The Women* Surflari association has been hosting women, trans and intersex through surfing since 2014. They seek the empowerment of women* in a “fully masculinized and stereotyped” space: in the courses community is formed and the autonomy of students is worked, among other things. On Saturday they will meet in Zarautz to further consolidate the community in the all-day meeting.

The main objective of the Women* Surfari meeting is to promote the network and strengthen relations. Why do they attach such importance to the establishment of a community of surfers* women?

Because it is important that women* get to know and empower the network, and even if we do that work through surfing, it is more important for us to create that network of women*: to bring and visualize diverse women*. So we can enjoy the environment, get to know each other... Because in the end we are that: women's association.

You organize an all-day program for Saturday. In the morning there will be several activities: games, yoga, surf... You will offer Waveski for the first time.

Waveski is a kind of open piragua. It's a surfboard, but it has a tape and it's tied. Through the world champion, Ainhoa Tolosa, and other waveski professionals, we will issue a program. We will also have open pirands, known as mojitos, to catch the waves. They will teach us these new modalities and see if they continue with us.

You've learned and played, but you've also organized competitions with prizes. Besides being at sea, is your mission to boost the competitiveness of women* and encourage them to the championships?

On the one hand, we see that in first level official competitions, although more and more women*, the stereotype in most cases is the same. We would like to reach younger women* to participate in all of this, but that is a project of the future. The competition we will hold on Saturday is a playful one. Team contest, an account for fun. We put together women of different level with the same color licra t-shirt and played. It's about taking two waves, changing lycra between them, taking two more, having fun and having fun. The prize is to encourage people, because sometimes when you put the prize, people get motivated more!

You can accommodate women, trans and intersex of all ages and categories in Women* Surflari. How do you manage it?

Our referent is Lo Eizagirre, transa, has also appeared in the media, it is our arpegi and model. What it tells us is that those who engage in our activities have to be asked how they want them to be called and not what it puts them in the ID. We offer this possibility, and everyone decides how they identify themselves better, I think people are quieter with it.

Initiatives around minority identities are also disseminated from the Zarautz Women’s House*. The asterisk (*) is quite obvious and I think it brings all women together. All of them are welcome and we encourage them to participate. I think they feel comfortable with each other.

Do the groups take into account the pooling or mixing of all age groups?

We put them all mixed. Before we took out the group of +55 years, where those of the same age group gathered together. It was a punch. But if someone has ever come individually, he's gotten into the place he wants, in the hour and the day that suits him, they've been 62-year-old women who have signed up on their own.

In the face of other surf courses, what do you offer? What do those who learn with you receive?

The important thing is that it's an equal account. We have few monitors*, but the other schools also don't have many. It is important that the referent be the woman*, as it is for women*. Plus, you're seven weeks with your same group and monitor, and in other schools people are changing, it's another style. After 7 weeks with the same people, create equipment and environment, you gain confidence… Many times after the session we take a drink together, we make friends. And, of course, Woman* Surfer, by philosophy, she also has other things.

And you, the project promoters and monitors, what do you get?

The monitors say they are very comfortable because these women* have become referents. This recognition is important because the sea has for many years been a field of men. Monitors, after all, we're surfers and we've lived our little things at sea; when we go to the water, they perceive that we're important. In addition, the monitors say that as an experience it is amazing to be seven weeks with the same group and make friends. In the evaluations the students say very good things about the monitors and we get them to them. They feel praised. Maybe in other schools you don't even know them. It is important to give these women a name* monitors.

In 2014 they launched the project, and year after year demand is growing, both in surfing and travel courses and in winter technical courses. What kind of course have you had this year?

We've gotten into a thousand stories! This year it is noteworthy that the collaboration with the Red Cross and the Laia Association has resulted in more women* migrated and many women* among us, as well as some refugee person. We have received an international grant that has allowed all these vulnerable women* to surf. It was of Christ... Some of them don't know how to swim, and we've flipped how they got into the water. Some monitor has told us, “I haven’t seen this woman laughing like this ever.” That is the only way to achieve the objective.

On the other hand, we also went out with the Zarautz Women’s House* an initiative to learn surfing on June 12, and 58 women* signed up, with an average age over 50, we couldn’t give everyone! Now we are going on a trip to Galicia and people have pointed out quite a lot. Most of this year’s courses have been complete. Normally the problem is that we have a shortage of monitors: we have ten monitors and we are getting more and more… That’s why this year we’ve got a free monitor course. A monitor has prepared some students for monitor tests. We also see that there are few women* who work as judges and we were willing to subsidize the course of judge. No one has been encouraged, but see next year.

Women* Surfing is supported by different associations and organizations, and the network is gradually growing.

Yes, we want to thank all the people who work with us, including surf schools: In Donostia, Indar de Gros, Patris, Free Surf; in Zarautz Shelter, North Shore, Zarautz Surf House... In addition, Emakunde helps us, and we are also supported by the Equality Departments of Donostia and the City of Deba, among others. It should be noted that this year we have made for the first time the stand up paddle through the Pertzetik Feminist Association of Orio, with Cyara Palenzuela. The Ria is important in Orio and it was a space that we too have to occupy, where we have walked for more than five weeks.

In addition, we have collaborated with the Txiki-txoko partnership. And through Plisti-Plasta Urak we conducted a surf course with women with functional diversity*. I did learn with them!