The sun beats down on a gaggle of giggly young sapphics in rash guards, bikinis, and board shorts as they set up their surfboards in the sand. The blue-green water laps against the shore, and a lesbian flag flies proudly in the wind. This strip of Rockaway Beach along 67th Street belongs to the dykes- at least for a few hours every Sunday.
As they mount their multi-colored rentals boards from a surf shop down the beach, a white banner marks their territory and draws in the late-comers searching for their friends. In bold, black print it reads: Sapphic Surf.
Photo Courtesy of Sapphic Surf.
Sapphic Surf has declared itself the first dyke-founded surf club in New York City. Since their inaugural meet in July, the group has grown to nearly 900 Instagram followers – not an easy feat considering the obstacles women face in the surfing community.
A 2021 Surfing Victoria survey found that 47% of girls and women lack confidence in the water because of “male aggression,” verbal abuse, and the lack of other women surfing beside them. Earlier this year, the Surf Industry Members Association issued their first report on the diversity of surfing. According to the report, women represent 35% of surfers. While the number is a massive step toward inclusion in the sport, a safe space for queer women to surf hasn’t hit the mainstream yet. In fact, SIMA didn’t even include an LGBTQ+ surf category in their report.
Sapphic Surf co-founders Julia Wess, 24, and Añes Ollivier-Yamin, 23, hope to change that by putting together a safe and free environment for sapphic women to experiment on their boards without judgment, to fall down and get back up.
“We always wanted to be encouraging,” says Añes. “That’s been a beautiful part of it. Just being in the water and cheering everyone on.”
On Sunday, Añes can be found leading a “stretch circle” to loosen everyone up before they take on the waves. The group stands on their boards, doing a few yoga poses on the shore as fellow-beachgoers observe the group unapologetically taking up space.
Julia leads a safety lesson in front of Sapphic Surf members before they head into the water. Photo by Añes Ollivier-Yamin.
Julia gives a quick safety lesson on how to paddle out and pop up. Sapphic Surf has no requirements for newbies: you don’t need to be a strong swimmer or have any surfing experience. But, the co-founders are always quick to take precautions. Members who aren’t confident in the water are given extra attention; Julia and Añes keep their eyes on them, guiding them with a careful hand.
“We don’t just throw people in the water, especially when they’re not feeling confident,” says Añes. “It can feel super daunting.”
The co-founders do their best to make surfing feel less intimidating for the members of their own community. The choice to use “sapphic” in their name was intentional- to uplift the community, not exclude. Añes says women, non-binary, and trans folx who identify as sapphics are all welcome to join.
“As long as you’re ‘with it’ and there isn’t entitled energy, we will welcome you forever,” she says, smiling.
A community of queer people dominating the waves is a phenomenon most surfers have never experienced, including Julia and Añes. The two dreamed up the idea when they hung out for the first time earlier this year after connecting on Instagram about their shared love of the sport. They didn’t waste any time. Four weeks later, Sapphic Surf was born.
Photo by Julia Wess.
“[We] just kind of dove in not fully knowing each other,” Julia says. The girls made a post on Lex, a popular queer community app, in early July just to see if anyone would show up.
Things started small on July 6 when eight girls joined together for the initial meet. But, thanks to the power of gay social media, it wouldn’t stay small for long.
A video of the group’s first meet quickly went viral on TikTok. Since being posted to Añes’s personal account on July 12, the video has reached over 35,000 views. Surf sessions grew to 15, then 30, and at a recent meet, 50 sapphic surfers showed up.
“I’ve never seen that many women in the water- much less queer women,” says Julia. “I’m used to being the only girl out there surfing, you know? It’s male dominated, and it’s not always the most friendly.”
Julia has had plenty of experience in the “male dominated” world of surfing. Growing up in Maryland with a beach-loving family, she was well-acquainted with the water from a young age. She remembers standing up on a Boogie Board for the first time at eight years old.
By 13, she was competing in the Eastern Surfing Association, which allowed her to travel along the east coast and meet fellow surfers.
“I always felt welcomed in the surf competition world,” she recalls. “I think it’s more of a challenge just on the beaches on the day-to-day. It can be hard being the only girl surfer.”
Julia, who now works as a high school art teacher, put surfing on the back burner in 2019 while she attended Pratt University. After graduating in 2021, her love for the sport remained, and she searched for other like-minded souls in New York- like Añes.
Añes’s interest in surfing began during her childhood in the United Arab Emirates. She found female surfing representation inside the Roxy store at her local mall and in Blue Crush (2002), rather than in the water.
“As a kid… I would always say I wanted to sell shirts and teach people how to surf by the beach,” Añes says. “I’m kind of doing that, in a different way.”
It wasn’t until the summer of 2021 that she dove into the sport- right here in Rockaway. She took a few classes, taught by a man, and was hooked. A recent grad of the New School, Añes now works at a coffee shop in Ridgewood, but has kept her sights set on surfing.
“I would just go to the beach and surf by myself,” she says. “I kept doing it. I was determined to get, like, better and better.”
She remembers seeing two Puerto Rican girls teaching others to surf at Rockaway and being stunned. Not only by their presence, but their confidence to stand out in the crowd.
“Women are rare and far between to see at Rockaway, at least at that time” Añes says. “I think it’s changing now.”
It’s not just the tides at Rockaway that are shifting. The World Surfing League, founded in 1976, began offering equal prize money for men and women in 2019. In 2022, women were allowed to compete alongside men for the first time at the Vans Pipe Masters, one of the biggest surfing competitions in the world.
Photo by Sofia Garcia.
As the surfing world inches toward inclusion for women, the need for a sapphic space becomes more apparent.
“There are very few spaces that cater to just sapphics,” says Julia. “It’s special to come together with people who you can connect with so personally in this sport that is kind of scary and awkward.”
“The sense of community is what I want to continue existing,” Añes adds. “We want to keep the lessons affordable, accessible, and actually encouraging…no matter how many people come.”
Through the wipe-outs and accidental gulps of salt water, a community of beach-loving queers is created. Girls reach out a helping hand to guide each other through the waves and cheer when someone finally gets their footing. From longtime surfers to newbies who have never stepped foot on this beach, a common ground is formed, friends are made, and (most importantly) waves are conquered.
