The GRLmobile team drove down to Torquay on the weekend to join the fun at Play It Safe By The Water Surfing For Girls presented by GRLmobile and Oakley.
Threatened with a dark and stormy day, we were stoked to find sunshine beaming down from a blue sky. There were stacks of girls already there, and the music was pumping thanks to the Oakley Rolling O Lab’s massive sound system. But I was not there to dance. Ever-ready to give anything a go in the name of a good story, I was there to surf!
Having never surfed before, I was told with almost a laugh that the GRLmobile surfboard – a DHD Steph Gilmore Pro design – was totally inappropriate for my skill level. It was suggested I start out on a “G board”, which turned out to be a foamy beginners’ longboard. I asked for a pink one and renamed it the “GRL board”. Close enough.
Far from my city-wardrobe staples of silk dresses and pencil skirts, wetsuits are like something from another world. I pulled a muscle in my behind trying to put it on. Once in, I slipped my GRLmobile rashie over the top, grabbed my board and made down to the beach to join the beginners’ group. We learned the basics of surfing, including water safety and rescues. Then we had a few practice runs of how to stand up on your board. It all seemed very achievable, but I knew once we hit the waves, it would all go out the window.
To my surprise, I actually stood up on the first wave I caught! It was a great feeling. With the wind blowing past me, I declared myself a professional surfer. I bounced through the breaks to catch my second thrill. Turns out my glory was short lived. On my second wave, my arms were too weak to lift me into a stand. Too many warm-ups perhaps? I did manage to stand up a second time. But I ate wave more times than I’d like to admit.
Out of the water, we met up with our GRLmobile Ambassador, Nikki Van Dijk (pictured). She was fresh from winning 2nd place in the Arnette Australian Junior Surfing Titles. She was such an awesome chick, and we were in awe of her surf-star physique! Seven-time world champ Layne Beachley was also there (she's pictured above, surfing in the dark wetsuit), and she signed some t-shirts just for us! We interviewed both girls for GRLtv – keep a lookout for the video, which will be uploaded soon!
I went home rather salty, crusty and rusty, but with a smile on my face. Although the fitness level required to surf is perhaps slightly beyond my capabilities, the rush you get when you’re cruising on a wave makes it 100% worthwhile. I’ll be surfing again at the earliest possible opportunity and I’d encourage any GRL to give it a go.
Thanks to the Play It Safe By The Water Surfing for Girls team especially Max, Liam and Girv from Surfing Victoria for the sweet experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment