Swell idea: Her Turn Surf Festival provides a platform for women and girls

The Flagler Beach female-only surfing contest had age-group divisions from 10U to 45-plus and two pro divisions.

  • Palm Coast Observer
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Two years ago when Heather Tran was surfing in Flagler Beach one day, she noticed that half the surfers in the water were women. That gave her an idea. She decided to put on a local surfing contest exclusively for women and girls, and Her Turn Women’s Surf Festival was born.

The second annual Her Turn festival was held this past weekend with the kickoff party Friday, May 31, at Wadsworth Skateboard Park and the surfing contest at the Flagler Beach pier on Saturday, June 1.

Mother Nature cooperated with a beautiful, sunny day on Saturday as scores of surfers and spectators swarmed the beach. All of the vendors were women. All of the contestants were women and girls.

“We’re giving women a platform and showing little girls that it’s OK to do hard things,” Tran said. “Sports help women feel strong and empowered. That’s what the day is all about.”

And it only makes sense that Flagler Beach, the town where Frieda Zamba grew up, should host a women’s surf festival, Tran said.

Zamba, a four-time world surfing champion and one of the greatest women surfers of all time, now lives in Costa Rica, but is still very influential in the Flagler surfing community, Tran said.

“Being the home of Frieda Zamba, we should have a day all about us,” Tran said.

Most tournaments only have one or two female divisions, Tran said. The Her Turn contest had divisions for all levels.

Trans said it can be intimidating for women to paddle out with all men in the water. In this contest that was not a worry.

There were prizes in several divisions. East Coast Acupuncture, owned by Lisa Sweeters, sponsored the Shortboard Pro Division with a $1,000 purse. Carla Cline’s Please Don’t Make Me Cross the Bridge t-shirts and accessories sponsored the Longboard Pro Division. Ohana Food Co. sponsored the Express Yourself: My Board, My Choice division, in which competitors on longboards, shortboards and bodyboards all paddled out together with a $350 purse.

There were also longboard, shortboard and bodyboard open divisions and six age divisions from 10U (Future Division) to 45-plus (Goddess Division). The event’s premier sponsor was WIN Mortgage.

The Her Turn festival also had raffles to raise money for the Flagler Board Riders scholarship program and the Family Life Center. The kickoff party included a skate jam, artists, vendors, music and a food truck.

Results: https://liveheats.com/events/224117

 

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