My name is Mel, I taught myself to surf after finding my dad’s old surfboard from the 70s under our house, and being told by all the guys around that “girls can’t surf!”. I have since had the privilege of surfing and running surf camps and competitions around New Zealand and the Pacific.

I have travelled around Hawaii, Indonesia, Fiji, Australia and California for the love of surfing. I live in Mount Maunganui with my young family by the beach and love getting together with other ladies to catch waves. I spent a number of years working as the National Women’s Coordinator for Christian Surfers New Zealand, based on the premise of ‘love your neighbour’ in the surfing community, and then as the first female National Director in that organisation, and in the world, at a time when there weren’t many women employed in the surf industry.

I have worked with surfing associations around the pacific, and assisted in chaplaincy for the women’s world surfing tour. I was also part of a team that set up the Live for More charitable trust which is very successfully providing surf therapy to young offenders in Tauranga. I love that surfing is a sport and a passion that anyone can participate in and feel the freedom that surfing offers. Come join me for a surf!