We all have to start somewhere. It’s the one experience every surfer shares — yet it’s the one that seems oh so easy to forget. We asked surfer/writer Lisette Drew to remind us of how it happens. In part two, Lisette leaves the pool for the ocean…
Part One: “The Most Ecstatic Feeling”
Everything changed when I moved to Queensland in the summer of 2022.
Before the move, I’d been learning to surf again in the safe and controlled conditions of Urbnsurf Melbourne. The consistent waves coupled with a limited number of surfers in the water had been the ideal environment to get back on the board after a 15-year hiatus.
But I was apprehensive about taking my untested skills out into the powerful and unpredictable ocean. Every surf session would be different, sometimes wildly different, to the next. Would that help or hinder my progress?
There are 647,000 people who live on the Gold Coast. It seems like most of them surf Snapper Rocks. Photo: Andrew Shield
My first surf check revealed the biggest challenge: surfing the Gold Coast, one of the busiest surf destinations in the world. The water was bumper to bumper with surfers like peak hour traffic, and despite the main surf breaks having surfboard-shaped signs explaining surf etiquette, it looked from the shore like it was a free for all. Survival of the fittest. It was daunting for a beginner like me to jump into.
That’s when Billabong’s Girls Get Out There all-girls surfing event popped up on my Instagram. Held at Currumbin Alley, a popular spot for beginner surfers. I knew it was the motivational push I needed to get me in the water.
The event began with breath work and yoga, then, equipped with 8’0” softboards, we all paddled out. Sitting on the inside where the waves were mellow, away from the busy lineup at the point, our yellow rashies brightened the grey day.
Girls take to the water at Currumbin Alley for the Billabong Girls Get Out There Day. Photo: Catie Allen
Finding a way to belong — Lisette, all smiles for the all-girl paddle out. Photo: Catie Allen
How fun is it when you party wave with a friend! Photo: Catie Allen
Pre-surf yoga, a great way to warm up pre surf. Photo: Catie Allen
The first wave I caught was a party wave with a goofyfooter, so we were facing each other as we rode to shore, exchanging high-fives. Wave after wave I felt the joy of sharing the ocean with these wonderful women. After the event, we connected on social media and created a group chat to plan future surfs together.
Surfing solo had intimidated me as a teenager, so now I committed to never paddling out alone. I joined Groove Girls, a casual meet-up for young female surfers, Surfwitches, an all-female boardriders club, and OneWave, a non-profit surf community dedicated to mental health through surfing. These groups not only introduced me to different surf breaks, from Burleigh Heads to the Superbank, but also ensured I always had a friend in the water and a cheer squad by my side. I may not have been catching as many waves as I could’ve been, but sharing a smile or having a chat in the lineup shifted the energy, making every surf session more enjoyable.
Learnings: Look for a way to belong.
It’s a rare surfer who doesn’t feel a need to connect with others. Lisette decided to put herself out there and start joining clubs and groups. It worked for her, but there’s a million other ways to make those connections. Find what works for you, because one thing’s for sure, you’ll learn quicker when you’re with friends.
Groove Girls get ready to take over the lineup at Kirra Beach. Lisette fourth from the right. Photo: Steph Teixeira
My growing passion for surfing led me to take up a gig working in the VIP tent at the WSL Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro. For a week I watched professional surfers carve it up at Snapper Rocks while I served breakfast and lunch to the elite. One afternoon, I witnessed Stephanie Gilmore shred down the line, turn after turn past the competition zone into Rainbow Bay and through the watching surfers, finishing off with a barrel.
After her win, she came into the VIP tent, grabbing a beer and a mandarin, and stayed to cheer on the other surfers in the final heats of the day. Gilmore, eight time world champion, was just like every other surfer I’d chatted to in the lineup, reinforcing that no matter how good you are, surfing is all about the joy of being in the water and sharing the stoke.
Stephanie is about as far away from beginner as you can be. Full flare, mid contest. Photo: Aaron Hughes
But back on the sand she’s just one of us. Photo: Aaron Hughes
As I gained confidence, I began exploring new surf breaks on my own. One trip took me to Crescent Head just before Easter, a full moon swell in full force. Crescent Head is well known for approachable waves, but chatting to the owner at the surf shop, he used one word for the surf that day: PUMPING.
Checking the main break, I watched surfers paddle out from the rocky point, observing where they sat in the water and where they took off. This was no wave park, that was for sure. Other surfers were heading out midway and catching more manageable waves. I suited up and followed a surfer down through the rocks, being careful not to ding my board going in, paddling out quickly in between a set. I sat a little further in, watching the waves roll in, realising they were even bigger than I first thought.
Learnings: Being afraid is part of the deal.
It’s also a rare surfer who won’t find herself alone in a scary water situation at some point. Heck, you’re in a surf zone! Whether through instinct or just a bit of luck, Lisette played it out perfectly: she was afraid, but she did what she knew she could and it turned out just as it often does — with some unexpected stoke.
Like a sitting duck, I was outwardly calm, but under the water my legs were shaking. Another surfer paddled over to ask me if I was okay. I nodded and he left me to it, but he had left a fear in me.
If I’d had had my surf friends with me, I might have been less timid, but instead I decided to play it safe and caught an already broken wave. Standing up, I felt confident and the power of the wave gave me a rush I hadn’t felt before. This was the biggest wave I’d ever surfed and the thrill was exhilarating. It reformed and I surfed right into shore. I was so stoked that I ran all the way back around and paddled out for another try, this time on an unbroken wave. That day, I learned when to push myself and when to pull back.
Expectation vs reality. Lisette was expecting mellow rolling waves, but her first surf at Crescent Head was anything but calm. Photo: Lisette Drew
OneWave is a non-profit surf community raising awareness of mental health through a simple recipe: saltwater therapy, surfing and fluoro. Lisette raising awareness. Photo: Tavis Hebler
That’s what I love about surfing. More than anything, it has helped me know myself.
After that session at Crescent Head, I was determined to fast track my surfing skills. I’d head out for a surf and ask those in the lineup for their tips and tricks. The best tip I received was simple: surf every day. Motivated by this, I signed up for SurfAid’s Make a Wave challenge, which encourages surfers to hit the water every day for 30 days each September to raise funds for communities in remote surf areas.
While I had been surfing most days, committing to daily sessions regardless of conditions would be a new challenge. As the September winds rolled in, I thought: what have I signed up for?
Next week: Thirty days straight takes it all to another level.
Big thanks to Nick Carroll and Hannah Anderson who have been so supportive in getting my story out there in the surfing world! I’m so excited I can share it with you all! This is part two of four stories in the journey! Read the journey here: https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/biggest-wave-id-ever-surfed-learning/214059
Lisette Drew 