A NEW girls-only surf festival is coming to Jersey to help more girls and women feel confident about trying surfing.
Organisers hope the event will show that everyone belongs in the water.
Good Vibrations: Girlz Edition will take place at Jersey Surf School at the Watersplash on Saturday 8 August.
It has been created by surf coach Jake Powell, who says surfing has become a sport where far more boys and men take part than girls and women.
Jake has been teaching surfing for 12 years and started the Good Vibrations festival in 2017.
He explained that he does not see many female surfers in competitions and wants to help change that.
Jake hopes a fun, supportive event will encourage people who have been nervous about giving surfing a go.
The festival is open to everyone, from complete beginners to experienced surfers.
There will be team surfing on soft foam boards and an under-18s competition.
Away from the beach, there will be 80s music, fancy dress, hair braiding, karaoke and salsa dancing.
Seventeen-year-old surfer Libby Langlois, who is helping with the event, says some girls can feel intimidated when most of the surfers around them are men.
She hopes the festival will help people feel welcome and supported.
Libby said: “Just give it a shot! What can go wrong? Try your best, and no one’s judging you. We will be there to help you and to support you.”
Another 17-year-old surfer, Tahlia Averty, says she is often the only girl in the water, both in Jersey and while studying in Australia.
She knows that can feel daunting, especially for beginners, but says surfing is for everyone.
“I love helping inspire young girls and to show them that girls can surf and be in a male-dominated sport,” said Tahlia.
“Surfing is not too hard for women, and everyone’s there to have fun, and we’re all equals when we’re in the water.”
Jake hopes the festival is only the beginning and that it will inspire many more girls to discover the fun of surfing.
