Ocean Rules: The Bikini Collective

Kate McMahon Writes Girl Power Surfing Novel

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Australian writer/editor Kate McMahon has spent twenty years surfing around the world and cheering her friends competing on the World Surfing Tour.

Eager to make her own mark on the sport, McMahon did it by building a successful publishing career. In 2001 she was "pinching myself when I landed the dream job as editor of SurfGIRL magazine."

Since then she's been editing tween and teen magazines nonstop, including Disney Adventures, Dance Academy and The Wiggles. With everything leading up to her just-published first novel, Ocean Rules: The Bikini Collective.

A young adult fiction book that focuses on three girls competing on the junior surf tour, it mirrors many of McMahon's own surfing experiences and lets her explore the trio's relationships and the things that can be accomplished with Girl Power. 

A coming-of-age novel, Ocean Rules addresses the decisions the girls must make, choosing between fame and friendships, surfing strategically to win or soulfully for the love of the sport. 

McMahon told SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel, "I want to provide young readers with an exhilarating read that promotes an action-packed lifestyle, full of strong female characters. I also strongly believe that surfing and the ocean assists enormously with managing mental health."  

In many ways this debut novel reminds SurfWriter Girls of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares – another book that looks at female friendships growing up and the life choices we make.

Does 15-year-old Jaspa Ryder really want to be a professional surfer? Can she compete against her best friends Mel and Carolyn and still be friends?  When the siren sounds what if only one of them can get the last wave?

With a compelling plot and well-drawn characters, Ocean Rules captures the excitement of surfing and does what McMahon intends – “take readers on a wild ride that could hopefully change their life." Six-time world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore agrees, saying, "I felt utterly invested in Jaspa, Mel and Carolyn's surfing journey; can we be friends?"   

First in a series, McMahon is excited about the book's release and where the story lines take her. Living just steps from the sand at Narrabeen, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, she is in the perfect spot to get lots of inspiration.

It also gives her opportunities "to get up to mischief with all of my amazing surfer girlfriends."

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.