Sunshine Surf Girls Edition 6 Autumn 2016 Eco Edition

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I ,M m a s F Re h o me EE e ! ke

Image: nikki van dijk, courtesy of Rip Curl Australia

Australia's magazine for surfing women

Featuring :

Alison Teal

Sustainable Living with Kimi Werner Surfing In Saris Surf Photographer Fran Miller

6 au tumn 2016

Image: Sarah Lee

A note From the editor When I was a kid, I always wanted to be an astronaut and, to be totally honest, if someone wants to buy me a space flight, I won’t say no. I love the idea of looking back on our blue planet and the possibility of exploring new planets is intriguing.

The reality is that even though scientists recently discovered ripples in the fabric of space/time making dreams of space travel that tiny bit closer, earth is the only planet we’ve got.

This beautiful chunk of rock and water is all we have.

For me, that’s reason enough to look after it but the fact that I get so much joy from surfing is another.

Look, I get that it can seem overwhelming. There’s a lot of stuff going on and you’re just one person, right? I hope that the women featured in this edition inspire you to take whatever steps you can – big or small – to protect our planet and our oceans. These women aren’t big powerful governments or corporations, they’re individuals just like you and me. I think if we all do what we can, the outcome will be pretty amazing…

Liz

If we, as surfers and ocean lovers, don’t protect our oceans and its beautiful creatures, who will?

As ocean lovers we have such a great connection with the deep blue that when we see it trashed and littered with plastic it can be pretty upsetting. The ocean gives us so much joy – it’s our duty to take care of it as our way of saying thank you.

These micro plastics don’t go away or biodegrade, they float in our oceans forever. Marine life can mistake them for food, which has a devastating impact on our wildlife. Not only that, the plastics can also make their way into your diet through the food chain.

Throughout this Edition of SSG, keep an eye out for my six simple steps for surfers to protect our oceans from plastic pollution.

Discarded plastic can be found throughout all of our world’s oceans. The waves, currents, sun and weather all play a part in breaking down these plastics into tiny pieces called micro plastics.

With eight million tonnes of plastic being dumped into our oceans each year, it’s time we all took responsibility for the future of our planet, our oceans and the creatures that live within it.

By performing these steps you will help to create healthier oceans, reduce ocean pollution and enjoy surfing so much more with the knowledge that you are making a huge difference.

For more Eco-tips from Regan Jade go to www.reganjade.com

contents 06 07 08 11 14 16 21 24

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Readers Pics

Share your love of Surf with SSG

Letters to the Editor

We want to hear from you!

Product Reviews

Boards, bikinis, jewellery and more

Kimi Werner

Surferpreneur

Surf Photographer Fran Miller

Shades of Blue

Return to the Sea films in the Philippines

It’s All About Balance

Some handy surf tips from Physioma

On the importance of looking after our oceans

Nikki Van Dijk

Winner of the 2016 Australian Open of Surfing

Contributors

Alison’s Adventures

Fran Miller Regan Jade Lorin Willson Cil Krusic Linda Keam Helen Orr Kimi Werner Harbor House Life; Dan Silveira Alison Teal

On a global mission to reduce pollution

Surfing in Saris

Image: Justine Du Pont by fran miller

The unexpected and the unexpectedly familiar

Sustainable Surf Tourism

A few things to consider when travelling

Sarah Lee Lauren Hill Beyond The Surface Films Michelle Watson Ardiel Jimenez Tara Ruttenberg Suse Walsh Tim Just Rip Curl Australia

The team Editor: Liz Davison

Advertising: advertise@sunshinesurfgirls.com Publisher: Sunshine Surf Girls; Emma Krusic

ABN 14 452 593 792 Contributors opinions are not necessarily those of Sunshine Surf Girls © All rights reserved

Graphic Design: Melanie Kilby

Recycle: www.sunshinesurfgirls.com

After you and your friends have enjoyed reading me don't throw me out... use me as a layer in a no-dig vege garden!

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Claudia Blum

shade at Finding some Maldives. e th in ns Sulta

Jess Glees on

Show ing the boys how it’s d one.

readers pics

Let’s keep sharing our love of surf!

Here at SSG we are stoked to receive so many stories and images from our readers. It reminds us how diverse we all are, yet we are brought together by sharing the amazing experiences that surfing brings to our lives.

Email hi@sunshinesurfgirls.com to feature in the mag.

Image: Bohemian Sea Photography & Arty Bits

Tag us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to feature on our social media @sunshinesurfgirls #ssgmag

Linda Goodwin Originally from the UK I live d most of my life in central England. I moved to Austral ia and became addicted to the ocean and especially sur fing.

I have been sur fing for abo ut four years and last year for my 40th birthday I shaped my own sur fboard. What an awesome experience and now I ride my own custom board shaped by my very own hands. LOV E IT.

Letters to the editor Hey Editor!

I have something to say…

Loving the new magazine. I’ve been following you guys ever since I started surfing and it’s given me so much inspiration!

It encouraged me to move to Australia to surf more.

Olivia xoxo

Woah! Love your commitment to your surfing life Olivia!

