A Surfragette Kind of Life
Meet Marta Tomasini - the Italian ladyslider who inspires us to face our fears and chase our dreams. As the creator of Surfragette, a surf inspired blog, Marta shares her insights and experiences to show us what it really means to surf like a girl.
Name: Marta Tomasini
Age: 26
Hometown: I am from Turin, a city in the North of Italy, but I have been living in Biarritz, France, for two years now.
Home Break: At the moment my home break is the beach of Côte des Basques, the place where I surf the most in Biarritz.
Tell us about your relationship with the ocean.
I’ve never been a mermaid. Really, I’ve always enjoyed being in the water, but somehow I was scared too. I used to spend all my childhood and my teen age at my parents’ seaside house by the Mediterranean Sea. I loved it there (and I still do, every time I’m on visit)! Yet my relationship with the sea was always the love/hate kind.
Until I learned how to surf. It happened during a travel in Morocco and I completely fell in love! When I came back home, I kept on with this new passion of mine. I didn’t even imagine it was possible to surf in Italy! Little by little, I was able to face some of my fears and here I am now, following my dream to be living by the ocean. The ocean and I are still getting to know and respect each other, but most importantly, we are sharing some beautiful memories together. It has now become my happy place. I can completely be myself when I’m out there. I like the way the ocean can test you sometimes and judge you’re real intentions. It can change every time and you have to be prepared to face all its different moods – it is the metaphor of life.
Tell us about a few of your adventures - where did you go, who did you meet, what did you learn?
I already told you about the place that stole my heart, Morocco. It was 2010 and I decided to go there and stay for a month at some friends’ place. I was in one of those moments in life when you need to find your place in this world and learn how strong you can be. This travel changed my life. Not only did I get to know the truest and most real aspects of life and the most genuine people, but I also learned how to surf.
A few months after I came back, in the water I met the man that some time later would have become my boyfriend and still is my life partner. With him I spent a couple of summer seasons working in a surf camp in the south of Portugal. The wild roughness and the colors of Algarve will always be one of the most precious memories I cherish.
But the biggest adventure of all I think was moving to France! We didn’t know what to expect and in the beginning we were supposed to stay just for a few months. But after two years we are still here! Doing “proper” jobs, living by the beach, surfing whenever it’s possible and basically building our life together.
I don’t really know what the future holds for us, but this doesn’t scare me that much at the moment. I hope it will be another amazing adventure!
We are eager to learn more about “Surfragette.” What does Surfragette mean?
Ahah when I came up with this name I didn’t think twice! I knew it was difficult to spell and worried about people not remember it. But I stuck with my decision and I am happy about that!
Surfragette is the combination of SURF + SUFFRAGETTE, the female movement for the equal rights in genders.
I wanted a name that could be an inspiration to the other surfer girls. The prove that we can be as good as the men in the water, but most importantly the idea that it is good to surf like a girl.
What inspired you to start “Surfragette”?
I started Surfragette the year after I started surfing, I think. At that time there were just a few chicks in the water in Italy and most of the times I was the only one. Since I din’t know many other surfer girls out there, I decided I would create my own place where I could share surf-inspired stories and basically everything that was inspiring me at that moment. Little by little, the blog changed as my life changed and it became a place where I’d share my surf experiences and give space to other people’s stories too.
What is your primary goal for the blog?
I think that the primary goal for Surfragette is to let other people know that you don’t need to be Alana Blanchard or have model features to be a kick-ass surfer. As long as you’re true to yourself and you have a good time in the water, you can be the best surfer in the world! I also like to share my fears, because opening up and being honest to other people will let them feel less lonely in this journey. Surfing is tough and can make us face some hard challenges sometimes. But this is what will make us stronger!
So, the idea behind the blog is to kick off most of the surfer-girl stereotypes that make people have a distorted idea of what female surfing is about.
I also love sharing about travels and other people experiences. We don’t have all the same relationship with the ocean and this amazing practice, so it’s good to get to know more about others’ stories.
In your blog, you mention some difficulty competing for waves against the boys. Any advice you can pass along?
Yes, I had some hard moments at the beginning to make people respect the fact that a girl (with a pink wetsuit) could actually catch the waves and surf in the same lineup as the guys. This pushed me to improve more and more and in the end I succeeded in winning my place in the lineup.
Some time ago I heard a fellow blogger telling that the guys should leave us some more waves in order to let us surf more. I completely disagree! We don’t need them to pity us. We should instead get the motivation from it and earn the respect we deserve in the water. Not because we are girls, but because we are good surfers!
How long have you been surfing for?
I have been surfing for five years now. I started in 2010 and haven’t stopped since.
What is your favorite board?
I love surfing longboards. It’s such an amazing feeling to glide on a big board and move with it and on it! At the moment I love surfing with a 8ft I bought some months ago. It has a special shape, like a “real” longboard but in a mini version since I am just 1,50m tall (5ft)! It’s a Fineline, hand shaped in California, quite wide, with a single fin and a squared tail. I mosly like to use it when the waves are not so big.
Where is your favorite surf spot?
I don’t really have a favorite surf spot at the moment. I like surfing at Côte des Basques because I know it well and I like surfing at my local spot in Italy because it is where I started improving my skills. But the Basque coast offers a wide variety of amazing breaks and I don’t really know which one is my favorite yet.
Day job: Communication and Marketing for the company that produces and sells Surfrider Foundation Europe products
Dream job: I would love to make a living out of Surfragette. Someday, maybe…
Who or what inspires you?
Genuine people you’re confortable to be with and rough nature. I like people when they’re deeply real, showing their real self. They inspire me to do the same and not to worry about what anybody else may think. Wild nature is able to fill me up and to give me that freedom feeling we all crave for.
What does Seadom mean to you?
Seadom means being whoever you want to be when you are in the water. In the ocean you’re vulnerable, your truest self. You don’t need to pretend to be somebody else when you are out there, because the ocean would know it no matter what.
Favorite post-surf meal?
After surf I always have some chocolate! It is my go-to food: it is always delicious, it gives enough energy after the session and never disappoint me!
Favorite quotation:
“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” - Oscar Wilde
It may be a little cliché, but it is always true. You will never ever regret being true to yourself and your beliefs.
Words of wisdom for female surfers?
Enjoy every bit of it – the morning sessions at dawn, the surf alone, those scary moments, the big and glassy swells and the flat days. Enjoy your time in the water no matter what and don’t care to much about your performance, but just try to have fun!