Glen Walsh, a Venice resident, started surfing at age 14, inspired to switch from boogie boarding by a crush. As a gay teenager in Santa Monica, Walsh often heard slurs on the Venice Pier, finding the local surf community to be "super straight, very hypermasculine, very intimidating." Despite this, his deep love for the ocean and a desire to be part of the surf scene kept him coming back.
In 2010, Walsh began posting daily surf condition reports on Instagram. What began as a practical update for a few friends quickly grew into a trusted source for over 10,000 followers, attracting attention from as far away as London and Tokyo. His videos, delivered softly with descriptions like "Lumpy close-out with hollow barrels with low tide, fam," blended informative dispatches with a laid-back surfer vibe. This popular account earned him the nickname Glenice Venice, making him an unofficial mayor of Venice surf culture, recognized at local spots like Hinano Cafe and the Cow’s End. Walsh jokes about his popularity being confined to the area between Washington Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard, and Rose Avenue.
Beyond his local fame, Walsh achieved what he considers a greater triumph: connecting with other queer surfers. He found this elusive in his youth but eventually built a community of queer surfers in Los Angeles, organizing trips and building friendships. He realized his surf reports could also serve as a platform to create a burgeoning queer space in the Venice surf scene. Walsh later co-produced and music supervised "Out in the Line-Up," a film about homophobia in surfing that premiered at film festivals globally. He describes the film as addressing a "worldwide issue," and last June, the Venice Surfing Assn. hosted a 10th-anniversary screening of it in Venice. Walsh stated that he brought diversity to the culture, putting his name on it.
More recently, Shelly Guidera has joined these efforts. After relocating to Venice in 2020, Guidera noticed a lack of strong queer representation in surfing. She founded Dream Team Surf, a collective designed to bring queer surfers together and build camaraderie. Guidera explains the collective's mission as simply, "It’s all of us looking out for each other," emphasizing that a supportive team enhances both safety and the overall experience.
Guidera credits Walsh's uplifting presence and respected status in the Venice surf community as an inspiration for Dream Team Surf, while Walsh has become a champion for her collective. Dream Team Surf hosted a Pride beach party in January 2025 where a banner boldly proclaimed, "Trans bodies belong on the beach." Guidera notes that in some parts of Southern California, such as certain San Diego area beaches, visible queer representation can still feel like an anomaly to some.
Additionally, Guidera is certified in surf therapy through Groundswell Community Project, which uses surfing for holistic healing. She highlights the lasting mental health benefits of being in the ocean, particularly how it provided a break from the competitive structure of her background as a swimmer. Guidera believes that simply providing ocean access is a form of wellness, noting the "level of surrender and humility" that surfing and being in nature demand, which ultimately makes individuals stronger.
Walsh also works as a surf instructor, aiming to instill confidence in his students. He often teaches women who prefer not to learn from straight male instructors, explaining his goal to "break down the stereotypes and have a little fun with them and let them become a kid again." Both Walsh and Guidera share a philosophy that surfing, when approached openly, can foster personal growth and an expansive lifestyle, encouraging individuals to "feel the fear and do it anyway" and build community around the sport.
