Bonnie Preziosi
My Life as a Surfer
by Bonnie Preziosi
My life as a surfer began in my teens in the 70’s. I am 54 now and still an avid surfer. I had been a competitive swimmer and a skier as a child. I started skiing at the age of five since my parents skied. I was the youngest of three and we all were competitive year round swimmers and skied in the winter. We spent a lot of time in the water in pools training and in the ocean. My sister medaled in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal in the 800 free. We all swam on our college teams too.
Surfing was such a natural progression for me with my swimming and skiing background. At the time, there were very few girls and women that surfed. I never thought that it was a “guys” sport. I just thought it looked like a lot of fun and I wanted to do it. I started out bodyboarding around 15 after saving money to buy an original Morey Bodyboard which I still have. I bought my first surfboard at 17. I remember having to wear men’s wetsuits that were always so big in the shoulders because women’s wetsuits just were not available. I was so excited when after so many years, I could buy a women’s wetsuit that actually fit! It has been so exciting watching Women’s surfing evolve over the past 40 years!
I attended a college where I majored in art for two years and swam on the swim team . I then transferred to Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA) and graduated with a BFA in 1981. I used surfing and ocean themes regularly in my college art projects. I came to the beach to surf every chance I could, then got married right out of college and moved to the beach.
I focused on my art and then had three children in five years. I had to take a break from surfing for a few years when they were very little. By the time my children could all swim well, around 6 or 7, they started riding waves on their own. They all were competitive swimmers too. I would put them on a bodyboard when they were little with the wrist strap on them. I’d lie between their legs holding the board with fins on and steer them down the line of the wave. By the time they graduated to a real surfboard , they knew how to ride a wave.
I founded and coached a USS (United States Swimming) winter team in the 1990’s ” Ocean City Dolphins” and coached for 6 years. My children decided that they liked surfing and surf contests better than swim meets, so after 11 years of competitive swimming and already a couple years of surf contests behind them, they concentrated on surfing. I am so glad that they had a strong swimming foundation because it is so helpful in surfing.
I was at the surf contests anyway, so I decided to compete in them myself. I competed in Eastern Surfing Association contests from the age of 38 until 50. I have so many fond memories of loading up the car with surfboards and children and our dog, Kai and heading to the beach for surf sessions. My children are all avid surfers now, my sons are 28 and 30 and my daughter is 25. My daughter lives in Maui and surfs regularly. My children all travel to surf too. I am so grateful that I got them involved in surfing when they were young. It’s a wonderful , healthy lifelong sport and lifestyle that we can enjoy together. We all also stand up paddle.
I taught surfing for 4 years through NSSIA until I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in the spring of 2012. I had two surgeries and I was not able to surf for almost a year. I finally got back on a board while visiting my daughter in Maui. It was the best feeling to be back on a board and riding waves! I had missed surfing so greatly. Surfing gave me something to really look forward to when I was getting well. I still have to get regular check ups with my Oncologist, but I’m back surfing, swimming, SUP, and skiing and it feels great! I don’t have as much energy as I used to but I am going to surf for as long as my body lets me, which I hope is many years to come! I juice regularly and eat very healthy. There is so much we can’t control, but we can control what we put in and on our bodies.
I’ve concentrated on surf Art since I started surfing. I’ve had my work in several surfing and other publications and galleries. When I am out surfing, I get so much inspiration to paint. while waiting for waves, I take in the sky and the sea and the colors and pull it together In my art. I have a Facebook page: Bonnie Preziosi Art
Surfing is such a big part of my life and my children’s. I continue to travel to surf and ski and stay inspired by it.
No matter what life hands you, you can always find solace in the sea! Keep surfing, stay stoked and inspired!
History of Women’s Surfing by author is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at historyofwomensurfing.com.