Girls in the Curl an event celebrating the achievements of women in the male-dominated sport of surfing, took place Saturday at Payson Library.
The first panel discussion featured Kathy Gidget” Kohner Zuckerman Shelley Merrick and former world champion Linda Benson who were all part of the Southern California surf scene during the 1950s and 1960s.
Gidget the female whose surfing exploits inspired a book and a number of films shared what it was like to surf Malibu with the guys during the 1950s.
“It was all about surfing and what was outside Gidget said.
Gidget kept an extensive diary during her surfing days.
Every truth about Malibu is documented in my diary pages she said.
Shelley Merrick started surfing Latigo Point during the 1950s. Merrick said she fell in love with surfing instantly.
One wave and I was a goner.”
Merrick reminisced about the early days of surfing in Malibu.
“If a car went by with a surfboard you knew who it was.”
Despite the scarcity of women surfers during the 1950s and 1960s Merrick said they received great respect.
“Men embraced female surfers she said. We were seen as goddesses.”
Merrick also discussed the cohesion of the womens’ competitive surf community during the 1960s.
“In the early days we had a lot of camaraderie Merrick said. We were like a little family. It was lovely.”
National champion Linda Benson echoed Merrick’s sentiment.
“I was lucky to be there [on the competitive surf scene] at a time when surfing was so innocent. We just supported our friends.”
Benson also stressed that surfing is more than a sport to her.
“It is part of my soul.”
The second panel discussion featured women involved in the contemporary surf scene including women’s surf shop owner Mary Hartmann Body Glove Vice President of Development and General Counsel Hillary Meilsels and pro surfer Holly Beck.
Hartmann spoke about the obstacles and successes she has endured as owner of Girl in the Curl— the first exclusively women’s surf shop and surf school.
Love of the ocean lies at the root of Hartmann’s endeavors.
“Surfing is such a peaceful thing Hartmann said. The water does something to your body. It soothes your soul.”
Meilsels shared her personal opinion about women and the surfing industry.
“In a male-dominated industry the women that make it seem to blow the men out of the water.”
Meilsels’ comment was in reference to Holly Beck who graduated from the University of San Diego in 2001 in three years to pursue her professional surfing ambitions.
Holly Beck told the audience how she saved up money to buy a surfboard at a garage sale even though Beck’s mother forbade her from surfing.
Beck recalled her mother’s words: “[She said] ‘Girls aren’t supposed to surf. They’re supposed to sit on the beach and look nice in bikinis. You’re not going to get a boyfriend surfing.'”
Beck expects to surf forever.
“I love the healthy and exhausted feeling surfing gives you and I cannot imagine living without it.”
Although Beck no longer surfs competitively she still makes a living through her surfing endeavors. She recently opened a women’s surf and yoga retreat in Nicaragua.
Films highlighting women’s surfing were also screened Saturday. These included “The Living Curl narrated by Jamie Budge, Heather Hudson’s The Women and the Waves” and a film created by Pepperdine alumnus David Ogle.
At the end of the event Linda Benson was honored with a lifetime achievement to surfing award.
According to Executive Director of Public Relations Jerry Derloshon “Benson was absolutely touched by the award.”
Regarding her surfing career Benson said “It’s been an incredible gift to be able to do this wonderful thing for so long. It has opened many doors like traveling and teaching where I get the chance to see a lot of smiles and looks of total stoke.”
Payson put on Girls in the Curl in part to raise awareness and money for the library’s surfing archive. Amy Adams Director for Library Advancement and Public Relations seemed satisfied with the event’s progress toward this end.
“We made great strategic connections and alliances in regard to people who care about building the archive Adams said.
Adams was also pleased with how the day unfolded. The panels were phenomenal she said. The contrast between the surfers of yesterday and today was great and there was authenticity in the conversation.”
Derloshon agreed. “I sure thought it went well he said. What we lacked in numbers was made up in stoke. The vibe at this event was extraordinary. It’s not often that we pause and consider women in surfing. On Saturday Feb. 6 at Pepperdine we paused and considered this very seriously.”
Merrick was also pleased with the day. “I thought it went very well and was impressed by the event’s historic aspect she said. Saturday demonstrated how important this town is to the sport. It’s a magical place in the world of surfing.”
Attendees enjoyed the experience as well. “We received big compliments from people in the industry like the President of the Malibu Surfing Association and people at Body Glove Adams said.
It did what we set out to do which was to lift up and celebrate women’s surfing and Linda’s lifetime contribution to the sport Derloshon said.