A Gathering of Lady Sliders, Shredders and Beginners Alike
When viewing the world of women’s surfing, the untrained eye may believe that the sport is comprised exclusively of sun-tanned goddesses. Of women that emerged from the ocean with round bottoms, flowing locks, and legs that just won’t quit. As a female surfer, I am here to deliver a ground-breaking truth for those of you who still believe and perpetuate this facade of the hyper-glamorized world of women’s surfing. Here is goes…female surfers are here for just that. Surfing. Just like the men are. What a concept, huh?
The issue is that women are still so drastically outnumbered in the water. In a perfect world, women would be charging the lineup, nary a care of the onslaught of male gazes that they are subjected to more times than not. This isn’t reality.
So what’s a girl to do when searching for their place in a culture so filled with hypermasculinity, hypersexulization and idealization of women? We gather. We find other women facing the same dilemmas as our own. We celebrate the unique, unmatched beauty of a woman on a wave, simply for the joy of the sport.
Two outstanding women leading this movement for female empowerment and acceptance along the East Coast of Florida are Ponce Inlet’s Abby Bowles and St. Augustine’s own Addie Gibson. Early this month, the duo organized the “Ponce Lady Day”, an event centered around the gathering, empowerment and encouragement of all women in the water, regardless of personal skill level.
“I created Lady Day to bring ladies together for a day of fun! There aren’t enough events in the community that bring women together equally, and without any competition.” Bowels said. “On top of bringing together a ton of rad ladies, we raise money every Lady Day for a different non-profit organization.”
Portrait Photography Courtesy of Tori Ray
@torirayphotography | torirayphotography.com
For this particular Lady Day, the two decided to donate all funds raised to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The AFSP works to fund scientific research, provide aid and resources to those dealing with mental illness and to those that have been affected by suicide. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, serving as a stark reminder that suicide remains the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over 45,000 lives yearly.
“Another reason we chose to bring awareness to suicide is because Addie had lost her dad to suicide and was severely affected,” Bowels said. “She was deeply tied to the cause, and the whole event was very important to her and her family.”
Bowels and Gibson worked diligently for weeks leading up to the event, gathering donations to raffle off to Lady Day participants. An impressive onslaught of giveaways were available the day of the event, including from donations from the Surf Station, Salty Dog Surf Shop, Bing Surfboards, Birdwell Britches, Swim Candy, Sun Bum, Moxie Vintage, Tava Sunscreen, Kookaburra Coffee, Cambium Surf Shop, as well as talented local artists’ work.
“When my dad passed away I remember at his funeral talking to people about how one day I will have a contest or some type of gathering to help raise awareness for suicide,” says Gibson. “I haven’t felt emotionally healed enough to take on something like that up until this past year.”
Through raffle ticket sales, the pair raised over $1,500 for the AFSP. After enjoying some unexpectedly fun surf and sunshine, attendees gathered to discuss their “reasons to stay”. An open and accepting platform was provided to discuss personal reasons for choosing life over all else, followed by a paddle out ceremony for the celebration of life. An army of women of all shapes, sizes, skill sets and walks of life donned yellow flowers in their hair, as yellow is the national suicide awareness color.
All Water Photography Courtesy of Darby Moore
@darbyjanemoore |darby-moore.com
“It felt like a small slice of heaven. It was a day unlike any others. Everyone was so encouraging to one another.” Gibson remarked. “I think not being embarrassed, or feeling guilty or scared to talk about mental health is the first step we need to take to bring awareness.”
Ponce Lady Day was just that…a slice of heaven. A suspended moment in reality where personal appearance, female competition and criticism was thrown out the window for a blissful moment in time. Perhaps the most inspiring takeaway from this day is the fact that this is just the beginning. Bowels works to organize about three Lady Day events yearly, and with a plethora of women feeling empowered and energized following this event, we only expect to see great things come from our East Coast ladies in the future.
“Everyone had smiles from ear to ear, and hearts full of love,” Bowels remarked. “It was a day of happiness.”