Women Surfers

The number of women surfing in Britain has hugely increased over recent years. Hear what male and female surfers have to say about girls in the curl.

Surfers

Surf spots

Alex Conrad

Alex Conrad was brought up in Cornwall. He learnt to surf in the 1980s and has competed both on traditional wooden bellyboards and on more traditional ‘longboards’.  

John Adams

John Adams helped pioneer surfing around Penzance and Sennen in West Cornwall in the early 60s. He also ran 'The Winter Gardens' a dancehall in Penzance, a hang out for local surfers and set up Three S Films which created some early British surf films.

Anthony Weight

He remembers going out surfing with his older brother around age 11 before finally getting his own board at age 13. He started surfing in St Agnes and Perranuthnoe in West Cornwall.  

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Nick Radcliffe

Nick Radcliffe started surfing aged 12 in St Agnes and got his first surfboard in 1973 for £15.

Jennifer Penna

Jennifer Penna sister of Tris Cokes was crowned the Surf Queen of Great Britain in 1957. Growing up in Porthtowan from 1950, she taught herself to surf on a wooden bellyboard aged 14. She still loves the sea and swims and bodysurfs regularly.

Alan Bleakley

The first person Alan Bleakley saw surfing was an Australian lifeguard, Bob Head, on Great Western beach, Newquay. His first board was one of Bob Head’s which he got courtesy of a card game for his 15th birthday.

Eric Powell

Eric Powell tried belly boarding at the age of 9 in Whitley Bay. In 1962 he saw a stand-up surfer in Guernsey and decided to make his own hollow board.

Sarah Bentley

Sarah Bentley grew up surfing in South Wales but now lives in Porthtowan, Cornwall. She has competed Britain in the World Surfing Games in 2004 and has been an ambassador for several surfing brands.

Sarah Bentley

Sarah Bentley grew up surfing in South Wales but now lives in Porthtowan, Cornwall. She has competed Britain in the World Surfing Games in 2004 and has been an ambassador for several surfing brands.

Robyn Davies

Brought up surfing Porthleven, Robyn Davies won numerous British titles in the 1990's and competed on the ASP Women's WCS Tour in the early 2000's

Robyn Davies

Brought up surfing Porthleven, Robyn Davies won numerous British titles in the 1990's and competed on the ASP Women's WCS Tour in the early 2000's

Robyn Davies

Brought up surfing Porthleven, Robyn Davies won numerous British titles in the 1990's and competed on the ASP Women's WCS Tour in the early 2000's

David Bracey

David Bracey got his first board in 1965 and surfed for the first time at Fistral, Newquay and after that often surfed in Porthtowan.

Pip Frost

Pip Frost was part of Porthtowan Surf Life Saving Club from the early 60s and started surfing aged 19. She helped encourage the Surf Life Saving Association to employ female lifeguards. Married to Norman Frost.

Pip Frost

Pip Frost was part of Porthtowan Surf Life Saving Club from the early 60s and started surfing aged 19. She helped encourage the Surf Life Saving Association to employ female lifeguards. Married to Norman Frost.

Jeremy Davidson

Jeremy Davidson started surfing in the early 60s in Widemouth, Cornwall. But his mother had been surfing in Newquay 40 years before on his great Uncle's surfboard made from measurements taken in Hawaii.

Jeremy Davidson

Jeremy Davidson started surfing in the early 60s in Widemouth, Cornwall. But his mother had been surfing in Newquay 40 years before on his great Uncle's surfboard made from measurements taken in Hawaii.

Jeremy Davidson

Jeremy Davidson started surfing in the early 60s in Widemouth, Cornwall. But his mother had been surfing in Newquay 40 years before on his great Uncle's surfboard made from measurements taken in Hawaii.

Roger Berry

Roger Berry began belly boarding with his dad Ken in the 40s on boards they made from coffins. They saw photos of stand-up surfing in a May 1954 issue of National Geographic and crafted a hollow board without plans that winter. They were some of the first stand-up surfers in Guernsey.

Tassy Swallow

Tassy Swallow began surfing in St Ives aged 7. She is now a professional surfer competing in competitions around the world.

Mike Eastick

Mike Eastick started body boarding in Trevone and Polzeath in Cornwall and Saunton in Devon. In the early 60s some Aussie lifeguards in Saunton leant him a Malibu and he was hooked on stand-up surfing from then.

Jeremy Oxenden

Jeremy Oxenden listened to the Beach Boys and started surfing when he was 3 or 4 years old. The photo is of Nigel Oxenden, Jeremy's grandfather who founded the Island Surf Club St Ouen’s Bay Jersey in 1923.

Ian Wishart

Ian Wishart pioneered surfing in Scotland with Bill Batten and Andy Bennetts in the late 60s. Together they formed the Scottish Surfing Federation. Photo by Andy Bennetts.

Norman Frost

Norman Frost joined Porthtowan SLSC in the late 1950s. He founded Swell Surf Products, building surfboards that were easy to learn on. He is now a Director of Sustainable Composites, creating surfboards made of more eco-materials. He is married to Pip Frost.

Mark Bailey

A Poldu lifeguard in the 70s, Mark Bailey grew up in Sennen as a teenager and surfed Porthleven Reef early on.

Linda Sharp

Linda Sharp won numerous competitions over 20 years of surfing from the early 1970s including European, British and Welsh titles. She is one of the most successful British female surfers.

Gwyn Haslock

One of the first women surfers in Britain Gwyn Haslock bought her first board in 1965/6  (aged 21) and surfed every weekend from then on. She had a car and drove from her home in Truro to Tolcarne in Newquay. Her first wave was caught on a 10ft board called Big Bertha.

Gwyn Haslock

One of the first women surfers in Britain Gwyn Haslock bought her first board in 1965/6  (aged 21) and surfed every weekend from then on. She had a car and drove from her home in Truro to Tolcarne in Newquay. Her first wave was caught on a 10ft board called Big Bertha.

Arlene Maltman

During the summer of 1976, aged 12, Arlene Maltman borrowed boards and suits and kept practicing in the whitewater. She won the European Championships in 1984 and the British in 1984. She is President of Jersey Surf Club.

Arlene Maltman

During the summer of 1976, aged 12, Arlene Maltman borrowed boards and suits and kept practicing in the whitewater. She won the European Championships in 1984 and the British in 1984. She is President of Jersey Surf Club.

Jennifer Penna

Jennifer Penna sister of Tris Cokes was crowned the Surf Queen of Great Britain in 1957. Growing up in Porthtowan from 1950, she taught herself to surf on a wooden bellyboard aged 14. She still loves the sea and swims and bodysurfs regularly.