Hope the fins and t-shirt from Drifting Sol will help you enjoy it even more. – Ed

Passion is no stranger to surfers across this blue planet.

Without it, girls wouldn’t be where we are today; leading countries, winning gold and being a surfer girl. Passion is what will drive women’s surfing to the very next level.

Because of the passion that you, Editor and readers, portray enables us gurfers the determination to try airs and roundhouse’s...

Trust me, every bloke loves a chick who sits on the outside but is softly crushed at the thought of his last wave being totally obliterated by your vert re-o and punt on the end section that you stick with great elegance and style.

Determination will test you, but passion will drive you.

Go get ‘em girls. Chicks rip!!

Jess Gleeson

Thanks Jess! A huge part of what inspires us is connecting with other girls around the world and sharing this passion of ours. We think chicks rip too! – Ed

Congratulations Olivia

YOU ARE THE WINNER OF A SET OF FINS AND T-SHIRT FROM DRIFTING SOL

I love surfing because of the way it makes me feel!!!

It makes me feel completely free and I don’t have to really think about anything... when I am coming down the wave it gives me a kind of slow rush kinda feeling that is hard to explain! Surfing is one of the sports where you can’t be told what to do... because you have to find your own style and your own way to do things.

Jemima Stanghon hi ssg!

After a few months chasing waves in incredible places like Bali and South Africa, I was feeling hesitant to come home to Sawtell, NSW. The sweetest surprise – summer swell – welcomed me home!

I have been stoked with some of the best waves I’ve ever had at my local beaches this past fortnight.

Waves made even better by being full of my friends :-) We are fully blessed in Australia – waves, freedom and sunshine.

I am so grateful to be home in this amazing country!

Love Laura

I think one of my favourite things about travelling is that it gives you a fresh way of looking at your home... and your friends!

We are pretty lucky to live in such a wonderful, diverse country.

– Ed

Image: fran miller

Hey! I’m an east coast surfer chick from the United States.

I LOVE your magazine! I can’t believe I was able to find it here!

Tatiana Crawford

Yeeew! We love that we’re finding our way into the hands of women around the world. Stoked you stumbled upon a copy Tatiana. – Ed.

It’s that feeling that keeps us coming back over and over again too Jemima. It’s so nice to be in the moment and not think about anything else, even if it’s just for a few seconds. You don’t need to explain, we get it... – Ed

WIN We love hearing from you.

E m ail our E d about any thing surf ing and you could WIN a prize pack from Komunit y Proje c t value d at ove r $10 0 !

Send your words to hi@sunshinesurfgirls.com

¬Nikki Van Dijk tail pad ¬Kelly Slater legrope Sunshine Surf Girls

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Hoku Surfboards

RRP$1190

The crew at Soul Surf have always had the vision to support women’s surfing. What better way to do it than to design a board specifically for the female rider?

I have to admit that I was curious to find out how a board could be designed to better suit women surfers.

That was until I saw the description of the board: Hoku boards are designed to be an all-rounder, with highly responsive performance, speed down the line, and great performance on the nose. They’re extremely easy to paddle, with the perfect balance of just enough nose and tail lift, and double concave all the way down the board, so you’re not pushing water. They are all Australian made, using quality blanks and with a fin patch area for extra strength. 9ft1” x 22” x 2 3/4”.

This board suits beginners through to professional riders. All aspects of this board are well thought out, including the name. Hoku was born from

a combination of the desire to support women’s surfing, wanting to keep the connection to the traditional style of surfing, and this quote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We were all meant to shine. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson Hoku means ‘star’ in Hawaiian. All of the Hoku surfboards have a starfish decal on them, to remind the rider that they deserve to shine like a star.

You can find more info at soulsurf.com.au

Salt Long Island Jewelry As a surfer and ocean lover I am partial to nautical themed wearable products! That’s why I get excited when I find companies such as Salt Long Island Jewelry; described as vintage, cosmopolitan, refined yet still down to earth.

It gets better. Salt LI is also an eco-conscious company with a humanitarian side; using recycled, biodegradable packaging designed to be re-used AND donating 5% of profits to Doctors Without Borders and Waves For Water.

From First Mate Studs to the Sailor Knot Cuff Bracelet, one can sense the love of the ocean felt and conveyed by Salt LI in their products.

The brand is diverse and also caters for those who are not-so-nautically-inclined with a range of cuffs, bracelets, earrings and necklaces.

Salt LI… you had me at Bali Cutback Cuff.

At super good prices you’d be mad not to treat yourself. www.saltli.com

ZENNOR BIKINI What’s better than a new pair of bikinis?

Getting four pairs! That’s what you get when you buy a pair of UK-based Zennor Bikinis because each top and bottom is reversible. I loved the Moontide halter top for surfing because it fits snugly, kept everything in place (even in bigger surf) and felt really soft and comfy at the same time. The bottoms are the same soft fabric and are perfect if you’re into a more revealing cut.

Share your love of Zennor Bikinis by becoming a Zennor Mermaid and you will go in the draw to win a pair each month. Head to the Zennor Bikini website for more details.

