Women Only

RACHEL TILLY: In the event after winning the Loggers Classic in JBay. Photo Kody McGregor

In a move that could just be a master stroke in getting more women to contests, and thus improving our skills base, 30 of the 62 entrants in the La Muse Classic - to be held at Muizenberg Corner in predicted 2-3' glassy lines - are completely new to surf contests. This must set some sort of record.

Local Muizenberg surfers Charmaine Adams and Cheree Thomson came up with the idea a year ago while surfing the Corner. The idea was not to widen the gender divide, or cock a snoot at feminist ideals of gender parity, but give opportunity for the many free-surfing women who love to ride waves, but are a bit intidimated at the thought of entering an event, particularly those where men dominate.

"We want to include women of all ages and introduce competitive longboarding to free-surfing women to show them that the vibe is fun, friendly and easy-going,” says Cheree.

FAMILY WAVE: Women gear up yesterday for the event on Sunday. Photo Grant Scholtz

In other words, they want to give women the chance to surf in a more relaxed environment, without the often male-dominated perception of competition, rules and judging. The event, which is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa, is entirely made up of women, from the sponsors The Store to all participitants, from judges to commentators. Even the service providers, media and the marketing team are women.

Some might think it's overkill to have an event only for women, and by only women but kudos to Charmaine and Cheree for recognising that to attract women to this arena you just need to give them a nurturing environment where they can express themselves.

Entries include top talents like Tarryn Kite and Rachel Tilly (who recently won the Loggers Classic in JBay). Women have such a poetic style that expresses their feminity so I guess it makes sense to celebrate as a gender collective unsullied by testosterone-induced notions of what constitutes surfing.

ADD WATER: Muizenberg plays host to the first all-female longboard event. Photo Grant Scholtz

And a happy consequence is that it looks set bring more women into surf competitions, and possibly to inspire more girls to get into the water. Thomson says that entries were snapped up in two weeks, although they had planned an two month window because they envisaged themselves having to hunt down prospective entries. “It was a big surprise though! We had to close entries after two weeks! We're full and can't take any more.”

Conditions look pretty good for event on Sunday, and the festivities start in true feminine form with a yoga session to salute the sun at 7.30am. The La Muse Classic is not just about competing. Cheree says that they support local initiatives such as Surfers Pledge and the Beach Co-operative that drive awareness and advocate cleaner

A free coffee from Hang Ten Café will be supplied to each contestant provided they bring their own mugs. The goodie bags all contain recycled plastic rubbish removal bags to encourage participants to dig in and give back.

Don't worry, men can come too.