Karen Joan Mackay
Karen MacKay
Karen Mackay started surfing in 1964 when she joined school friends on a trip to Galveston Texas. She got her first surfboard as a 16th birthday present from her mom, purchased at Montgomery Wards Department store in her home town of Houston Texas. Houston had no surf shops at the time and the department store hosted an appearance with California Womens Surf Champion , Joyce Hoffman, to promote surfboards in the sporting goods department. Meeting Joyce was indeed an inspiration that grew to a love for riding waves, exploring East and West coast surf spots and meeting incredible women surfers along the way.
While visiting her dad in Virginia Beach in 1969, Karen wanted to go watch the East Coast Surfing Championships since she had never seen a major surf competition. Her dad encouraged her to enter the contest which she did. Finishing Third Place in Women’s Final in The 1969 East Coast Surfing Championships, Virginia Beach.
Returning home to Texas, Karen became one of the top rated Gulf Coast Women Surfers. As 1970 and 1972 Texas State Womens Champion, Karen represented the Gulf Coast Surfing Association at the 1972 United States Surfing Championships in Huntington Beach, CAand in 1975 at the WISA Hang Ten Pro in Malibu Beach, CA. Her most memorable title is 1977 US Womens Champion at The United States Championships in San Clemente, CA. In 2008, Karen along with other Texas women surfers, was honored at the “Women In Waves” Exhibit at The Texas Surf Museum in Corpus Christi, TX.
Karen has always balanced her love for surfing with giving back to the sport and the environment. She served on the Board of The Gulf Surfing Association, US Surfing Federation, joined WISA in 1975 and organized the WISA Texas Chapter. Karen was 1993 Board of Director President for The Surfrider Foundation and current member of The Surfrider Foundation Advisory Board. In addition to surfing, Karen has a successful career in the retail industry and sales marketing spanning Texas to California.
Surfing has and will always be the inspiration and passion for her everyday life. It is a sport that develops inner strength, competitive courage and builds bonding friendships.
Karen is back in her home town of Houston, Texas and the Gulf Coast. Her favorite surf spots include Churches and the South Bay in CA. Surfside, Corpus Christi and South Padre Island in TX.
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