Check out the range online zennorbikini.com and use promo code: ZENNORSSG to score yourself an SSG reader discount!

wax buddy Removing old wax from your board is usually no fun at all. It’s hot and sticky and most wax combs hurt your hand when you try to get a good grip. Made from 100% recycled materials, the wax buddy is no ordinary wax comb. It combines wax comb, wax scraper and rail cleaner with (wait for it) a handle! Why did no one think of this sooner?!

It comes in a whole range of colours and you can even get one with an SSG logo.

What’s not to love?

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Image: Dan Silveira, Courtesy of Harbor House Life

Did you k now ?

Spearfishing is one of the most sustainable ways of fishing!

Hawaii’s Kimi Werner started freediving at just five years old, when she would tag along with her father as he hunted to put food on the family’s kitchen table. In 2013, she was both the youngest person and first female inducted into the Freediving Hall of Fame. However, life for this diver/surfer/artist/chef has become so much more than competitive diving. As successful as she was, shooting fish for competition did not resonate with Kimi. Staying true

to herself, she left her freediving career behind and pursued a sustainable lifestyle; seeking harmony with the place she feels most comfortable… the ocean. Now, rather than travelling the world to compete, she travels to promote the importance of protecting the resources which sustain us, and instead of hunting fish for points, she shoots only what she needs to survive.

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SSG: Why do you think it’s important to live a sustainable existence and what does that mean?

KW: To me, it’s really important because it creates a sense of self. There are so many obvious reasons like, ‘we should take care of our planet’, but for me, it’s more personal than that. Living sustainably can be hard work sometimes. Every day is different.

My daily life is dependent on the weather.

If the weather is nice, I’ll be in the ocean or outside, diving and/or collecting food in some way, shape or form. The days when the weather is not so good are spent processing the food; cleaning the fish, making it into delicious meals. As far as work goes, I travel the world to promote more sustainable living.

A huge reason why people moved away from sustainable living is because we adopted modern conveniences. I think that a lot of mod cons were invented to make life easier. What we didn’t realise, is that through that process, we made things less sustainable. As we move towards convenience, we move away from sustainable living.

character building skills that a human can possess. Those skills give you a sense of who you are, and its getting a sense of who you are that can give you happiness and contentment. We are losing a sense of what makes us happy, and that is the biggest crime ever. Even if you don’t know how to fillet a fish, you develop a sense of self because of that. Even if you don’t need to reuse a water bottle; reusing that water bottle, cleaning it and looking after it teaches you how to care and value something. The value is what gives our lives meaning, and if we take that away; we are turning into zombies who don’t have to think about meaning or value.

SSG: For people in urban or city areas, do you have any little tips as to how they can bring sustainable practices into their lives? Any actions they can take?

KW: A lot of it really comes down to awareness and anything that you can do to help simplify your life. Even if it is just

Moving back to sustainable living is extremely important because of the effort it takes. Even though we adopted these convenient solutions to minimise effort; I think we did ourselves a huge disservice. It’s those exact efforts, challenges and hard work that are the most

imageS Courtesy of

@harborhouselife Harbor House Home

Image: Dan Silveira

learning to live with a little less, so you learn to value things. As far as food sustainability, just taking the time to investigate where your food comes from is a huge service to yourself and to what you are eating. As you learn about that, you will then have more of a connection to it. As a consumer in an urban world, the biggest change you can make is what you spend your money on. The biggest way you can make a change is to ask questions, read labels, go to farmers markets and talk to people. Live a more examined life and look at the effects of your actions.

SSG: We have seen footage of you out in the ocean spending time with some amazing animals. Are there any particular animals or experiences that stand out the most?

KW: Definitely my experience with a Great White shark!* It will always stand out to me because it was such a moment of vulnerability, having to make a decision and having to put it into action. Knowing in that vulnerable space that I am going to need to commit to whatever feels right and just give it my best. Just being in the presence of that animal was sensational. It’s something I don’t think I will do again but it stands out for sure. *Check out the epic footage on www.sunshinesurfgirls.com

SSG: Speaking of sharks, in Australia over the last few years there has been a lot of media around shark attacks and controversy about how to deal with the issue. Do you have an opinion?

KW: Any time we go into the ocean we are going into a territory where sharks live and thrive, and there are dangers that come with that. Shark attacks are one of those dangers. But I don’t see it as a problem that needs to be solved. Whatever beach you go to swim at, the drive to the beach is far more dangerous than the

actual swim, but you are not going to say ‘no driving allowed’. So I don’t really see it as an issue. It is an unfortunate event when it happens but I don’t think we necessarily need to solve the problem that sharks may attack people.

SSG: There are so many issues facing our oceans. What do you think is the biggest one?

KW: I believe that awareness is the biggest issue because people have become so disconnected from their food source that they don’t understand how to take care of it.

There is so much misinformation out there even for people who want to do better.

I think that is the biggest change that needs to be made. Food is the one thing we all have in common. When it comes to the ocean, we don’t all surf; we don’t all swim; we don’t all paddle canoes. But we all eat.

