Mornington Peninsula women are riding a wave of success in surfing competitions. From pre-teen girls to women in their sixties, their accomplishments on longboards, shortboards and stand up paddle boards are something to be celebrated.
These women and the pioneers of the sport before them have had to prove themselves in a traditionally male-dominated sport. They have done so in spectacular fashion, competing locally, nationally and internationally. Ongoing advocacy led to women earning equal prize money in surfing competitions in 2019.
Jann Dunton of Safety Beach is widely considered a local legend. She won her first Victorian title in 1985 and dominated the Victorian leader board until 2003. Jann won the Australian National title (Women’s Open Longboard Champion) at Bells Beach in 1999 when she was 41. She’s witnessed an enormous shift in attitudes and opportunities for women in the sport, but she had to earn her respect.
Jann gravitated to the water as soon as she could walk. Her parents had a beach house in Point Lonsdale. She was gifted a foam surfboard at seven, went straight into the water and surfed her first wave without a single lesson. She was the only female out there. The men she was surfing with were flabbergasted. She got her first 8’6” Malibu (longboard) for Christmas at eleven and started competing on a short board at 14 before moving back to the longboard at 24.
Surfing is an addiction. It clears my head and cleanses my body and soul.
“Surfing is an addiction. It clears my head and cleanses my body and soul. I am equal and one with the sea – totally present. It’s exhilarating. All my senses are heightened. No matter how long I’m out there, it’s never enough. I’m always chasing the next wave. But I never take my surroundings for granted and I never turn my back on the ocean,” she says.
She describes the longboard as the ‘paddock bomb’ of boards because it’s very stable and gives a surfer confidence. The shortboard is more like a sports car. Four years ago, after two hip replacements, friend and fellow local surf champ, Phil Trigger, suggested Jann switch to a 10’ stand up paddle board. She won first place (Mixed Stand Up Paddleboard women over 60) this year in the Victorian Surfing Awards competing against women 20 years younger than her.
At 66, Jann is the oldest female surfer on the Peninsula. “Surfing on the SUP allows me to feel youthful again and I can explore different breaks” she says. Jann likes to surf at Point Leo and Shoreham. She thinks the best spot is Dreamlands just past Shoreham towards Flinders.
The youngest female Peninsula surf champ is 12-year-old Rose Holland, who just won the under 14 Surfing Victoria Junior title. Rose started surfing with her Dad and sisters during COVID lockdowns. “Surfing is amazing. Each wave is different. I love the challenge of catching the best waves, riding the wave of the day, or learning a new manoeuvre,” she says. This year Rose will be competing along with her two sisters at the Australian Junior Surf titles in Woolongong.
On the Mornington Peninsula there are three surfing clubs with women competing, supporting, and building social networks. Peninsula Surfriders Club was founded in 1974. Then, there were only six female surfers on the local waves and two were members of PSC. Now there are more than 20 competing in the PSC main club and around 25 competing in the SuperGroms 9-15-year-old division and they are smashing it.
Maladiction Longboarders was established in 1997. They also run Peninsula surf competitions. When it was founded, Jann Dunton was the only female member so she had to compete against the men. Beating them didn’t go over well with some.
Now the club of 80 members has men’s and women’s divisions with 20 women competing aged 16-65.
Peninsula Surf Sisters formed in 2020 to support, connect and encourage women in the sport across all experience levels. It has brought a lot of new surfers into the water. It’s a genuine sisterhood and many have formed close friendships. Now, some of those women have also found the confidence to compete.
Whether on longboards, shortboards or stand up paddle boards, Mornington Peninsula girls and women have earned their place Some are making surfing history. The next time you are at the beach, have look out to the waves; you might just see some of these incredible girls and women carving it up.
psc.org.au (Peninsula Surfriders)
maladictionlongerboarders.com.au
peninsulasurfsisters.com