Editor’s Note: Founded by Linda Belz, Jameson Riser, and Deb Volturno, Surf Sirens is an all women’s kayak surfing and rough water play camp and instruction suitable for all levels from first time in the surf zone to advanced surfing and dynamic water play.
The 10th Anniversary celebration of Surf Sirens was our best event ever! 45 women of all ages and levels of experience came together at Hobuck Beach on Makah tribal land at the absolute northwest corner of the USA to surf, swim, roll, rock garden, explore, eat, sing, dance, learn, laugh, play, and howl at the full moon. Oh yes we did.
This year our guest instructor was Devon Barker-Hicks. Devon is a former USA Kayak Freestyle Team member, World Surf Kayaking Champion, and ACA Certified Instructor who has spent more than two decades sharing her love of paddling with people of all ages and abilities. This year, as a result of her talent Surf Sirens was able to offer two classes that included rolling in surf. Other classes offered instruction surfing short boats, long boats, and KAOS boats. Rock gardening classes were offered both Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, the first day of instruction, conditions were somewhat rough. The morning started out relatively calm, but the wind and waves picked up and things got sporty as the afternoon progressed. Undaunted as always, the Sirens rallied and handled the situation with aplomb.
Instructors Melinda Moree and Trina Hahn-Anzalone took the rock garden group to the south end of Makah Bay near the mouth of the Sooes River where there are some nice play features. The big story from that excursion was Trina’s full pirouette, flip, and roll sequence. Wish I could have seen that. No photo, unfortunately.
Meanwhile, I assisted Deb and Devon in the Sea Kayak Surf and Rolling class, which was a new format for Surf Sirens. We started basic, with Devon leading on land rolling drills. Then the students paddled out to the break, flipping and riding their boats back in just for practice. As the day went on the students progressed through surfing, rolling in the soup both with and without assistance, and rolling in the surf.
Challenge by choice is the rule at Surf Sirens, and everybody got to do what they came for. Our class went so smoothly that toward the end of the day I was able to beg off and wander down the beach to take photos of the Intro to Surf class with instructors Sally Anderson and Kathy Altieri.
Ending the day with no injuries but a fair amount of fatigue, we still found energy to have a hootenanny at the potluck Friday evening. Organized by Siren Teresa Wittman, there was a veritable banquet of goodies for all. Speaking of goodies, there were special presentations this evening to celebrate our 10th anniversary.
Normally our scholarship recipients remain anonymous, but this year they were consulted and agreed to be publicly acknowledged and gifted with Surf Sirens caps. In addition, everyone received a swag bag containing stickers, a Surf Sirens 10th Anniversary buff, and a kazoo!
To top it off, Kathy provided a boom box and a curated selection of surf and dance music, so after dinner we had a big dance party. As the full moon sailed over the treetops dancers swayed and twirled, kazoos buzzed, wolf howls resonated through the air, and I got to dip Linda Beltz. Oh yes I did.
No alcohol was consumed during this bacchanal (tribal land is dry), but who needs it when you have your crew, a full moon in the night sky, and the sounds of Dick Dale after a successful day on the water?
On Day Two, Saturday, I went out to Sooes with Trina and the Intro to Rock Gardens group. This was another first for me since the previous times I’d assisted the rock garden classes we went to Waadah Island over on Neah Bay. Sooes was nice because the drive was shorter, the launch was right from the beach, there was a variety of features, and it was more scenic. Unlike at Neah Bay we had a surf takeoff and landing to navigate, but conditions had calmed down and it was no big deal. During the briefing before launch, Trina used sand and kelp on the beach to describe the rock garden features we might experience and how they work. We also shared our goals for the day.
When we were ready to go, I paddled out beyond the break and waited while Trina got the three students away one at a time. Everyone made it through the break zone without incident, and we paddled off to the first feature, a large rock formation with a nice wall where you can ride the surge up and down. Trina took Sara right up to the wall and at one point Sara got her bow stuck on the rock. As the water receded she hung there for a moment, wobbled, and tipped over, exiting her boat. Trina was right there for the rescue and Sara was back in her boat in no time while the rest of us watched. Smooth.
After everybody had a chance to play on the wall we moseyed over to a slot located a little bit back from the point. We passed through a big foam field and on the way saw some dolphins in the distance. It was turning into an ideal day.
At the slot, we set up a circuit and Trina sent the students through one at a time while I parked by the exit and took photos. On the beach before we launched, Trina had explained the timing, how to start paddling as the slot empties and before it starts to fill, allowing the incoming surge to carry you through.
Everyone got a chance to paddle through the slot multiple times, which was instructive because each time the surge moved differently and the students had to respond accordingly. Fortunately there were no rocks lurking in the middle of the channel and all the runs went smoothly.
After playing at the slot we noodled along the rocks to a sandy beach and took a break for lunch. My goal for the day was to relax, and l got my wish. The sky was blue, the sun shone, there was virtually no wind, the scenery was stunning, the sea was giving us just the right amount of action, and the students were doing great.
After lunch we paddled over to a big sea stack where the surge wraps around and creates a wave you can ride in a kind of arc around the rock. Again, all the students got to play until they were ready to move on. The next skill was the surf landing. When we got back to the take out Trina went in first. The students watched her while I narrated so they could understand how to negotiate the break zone.
When she’d beached safely, Trina held up her paddle to signal the first student to go in. Again, I narrated while the other students watched. All the students performed what looked to me from outside like textbook landings. Once everyone was in, it was my turn and my brain must’ve relaxed too much because I didn’t bother to time the waves and ended up getting rolled. It was a low consequence moment, but a good reminder to pay attention especially at the end of the day.
The Day Two potluck was another winner, although not as rowdy as the previous night, and on Day Three there was a celebratory relay in the morning. I had to leave early to tend to some things back home, and once again I missed a highlight, since apparently my buddy Anne Demma from Half Moon Bay, California, ran the relay backwards.
Surf Sirens hit a big milestone this year and it was awesome to celebrate in style with all the instructors and students, old and new. This weekend demonstrated that Surf Sirens really has her legs. She developed from baby to toddler and now she’s full grown and stepping confidently into the future. We’ve grown with her. A few years ago we started offering scholarships and the last two years I did a promotion with the Wave Warrior books to raise donations. This year we collected $169.00 toward next year’s scholarships, not counting the donations that come in through Venmo and such, and the total is matched. This allows Surf Sirens to be more equitable and get more women into the great sport of kayak surfing.
It’s been remarkable to watch the evolution of both the Surf Sirens event and the instructor team which returns year after year. The high quality instruction inspires a trust between teachers and students which facilitates learning and was especially apparent in the Intro to Rock Gardens class this year. The students felt safe in the unfamiliar environment and everything went smooth as butter. At the debrief, the students expressed delight to have done things that were completely new to them. They trusted us, they learned to trust themselves, they pushed their boundaries, and they all rocked!
One of the best things about Surf Sirens these days is the number of younger women stepping up to take on leadership roles. Heidi Schutz, Erika O’Leary Gathright, and Trina Hahn-Anzalone in particular shone this weekend. With women like them Surf Sirens could keep running for another 20 years. Trina told me she just turned 30, and next year I’m turning 70, so although my retirement approaches, she’s just getting started. Go Surf Sirens!!!! Fly, Lady, fly!!!,
For more information about Surf Sirens, check us out at surfsirens.org. You can also learn more by reading about previous Surf Sirens events on this website. Just type Surf Sirens into the search box. Thanks for reading and happy paddling!
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