Capitola’s Women on Waves surf festival celebrates 30 years of stoke, community

Six female surfers paddled out to the break at Capitola Beach, each sporting a sparkly, pink letter on their chest. When they lined up in the water to catch a wave together, the shirts spelled S-T-O-K-E-D. 

The team waved to the crowd above, danced on their surfboards to music blasting from speakers on the esplanade and smiled when their friends in the stands responded with cheers, waving glittery pom-poms in the sunshine.

Those six women were among more than 300 athletes competing in Women On Waves, an all-female surf and swim festival that took place on Oct. 17 and 18. This year, to celebrate the festival’s 30th anniversary, the organizers added several surf events, including the “Party Wave,” which encouraged teams of up to six surfers to catch the same wave together, wear costumes and have fun. 

“It just feels like your soul cup is runneth over by the end of the weekend,” said Tara Coleman, who was part of the “Stoked” party wave team. “My cheeks were hurting and that’s a good sign, because I’ve been smiling so much… my jaw is sore because I’m so happy.”

Coleman’s team costume embodied this year’s festival theme, “Sea Her Stoke.” 

Stoke, according to Marisol Godinez, the artist and co-organizer of Women on Waves, is the joy and happiness the ocean provides surfers every time they go out in the water. 

“I think that now more than ever, we need to find that joy,” Godinez said.

Two days before the competition, Women on Waves announced a peaceful protest paddle-out in solidarity with survivors of sexual violence during the high-tide break of the first day of the event. 

Chants of “NO!” and “I am Jane Doe” overpowered the crashing waves and conversations coming from the busy shoreline.

Paddle-outs in the surf community can be traced back to early Hawaiian traditions of honoring the dead. They consist of surfers paddling past the area where waves break and forming a circle. After speeches or a moment of silence, everyone splashes water – an emotional release.

More recently, paddle-outs in the surf community have become a form of protest. The week prior, sexual misconduct allegations arose concerning a prominent Olympic surfer, prompting Women On Waves to take a stand.  

“We paddle out to make a statement, for people to see that we’re fed up,” said Godinez. More than 50 people participated in the Women On Waves “I am Jane Doe” paddle-out.

“We thought it was important just to support women,” Aylana Zanville, the festival organizer, said. “Which is what we are trying to do here. Let women know that they have a place, they’re supported. We hear them, we’re here.”

Surfing has historically been, and continues to be, a male-dominated sport. According to a nationwide survey by the Surf Industry Members Association, women make up 35% of the surfing population in the United States. 

During the Women On Waves festival weekend, women make up 100% of the surfers at the break. Surfers are split up into heats of up to six by age group. The youngest competitors are 10 years old, and the oldest surf in the “Legends 60+” category. The heats are 15 minutes each and run all day, from sunrise to sunset. 

This year, the competition featured its first female-only panel of judges scoring the competitors. 

“It’s crazy. It’s awesome. It’s so good because normally it’s the other way around.” Godinez said. Even at Capitola’s beginner-friendly surf break, Godinez says it’s usually 75% men. 

For several participants at Women on Waves, this was their first competition – after registration opened, the novice category sold out right away. 

“Back in the days, it was really hard to find people to sign up for the novice,” Godinez said, “That one right now … it’s our biggest group.”

Zanville doesn’t know of another surf event that is so friendly to beginners. “We’ve been very welcoming to women of all abilities, all backgrounds, and I feel like it’s starting to spread,” she said. 

Amé Yeager has been surfing for seven years and had never entered a competition. She is part of a large group on WhatsApp called the “Santa Cruz Surf Squad,” with many of the women participating in Women on Waves. That camaraderie is what inspired her to take on her first competition.

“I think that whatever we created … it makes women feel included and excited to try it,” Godinez said. 

Women On Waves was started in 1996 by Barry Hamby and Zeuf Hessen, members of West Wind Surf Club, a Capitola-based group. Hamby came up with the idea of having an all-women’s surf festival because he felt most surf events at the time were focused on men.

“Nobody ever had done this kind of thing before,” said Sally Smith, a former West Wind Surf Club member and the previous Women on Waves director. 

For Smith and the West Wind members, Women on Waves was always more of a festival to celebrate the female surfing community than it was a contest. 

“It’s really about teaching young women in our community to give back to the community through something like this,” Smith said.

Over the past 30 years, Women on Waves has raised more than $87,000 for organizations in the Santa Cruz community, according to the festival’s media release. 

“At the end of the day, the event that you participated in helped raise a bunch of money for these charitable organizations. And you never know when you’re going to need one,” Smith said.

Smith was diagnosed with cancer during her time running the festival. One organization the event supported through donations was WomenCARE, a nonprofit that helps women going through cancer treatment. 

“It was just really phenomenal to know that I had been a part of that,” Smith said. “It certainly felt good to know that I had helped raise funds for those organizations.” Smith used some of WomenCARE’s services to look at wigs after her hair fell out.

Godinez says the biggest, most direct impact the festival has is on the nonprofit it selects each year. This year, the beneficiary is Esperanza Community Farms, an organization focused on promoting sustainable farming.

Another impact, Godinez says, is that the festival is helping more women feel comfortable in the water. This year, the open-water swim section sold out, and the entry numbers doubled from the previous year. 

“I see a lot of potential for the contest to keep growing there,” Godinez said of the swimming portion. 

Women on Waves is an event that generations of the Santa Cruz County community have grown up with. Jane McKenzie, a prominent surfer in Santa Cruz, has been competing in Women on Waves since its inception. This year, she entered for a specific reason.

“I wanted to do it again this year because of the whole women’s surf statue that is trying to move forward,” McKenzie said, “That’s why I’m surfing again this year.”

In May, it was announced that a female surfer statue will be erected on the Capitola Esplanade, near where the Women on Waves competition is held, with construction possibly finished by the end of the year. 

“A female surf statue is overdue,” said Zanville. “It’s good for the younger generation to see a model of a statue that will maybe give them inspiration.”

Joan Bush, 68, grew up playing on the jetty near Capitola Beach with her brother. She’s been surfing for over 40 years and competing in Women on Waves for 20 of them. When Bush started surfing, she was the only female out there. 

“When you have all women doing a competition, it’s huge,” Bush said. “There aren’t very many.”

What makes this competition special for Bush is seeing the younger generation out in the water and in the stands.

“After my heat, one of these younger girls that surfs … just came up and hugged me,” Bush said, “I love it.” 

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