We eat a lot of fish and things from the ocean. So I think globally we could take a look at what we are eating; how it was caught and whether it was caught at a sustainable or an industrial level. Know those types of things. It’s not realistic to think ‘just don’t kill fish’. We are never going to make everyone in the world stop eating fish so let’s go to the next solution.

Let’s decide on a way to manage our ocean resources that makes sense and can be sustainable. Then let’s find out what we are eating and whether or not it’s done in a way that achieves that. I think it really comes down to understanding the difference between sustainable and unsustainable practices. www.kimiwerner.com @kimi_swimmy

You can learn more about sustainable seafood through the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s Sustainable Seafood initiative www.sustainableseafood.org.au or at www. sustainabletable.org.au.

You can also support the work of AMCS by drinking beer!

Check out www.thegoodbeerco.com.au for more info.

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Single -use plastics are those that we use once and throw away. Single -us e plastics are notorious for finding their way into our oceans and washing up on our beaches. Plastic drink bottles, plastic bag s, lolly wrappers, takeaw ay coffee cups and lids and chip packets are all exa mples of single -use pla stics.

The less we use, the les s we have to lose.

Image: nikki van dijk, courtesy of Rip Curl Australia

NIKKI van dijk After hitting the world stage in the 2012 film, First Love, Phillip Island local Nikki Van Dijk now takes on the world as one of the top 10 on the Women’s World Championship Tour.

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alison teal

alison’s

Adventures

Growing up as a true global citizen, Alison Teal spent her childhood being home-schooled, while travelling the globe with her world-renowned photographer father and yoga teaching mother. She’s seen first-hand how the waste we produce impacts communities across the globe. Now she spends her days journeying into ancient cultures with her camera and pink eco-surfboard; to share stories of survival, sustainability, health and happiness.

Images: Sarah Lee EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED

We caught up with Alison at her grass shack in Hawaii to chat about educating people through entertainment and what we can all do to protect our beloved ocean environment.

I guess I kind of became the expert on plastic pollution in the Maldives after being there for Naked and Afraid [a survival challenge TV program shown on Discovery Channel ed.]. I truly believe that storytelling is the way cultures and the world have survived over the years, whether it was cave paintings, hula dancing or stories that the elders told to protect song lines. I want to go around the world and share stories rather than just saying, ‘Oh my god, save the whales’ or ‘we have to save the Maldives’.

It’s the story behind it and the why. Why should we care? Why does it matter? I want to make it fun because nobody wants to be preached to, or to watch a long boring documentary about the ins and outs of plastic pollution.

I met an expert in happiness who said, “if you smile, even if you have to force yourself to smile, you literally become a happier person”. So I thought, if you can make a difference, if you can entertain and make people happy with a smile and a surfboard you can open any door… and that’s kind of been my thing ever since. How do I sugar coat the pill in a sense so future generations will be engaged? How can we preserve and share the stories? For me, it’s through ‘edutainment’.

This is my whole basis for changing the world through my series Alison’s Adventures. I don’t have massive teams and programs behind the scenes; it’s really just me and Sarah Lee (Alison’s photographer).

I think if you have a dream and a passion, you don’t have to have tonnes of money,

you just have to have a good story and something you genuinely care about and before you know it, it will have a ripple effect.

For me, it’s something that just happened and I get to be a part of it, so it’s pretty exciting!

If you love surfing, then you love the ocean and if you love the ocean, you can protect the ocean so it becomes a much bigger thing. I don’t make surf movies, but I’m a surfer girl. That’s part of who I am and what I love, so that’s how my surf/survive/ sustain mission came about. How are we going to sustain ourselves if we don’t start to protect the oceans? I think Paul Watson [Sea Shepherd captain ed.] said it best; “if the oceans die, we die”. That’s crazy to think about!

Image: David Blehert

Image: Mark Tipple

SSG: Yeah it is! Your surfboard is pink, but it’s ‘green to the core’. Can you tell us a bit more about your board and how that came about?

Actually, it’s been kind of an evolution…

I grew up with a yoga teacher mum and people would ask me, ‘how’s your granola, do you want extra sprouts with that?’

It’s been mind-blowing going from ‘eco is weird’ to ‘eco is awesome’. Now things are changing to the point where Lost, who are one of the biggest surfboard companies in the world, make eco-boards made out of recycled coffee cups and I think, wow, how cool is that?! We can now make a difference even with a surfboard!

I’m an ambassador for Sustainable Surf and they came up with the concept of ‘waste to

waves’ where they take recycled Styrofoam and turn it into surfboard foam. We use plant resin from SuperSap and then, you’ve got a surfboard! They’re pretty awesome and I feel a lot better riding them…

SSG: Why do you think they’re not made on a larger, more commercial scale?

I think they are… maybe people just don’t know where to find them. Or maybe it’s just like buying organic where things tend to be more expensive – which I think should change! Eco-surfboards should be the cheapest ones on the market so that we’re able to readily access and use them. I think it’s shifting though as the pro surfers are using them and people are realising that the boards ride just as well.

SSG: Your swimmers are made from recycled materials too, aren’t they? So it is possible to be eco-conscious and have a positive effect by making small changes?

