Essential Surf School coach Fiona Hunt has been teaching women to surf for decades and has seen huge changes in the gender balance of board riders.
“Now, when I look around in the surf, it's just amazing how many women are surfing, just in our area,” Fiona said.
One of Fiona’s proudest moments as a surf coach came earlier this year when, after a last-minute entry, the Women On Waves team that she leads came third in the Her Wave Teams Classic surf series.
More than 170 surfers across 21 teams competed at the second annual all-ages event for women held at Kiama’s Jones Beach on April 1 and 2.
Fiona says her team of five – Lauren Newman and daughter Bailey Newman, Darci Air, Zoe Gelder and Tesh McHugh – battled tough conditions and even tougher competition to win Saturday’s longboard and shortboard heats, scoring their spot in the finals on Sunday.
“We had no expectations whatsoever,” Fiona said.
“It was a funny weekend, because I got a little team together, a mix of a girls… and I said, ‘Why don't we go down to this?’
“We rocked up there on the day and it was very professional, everyone had marquees, and we were like, 'Oh, this is going to be very interesting'.
“Sure enough, we ended up with third place, so it was really good. We were all really, really stoked.”
Over the past five-or-so years, Fiona’s found an uptake in women willing to take on the waves at all levels. It’s progress she’s strived for since holding the very first Essential Surf School mother-daughter surf in 2000.
“It's my passion,” she said. “I tend to watch all levels up to professional, and just across the board women’s surfing has really gone in leaps and bounds in the last, maybe, five or six years.
“Now's the time for ladies to know that they're welcome… there's so much encouragement out there.”
Essential Surf School lessons cater to beginners through experienced surfers of all ages. Throughout winter, children’s lessons are held on Sundays and the Women On Waves group is coached on Fridays.
To book a session or find out more, phone 0407 283 117 or 9545 5599.
