Despite many raised eyebrows, UF officially has a new surf club in the making.
UF junior Sophia Akhiyat and some fellow classmates have created something of their own with Sisters of the Sea, a girl-powered surf club teaching other ladies how to surf, skateboard and wakeboard.
A St. Augustine native, Akhiyat usually traveled home on the weekends to keep in touch with her surfing roots. With every trip she began to give friends complementary lessons.
"My friends always asked if they could come along and if I could teach them," said Akhiyat. "The number got overwhelming at one point.
Akhiyat decided to take her passion a step further, creating Sisters of the Sea to help other female students become rising stars in a field where men receive most of the attention.
According to Akhiyat, president of Sisters of the Sea, they begin by teaching members the basics.
"We first teach skateboarding, which creates the foundation necessary for surfing," she said. "The same movements are applied in both sports and skateboarding is much more accessible for our land-locked group."
According to Akhiyat, not many existing clubs specifically focus on teaching female members how to surf. Akhiyat wanted to create an organization where she could teach girls how to surf in her own way.
"I've experienced that guys just move and work differently, so it's kind of difficult teaching the mechanisms [to girls]," Akhiyat said.
Whether it is a battle of the sexes or a battle of the boards, these girls mean business and they're set on redefining stereotypes that are associated with being a female surfer.
"Although we are built differently, we have the same capability to shred on water and cement," Akhiyat said. "Gender is arbitrary."
Fernanda Ponce, a UF senior and vice president of Sisters of the Sea, said she hopes the club will help others let go of any predispositions.
"We don't need guys to be better surfers," Ponce said.
With upcoming wakeboarding trips to Lake Wauburg and weekend surf lessons in St. Augustine, Sisters of the Sea also strives to arrange many volunteer opportunities for its members. They hope to participate in Surfers for Autism this year.
Sisters of the Sea will be holding indo boarding practices later on in the year, where the girls will teach others how to improve their balance on a board.
The club is still in its infancy, encouraging others to join and enjoy what the club has to offer. Sisters of the Sea will begin to meet every other week in front of the pond at the Reitz Union.
"Any girls are welcome, it doesn't matter if you've never stepped on a board before, we'll teach you," Ponce said. "This is definitely an experience worth going through."
