Surf The Greats mission has always been to bring surf to those who share the stoke. Last weekend was a special example of that, as we hosted our first edition of “She Shreds” in partnership with Vans Canada.
When myself, Jenn Dumaran and Antonio Lennert were discussing the idea, our purpose was to foster an inclusive and exciting day for women to connect. We could not believe that within hours of opening the event page to the public, all spaces were filled and the wait list quickly grew to upwards of 100 people.
On the day of we had women from all ages and surfing backgrounds participating. We all shared one thing in common—our passion for surf. We were so genuinely touched by the good vibes of all our participants. New friends were made over sips of RISE kombucha and Brothers Cold Brew, and new skills were tested on our Indo Board and in the water. I was struck by how wonderful it was to have an event for women that was about community over competition.
We were blessed to have our instructor Elie Landesberg and our guest instructors Jenifer Rudzki-Bonnetplume from Osha Osha and Marcela Avila López from Lunamar for the Planet teaching surf clinics. Lucas Murnaghan and Ross Young caught candids of us on the beach and out paddling. And we can't wait to see the video the ladies from Red Tent Media are putting together!
Jen also ran a truly unique Yoga class at the end of the day. She was kind enough to share her First Nations culture with us, burning sweet grass and bringing it around to us to cleanse our hands, heart, mind, and body.
Reflecting on the day, I could not be more grateful for the amazing community of women we have in 'TO Surf City'. Looking to the future, I'm beyond excited for our next event, and to watch this community grow.
— Words by Ilsa Gurtins (Greats Girl). Photographs by Lucas Murnaghan, Ross Young, Drew Williams and Red Tent Media.
