NZ Women’s Surf Festival

Girls (don’t) just want to have fun.

There’s something special about it, when kōtiro and wāhine from all over Aotearoa descend upon a place as welcoming as Pāuanui. The inaugural New Zealand Women’s Surfing Surf Festival made waves in Pāuanui on the 2 and 3 March.

AWSA board members are still fizzing from the event and are looking forward to working together with Surfing NZ to grow the event over the years to come. As an all-female event, the vibe was special, and this is just the beginning. Mark the beginning of March in the calendar, this one’s for the girls! While the event showcased some of the best female surfers in Aotearoa, it also provided a safe environment for some first time competitors with supporters rooting for all competitors in the event.

The festival was all about community and connection, with experienced competitors supporting up-and-coming surfers, support from spectators and just overall a great crowd. The festival was rounded out with a surf-specific pilates and mobility session, a fun skate session and the screening of the surf film Over the Undertow, a documentary short film capturing the essence of women’s surfing in Aotearoa by Cassia Walton and Lauren Crerar.

The film follows four wāhine Gabi Paul, Liv Haysom, Avaa Henderson and Brie Bennett on their hunt for gnarly waves, perfect barrels and some serious fun in some of the best surfing spots Aotearoa has on offer.

If you haven’t seen the film, it screens as part of the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival, nationwide, until 19 April 2024.

Photos and video by Lauren Crerar via Surfing New Zealand.