Crown City History I N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H C O R O N A D O H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N
WOMEN
S URFIN G IN CORONADO BY C A RO L PA S T O R C O R O N A D O H I S T O R I C A L A S S O C I AT I O N VO L U N T E E R
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t hardly seems possible that it has been a year since I last wrote about surfing in Coronado. People have always had many choices of sports to enjoy while visiting here, but surfing has long been a staple for our community. We who have lived here often forget how lucky we are to reside in this small bit of heaven in southern California. Think about it: a golf course on the bay that is open nearly 365 days a year, a great skatepark, tennis courts in several locations, a great municipal pool and many parks. Oh, yes — and one of the best beaches in the country. We in Coronado love our beaches, which are enjoyed by both visitors and locals alike. For years, our locals have enjoyed surfing in Coronado. For as long as I can remember, there has been an ongoing friendly competition between Coronado surfers and Imperial
Beach surfers. Today, people from both cities and all over appear in some of our surfing events held at Coronado Shores beach area. Surfing has even become a part of the elementary, middle and high school culture here, with competitive surf teams and clubs providing structured involvement in the sport. When looking back through the history of Coronado, surfing was a sport for men, well into the mid-1960s. Few women were mentioned at that time. One exception was Margie Manock from Imperial Beach. This discovery prompted me to contact some of the women surfers whom I had known and see what they had to say about the culture of women in surfing. Margo Rhodes said her family settled here in the late 1800s with her grandmother working at the Hotel del Coronado. Her father, Herb, was a Coronado lifeguard
These photos of long-time local female surfer, MaryEllen (Mel) Wiley Rogers longboarding in Coronado was taken by former Coronado resident and avid surfer, Daron Case.
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CROWN CITY MAGAZINE
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AUGUST 2022
