The Great Ocean Road Womens Surf Festival presented by Ghanda is an all inclusive surfing festival celebrating everything about women’s surfing. Held at Lorne on Gadubanud Country, the festival will provide opportunities for surfers from all backgrounds and experience to come together and celebrate their love for surfing and the ocean.
Click here to download PDF schedule!
The Great Ocean Road Womens Surf Festival and Ghanda are proud to be offering free surf and SUP lessons across the weekend delivered by Surfing Victoria Affiliated Surf School – Go Ride A Wave.
Sessions will be run at the following times on both days and bookings are essential:
SATURDAY
9.00am – Beginner Surf Lesson
11.00am – Beginner SUP Lesson (Cumberland River or Lorne Foreshore – Conditions Dependent)
12.00pm – Beginner Surf Lesson
3.00pm – Beginner Surf Lesson
SUNDAY
9.00am – Beginner Surf Lesson
11.00am – Beginner SUP Lesson (Cumberland River or Lorne Foreshore – Conditions Dependent)
12.00pm – Beginner Surf Lesson
Lessons are run by Surfing Victoria Affiliated Surf School – Go Ride a Wave. Participants are required to sign a waiver via a QR code on the beach prior to the session.
Join us for free workshops across the weekend hosted by Honu Honi Surf Camps.
Making Waves: A Shed Talk with Creative Women
Join a lineup of remarkable local surfers and makers for a free panel discussion about art, the creative process and how the ocean can activate culture and community. From hand-shaping surfboards to dancing hula on the sands — these extraordinary water women will share an inspiring swag of stories, insights and observations from their creative surfing lives.
Making Waves: A Shed Talk with Creative Women features Jessi Rebel, Hannah Trigger, Noelani Le Nevez and Katey Shearer, and is moderated by Ula Majewski.
Surf Coast Shire is committed to supporting creative industry by promoting local artists and makers, aiming to connect them to community. This Shed Talk is presented by Surf Coast Shire Council’s Arts Development team and the Australian National Surfing Museum.
To receive more information on arts and cultural programming in the Surf Coast Shire sign up to our e-bulletin at artsteam@surfcoast.vic.gov.au
Sunrise Salutations: Coastal Yoga Flow
Start your day with a peaceful and energising beach yoga session led by Jodie Burton from Honu Honi Surf Camp. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Great Ocean Road, this class will help you connect with nature, stretch out any surf-related tension, and set a positive intention for your day. Jodie’s sessions are designed for all levels, whether you’re a seasoned yogi or just looking to find a moment of calm before hitting the waves. Join us on Saturday at 8 am, following the ‘Welcome to Country’, or on Sunday at 7 am for a mindful morning practice that will leave you feeling balanced and ready to take on the surf!
Ride the Wave: Understanding Your Cycle in Surfing (Honu Honi)
Join Heidi Frahamer from Honu Honi Surf Camp for an enlightening session on how the hormone cycle impacts surfing and overall sporting performance. Heidi will dive into the natural ebbs and flows of the cycle, offering insights into how to work with your body’s rhythm rather than against it. You’ll learn practical tips for maximising your energy, adjusting your surf sessions, and embracing your natural hormonal shifts to improve your performance in the water. This session is perfect for surfers of all levels and at all life stages who want to better understand their bodies and make the most of every surf, no matter where they are in their cycle.
Surf Etiquette and Communicating in the Water (Honu Honi)
Want to feel confident in a busy line up? Join Heidi Frahamer from Honu Honi Surf Camp for a 50-minute session focused on surf etiquette and effective communication in the water. Heidi will walk you through the foundations of surf etiquette, while also providing you with the tools to help navigate and communicate in line ups that feel intimidating. This session aims to empower women to take up space in the surf and connect with their fellow surfers through respectful communication.
Surf Forecasting 101 (Honu Honi)
Unlock the secrets of surf forecasting with Heidi Frahamer from Honu Honi Surf Camp. This 50-minute session will guide you through the basics of understanding swell, wind, tides, and other key elements of the surf forecast. Heidi will break down complex terms and show you how to read the charts so you can make informed decisions on when and where to surf. Whether you’re a beginner looking to catch your first wave or an experienced surfer wanting to refine your timing, this session will give you the skills to read the ocean with confidence. Get ready to ride the right waves at the right time!