For me this eco-conscious lifestyle is normal but to a lot of people it’s strange. I mean, I live in a grass shack.

The first step is to avoid shoving things in people’s faces. It’s about entertaining them and helping them realise that they can take small steps to make a difference. Even if that’s travelling to a beautiful place and just seeing how precious it is, to the point where they’re inspired to want to protect it. So get out in nature. The more you see it, the more you’ll love it!

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Image: Sarah Lee

That’s what happened to me in the Maldives. I sat on the beach every day and thought, ‘how the heck can all this plastic be washing up everyday and destroying this place?’ So I went back with a mission because it was important to me. Part of the misconception is that the rubbish in the Maldives and on all the islands in the ocean, originate from those islands.

It’s actually from all over the world and it’s being carried there on currents from other countries. From the US, Australia, China, Russia, everywhere, and it’s coming to their paradise. Yes, we do need to get better at recycling in developing countries.

Recycling is great but in the long run, it’s not the answer because we need to stop consuming so much. It doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Just get a bottle that you use everyday and that’s one step. Is it better to buy a bikini made of recycled plastic?

Of course it is and it’s a step in the right direction, but we also don’t want to start getting people to buy more just because it’s recycled.

SSG: Any last words for our readers?

I believe that we all come into the world with what I call an ‘ish’ and if we do that ‘ish’, we’ll be fulfilled and have success.

It might be underwater basket weaving or whatever, but sometimes people don’t do it because they think, ‘I’ll never make a living out of that’. But if you go and do that ‘ish’, then you’re helping humanity and you’re helping yourself, because that’s what you’re meant to be doing while you’re here.

I think surfers are a lot more in tune with finding and fulfilling their ‘ish’. It’s like the feeling you get when you drop in on a wave.

You might hit the reef, or you might get the wave of your life. You have to try it.

Focus on your story. Lots of us are so busy focusing on someone else’s story that we forget about our own. Don’t be ashamed of your story, or want a different one.

That’s part of what Alison’s Adventures is all about; giving people a vehicle to share their own stories…

You can find out more about Alison and her mission to protect the oceans at www.alisonsadventures.com

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I don't leave my house without a reusable coffee cup, reusable drink bottle and reusable bag. I will also throw in a stainless steel straw, container and bamboo cutlery.

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Tr ave l i s a m i rror that re flect s us back to ourse lve s. The stri pping away of cre ature comfort s, routin e and fa m i liariti e s re ve al s both the une xpecte d and the une xpecte dly fa m i liar. More of te n than not, it ' s a proce s s of remembe ring what we alre ady know.

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are their business Research the brands you currently use, what nable practices? sustai using cts produ their make they Do ethics? is it better for only Not ients?

Do they use natural/low toxic ingred Start with too. body your for choice ier our oceans, it's a health nic sunscreen. l/orga natura a and wax surf ic organ some g gettin

words by Lauren L. Hill. images courtesy of Beyond The Surface Films A country steeped in contradiction, India is confronting and perturbing, but also deeply moving. More than one billion people occupy the subcontinent; a seventh of Earth’s human population.

Indian surfers are mostly patient and exceedingly full of stoke. All 100 or so of them wait with baited breath for swells to finally filter in, as surfers do in countries where surfing is either new or the swell is a measurably finite resource. In India, both are true. Not yet crowded. Not yet jaded.

With five other lady sliders, I travelled to a remote coastal corner of Tamil Nadu in search of a proper point break. The crew included professional waterwoman Liz Clark, artist Chrystal Thornburg-Homcy, humanitarian Emi Clark, yogini Kate Baldwin and India's first recognised female surfer, Ishita Malaviya. We were especially stoked to be travelling with Ishita, a woman who has inspired all of us with her unrelenting ambition to follow her dreams of becoming a surfer, despite oppressive cultural norms that have kept so many women from pursuing their passions.

We found the point break, but the swell never quite did it justice. After eight hours of driving, we watched as three feet of swell smashed the outcropping of rocks off the headland, and continued its way northward.

The swell was too south to significantly filter into the manicured sandy point.

‘normalized sexism,’ or being considered less valuable, capable, and worthy than their brothers. Most women are denied access to education, work and play outside of the home.

In the Women's Self Help Centre, one of us finally mustered the courage to ask the women if they'd like to try surfing. With shy glances and girlish giggles, they agreed, and we had the humbling experience of taking two local women surfing. With no culturally appropriate alternatives for swim or sport wear, they wore their saris into the Bay of Bengal; nine yards of brightly dyed fabric, expertly wrapped, folded and draped around their bodies. The saris proved completely (and elegantly) covering on land, but wholly weighty in the water. I watched the women pull and tug on the fabric as the water gripped it, slowing them down, unravelling; a symbol of the cultural weights they must bear, just for being women. Restricted from overly flamboyant (or just buoyant), dynamic movement by sexist norms that insist women are more suited for passivity than engagement; for watching, not doing. We pushed them onto waves on their bellies and they taught us Bollywood dance moves while knee deep in the sea. They were probably the first women ever to ride waves in saris.

