Corrina Eccles is a proud Wadawurrung woman and a well-respected advocate and leader in the community. She is the Cultural Strengthening General Manager for the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.

Corrina is with a passion for supporting First Nations children and young people to connect with community and Culture and Language.

Corrina has a strong spiritual connection and love of warri (sea country). Corrina has been a surfing mentor and volunteer for Surfing Programs on Wadawurrung country for 17 years. Corrina is committed to working closely with WSL and Surfing Victoria to ensure events are culturally respectful of cultural heritage and stories.

She is a Board Director or Committee Member on various organisations in the region, including: Barwon Water Board, The Gordon TAFE Board, Barwon Regional Partnerships Advisory Committee, Geelong Football Club RAP Advisory Committee, and the Bells Beach Advisory Committee, Deakin University, G21 First Nations Pillar, was a past Board Member of Surfing Victoria.

Abbey is a young female surfer from Phillip Island who found her passion for surfing during the challenges of COVID-19.

“Surfing became my escape, a place where I felt strong and free despite the uncertainty. Through the ups and downs, I learned resilience and determination, traits I now inspire in others, especially young girls. Riding waves isn't just a hobby for me—it's a way of life. I want to show that even in tough times, we can find joy and purpose, embracing adventure and having a good time.”

Angela was born and raised in Byron Bay by her surfing family and started surfing at a very young age. She started surfing in events and longboarding as a teen and gained sponsorship from global surf brands like Rip Curl and Bob McTavish. Angela travelled to events around the world, including the ASP Longboard Tour.

Angela has lived in Torquay for the last 18 years where she works alongside her partner, shaper Ian Chisholm, running South Coast Surfboards. They have two children, Charlie and Delilah.

Angela works with Surfing Victoria and their new Surf Her Way program, helping to foster women’s surfing. You will see Angela at her at most happiest in any line up and especially when she is sharing waves with her kids.

Ashika is a lifelong ocean lover who dreamt of becoming a mermaid as a young girl growing up in Fiji. Now, as Chair of the Surf Coast Women’s Boardriders, she is passionate about supporting women to love being in and caring for the ocean.

Ashika is Senior Lawyer, Climate Justice, at Environmental Justice Australia. She has been a legal policy specialist for nearly 20 years and holds qualifications in law, arts, psychology, public policy and regional and community development. She is currently completing a Masters in the Law of the Sea.

Ash is a surfer, mum and lawyer. She is the youngest ever and first female Chair of Surfing Victoria, where she passionately volunteers her time. Ash played a pivotal part in launching Surfing Victoria's 'Surf Her Way' initiative. Her love for the ocean and surfing blossomed at 13th Beach where she learned to surf, and also became a club champion.

Beyond Surfing Victoria, Ash works as a commercial lawyer and co-founded Mast Lawyers in 2017. She also serves as a board member for a number of charities including Carrie Bickmore's Beanie's for Brain Cancer, Genyus Foundation and Active Geelong.

French artist Pauline loves to wear her Deep Velour outfit when her kids are asleep. It takes her on a journey through her childhood dance tunes, her teenage years spent going to underground electronic gigs in Berlin, and her passion for dancing to the rhythm of music. Her love for music extends across the globe, from France and Japan to Angola, and is also an ode to women artists, who often tackle serious topics with the lightness of joie de vivre that only music can bring.

Although she has lived on the Surf Coast for eight years, Pauline has only been playing music for a couple of years. She’s learning how to use DJ equipment with her partner, as burning CDs is no longer an option. In addition to her music, she is also passing on her skills to the next generation.

Gill is the author of Surf Life, published by Thames & Hudson. She works as a bookseller and is a regular contributor to The Guardian and Surfing World.

Jess is a sculpture artist with a strong connection to the ocean. To acquire her primary medium, marine debris rope, she has travelled to remote and wild coastlines.

Through her work, Jess reflects upon our human relationship to the natural world. She considers our approach to design; the things we construct and the things we discard; to gain insights into our society and its values. Entertaining modern existence within the fabric of time.

Kate is a committed surfer who started her journey on a knee board when she was 18 and then later transitioned back to surfing after getting the longboard bug in her 30’s. She hasn’t looked back and has been actively engaged in the longboarding community since then.

Kate is passionate about seeing greater diversity in surfing and particularly committed to increasing the participation of female and Indigenous people in surfing. Kate is a Surfing Victoria board member and was instrumental in establishing the Surf Her Way program.

