Women take the lead at SA surf championships

Women will surf, women will judge, women will direct and they will commentate at the Mercedes-Benz Buffalo City Metro SA Surfing championships at Nahoon Point and Corner.

This is in honour of national women’s day.

All thirty-two women surfers will take to the storm surf pounding the Corner, or it will move to the Reef if the size drops to render it rideable.

Surfer, competitor and contest organiser, Tasha Mentasti said they wanted to celebrate the role women were playing in surfing.

“We are celebrating women and it’s an all-women team, from our social media officials, the judges, commentators, and all the admin staff that will be working tomorrow, just to show that women are also highly capable,” she said.

The contest is being directed by Ann Wright.

Said Mentasti: “While the men have seven divisions, our women’s team only has two – a premier women’s division and the over-30 women’s division. There are many women surfing socially, but few are competitive and professional, and not all that many women in the over40 division surfing either, which is why there are fewer divisions for the women’s surfing.

“We can’t take away the fact that some women have to stop surfing at some point, due to various factors. Pregnancy is one of them, having a family and all the other responsibilities that come with being a woman,” she said.

Mentasti said more women are surfing, but many were doing it as a hobby.

“Considering I have been surfing for more than 27 years now, I have watched the transition unravel and more woman come on board, and to think that back when I started I used to compete with two other girls. Now there are more than 30 competing.

“We are also exceptionally proud of East London’s Zoey Steyn, who at 14 is the youngest female surfer to partake in the competition, and will be among the women who will be representing the country at the world championships in Japan next month,” she said.