Unoccupied by swell, we visited a local Women’s Self Help Centre, where girls and women are taught to hand dye and weave native palm leaves into beautiful and intricate handicrafts. In turn, the women earn financial independence to support their families when husbands go awry or fall to the hand of alcoholism, as is so common in the surrounding villages.

One of the things that travelling to India helped me to remember, especially surfing with those sari-clad women, is what a privilege it is to surf. We are crazy fortunate to feel salty sea air upon our bare skin.

Not only to be able to physically ‘feel,’ but to be free of social and political barriers that might tell us that being bare in the sea is wrong. Sinful, even. An Indian woman might be called promiscuous for playing amongst the elements in the presence of men. We have the immense gift of leaving all of the weight of the terrestrial world behind for the sole purpose of play. It revitalizes and inspires. The ocean treats us all the same.

India is ranked as the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women, just behind Afghanistan, Congo and Pakistan. A common Indian proverb states, ‘raising girls is like watering someone else’s lawn,’ speaking to the generally accepted senselessness of having girls at all. Most girls in India (if they are not aborted because of their sex) face a lifelong battle against

We are of the freest and most capable women ever to live on planet Earth. This is not something to be taken for granted. It is a charge and a responsibility to reach out, especially to our sisters all over the world, who long to be free, who dream of finding their passions and losing themselves in the freedom of it, just like us, but maybe in ways more beautiful than we can even imagine.

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Sustainable Surf Travel: Images: helen orr

A Trip of Consciousness

words by Tara Ruttenberg From Bali to Costa Rica and all the islands in between, we've grown increasingly aware of the social and environmental impacts of our endless summer adventures around the world. But what would a more sustainable style of surf travel look like? And what can we do to make our footprints in the sand a lighter burden for the earth, and her people, to bear?

Seeing anew

Cultivating sustainability consciousness is a vital first step. It requires an often uncomfortable recognition of the way our jet-set surfer lifestyles contribute to environmental degradation and cultural transformation in the places we travel

to surf. This awareness helps us act more responsibly and to recognise that it isn't up to the locals to change their way of life to cater to our needs. Instead, it's up to us to adjust our habits and behaviours in ways that fit within local styles of being and doing, however different they may be from our own. For example, it's not their responsibility as a local community to design waste management systems to respond to our unsustainable modes of over-consumption; it's up to us, as tourists, to consume less and focus on earthfriendly ways when travelling – a subtle shift in thinking with the potential to move the sustainability conversation beyond the status quo.

Beyond 'buying local'

Leveraging surf tourism dollars to support local people and their economies by 'buying local' barely scratches the surface of what is needed for more sustainable futures in surf destinations. While increased income often contributes to improved quality of life in material ways, it does little to honour the genuine wellbeing of communities and the social fabric that binds them together.

Observing, learning and talking to people about the ways their local economy works, and finding ways to support alternative forms of economic interaction – like cooperative businesses, trade and barter systems, giftgiving and sharing resources – we contribute

Tara Ruttenberg is a PhD student specialising in alternatives to development in sustainable surf tourism. She works as a teaching assistant for the educational surf travel program, Surfing & Sustainability: Political Ecology in Costa Rica. Read more of her work at www.tarantulasurf.com Sunshine Surf Girls

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to deeper, more collective wellbeing in meaningful, if not revolutionary, ways.

4

Step

The Take 3 mess age is simple; tak e three pieces of with you when yo rubbish u leave the beach.

By doing this you making a differenc are e to the health of our oceans. If yo some trash while u see you’re out surfi ng , stick it under yo strap or in your we ur bik ini tsuit. Once you ge t to shore you can it in the bin. pop

Local wisdom 'Learn from the locals' is a mantra often repeated yet rarely heeded by the majority of surfers on the road. By believing we already know what sustainability should look like, both at home and abroad, we shut ourselves off from acknowledging local practices and time-honoured traditions; often rooted in harmonious modes of earth and human interbeing. Accepting that we see the world from within the preconceived notions of our own cultures and ingrained world-view is a critical exercise in humility, allowing us to recognize a more diverse spectrum of sustainability beyond what we've been taught to know as right and good from within our own limited cultural logic. From there, opening ourselves to learning from the locals allows us to open up to styles of sustainability we may never have considered possible – and that's a souvenir that lasts well beyond our return back home.

Image: helen orr

SSG have teamed up with The Perfect Wave to run the ultimate all-girls surf charters to the Maldives.

e i n v i D

fun waves | tropical water | stunning reef | new friends Surfing the Maldives is a must for your bucket list

Come and join us in the Maldives in 2016.

3 -13 MAY

Limited spaces left.

Hurry Book now!

21 -31 OCT

Spaces are filling.

Reserve your place.

For bookings and enquiries contact Emma at The Perfect Wave (02) 9523 5310 or drop us a line at hi@sunshinesurfgirls.com

Inclusions: • Airport meet & greet • Group return Male airport transfers. (Individual transfers at extra cost) • Air-conditioned twin cabin accommodation • All meals, tea & coffee and unlimited drinking water • SSG trip coordinator • Local expert surf guide • An exclusive SSG Goodies bag containing surf trip essentials

Thanks to the trip supporters:

SURF DAY gear with good juju

Onl y

US$1860 (exc. flights)

Surf the Maldives in May 2016 for 2015 prices!

