Girl who surf - Steph

Where do you usually surf?
Ostend, Belgium (North Sea)

How did you get into surfing?
Ex-boyfriend.

Why did you start surfing?
I’m not the type of girl to be tanning and laying around on the beach, so I joined the guys in the water.

What was your biggest fear when you started?
I have a fear of the sea due to falling in from a boat when I was little, with all my clothes on. I fell into a pod of fish because we were feeding them, and I can still feel them flapping around and against me… So basically, marine wildlife and the depth of the ocean.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other surfer girls?
You will not become a pro in one day. You will fall and be humbled by the ocean, that’s the beautiful part of it. 🥰 So don’t compare your journey to the next person’s.

Tell us a funny, embarrassing, or inspiring surf story!
It was December 2024, ridiculously cold, and we decided to go surfing on the smallest North Sea waves. Me, five girlfriends and two kayakers were sharing waves while it was grey and raining. One of the kayakers shouted, “Guys! It’s fucking December and look at us, seven people in the water with the biggest smiles on our faces!” Priceless feeling of community right there.