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Introduction
The Sisters of the Sea is a non-profit organization for women surfers in Jacksonville,
FL. The group was founded in July of 1997 when 8 women came together for a surf
session in Hanna Park. It was a sunny, glassy, waist high day and everyone had
a blast. Since then, the group has grown steadily. The Sisters of the Sea is a
group of women who love to surf. We encourage and support each other in and out
of the water. Many strong friendships have developed as a result of the creation
of this organization. The group gathers for a beach clean up once a month and
if the waves permit...a surf session afterwards. Land meetings are also held when
necessary.
In
General...
Many
of the members of the Sisters of the Sea participate in the Northeast Florida
Chapter of the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA), as well as the Jax Surfrider
Foundation and the Wave Masters Society. The women surf together on a regular
basis, plan camping trips, and travel worldwide. The group is made up of teens,
mothers, wives, professionals, grandmothers, and much more. It is a very diverse
group that welcomes any Wahine with open arms. 2010:
Start of a New Decade
SOS was able to raise $4000 to donate to Bosom Buddies at the Women's Center of Jacksonville this year. One hundred and twenty five ladies of all ages competed in the event. Thanks to Paco's Mexican Grille for hosting the after party!
2009: Stayin' Alive
Sisters
of the Sea were back at the Jax Beach Pier for another great event! We had our
second title sponsor in our history thanks to Cheerwine! Because of our title
sponsor we were able to raise $5000 to donate to 'Bosom Buddies' for 2009. That
is amazing despite the state of the economy! We co-hosted a great end of summer
party with First Coast Surfrider after the contest with music by B-Liminal, Simone,
and Groovie Dog. Contestants and people from the local surf community had a great
time at the event! This year we also hosted a one day surf clinic for a local
Girl Scout troop so they could get their Surf Badge. The Girl Scouts and the volunteers
had a wonderful time! Special thanks to Monica Ruggiero of the American Red Cross
Volunteer Life Saving Corps for donating her time to be our lifeguard and to talk
to the girls about what she does! 2008:
We Will Survive
2008
was a challenging year for the nation, but Sisters of the Sea plugged along. We
held our Annual Surf Classic at the Jacksonville Beach Pier for the first time
ever. We also tried out PRO Shortboard and Longboard divisions in our contest.
We had the best waves we've ever had at our event due to Tropical Storm Hanna
passing over us the night before. Overall the we were able to raise $3000 to donate
to 'Bosom Buddies'.
2007: On We Go
2007
saw a decline in the number of contestants, but we still put on a great event!
Our 9th Annual Surf Classic rasied $3000 to donate to 'Bosom Buddies'.
2006:
Sisters Helping Sisters
In May of 2006, Melissa Humber, a local
Jax Beach Surfer and member of Sisters of the Sea, was in a horrible motorcycle
accident. The Sisters of the Sea planned a number of events around the 8th Annual
Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic to benefit her and were able to help raise thousands
of dollars for Melissa throughout the year. For the first time ever, we had a
title sponsor thanks to Pretty Sic! We were able to raise $5000 to donate to 'Bosom
Buddies' at the Women's Center of Jacksonville.
2005:
Another Great Year
The Sisters of the Sea raised over $5000 in
the 7th Annual Surf Classic. They donated $2500 to the Salvation Army Hurricane
Katrina Relief Fund and $3000 to 'Bosom Buddies' at the Women's Center of Jacksonville.
2004: Keepin' up the Good Work
For the first time ever, the Annual Sisters of the Sea Contest was postponed due
to not one but two hurricanes. The event actually took place the following weekend
on September 11. Of our 150 paid contestants, almost everyone showed up despite
the craziness going on around the state. We were able to raise $6000 to donate
to the Bosom Buddies at the Women's Center of Jacksonville. Once again in October,
Serena Brooke came out for the 3rd Annual East Coast Serena Brooke Day. The event
was held at the south side of the new Jax Beach Pier and was great! The party
afterwards at Twisted Sisters was even better with awesome board raffles, great
live music, and tons of fun!
2003:
Above & Beyond
On
Saturday, April 5, 2003, the Sisters of the Sea accepted the first 'Helping Hands
Award' from Bosom Buddies at the Women's Center of Jacksonville. This award was
given to the group because of our hard work in raising funds for Bosom Buddies!
The
5th Annual Sisters of the Sea Contest was off the charts. For some reason our
'130 max' for the contest was overlooked and we managed to have 200 girls into
our event...and unfortunately still had to turn some away. We were forced to put
three heats at a time in the water for the first 3 hours of the day. The volunteers
were great and everyone had a great time. We were able to raise $6000 to donate
to the Bosom Buddies at the Women's Center of Jacksonville. In October, Serena
came for another visit for the 2nd Annual East Coast Serena Brooke Day. The event
was a blast and included Indo Board demos and more. Frieda Zamba even came out
to lend a hand in the surf camp!
2002:
Bigger & Better
In
January, a few of the Sisters went to the Surf Expo to visit with regular sponsors
and to try to meet new ones. The weekend was great fun and proved to be quite
lucrative in that we added more great sponsors to our contest. Despite the horrible
weather conditions that we had for our 4th Annual Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic,
we were still able to raise $5000 for Bosom Buddies at the Women's Center of Jacksonville.
We officially presented the check at a luncheon on Monday, October 21 held at
their Arlington Office. SOS was chosen to host the 1st ever East Coast Serena
Brooke Day. This contest is a surf camp and contest that are held simultaneously.
Pro-surfer Serena Brooke came to the event to help out and show support.
2001:
On the Rise
In
February of this year, the Sisters of the Sea became incorporated and in October
received their non-profit status from the IRS. A big thanks goes to the sisters
who made all of that possible! The 3rd Annual SOS Surf Classic was a huge success
in that $4000 was raised for 'Bosom Buddies' at the Women's Center of Jacksonville.
A luncheon was held in October to present the check to 'Bosom Buddies'. The luncheon
allowed the sisters to meet some of the women and families that are helped by
our donation as well as allowing the women and families to thank the sisters in
person for their support. This luncheon was the first of many events that the
two groups will plan in the future!
2000:
Movin' and Groovin'
The millennium is the time for growth and change. The Sisters of the Sea are ready
and willing to step up to the plate. In March, the group took part in the 'Women
in Sports Day' at the Museum of Science and History in downtown Jacksonville.
For this event, they showed a video from Typhoon Lagoon in 1997 and our first
contest in 1999. They had an information and photo board to view, as well as,
surfing equipment for passers-by to inspect. Once again on Labor Day weekend,
the Sisters of the Sea held the 2nd Annual Surf Classic at Access 8 in good ole
Hanna Park. There were approximately 130 women competing in this contest in multiple
events. The group managed to raise over $3000 for "Bosom Buddies" at the Women's
Center of Jacksonville. Due to the overwhelming positive response that came from
this contest, it looks as thought the Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic has become
a Labor Day Weekend tradition. 1999:
First All Girl Contest in Jax
On the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, the Sisters of the Sea held their 1st Annual
Surf Classic at Dolphin Plaza in Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park. There were close to
100 women surfers of all ages and skill levels present to compete. The contest
raised over $2000 for the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" for Breast Cancer
Research. The success of the first contest motivated the women to consider putting
on another the following year. 1997
- 1998: In the Beginning
The Sisters of the Sea have done many fun things since their inception in 1997.
The club was the first all female group to surf Typhoon Lagoon in Orlando, Florida.
They also competed in the 1st Annual East Coast Wahine Championships, which took
place in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. | 
