Hundreds hold hands to form a circle in the Pacific Ocean for the "Memorial Paddle Out." Peter Vandenbelt/AP Photo/The News-Press
Yesterday, as the sun was setting, hundreds of University of California-Santa Barbara students hopped on surfboards and inflatable rafts and paddled out into the Pacific to pay tribute to the six victims killed in last Friday night’s Isla Vista rampage.
If you’ve lived in or around surfing communities, you might be familiar with the traditional “paddle out” memorial: mourners hold hands in a wide ring, and throw flowers into the water to commemorate a departed member of the community. This one—drenched in Californian sun and accompanied by Israel Kamakawiwo?ole’s haunting cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”—is sure to leave a lasting mark on your day, as it did mine.
