A WOMANERA has for mission to inspire.
Inspire a grom to take her first kiteboarding lesson.
Inspire a lady to surf her first wave.
Join the WOMANERAS and get out there.
#STAYWOMANERA
“Being part of this story with so many
amazing and inspiring women motivate me
to want more and more.”
– Marcela Witt –
JUSTINE DUPONT
For me it isn’t a question of men or women, it’s more a question of will.
In order to achieve a performance it’s more a search for balance between motivation, technique, muscles, flexibility, experience, mental, surrounding oneself well… The important thing is to feel at your place and to feel good there. As far as I am concerned, I feel like I belong on the wave.
BAHIA FREDIANI
Today, women in the watersports world are proving themselves. There is a lot more risk-taking in the maneuvers choice and women are adventuring into more and more extreme conditions.
And for me this proves that women are as legit as men in this area. Through my personal experience, in the surfing world we are forced to prove and to establish ourselves even more. But it’s a good thing because it makes us stronger. So, the little message that I would like to tell is:
Fight girls, “girls power” should not just be an expression but a reality!
MARCELA WITT
Passion, dedication, persistence, emotional balance, patience … These are some things an athlete needs to develop.
But what about being a woman in the sport? Sometimes I wonder if it is harder to get on the podium or to be respected. We are not judged only by our performances, but we are questioned about our clothes, our body, the way we talk, with whom we socialize, our sexual choice and even how we spend our money.
We are minorities in the sport, not for being more fragile neither because we chose to play different sports when we were a child. The first marathon took place in 1896, but no women was allowed to participate, and it took almost a hundred years to happen. The first woman participated in a marathon only in 1967, signing up not saying her gender, and only in 1972 women became allowed to take a part in the marathon events.
Since Athens women were forbidden to participate in any sporting event as a competitor or as a spectator (under death penalty), we were supposed to dedicate ourselves to home, husband and children.
In 2021, we are still far from equality in sport, from being respected to equality paid, and this is because of our gender. We have been evolving a lot lately and more and more conquering our space. Several sports already have the same prize money, we already see this happening from tennis to surfing.
I have seen more and more women in the water and I feel we are breaking many barriers, but we still have a long way to go.
The sport made me a much stronger and more independent person, I have travelled around the world as a kiteboarder and I feel the joy and pain of being a woman in the water. And in the end, after all, it’s beautiful!
This is just the beginning and being part of this story with so many amazing and inspiring women motivate me to want more and more.
ARIANE OCHOA
When I first start surfing just a couple of girls where at the lineup. During last years, more and more girls become the surf their live style and they use it as a way of grow in life. Is really inspiring to see the other girls pushing their limits in the water. For me that is a more than a reason to push myself to be a better surfer every day.
I think nowadays every day we are showing to the society that we have more than capacities to keep growing and pushing the limits in this sport.
PAULINE VALESA
A big evolution has taken place over the last few years concerning the place of women in the watersports world.
We are more and more, and I think it’s awesome! The strong feeling of riding and the freedom on the water attracts us more and more. I think that the fear of getting hurt or the famous quote « girls can’t… » are much less present, and that’s a good thing!
The desire to kite came to me quite naturally. I was inspired by 2 – 3 female kiteboarders for a long time. Their career and the time they spent on the water have always inspired me. I was quickly attracted by their lifestyle: the sea, the wind, the sun and new horizons! I realized that finally, I could have a similar career. I could also experience pleasure and thrills on my board and my kite. Riding between girls allows you to push yourself and always get amped to do new tricks, even if it isn’t during a contest. So I was just diving into it because it’s always fun to ride with others to share your passion.
We are all able to realize our dreams and beautiful things, it is not because we are a girl that we must give up on them! Maybe we make less high jumps or we pass the bar less times but we can bring different things…. style, different qualities … and I think that this last point is essential and that it would be a pity to compare both genders.
On a professional point of view, I believe it’s important to say that even if we are less women on the tour or in competition, the investment in the discipline equals to the men! The time that we spend on the water, the training sesh, and the risk taken in pushing our limits is the same. The reward should then be just as much. However, it is still quite difficult to get it recognized.
CHARLOTTE CONSORTI
Women ride the same storm, the same waves, the same gusts, but we will always make the difference with this bit of softness that emanates from them.
I think that women in the world of the ride bring aesthetics into practice. Often less physical but more technical. Their tricks are more fluid and prettier. They are just as committed.
#STAYWOMANERA