Kathryn Jackson was a leading surf forecaster with professional experience tracking swells around the world over the last two decades. As a surfer and sailor, her interest in the ocean led to her studies in wave physics and earth sciences. She began surf reporting at Surfline in 2004, observing and recording surf and weather conditions daily while expanded her career in meteorology and wave modelling. Originally from California, she now permanently resides near Margaret River, WA with her two young children.

Kaz is a Verde Islander from the Philippines and now lives in Ocean Grove.

Growing up in the beautiful Islands, she has always felt a strong connection and belonging to the ocean and wants to share this ocean joy, love and sense of community with others.

When not surfing you can find Kaz playing her guitar or bringing people together and building the leadership of others (especially young people of colour) to create waves of change as the Community Organising Director at GetUp.

A surfer, activist and teacher. Linley is passionate about protecting sea Country. She works for Patagonia and the Saltwater Institute.

Megan is a local fitness instructor and mum of two. Over her 10+ years in the industry, she has found her absolute favourite way to work out:

EPIC MUSIC + FUN MOVES + GOOD VIBES

The Jungle Body is a dance-based workout like no other. Expect to box, squat, salsa, twerk and tone and leave smiling from ear to ear.

Kanaka Maoli mama, surfer and hula practioner. Noe and her ohana find connection to their culture, nature and community in the water.

Rita Maria Lahtinen is an artist and blue space researcher with extensive industry experience in writing, fine art photography and women's sports. Rita holds a Bachelor of English Literature and a Masters of Science in Gender Law, and is currently undertaking her PhD.

She’s an avid surfer and skater, and her doctoral research looks into sociocultural aspects of contemporary beach culture through the lens of experimental video and sound design, as well as material practice. Looking forward, she envisions her career continuously supporting and encouraging women, especially within the arts, sports and non-traditional research spaces.

A surf obsessed mum of two, Sam is passionate about sharing the stoke of surfing and using the power of surf for social and enviro change.

Stacie has been a surfer for over 30 years. After growing up on the shores of the Murrumbidgee River in Wiradjuri Country NSW, she headed straight to Queensland after dodging art school (promising to get back to that later) to continue a love affair with the ocean that began on summer holidays on the south coast of New South Wales. Pretty much upon arrival on the Sunny Coast, she enrolled in a learn-to-surf program called Women in the Waves - a brand new, early 90s initiative by Surfing Queensland designed to encourage more females into the lineup. She still surfs almost every day and bases all important life decisions around surfing.

In between surfing and major life events, she has worked as a curator, comms specialist, editor, writer, arts events programmer and manager. Her current focus lies in getting arts projects out of the brains of artists and into the experiences of the broader community.

I grew up in Torquay and it was around the age of 9 that I found that the only thing that I wanted to do was surf, and it has literally guided everything I have done in life since.

I was a Torquay Surf Club Nipper then began competing with the Torquay Board Riders Club then onto state and national events. I enjoyed travelling for waves and even moved to the south west of Western Australia to complete a Bachelor of Science (Surf Science and Technology). I then spent ten years or so travelling and working around the world surfing everywhere that I could. I met a surfboard shaper in Morocco and spent time between France and Australia. We now have two kids. I'm a progressive surf coach with Surfing Australia, finished 4th in the Australian Masters titles in 2023 and have taught many women how to surf and currently taking girls on surf trips to the remote Mentawai Islands in Indonesia.

Tyler–Rae Chung, hailing from Fiji, embodies a diverse heritage spanning Asia and the Pacific, embodying a rich tapestry of cultures and beliefs. Born amidst cultural richness, she adeptly navigates life’s complexities with harmony. Her upbringing instilled deep reverence for the ocean, symbolising both ancestral journeys and vital sustenance.

Armed with a Bachelor of Marine Science from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, Tyler-Rae is now pursuing her Master of Science at James Cook University, Australia. A distinguished leader in youth networks such as Wantok Moana, Pacific Youth Council, and the Early Career Ocean Professional, she adeptly bridges science, policy, and traditional wisdom. As a former monitoring officer for the Social Educational Empowerment Program, she passionately empowered young women in core communities, embodying her unwavering commitment to service and empowerment of future generations for our land and oceans.

Ula is a storyteller, photographer, enviro campaigner and surf rat. She works mostly at Patagonia, but moonlights at Surfing World, White Horses and some fine enviro organisations. She lives on Wadawurrung Country.