Surfing really burst into American popular culture in the 1960s when the Beach Boys (and assorted soundalikes) sang about it, and when surf-themed movies like “Endless Summer” started being produced; however, the sport had been alive and thriving (not to mention evolving) centuries before that.
Surfing was incorporated into the Olympics in Japan in 2020 and was featured in the 2024 Games in Paris (where Tahiti was the venue). In 2028, the world will see the Olympic competition being staged on the Southern California coast.
At one time, the sport was dominated by men; however, as it has continued to evolve, the presence of female athletes in surfing has risen, as has the attention being paid to those athletes.
The Super Girl Surf Pro powered by CELSIUS is the largest female surfing event in the world and the only World Surf League (WSL) WQS 3000 women’s event in the U.S. It offers valuable points for surfers to qualify for the Women’s Championship Tour. This year, the three-day event will be held in two locations: Oceanside, California from September 19 to 21, 2025, and Jacksonville Beach, Florida from November 7 to 9. In addition to surfing competitions, both events include festivals that feature female-focused vendors, activities and entertainment.
Rick Bratman, CEO of ASA Entertainment, is the longtime operator of both festivals. He sat down with SDM to share his insights into the rapidly growing sport.
The Growth of Surfing and of Women in the Sport
The growth trajectory has been incredible over the 18 years we have been putting on these events. In fact, the first event featured only 16 women, and we struggled to find those 16. In 2023, by comparison, we had 154 women competing.
Women are now taking up a lot of bandwidth in the industry. I would say that 15 or more years ago, they really had second-class status. Now, female surfers are elevating the profiles of the brands that sponsor them. They’re being placed front and center, where they belong.
We’re also seeing the number of spectators rise. At events with both male and female athletes, a lot of people will come specifically to watch the women surfing. At our festivals, which are specifically women-focused, you can see this. Over the course of three days in Oceanside, we had 75,000 people, and 55,000 in Jacksonville Beach.
The Economic Impact of the Events
In 2023, our economic impact was $30 million, which should give you some idea of the interest in surfing as a whole. Plus, Super Girl is about more than just surfing. It’s a celebration of women in sports, as well as entertainment and pop culture. I would characterize it as an empowerment festival.
Being in the business as long as I have has given me the chance to see some of the trends at work. The youth interest is growing. About 10 years ago, the average age of our competitors was 20; now, it’s 15. The athletes are definitely getting younger. Back in 2012, we had a 12-year-old athlete and we were astounded; now, we regularly see athletes between the ages of 12 and 15 competing at an extremely elevated level.
Another interesting trend is the increased participation in longboarding; the IOC (always interested in youth-oriented sports) is looking at longboard as a potential medal event. In 2024, we added longboard competition to our Oceanside event.
The Advent of Wave Parks in Communities
Wave parks allow people to try surfing, even in landlocked communities, so we are very much in favor of their development and their presence throughout the country. There are a lot of similarities between the experience of being in a wave park and actually surfing in the ocean, and of course, we hope that the next step will be trying the sport in the ocean. Once you’ve had the experience and enjoyed it, there’s no turning back.
Sites for Surfing
The most important aspect of any surfing competition is going to be finding an area that has consistent waves; it can be challenging to get locations like that. We are looking at adding a third location for the Super Girl Surf Pro and are considering a number of sites. We’ve having discussions with some cities in Florida and Hawai’i, and we’re even looking at New Jersey as well.
The Potential for Growth Following the Olympics
Every sport is elevated by being included in the Olympics, since the Games add an extra layer of credibility. Olympic inclusion also brings increased visibility. When you have millions of people around the world watching surfing, they’re going to fall in love with it. Surfing is aspirational; it’s a sport people want to try (or just watch) but either way, it is positive because they start wanting to follow it and to follow the athletes they see in competitions.
Female Athletes as Role Models
The athletes who wind up with the medals become phenomenal ambassadors for the sport. We’ve already seen from our festivals that the women in professional surfing, like Caitlin Simmers and Caroline Marks, are great ambassadors as well as incredible people.
As a girl dad, I wanted to produce an event where my daughter (and other young women as well) could see female athletes not just being included but excelling. As a side note, we actually produce what is called the Super Girl Series, of which the Super Girl Surf Pro is an essential part. Other events include the following:
• Super Girl Gamer Pro, a competitive video game series dedicated to supporting women in gaming. The initiative was launched in 2017 to provide a platform for female gamers and to help inspire more women to take a larger role within esports.
• Super Girl Skate Pro, a top-level skate competition with the world’s top female pros and a slew of up-and-coming amateur talent. The event is designed to not only showcase the best female skaters on the planet, but also to serve as a developmental contest to help locate, nurture, mentor and encourage the next generation of aspiring pros.
• Super Girl Snow Pro, an elite snowboarding competition that showcases the top female professionals in the sport, as well as promising amateur snowboarders. This event not only highlights exceptional athletic talent but also serves as a platform for development, providing opportunities for mentorship and growth for aspiring female snowboarders.
• Super Girl Symposium, a unique and immersive learning experience with a full school day dedicated to bringing together a sisterhood of inspiring women to talk to and work with each student. The goal of the event is to build girls’ confidence and to challenge gender stereotypes through honest and authentic conversations, leadership panels, keynote sessions and hands-on activities and workshops.
In all ways, we want to elevate the profile of women in sports and in society; we also want to empower them and create opportunities for mentorship and growth.
The Future of Surfing
It’s obvious that people love to watch surfing, and that is a great harbinger for the growth of the sport. Our events receive a massive amount of television coverage. We’ll get over 100 million social media impressions at each event and, as we’ve said before, the number of participants has gone up significantly. It’s also promising to see the number of amazing athletes out there; those people serve as great role models for the sport.
As we get ready for the Games in Los Angeles, we can expect even more interest in surfing, particularly with the way coverage will highlight the Southern California area as a sports destination. The sport of surfing is on a positive trajectory, with increased visibility, great athletes and a number of sites within the USA where people can take a surfing lesson and get that first experience. I think we can expect continued growth as we move forward. SDM
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