Women Making Waves 2021

 

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 surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given. 

 

 

SurfWriter Girls Best Beach Books – 2021

 

A Sea of Adventures and Surprises

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

After a year of uncertainty and disruption, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel are excited to bring you a tsunami of summer beach books to enjoy. From thrillers to surfing, spies and romance, whether you want to explore or escape, the books we've found for you are sure to recharge your summer days.    

 

Church of the Open Sky, by Nat Young, takes you into the world of surfing as lived by the Australian surfing champion, board shaper, film producer, writer, and conservationist. World Surfing Champion in 1966 and 1970 and winner of three Australian surfing titles, Young shares his insights on surfing as both a competitive sport and a way of life that soothes his soul and enables him to become one with nature.  

 

Code Name Helene, by Ariel Lawhon, is a World War II adventure story about a real life heroine and spy, whose daring exploits with the French resistance helped the Allies win the war. With a bounty on her head and hunted by the Nazis, Helene devised battle plans, led French troops behind enemy lines, and answered directly to Winston Churchill himself. SurfWriter Girls couldn't put this book down.   

Falling, by T.J Newman, is being called the thriller read of the summer. Passengers on an LAX flight to New York have no idea that the pilot has been ordered to crash the plane - or his kidnapped family dies. Newman, a former flight attendant, pulls out all the stops on this story that will have you holding onto your chair arm. "Stunning and relentless," says author Don Winslow. "This is Jaws at 35,000 feet."   

  

Into the Deep: A Memoir by the Man who Found the Titanic, by Robert D. Ballard, shares the ocean explorer's stories of treasure hunting, scientific research, and self-discovery. Overcoming challenges and personal  tragedy, Ballard has conducted over 150 expeditions and manages the EV Nautilus, a 64-meter scientific research vessel operated with NOAA. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns says the book is "riveting." 

 

The Layover, by Lacie Waldon, is a fun summer read with flight attendant Ava and former pilot Jack, who she despises, stuck at a luxury resort in Belize when their plane has mechanical problems. Being stranded in paradise has its charms, though, as Ava discovers Jack isn't the bad guy she thought. Publishers Weekly calls this sun-soaked, tropical rom-com "a breezy, enemies-to-lovers romp."   

 

Leonard (My Life as a Cat), by Carlie Sorosiak, is the heartwarming tale of friendship between a space alien and a little girl named Olive. When Leonard crashes to Earth on a beam of light something goes wrong and he materializes not in the human form he expected, but as a cat. Now, with Olive's help, he needs to experience life and learn what it means to be human...before time runs out. SurfWriter Girls loved this charming and imaginative book.  

 

Malibu Rising, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, combines surfing siblings and celebrities, rivalries and secrets at an epic 1983 summer beach party to remember in Malibu. A blast-from-the-past that takes place in one wild night, by the time the party's over everything will have come to the surface. For escapist fiction and some retro California vibes, this fills the bill. Parade magazine calls it the "most-anticipated novel of the summer."       

The Russian Pink, by Matthew Hart, a diamond expert who's traveled from the Arctic to Angola tracking the rare stones, keeps the action moving in this thriller that Kirkus Reviews describes as "a fast-paced debut novel filled with greed, violence and politics." Centered around a giant 1,512-carat, rose-colored diamond named "The Russian Pink," the story has a global reach from the African jungle to the White House. 

The Venice Sketchbook, by Rhys Bowen, unlocks 60-year-old secrets that will have a modern-day impact, connecting two Englishwomen years apart with one of Venice's noble families. When Caroline Grant hears her dying great-aunt Lettie's final word, a whispered "Venice," and inherits her sketchbooks and three keys, she sets off for Venice little knowing the mysteries she will uncover or how her life will change.

 

SurfWriter Girl Patti was caught up in the book's intrigue and romance, especially since she had a similar inheritance - this painting of Venice by her grandmother that captures the magic of the ethereal floating city.    

 

With so many books waiting for you to discover, you're sure to find some you like. So find a comfy spot, reach for a cool drink, and see what new adventures and surprises await you in these summer reads. 

 

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 surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given. 

 

 

 

Bikini Turns 75

 

Va, Va, Va Boom!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The bikini bathing suit turns 75 this July – a groundbreaking design statement that rocked the fashion world. Scandalous to some and essential to others, this skimpy bathing suit, that leaves little to the imagination, made its first appearance in Paris on July 5, 1946, which is now National Bikini Day. 

 

Designed by French auto engineer/fashion designer Louis Reard, the bikini was introduced at the Piscine Molitar public swimming pool in Paris just four days after the first test of an atomic bomb at the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

 

The bikini was modeled by Micheline Bernardini, a dancer from the Casino de Paris.

