has two tips for those surfing solo—to follow local etiquette, and to choose your spot wisely. “Rockaway is a left break so the person on the right of you always has the right of way,” Harris says. As with any new surf spot, take some time to observe how everyone else is surfing so you can join their flow rather than disrupt it. And remember, you’re a guest here.
