Carla Rowland
1977-
Carla Rowland with Ashley Lloyd and Kassia Meador
| What is your country of origin? |
| USA |
| What is your surf stance (goofy or natural/regular foot)? |
| Goofy, but began switching stance around 2001 |
| When did you start surfing? |
| First ride was around age 7, circa 1984, at one of the reefs in front of San Elijo Campground in Encinitas. Surfed periodically through the years, but finally caught the bug in ‘92/’93 at the age of 15/16. |
| How did you start surfing? |
| My father has been surfing since 1963. He’s been a regular at First Point Malibu since. I guess you can say it’s in the blood. During my sophomore year of high school, I found myself mixed up in a not-so-favorable crowd and made the conscious decision to leave it behind and start surfing more avidly. Everything changed from that moment on. |
| Which surf breaks are your favorite and/or what surf breaks helped shape your surf style? |
| I’m a righthand pointbreak kind of gal…#1 Malibu, CA – most consistent, perfect righthand pointbreak in the world that has shaped every bit of my surfing approach and style – traditional grace, with an assertive edge.#2 Punta Pequeña, Baja Sur – Dylan Jones was a friend and mentor. In 2001, he took me on the dusty ride to the fabled Baja pointbreak. I surfed perfect longboard waves for a week without virtually anyone. It was only one trip, but I can still say that it was there that I got some of the longest waves (and noserides) of my life! |
| What does surfing mean to you? |
| I realize how cliché this is, but the act of surfing is truly a dance for me. The flow and glide of the water rushing beneath your surfboard, the transition from one maneuver to another with smooth ease, the weightless floating on the end of your longboard…When all the elements come together, I find surfing to be a most spiritual experience – one that can often bring me to tears. The unique ability to submerse your whole being into His great creation is truly awesome!Not to mention – surfing is my workout!That said, the chess match and egos that have infiltrated today’s lineups have left such a bad taste in my mouth. I rarely search for the most “rad” spot when the swells are firing, but rather, prefer finding a corner of my own so that I can connect with my Creator. |
| Has your relationship with surfing changed over time? If so, how? |
| My relationship with surfing has evolved greatly over time. Before surfing I was a dancer. I loved the stage and would get such a thrill from performing. I was good. But, then adolescence throws you mean, jealous girls and my need to be accepted outweighed my desire to perform, so I quit. A few years later I fell in love with surfing. I wasn’t great right away, but it was something that I quickly became proficient at. I found my stage again, especially with a place like Malibu! Surfing at that time was about garnering acceptance, earning a name, trying to be a “professional.” However, it didn’t take me too long to realize that getting an education would far outlive any sponsorship.Years later, I changed my focus and started surf coaching. The fun and rewarding aspects filled my heart in a way that no magazine spread or contest win could ever provide. However, after a decade of giving every inch of your soul to others, I have become less interested in my own surfing pursuits, and therefore, a bit of that spark has died. I have to consciously make myself reconnect with the sea again. Living in the Philippines for the fall/winter seasons of 2012 & 2013 helped immensely, as the older I’ve gotten, the more I prefer warm, tropical waters. The humid climate, along with a fresh, unadulterated surf culture has aided me in finding the soul in surfing again. |
| What is it like to be a female surfer? |
| I have always thought being a woman in this male-dominated lifestyle was a bit difficult. On the same token, it can be very empowering. |
| What challenges and/or benefits have you encountered being a female surfer? |
| I feel that women have more to prove in a lineup in order to gain respect, acceptance, and waves. Whenever I paddle out at any break, I definitely feel the need to perform my best on my first wave so that the rest of the lineup sees that I am not just a girl who’s gone surfing, but that I am a surfer there to workout and push my talent. What’s interesting, is that when you tell a non-surfer that you surf, they seem to think you are some sort of hero! Amazed that you “ride those big waves,” I find these people look at a woman who surfs with incredible reverence and regard. |
| What was it like growing up as a female surfer in your era and location, both in the line-up and on land? |
