The rise in female surfers has grown exponentially in recent years. Lately, we have witnessed more and more young girls booking surf lessons excited to learn the sport. With their fearless attitudes and determination, they are learning to catch waves and gaining a ton of confidence in the water. Even women over the age of 40 are starting to take up surfing! Despite the steep learning curve and the physical demands on the body, you are never too young or too old to start. Although women continue to be in the minority, they now make up more than 20 percent of surfers!
Cultural Influence
A few decades ago, surfing was mainly a male dominated sport and female surfers were rarely seen. Recently, surf culture has seen a definite shift making it more approachable for young girls to get out in the water. Women are participating in competitions, gaining sponsorships with the help of popular surf brands, and even becoming the subject of films. There are now surf camps specifically for women offered in different parts of the world. The World Surfing League recently became the first US-based global sporting league to offer equal pay to male and female competitors.
Meet Brooke!
Despite being a talented surfer and great instructor, Brooke also has a rather large and impressive ocean skill set as a career lifeguard. She is a strong, skilled waterman who holds several different certifications including being an EMT first responder. She shares our ‘Lifeguard for Life’ mentality and lifestyle by always putting the beach and safety first. This island girl hailing from the East Coast of North Carolina and the area collectively known as Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a sweet, salty, savvy, life-saving, ocean-minded, machine and we are so lucky to have her with us.
Since joining the RPB Team 4 years ago, she has taught us all so much along with mentoring hundreds of water-loving, adventure-having visitors of all shapes and sizes. She has even assisted in the rescue of unsuspecting bystanders and lead others to safety. She is a role model to girls and boys everywhere, and it shows in the daily RPB Grind.
Surfing in Japan
Growing up in Japan, surfing was only just starting to gain recognition and popularity. Although many may not consider Japan a prime surf destination, there are plenty of great surf spots among its 1800 miles of coastline and most of the beaches are uncrowded and unexplored. It has been amazing to watch the sport develop in my country and become respected among the world wide surf community . In the summer of 2020, surfing was scheduled to make its debut in the Tokyo Olympics. Unfortunately, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic the event was cancelled and rescheduled for July 2021. Hopefully the global situation improves soon so we can finally enjoy surfing as a part of the Olympic games!