• Full photo package with TPW surf photographer • Use of on-board equipment basic snorkelling & fishing gear.

(Equipment is basic hand lines and mask/snorkel. Please feel free to bring your own with you) • Access to Kandooma Resort and its facilities – please note that this is only available when the boat is in South Male area • Departure tax • Maldivian Government Green Tax

surf photographer

fr a n mi ller

I was around 11 years old when I first started trying to take photos of the ocean. My parents had a house on the beach south of Sydney, and I was seriously mesmerised by the ocean and nature in general so I just borrowed (or more likely stole) my sister’s camera to shoot.

I still have those photos somewhere in my parent’s home. Years later, I was lucky to be mentored by a long time friend of mine, Lin Jie Kong, who is a TV and Film producer at the ABC. She taught me about the technical side of photography. I would literally go to her house, learn something, then go down to the beach and try out whatever I had just learnt.

"I would probably describe my style as unusual, emotive and personal."

I would probably describe my style as unusual, emotive and personal. I have been deeply influenced by art, including painters and sculptors in my photography. When I say unusual, I like visualising images that I have never seen before. I always enter the water with my camera ready to create a certain style of image. I know in my head what I want to create. Emotive, because my style of photography is not solely documentative.

I don’t spend a lot of time shooting comps or the ‘pumping’ days. If I shoot someone in a barrel, I would rather have a close up of their face to see how they are feeling, rather than document that they are in a barrel.

This also ties into the personal. Humans are social and emotional creatures. My style reflects the intimacy of feelings in the person I am shooting, whether that be between themselves and the ocean, others in the water, or with me. I adore shooting people I am close to, because I feel connected to sharing the story of their being.

I want to create visual art that causes people to be reflective and ask questions. When you ask questions, you open your mind to the possibility that there is more to what is in front of you, not simply accepting what you are told. That relates to not only my photo, but how you pass the hours of your life.

I think modern society often traps people and that’s it, you get to the end and you may have lived a life that wasn’t your true self. I pursue my photography as a somewhat selfish endeavour to seek understanding about life, and I hope my photos also encourage others to do the same. By seeing the joy in the body language of one of my subjects, the viewer may reflect upon what brings them their own joy. Or it may also bring uncomfortable and confronting feelings, such as that moment in life where you raise your hands up and say, ‘what the heck am I doing in life!?’ That is the essence of my recent work; reflection and emotions. But it is always evolving.

I am going to sound completely corny here, but my biggest achievement to date has been surrounding myself with people who encourage creative endeavour, and in turn, allow me to pursue a life that reflects the self I am in photography. Building close personal relationships with people who allowed my photography to prosper in the direction that I want has been not straightforward. There were times in the past where I was hesitant to show images that I liked, but didn’t fit the mould of ‘surf photography’, and what was expected of a surf photographer. Arriving in a place where I am proud to show what I create has been a difficult process,

but one in which I feel comfortable with now.

On a more standard note, being published editorially and working with some of the world’s best surfers is an honour, as well as working with surfers who are also excited about exploring the deeper contexts that surf photography allows. For example, sometimes it’s not easy to tell a surfer you want to spend a session shooting their feet to portray delicacy and fluidity, especially when their sponsor’s logos are nowhere to be seen. I guess the achievement has been in convincing them I’m not crazy.

My two favourite surfers to shoot are Roisin Carolan and Ivy Thomas. We are all great friends and they simply allow and encourage me to explore the art in and of surf photography. They are wonderfully stylish surfers, they are professional in their attitudes to photoshoots, and they are beautiful in their hearts. We are like family.

There are so many roles in surf photography.

You might be a commercial photographer shooting product and catalogues. You might be an editorial focussed photographer trying to shoot Steph getting barrelled at Snapper.

You might be a fine art photographer trying to capture sunrises and landscapes. To do any of those things, you have to spend years working on the skills required to do so, not to mention the effort required to then capture the images for the intended purpose. There are some incredible photographers like Joli and Swilly who I respect enormously, and I think, if I took the same photo as them, with the same equipment, of the same event, why the heck do I deserve to have my photo

published over theirs? I don’t, which is the point. It isn’t so much about cracking an industry, as it is about being true to the style of photography you like, and paying your dues. I don’t think it is necessarily different for women. There are probably 20 male photographers to every one female out at Pipeline or Snapper, which in fact may give a female photographer an advantage if they are able to give a different perspective to the circus in the water. With the massive commercialisation of women’s surfing over the last decade, I think a lot of female photographers are getting an advantage in producing commercial imagery for big brands as they bring their feminine instinct to shooting female oriented products.

Wonderfully talented photographers like Cait Miers, Ming Nomchong and Megan Villa are currently outstanding names.

Not to forget another brilliant female surf photographer, Kirstin Scholtz who is the senior photographer of the WSL. There is an ongoing joke amongst my friends about how my nickname Fran90210 came about. My surname is quite ubiquitous, so I thought a number would be good. It is the memorable postcode of Beverly Hills, and was an ironic play on how little I actually represent the social structures promoted

by Hollywood.