| Growing up at First Point Malibu was unique, to say the least. I fought for my position in water and on land regularly. While there were times that felt like an episode of the Partridge Family, there were also times where it felt like you were living stranded on an island with feral boys from Lord of the Flies.Josh Farberow was pretty much the head honcho at Malibu. He was a key player in the longboard resurgence. Josh had a fascination with Dora and all the hijinks he created a generation prior, so many of our summer days were filled with similar pranks and mischief. Throwing rocks at one another, burying groms’ heads in the sand, wrestling, all sorts of mayhem. The ladies were regularly reminded that the dudes were superior to us, as I remember one specific statement made by the new age Dora in regards to our positions in the hierarchy… “The groms are above you.” It was extremely hard to be respected by the younger guys when you had this kind of mentality whispering in their ears constantly.I was the oldest of our little crew of gals and I was likely the most determined (at that time) to make a name in the sport. Any endorsements I received I tried to share with the other girls if I could. The boys were always claiming, “Bros before hoes” so I was determined to empower my own team. On the contrary, I dislike the “scene” that a high profile place like Malibu has. Often times I would surf the relatively empty 1-3p session, just before the golden light when all the photographers would come out. I would miss the super star photo session, but I would have already gotten more waves than I knew what to do with and be far happier than if I battled it out with all the egos. Granted, perhaps I missed getting that cover shot, but I don’t think that would have changed my path that greatly. |
| How have things changed for female surfers in your lifetime? |
| I think the most noticeable difference regarding women and surfing is our numbers. Where I spent the majority of my surfing years being one of few, if not the only, female in a line up, now it is far more common to see more than a handful of ladies out surfing on any given day. There have even been a few incidents where the women outnumbered the men!While there have been great strides for women in surfing, there is still of plenty of work to be done. When I was trying to make something of myself on the competitive longboard circuit, I was often scoffed at or just ignored because of the simple fact that I was a female riding a big, heavy longboard. I obtained a brief sponsorship with Body Glove, but after six months without a picture in a publication, I was dropped. Mind you, there was one US longboard magazine at the time and it published an issue every other month. Hurley, the same company who now has tuned into the logging scene, rolled eyes at me and told me, “We don’t sponsor longboarding. Definitely not women’s longboarding.”Currently, companies see more worth in supporting women’s surfing, not just longboarding; however, unfortunately, women are still not being portrayed as the strong, capable athletes that they are. |
| Have you taught others to surf? |
| I have spent over the last decade sharing my wealth of surfing knowledge with others around the world. |
| If so, what is your philosophy in sharing surfing with others? |
| Illuminating others of all things surf… Learning to surf isn’t necessarily easy and it doesn’t happen overnight. That said, I am not a one-dimensional instructor and I pride myself on my ability to adapt to any learning style. This virtually guarantees success and also establishes strong, fruitful relationships for my clients and myself. As my students’ abilities evolve, my instruction does as well, allowing us to journey together for many years. |
| Who are your surfing inspirations? |
| My father was/is my number one inspiration. He taught me what longboarding is supposed to look like and how it should feel. No daughter of his was gonna look like a kook!I was fortunate to grow up at Malibu where there was (and still is) some of the best surfing going on, especially for the resurgence of the longboard aesthetic. I had proficionados like Josh Farberow, Dylan Jones, and Lance Woleslagle to drill me on the do’s and don’ts. Although male, it’s their influence that made me one of the toughest ladies in any lineup – I don’t take crud from anyone! The crew at Malibu was always extremely critical about how something was done. You could sit on the nose all day, but if you looked goofy, you wouldn’t get any props.There weren’t too many women pushing the traditional longboard aesthetic at the time I started. Cori Schumacher and Brittany Leonard were the only ladies I recall in the beginning who embodied that old school style. Not too many years later, Ashley Lloyd Thompson meandered her way from Third Point to First. We definitely influenced and encouraged each other. Ashley and I were also greatly influenced by Diane Sanders, our Malibu mama, who would rip a cutback so hard, everyone took notice! Her