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| Legendary Surfing Community Website |
Saturday 19th May 2012 Time:
03:44am San Diego /
11:44am London /
08:44pm Sydney
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"A
Fun Approach To Surfing" OceanFever.net
- Your Surfing Community
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Anne Bayly
Interview - Pro Women Surfer
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How
did you start surfing?
"Well, it started with my family's life style, my parents love the ocean.
I grew up in Palos Verdes, California and we would always be at the beach. I
have three older brothers that surfed and they influenced me a lot. As a family
we often camped on the beach in Mexico. The first time I saw women surfing,
was on T. V., I was ten years old when I sat wide-eyed on the couch watching
"Wide World of Sports" which covered Margo Oberg and Joyce Hoffman
riding big surf at Sunset Beach, Hawaii. "That was it", I knew, I
wanted to be professional surfer when I saw that. But it wasn't until 4 years
later that I actually got on a board and surfed. When I was 14, we moved from
Palos Verdes to a house on the beach in Laguna Beach, I learned to surf the
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hard
way for example, having my brother's laugh at me when I waxed the wrong side
of my board. I poured my heart into surfing and tried to surf every chance I
could get including jumping out of the school bus window when I saw the waves
were too good to pass up!" |
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How
did you get to the pro circuit?"
I surfed
in my first contest when I was 15. I took first in the women's division. Bringing
home the trophy, brought me to another level of surfing. I realized how much
I loved competition. At 16, I was given my first team sponsored board, which
was a "Clyde Beatty" (rocket fish). At 17 I moved with my family to
Northern California where I had to |
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adjust
to the chilly waters of Santa Cruz. For the next couple of years I consistently
placed in the finals of the W.I.S.A. (Woman's International Surfing Association)
Pro-Am circuit. At 18, I was offered the sponsorship of a lifetime, O'Neill
asked me to be the first women on their international team. It was an amazing
thrill that they asked me to join the team, I admired O'Neill for stepping out
there and supporting a woman on that level at a time when women generally weren't
given that kind of recognition and sponsorship. I was given a quiver of surfboards,
and they covered contests and international travel expenses. Over the next couple
of years I continued to surf well and placed consistently in the top 5 of the
women pros." |
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How
did all your traveling influence you?
"Even though I chose to leave the pro circuit and have a family,
that didn't stop me from following my love of the ocean and surfing. My husband
and I had an international sales business, which allowed us to travel around
the world for 4 years. We set up a sales schedule that followed the best surfing
seasons through the tropics. I home-schooled our kids so that as a family we
could live an "endless summer" life style. Before we traveled to a
new country I would contact a group called "Christian Surfers". They
have clubs around the world, they would pour themselves into helping kids in
local surf neighborhoods and put on contests. In each place we went I offered
to help in any way I could. I ended up doing a lot of teaching and setting up
surf camps with them. In New Zealand they advertised me as "ex-pro Anne
Bayly". As a result we had 120 kids in our first camp with 50 of kids being
girls. That was a significant factor and I realized there was a need for a woman
to be a surfing Instructor. When we moved back to Santa Cruz the opportunity
to start a surf school for woman was wide open."
What is your surf school about?
"When I started 'It's a Girl Thing Surf School,' I didn't intend to exclude
guys, I just wanted a place for girls and women to learn to surf from a woman
instructor. Women tend to be more peripheral and more concerned about their
surroundings than men. They want to understand the rules and know how to be
safe, not just for their own safety but for the safety of others too. The last
thing they want is somebody yelling at them because they don't understand what
to do. I've had so many guys also, compliment us after taking a lesson because
of the thorough information they are given. I have a great technique for teaching
the pop up, I've broken it down into a smooth transition. Women are very successful
with my method and again men have complimented me on it as well. I teach on
Soft Top Boards, most schools teach on foam boards because they are safe but
they bend, flex and are generally too heavy. The Softops are safe because of
the safety fins, soft rails and a soft deck. But you also get the advantage
of the boards planing like a fiberglass surfboard because they have a hard core
throughout the whole board. Lastly, I believe in being warm so, I provide all
my students with a full wetsuit, a long sleeve polypro-rash guard and booties."
"I've discovered that my instruction works equally well for both men and
women. In fact, I've had so many women; who have brought along their husbands,
boy friends, brothers or sons, that I wanted to have a name that welcomed everyone.
As a result, I recently changed the name from 'It's a Girl Thing Surf School'
to 'Anne Bayly's Santa Cruz Surf School.' I'll keep 'It's a Girl Thing' as well,
for when we do all girl trips or all girl lessons."
What does the future hold for Anne Bayly's Santa Cruz
Surf School?
"I'll continue to offer group and private surf lessons. We also teach a
four hour clinic that will be video taped for the beginning and advanced surfers."
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