You can visit www.franmiller.com.au for more. Peace out.

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Images: Ardiel Jimenez

S u rfi n g t h e P h i l ippi n es w i t h M i c h e l l e Wat s o n

The noise of the engine tries to drown out the splashes against the bow of our small catamaran. We sputter along, captivated by the many shades of blue as we slowly make our way to a tiny island in the hope of scoring a perfect left to play on.

The boat crams in eight of us. The shirtless local captain has one hand on the back stick to steer while the other holds the mere string that is the boats throttle. My cameraman and I are joined by three local Filipina surfer girls, two of them sisters, who are arguably the best female surfers in the Philippines and two Australian surfers who are here for the coming of the big swell.

Our eyes are glued to the whitewater in the distance, trying to make out the faces of the waves we are about to take on.

As we near, a perfect, clear left invites us in. The boat rocks as we scramble to gather our boards while the captain casts off the anchor.

I am in Siargao in the Philippines filming Episode Two of Return to the Sea, a journey into the souls of female surfers and cultures around the world. I have been travelling all over this beautiful country for two weeks now, meeting up with the local Filipina surfer girls. I am continually blown away by the talent and sincere kindness that these women have shown me.

On my travels my heart is always warmed by the waves I find and the locals riding them. With the incredible talent of women surfers today, and the explosion of social media, the world is now encountering girls at breaks who, until quite recently, would never have ventured in to this male dominated arena. Women are now empowered to push past their fears and rise above obstacles that once stood in their way to hit the waves‌ and women everywhere are ripping!

I want to share the talent and voices of the women I meet along the way. Everyone has something to offer, and these women are so inspiring that they deserve to let their spirits shine bright on the rest of the world‌ SSG are proud supporters of Michelle and Return to the Sea. Check the website for regular updates on her journey to share the stories, cultures, and lives of the surfer girls she meets around the world who share our love for the sea.

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5 Regan Jade says...

Step

Say no to m icrobea ds

Are you unk now ingly pollutin g our oceans with your beauty products? You r face scrub alone could contain as many as 350,000 plastic microbeads per tube. These beads are washed straight dow n the drain and into our oceans .

Check the ingredients list of your face scrub, body wash and toothpaste for polyethylene (PE) and poly propylene (PP). If it contains either of those then it’s full of micro pieces of plastic!

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Images: Keely Andrew by Tim Just

Image: Dimity by Fran Miller

B y P h ysi o M a a ka S u se Wa l s h

the first of a series of articles by physio suse walsh The other day, I was out having a grovel with the SSG Editor, Liz and discussing my need of a new board... don’t get me wrong, I love my trusty steed but it’s been 12 years and three kids later. She’s getting kinda water logged and well... it’s MY TURN! So Liz offered her fab 5’4” for a test run. I took a few nose dives then finally found my feet as I skidded awkwardly along a wave. For me it was like riding an esky lid. Obviously, no fault of the board, it got me thinking. Firstly, this new board thing could really improve my surfing and secondly, BALANCE is sooo vital to surfing.

Whether you are a white water warrior or high performance surfer, refining your balance is pivotal in developing your surfing skills. Unlike maintaining our balance on land, we are affected by both a moving environment (waves), the shape of the board under foot and our bodies function. We definitely have no control over what ‘Hughey’ will produce but we do have control over our own body and our choice of board.

Our body’s balance system is complex.

Essentially, a combination of our muscle strength (do I have adequate power in my

muscles to support me?), body sensation (can I feel the board under my feet?), joint position sense or proprioception (do my joints know where they are in space without looking at them?), our vision (can I see where I’m going?) and our vestibular system (partly the inner ear) all play a part in keeping us on our feet. If we are not strong enough, or if we have sustained an injury that affects our proprioception, for example, a sprained ankle or a progressed ear infection, we can feel off balance.

Unfortunately, I had no excuses! I had a look at the differences between Liz's board and

6

Step

Regan Jade says...

Spread the message

ion Tell your friends and family about ocean pollut make can steps simple my ming perfor and how s, a difference. Join like-minded community group crew! up clean beach own or even create your

my own. Hers’ was A LOT thinner (reduced width), less chunky (reduced thickness) and definitely shorter. This reduced support base challenged my balance. Also, the take-off speed was faster so my reflexes needed some refining.

I didn’t quite get to the next balance challenge where a centripetal force (like a tennis ball on a string, as demonstrated by Dimity in the image to the left) would have

firmly stuck me to the board in an attempt to perform a more complex manoeuvre.

With these forces at play when we hit the waves, high performance surfer’s readily practise land based balance challenges in an effort to improve their skills, as demonstrated

by Keely in these images.

Ultimately, surfers of every skill level can benefit from these types of balance challenges.

WWW.SURFNRAK.COM.AU

So I’m still on the search for my next board but I'm getting closer each day as I try out lots of different options. Whatever I pick, it will definitely challenge my balance a little more than my trusty old gal.

Happy surfing sistas… keep the balance!