Nine More Women Shaping Our
Seas & Surfing
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny
Magdaug and Patti Kishel
This is the sixth year for SurfWriter Girls annual Women
Making Waves story focusing on nine amazing women who are making a difference
in the life of our oceans and the sport of surfing.
Like the ninth wave in a set, which is bigger and more
powerful than the rest, the women profiled this year have had a powerful impact
on the environment and the world around us.
So take a look at Women Making Waves 2021 and
meet nine more incredible women. Scientists, surfers, entrepreneurs,
environmentalists, artists and more. SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti
Kishel are excited to introduce you to this lineup of dynamic
women.
Archana Anand,
Indian marine scientist, received the National Geographic Young Explorer Award
in 2018 and a Ph.D. from Hong Kong's Swire Institute of Marine Science,
studying water quality and its impact on marine biodiversity. An environmental
engineer and marine biologist, she has been conducting research in the
Andaman and Nicobar islands in India's Bay of Bengal. She says the islands
"are a cornucopia of life on this planet, yet remain scientifically unexplored."
Nina Brooke,
ocean and surf artist, Cornwall, England, describes herself as a
"travelling seascape artist." She has painted her "secret
spots" in Cornwall, "vibrant surf culture" in Hawaii,
"magical light" in Sri Lanka, and the ocean's beauty wherever she
finds it. Her Oceans Above collection is "a joyful
celebration of the incredible planet we live on." Brooke wants her art to
"remind people about the importance of the sea as a source of life and
sustenance to us."
Pam Conti, a
teacher and Blue Water Task Force coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation's
Huntington/Seal Beach, CA chapter, is at the beach almost every day. She
conducts testing of the ocean's water for quality issues and teaches K-8
students at the nearby Pegasus School to do the testing and to respect the
environment. An avid surfer, Conti is excited to be one of
Surfrider's Coastal Defenders and to "give back to the very
thing that makes me the happiest, being in the water."
Lauren Hill,
author of She Surf: The rise of Female Surfing, has spent the
past decade surfing, freelance writing and exploring surf cultures around the
world, focusing on the growing numbers of female surfers. "Women now make
up 20 to 30 percent of surfers," she says, and "are claiming their
rightful place in the sport." In addition to writing, Hill spends much of
her time developing projects to promote sustainability and to empower women and
girls through surfing.
Ashlee Lillis, the
Nature Conservancy's Coral Manager for the U.S. VIrgin Islands, is helping to
save coral reefs in the Caribbean. Calling coral reefs the "rainforests of
the sea," she says they support 25% of the ocean's biodiversity and
provide habitat for hundreds of fish species. With a Ph.D. in Marine Science
from North Carolina State University, Lillis is working on projects to preserve
and restore reefs, which are at risk from pollution and climate change.
Caroline Marks,
champion surfer and US Surf Team representative at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo,
is most at home in the water. A multiple national champion, Marks is the
youngest woman to compete in a World Surf League event. A Florida native, her
home surf break in Melbourne Beach, FL, was just across the street. A natural
athlete, Marks’ has gotten some of her competitive spirit from competing
against her three older brothers. She’s always looking for “super rippable surf”
and the “perfect wave.”
Hanalei Reponty,
founder of surfwear/activewear brand Abysse, is the driving force behind this
company that makes functional and sustainable fashion for women. Born and
raised in Tahiti, the surfer and model says, "Growing up on an island
shapes you. Nature is omnipresent and revered." She wants Abysse to embody
this belief, explaining "My dream vision of a company: Produce less,
produce well." The company uses recycled materials and supports
environmental and social causes.
Pat Smith,
founder of Final Straw Cornwall, a group that's cleaning Britain's beaches,
took a stand against trash. The 70-year-old English grandmother became a woman
on a mission - to clean 52 beaches in Cornwall and Devon. After seeing so much
trash on the beach, she made a New Year's resolution to clean one beach a week
for 52 weeks. She reached her goal, but couldn't stop. Saying, "The
beaches need me," she started Final Straw to get others
involved, too.
Shannon Switzer Swanson,
a marine social ecologist and storyteller, is learning about and sharing the
stories of the Sama-Bajau people on the Tawi-Tawi Islands in the Philippines
whose lives center around fishing. A Stanford University Ph.D. candidate in
Marine Conservation with degrees from Duke and UC Santa Barbara, she calls
herself "a waterwoman, photojournalist and conservationist." She has
been a National Geographic Explorer since 2009.
Leaders in their chosen fields, each woman shares one thing
in common - a passion for the ocean and a desire to make the world
better.
To see the previous Women Making Waves,
click: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
SurfWriter Girls
Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine
Sunny Magdaug and
Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material.
Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at
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