On Sunday 10 May 2009 - Mother’s Day in Australia – many surfers will follow their usual ritual; come back from their dawn patrol, drink some coffee, enjoy some poached eggs on spinach toast and then ring their mums.
But even so, a few surfers won’t call until closer til lunchtime, and not because their mums are sleeping in.
Or that they can’t be bothered.
Far from it.
For quite a few of them will be ripping at beach near you.
And many of them will belong to http://www.surfingmums.com/
So here's the low down on this quiet revolution...
According to the Surfing Mums website, it’s “not only the dream but the need to surf that is like needing the air we breath or the water we drink. As a surfer before children, we were only limited by our work, or by other commitments, but there was always some time during the day when you could make it down to the surf. Then we had children and suddenly we had a 24 hour 7 day a week commitment, children didn’t give us time off for an early or late surf, they sure didn’t care when the surf was good and we would have been happy with just a 20 minute paddle. No these little bundles of joy did not give any leave way for a surfing mum. Sure we got the occasional paddle on weekends when a partner or friends would look after our little ones, but was that really enough? It was not enough for two women living in a town blessed with endless waves and one of the most perfect right handers in Australia”.
Now a national movement, Surfing Mums began when Vanessa and Julia who live in Byron Bay on the East Coast of Australia decided that motherhood while a privilege, was no going to mean that wave riding passed them by. So the two friends set up a partnership where one mum would watch the two children on the beach while the other one got in a 30 minute surf, and vice versa. This saw them go from the occasional desperate surf to surfing everyday.
Of course word soon got around town so Surfing Mums was formed.
According to SM, parents often "how will I know if my child is safe while I am in the water?". Sm's advise that geitgn involved is the best way to judge.
"The only way to do this is to form the relationships with the other mums before you start 'beach sitting'. Meet up a few times on the beach before you leave your child with your new surfing mum friend, then maybe start with a few short sessions, as your confidence builds you'll soon be surfing for up to an hour before its your turn to swap and let the other mum go out for a surf.", they advise.
The SM website allows you to meet other mums in the Forum section, or check out if anyone in your area has similar profiles to yours in the profile section. Catch up on surfing news that relates to women or kids in the articles, or surf reports for your area.
Surfing Mums Inc is a not for profit association that supports a network of mums that surf and who meet at the beach to alternate childcare duties enabling mums to enjoy some time in the surf.
Surfing Mums Inc groups are situated where ever mothers surf and involve mothers of varying surfing abilities and different surf crafts (longboards, shortboards, bodyboards, kneeboards, stand up paddle boards bodysurfing etc), and mothers of children of different ages (from 1 day old-18 years).
Surfing Mums encourage fathers and other careers to belong to the groups. The association is valid in Australia and New Zealand only.
http://www.surfingmums.com
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