Most surf contests are cutthroat. They’re far beyond a paddle battle between surfers kicking and scratching for a flawless wave rolling from the horizon. One wave could make or break a ripper’s chance to make the finals, and landing on the podium puts one a step closer to pro status.
The Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic – a female-only contest begun in 1999 and held each fall at the Jacksonville Beach Pier – isn’t like that.
It bills itself as promoting love, friendship, sportsmanship and “sharing the stoke,” which refers to the joy and energy surfers experience when they catch their first waves.
Gail “Buffy” Maetozo, 66, a Jacksonville University exercise science professor who competed in the classic’s Sage Sisters Longboard category, said women’s surfing is only getting better.
In August, USA team rider Caroline Marks, a Florida native, secured gold in Tahiti at the 2024 Olympics and, in September, Caitlin Simmers of California won the World Surf League (WSL) title when she beat Marks in the finals. In doing so, Simmers made history as the youngest female surfer to earn the trophy, taking the record from five-time world champ Carissa Moore.
“Everybody should support surfing for girls, because it is turning into a big deal,” Maetozo said.
In 2019, the WSL became the first U.S.-based global sports league to require equal pay for men and women. In 2018, the men on the tour were competing for a prize fund of $607,800, compared to $303,900 for the women, The Atlantic reported.
The Sisters of the Sea contest had 180 participants spread across 11 age divisions ranging from “Kokuas 11 & Under” to “Sage Sisters 40 & Over.” The youngest could have a relative or friend push them into waves. Older but less experienced surfers took part in non-competitive divisions.
Michelle Pickett, 64, and Eleni King, 61, attended the event to support King’s 28-year-old daughter, one of the contest competitors. King said the much older competitors were inspiring.
She and Pickett spoke candidly about what aging means to women. “I feel like there’s such an example to the young women, because as we age, we change in a bathing suit, and these women come out strong, confident and really following their passion,” King said.
Pickett noted how the men on the beach also expressed their support for women’s surfing. She said she’s attended the event for a few years, and feels like it’s gaining popularity and size.
“It’s very exciting, especially for the young ladies that are taking this very seriously and want to be treated in a regard to the seriousness of the sport,” Pickett said.
Jacksonville cancer charities and the Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry’s single parent program were to share the contest’s proceeds, Sisters of the Sea president Samantha Ryan said.
The surfing community across the state is small, and many of the contestants, like Ansley West, 13, and Kendall Dimmick, 12, are friends.
Ansley took first place in the “Leilani Shortboard 14 & Under” division. And yet what she most likes about the contest is the all-female pool.
“There’s no competition, you’re just hanging out with family and friends,” Ansley said.
Kendall took second place in the same division. The pair surfed together throughout the day, both during competition and the “free surf” periods of time between heats.
“I love this contest because it always supports women, and it’s always a lot of fun,” Kendall said. “There’s so many more people you can meet and surf with.”
Dane Jefferys, the executive director of Florida Board Riders, a nonprofit focused on creating strong surfing and beach communities, spent the day hyping surfers up over a loudspeaker and shooing away any surfers who drifted into the contest zone.
“Boys, you gotta take the day off,” Jeffreys said as the competition began.
While some in the Jacksonville Beach surf community describe the Atlantic Ocean as “Lake Atlantic,” especially during the summer months, year after year the Sisters of the Sea event has been blessed with perfect conditions and solid water to ride, Jeffreys said.
“It is absolutely cooking at the pier today,” he said. “Ladies, every year the waves are fire.”
The rain even held off until the end of the day, when the finalists received their awards.
Leslie “Stix” Curry, 46, has been with Sisters of the Sea since its inception in 1997, when it was just a couple of gals getting together for a surf session.
In 1999, the organization created the surf classic in honor of Rell Sunn, a Hawaiian who set a standard for women’s surfing before succumbing to a 15-year battle with breast cancer.
Curry started surfing her senior year of high school, and now owns and directs Saltwater Cowgirls, which provides a niche for young girls within the male-dominated sport of surfing.
“It’s just amazing to see it now 26 years later,” she said during a break at the classic, “the stoke, the energy – so many young, young rippers out there, fearless, going after it.”