no-nonsense attitude in the lineup encouraged me to own my position among all the men. Nowadays, it seems everyone is doing the same thing. The image of the dainty lady logger on the nose with her knocked-knees, tilted hip, and pretty, little hands can be seen over and over again… The long haired, bearded hipster with the displacement hull he just had custom shaped but struggles to get down the line because it is completely out of his league… It’s annoying and boring all in one.I’m finding my inspiration for surfing lies so far away from the popular surfing world right now. Surfers who explore the non-surfing world inspire me. Those who yearn to fulfill their lives with other magic, making themselves more truly whole. The people that I teach inspire me… Like the father of the 7-year-old boy I’ve been teaching for the last year and a half or so. He finally couldn’t take being a spectator on the beach and has spent the last several months learning the ropes with his son. The joy and connection we all share together in the sea… To me, that, is inspiration! |
| Did you compete? |
| Yes. Occasionally, I still do. |
| If you competed when/where/what associations and best placings. |
| My favorite place to compete, and subsequently where I have placed the best, is obviously Malibu, but I have also done well at a few other events. Up until 2010, I surfed for the Malibu Surfing Association (MSA), the club my father helped to reinstate in the late 1970’s. I no longer agree with the manifesto of this organization and now represent the Malibu Boardriders Club (MBC).1999
•Roxy/Quiksilver Wahine Classic @ San Onofre – 2nd (to Cori S. Proud moment. I was in such awe of her that my finish was as good as if I had won!) •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 1st (CSC event) 2001 •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 1st (CSC) 2002 •“US Womens Pro Longboard Championships” @ Malibu – 2nd 2003 •Wild Women Waterday @ Malibu – 1st 2004 •SCLU Memorial Weekend Event @ Steamer Lane – 4th •Converse California Classic @ Malibu – = 5th 2006 •DLSA Gathering of the Tribes @ Churches – 1st (CSC) •BSSA Logjam @ Pleasure Point – 3rd •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 1st (CSC) •Mermaid Cup @ Kisakihama Beach, Japan – 2nd •MSA Classic @ Malibu – 1st (CSC) 2007 •DLSA Gathering of the Tribes @ Churches – 2nd (CSC) •BSSA LogJam @ Pleasure Point – 1st (CSC) •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 1st (CSC) 2009 •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 1st (CSC) 2011 •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 1st (CSC) 2013 •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 2nd (CSC) 2014 •MBC Call to the Wall @ Malibu – 1st (CSC) |
| What was competition like for you? |
| Competitive surfing was detrimental on the soul for me. Too many times than not, I’d get out of a heat and be told that I won only to not advance. I hated that feeling. I’d be getting toes over the nose, but would lose to gals that never made more than two steps on their log. I wasn’t one to keep quiet about it either. If there were injustices about, you’d bet I was at the forefront of trying to right the wrongs! |
| Who did you compete with? |
| The 1995 MSA Club Classic was my first contest. I’m pretty sure there was only one women’s division and only one other gal my age, Cori Schumacher. At least that’s whom I remember because she was so darn good! We competed against gals like her mother Jeanette Prince, Karen Williams, Julie Whitegon, Miriam Goodman, and Kim Hamrock.Things definitely changed after that… Malibu had a powerhouse group of girls for a couple years that consisted of Ashley Lloyd, Julie Cox, Kassia Meador, and myself. We dominated many of the comps – especially at the Bu. We competed against incredibly proficient ladies like Summer Romero, Mary Bagalso, Belen Kimble-Fuller, Maureen Drummy, Lindsay Steinrede, Schuyler McFerran, Daize Shayne, Kristy Murphy, Jenny Flanigan, Deanne Ashmore (AUS), Belinda Baggs (AUS), Desiree Desoto (HAW), Keliana Woosley (HAW)… I know there are more!Then, when Brittany Leonard decided to compete that one year in 1999… she just smoked ‘em all!!! |
| What are you doing now? |
| My experience in the Philippines opened my eyes to a different way of living. I now struggle with the desire to live a simple, organic life and the need to make a dollar to pay bills. My time and history in the culture keeps me involved, but I long for something different, as although the faces may change, the bullshit never ceases.So, you could say at the moment, I’m on a bit of a hiatus. Still coaching and moving forward with my all-ladies surf competition in PI, now going into its third year, but waiting for the next chapter to start. Hopefully that includes the sound of pitter-patter from tiny feet! |
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