WELLINGTON
Sophie Macdonald
Kia ora, my name is Sophie. Like many of the other reps, I didn’t grow up in the region but Wellington is where I’ve surfed the most. I actually grew up in South Canterbury but got into surfing throughout uni and then during my travels overseas, I spent a bit of time surfing in France and Cornwall. When I came back to Aotearoa, I ended up spending a lot of time out at Castlepoint and eventually moved to Wellington. Not long into my time in Wellington, I was introduced to the Gurfers in Wellington Facebook group and that was such a vital lifeline for me and surfing (until then I’d really only surfed with guys).
The Gurfers group has more than tripled in the time since I’ve joined and it’s such a wicked feeling to be out in the water and see other gurfers whether they’re catching their first green waves or absolutely shredding; to be able to help other wāhine get into surfing as a lifestyle is a pretty powerful privilege too. The Gurfers in Wellington community isn’t just about casual surfs together (although we do put emphasis on fun and the good times), we also hold a few events geared toward nurturing women in surfing within our community through training sessions (forecasting, etiquette etc), comps (geared to all abilities), meet-ups and loads more. If you’re in the area, feel free to drop me a line or just join the Facebook group and say hi.
Sophie Macdonald
Kia ora, my name is Sophie. Like many of the other reps, I didn’t grow up in the region but Wellington is where I’ve surfed the most. I actually grew up in South Canterbury but got into surfing throughout uni and then during my travels overseas, I spent a bit of time surfing in France and Cornwall. When I came back to Aotearoa, I ended up spending a lot of time out at Castlepoint and eventually moved to Wellington. Not long into my time in Wellington, I was introduced to the Gurfers in Wellington Facebook group and that was such a vital lifeline for me and surfing (until then I’d really only surfed with guys).
The Gurfers group has more than tripled in the time since I’ve joined and it’s such a wicked feeling to be out in the water and see other gurfers whether they’re catching their first green waves or absolutely shredding; to be able to help other wāhine get into surfing as a lifestyle is a pretty powerful privilege too. The Gurfers in Wellington community isn’t just about casual surfs together (although we do put emphasis on fun and the good times), we also hold a few events geared toward nurturing women in surfing within our community through training sessions (forecasting, etiquette etc), comps (geared to all abilities), meet-ups and loads more. If you’re in the area, feel free to drop me a line or just join the Facebook group and say hi.