Featuring divisions for all ages and surfers, the surf competition will be run in collaboration with Surfing Victoria and Surf Coast Womens Boardriders Club and is a fun social comp for everyone from first timers to competitive demons!
Saturday
Divisions:
– Open Women Under 8ft (Shortboard Judging Criteria)
– Open Women Over 9ft (Longboard Judging Criteria)
– Junior Girls U18 Under 8ft (Shortboard Judging Criteria)
– Masters Women O45 Over 9ft (Longboard Judging Criteria)
$33 entry fee
Sunday
Divisions:
– Open Women Tag Team (4 surfers in each team)
– Junior Girls U18 Tag Team (4 surfers in each team)
$44 entry fee per team, all boards welcome!
What is a Tag Team?
Each team consists of 4 surfers. One surfer per team will be in the water at a time to ride a wave before they tag their team mate on the beach for their turn. Each surfer can surf unlimited waves in their heat. The highest scoring wave is used from each surfer to calculate the team’s points for that heat. Teams will have a time limit to score as many points for their team as possible. Each team is to nominate a power surfer prior to the beginning of their respective heat. The power surfer is a team member pre-selected by their coach. The power surfer points on their highest scoring wave shall be doubled. The Tag Team event will be run in accordance with Surfing Australia’ s ‘SURF TEAM’ COMPETITION RULES.
WATERPEOPLE PODCAST – LIVE RECORDING
The Waterpeople Podcast is a gathering for our global ocean community to dive into the critical conversations of our culture – through storytelling.
Hosted by Lauren Hill the podcast is an inclusive place to share stories from diverse voices within surfing culture — and from all kinds of waterpeople — from around the world.
In this special LIVE recording, Lauren will be talking with 10x Bells Champion, Surfing Victoria Life member and all around legend Gail Couper! Gail is the queen of Victorian surfing and was a pioneer for Women in surfing throughout the 60s and 70s.
About Gail Couper: Gail Couper was born in Melbourne in 1947 before moving with her family to Lorne in 1959. Gail started surfing two years later and before long was competing at surfing’s highest level as a finalist at surfing’s first official world championship at Manly (NSW) in 1964.
Her family embraced surfing, her father Stan was an administrator for the Australian Surfing Association and a contest director at Bells Beach for many years. Her mum Vi also assisted with contest administration as well as traveling the coast with Lorne grommets, including a talented young local kid called Wayne Lynch, looking for waves.
Gail won the first of fourteen Victorian State Titles in 1964, competing (and making the semi final) of surfing’s first official world championship at Manly that same year. Gail won Australian national titles in 1966, 67, 71, 72 and 75. Gail finished fourth in the 1966 world titles held in San Diego (California) and again made it to semi finals at the 1968 world championships in Puerta Rico.
About Lauren Hill: Lauren L. Hill is a surfer and writer. Much to her own surprise, Lauren managed to make a career as a “professional freesurfer” over the last decade. Backed by degrees in Environmental and Social Science, she develops projects that revolve around the power of storytelling to build community and inspire action to protect our planet. @theseakin
‘BELINDA’ SCREENING AND Q&A
Discover the inspiring story of Belinda Baggs, a lifelong waterwoman who pioneered a place for femininity in the lineup through her graceful longboard style. Her story is one of passion and purpose, evolving from a life dedicated to riding waves to one focused on safeguarding our oceans.
Guided by the currents of her life, from competitive surfing to environmental advocacy, she shares insights into solutions and the change that is created when coastal communities come together.
From a life spent in the water, to one protecting it.
YETI PRESENTS – BEYOND SUNSET
It’s easy to think that she just gets it from her father. After all, Roger Erickson is a legend in his own right on the North Shore, and she rides his boards – long, single-fin guns. But when Emi is out there, charging, riding 15 to 20-foot faces, and getting rag-dolled at Jaws, she deserves for you to know that yeah, maybe it’s in her blood, but no one’s on that board but her.
A Bimarian Films Production.
Surfing Victoria acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Gadubanud Country, their Elders past, present and future.
Goolawan Oath: I have the right to live in a safe relationship, family and community that is free from violence. I agree to uphold these rights and take responsibility for my own words and actions.
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