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Women Surfers of the Mendocino Coast
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Women Surfers of the Mendocino Coast
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Surfer girl? Surfer woman? Surfer chick? They don't care what you call them. What they do care about is being out in the ocean, waiting in the line-up to catch a ride on the next thrilling wave. No longer content to sit on the beach watching from the sidelines, many local women are gathering their courage to try this exhilarating sport. Ten years ago, female surfers were a rare sight, but now, more and more women are showing up to surf the popular spots along the coast. The stereotypes of renegade, rebel and drop-out surfers are disappearing. Among the women surfing Mendocino County you find dentists, doctors, waitresses, therapists, teachers, high school students, single moms. Some have chosen specific careers that allow them the freedom to indulge their passion, keeping wet suits and surfboards ready for opportunity to catch a wave. Hard rains and winter storms put smiles on surfer's faces. Winter is the time the "Pineapple Express" moves into action, bringing huge waves from tropical storms. The ocean is a powerful force, the most commanding energy on the planet. In her own way, each woman surfer expresses the feeling of a deep spiritual connection to the water and the irresistibly attractive thrill and special honor of riding that force. Feeling and conquering fear is an integral part of surfing. The force of the ocean demands respect which includes an awareness of the tides, the swells, rocks and the ever-changing weather conditions. A surfer must be both alert and humble, having known terror and faced death. Yet the seductive force keeps her returning to catch another wave. The water on the north coast is pristine and unspoiled in comparison to most other places in the world. Its temperatures range from 49 to 51 degrees year-round. The Continental shelf is in close to our coastline so that we get deep ocean swells that generate excellent surf. Additionally, being close to the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska is a benefit since these are places where the wintertime swells originate. By the time they reach the Mendocino Coast, the waves still have a lot of juice left. The surf here is wild and unpredictable, making every session in the ocean different. The ocean changes its personality daily; sometimes soft and forgiving, other days hard and relentless. Each wave has a distinct flow and rhythm. Hypothermia is a reality that all cold-water surfers must contend with. The icy water makes proper attire absolutely necessary. Even with wet suits, three hours is the maximum time most people can stay in the water. A well-fitted wet suit, booties, hood, and gloves are essential. The only other requirements are a surfboard and leash. The cost to get started is about $1,000. Due to differences in physical strengths and psychological orientation, women tend to surf more gracefully than men. When they speak about surfing, they say that they tend to finesse the waves rather than attack them, flowing with and working with their power. Men have a lower center of gravity and the vocabulary of their moves is more aggressive--they "slam" or "shred" or "rip up the waves." Kim Swenson is a kindergarten/1st grade teacher. After the school bell rings, she dons her wet suit and knee-board and hurries out near the reefs. Kim has been surfing the coast for the past 20 years. She started teaching in Fort Bragg but when she discovered the surf was better in Point Arena, she transferred to the Point Arena School District. Her life priorities were clearly in order. Kim surfs at least three days every week, "If I don't get wet every few days, I get crazy and cranky." Her kids say, "Mom, it's time for you to go to the beach, now!" Georgette Howard has been surfing for three years. Her ex-husband first introduced her to the sport and once she tried it, she was hooked. She describes the feeling of plunging into the water as "joy, pure joy." On good days she describes her experience with--"I scream my way down the face." Some days she can't catch a wave and then, she has had some frightening experiences -- almost drowning when there was a "shore break," getting caught on the rocks of Santa Cruz and having to crawl to safety on all fours. She's says, "I don't ride the big waves, I don't want to die. The small waves are plenty enough thrill for me." Georgette's favorite surfing is at an uncrowded spot with a few friends. She feels fortunate there are so few surfers here, unlike the Santa Cruz area where up to 60 people line-up for the next wave. Britt Bailey is pursuing her master's degree in environmental studies, technology and policy. She studied topographical maps and decided the Mendocino Coast would be a good spot for surfing. So, she came here on a camping trip, surfed, and fell in love with the area. Britt was fortunate enough to find a job in Gualala in her field, and relocated. She works at the Center for Ethics and Toxics which is dedicated to reducing the uses of herbicides and chemicals.
Heather Burkhardt has been surfing for nine years. At 19, she went by herself on a surfing trip to Indonesia. She has also tried her sport in the Bay Area, Hawaii and Mexico. On a trip up the coast, Heather stopped at Point Arena, went surfing and had a great session. "It was like a hand fitting in a glove. I knew I wanted to live here." She moved there, bought land, built a cabin, and surfed. Heather likes to challenge herself with bigger and bigger waves. "In big surf, there's a lot more adrenaline. I love to overcome the fear and terror of surfing... In the beginning, you get hit by your board a lot." She once broke her nose on her board and a few months ago, bruised her ribs while being tossed by a wave. Shila Kaleka, 17 years old, has been surfing for 10 months. The surfing bug has bitten her so badly that she quit high school in order to devote more time to learning her craft. Life is centered around surfing. "It's the only thing that makes me happy...It's like a drug. If I don't get out often enough, I go into withdrawal, and get the shakes." Sue Lane teaches first and second grade in the Point Arena school district. She surfed as a teenager, but stopped when she got married and had kids. When one of her sons was 15, he decided to try boogy-boarding. She went along. Rather than sit on the beach, she put on her brothers oversized wet suit and got back in the water. The mother/son bond grew stronger and her son's friends thought it was so cool that he had a surfing mom. They kept each other going through the difficult initial learning phase. Although her son has gone on to other interests, Sue stayed with surfing, a sport she enjoys almost every day. "When I'm floating in the water, I feel like a tiny particle. like I'm part of the grand scheme." The women surfers of the Mendocino Coast are a diverse group that share a strong love and passion for the ocean and surfing. They enjoy challenging themselves physically and mentally, meeting and conquering fear and danger and winning. They get dumped and banged up but they keep going out there to catch that next wave. |
Her own words sum up her relationship to the wet wilderness of Mendocino
County: "When I first moved up here, I was a fanatic. I spent four hours
everyday in the water...The first thing I do when I get in the ocean
is dunk my head in the water, and get a big mouthful of saltwater. I
feel relief--I've made it out here again...I am at peace with the world
when I'm in the water. I am totally in the moment; there is nothing
else... I told my dad that I wanted to be surfing somewhere in the world
on my 89th birthday."