Like the bomb itself, the bikini generated an explosive reaction.

From the French Riviera to Malibu, CA, the new minimalist swimsuit turned heads on beaches around the world.

 

Among the movie stars to immortalize the fashion over the years have been Brigitte Bardot - wearing a bikini and a pout and little more – Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, and Gina Lollabrigida.

Bond Girls Ursula Andress and Halle Berry added a lethal twist to the provocative swimsuit.

 A staple in beach movies of the 50s and 60s, the bikini became part of the West Coast surfing culture.

 

Brian Hyland got even more people on board for the bikini with his Itsy, Bitsy, Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini song in 1960 – a record that made it to number one on the Billboard Chart.  

 

Not for the shy or modest, a true bikini, said Reard, was made with no more material than could be “pulled through a wedding ring.” Drawing on his engineering skills, Reard configured his creation out of just four triangles of fabric precariously held together with string. 

In the years since its introduction the bikini has proven to have amazing staying power, its popularity fueled by those daring enough to wear it and the many appreciative onlookers who enjoy seeing it.   

       

 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 surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given. 

 

Dana Point – Whale of an Inspiration

 

Home of Iconic Doheny Beach

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Southern California's Dana Point has been inspiring writers, sailors and surfers since acclaimed author Richard Henry Dana wrote about the port in his 1840 adventure novel Two Years Before the Mast.

 

Dana, a merchant seaman, described the picturesque locale as "the only romantic spot on the coast."

 

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti stopped by Dana’s statue, which overlooks the harbor, beckoning visitors to explore this treasure of a town where the streets are named after different colored lanterns – golden, violet, blue, etc. – 

 like the ones ships used 200 years ago to advertise their wares.

 

Dana Point, which calls itself the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World, was recently designated the first Whale Heritage Site in North America by the World Cetacean Alliance. 

 

In the nearby Waterman's Plaza, you can see statues of local surf legends, including Hobie Cat inventor Hobie Alter and Endless Summer filmmaker Bruce Brown.

 

While just across the street is the iconic surf spot Doheny Beach – one of the top spots on SoCal surfing bucket lists for surfers around the world.

 

With one of the best surf breaks in California and over 62 acres of beach, tidepools, nature exploration areas, and campgrounds, it's hard to beat.

 

Celebrated in vintage surf rock songs Surfin' Safari and Surfin' USA, Doheny Beach draws a million surfers a year to challenge the waves.

Set in a place where locals say surfing is in the DNA, Doheny Beach is part of an authentic beach town devoted to everything related to the ocean.  

 

With Dana Point’s high bluffs and sheltered coves, it's no wonder Richard Henry Dana was inspired when his ship the Pilgrim put into this tranquil port that would later bear his name.

 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 surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given. 

Crystal Thornburg-Homcy Surf Advocate

 

Ocean Ambassador for Patagonia and the World

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Like outdoor clothing maker Patagonia, Crystal Thornburg-Homcy has always blazed a trail for herself. For the past 23-years, Thornburg-Homcy, a competitive water sports athlete and filmmaker, has been Patagonia’s Ocean Ambassador, helping to spread its environmental message.

An all-around ocean athlete, she’s in her element surfing, racing outrigger canoes, long-distance swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, and more. 

Born and raised in Hawaii, Thornburg-Homcy earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Fine Art from Chaminade University in Honolulu.

She produced and directed – with husband David Homcy – Beyond The Surface, a film about Ishita Malaviya, India’s first female surfer, which documents the ways surfing, yoga, and ecological creativity can bring hope and change for people and the planet.

Together, the couple surfs and travels around the world, filming their own and others’ stories about life, love and loss, including her personal story Sliding Into The Light.

Thornburg-Homcy says, “Surfing has taught me the art of impermanence. With each passing wave or new swell you observe your experience and learn from it and it creates you in that moment.”

Experiences and personal interactions are more important to her than things, an outlook in keeping with Patagonia’s goal to combat commercialism and encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Thornburg-Homcy and her husband also run the organic produce company Crave Greens and are involved in environmental groups including Conservacion Patagonia, Save Our Seas, Surfrider Foundation, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, and The North Shore Community Land Trust.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel admire the passion she puts into everything she does and her commitment to making the world better for everyone.

Most at home in the water, Crystal Thornburg-Homcy says the ocean recharges her with the energy to give back to the environment: “Surfing means the world to me. It's my savior, my temple, my goddess, my guru, and my breath.”

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 surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.