Gee Cormack: Chix Surf School
First came surfing, then came snowboarding, and Gee Cormack took the sport as far as she could, even aiming for the Winter Olympics, before injury cut that career short.
Returning to her first love, Gee began to surf again and in time opened her own surf school. Chix Surf School caters to students who are absolute beginners up to hard-boiled pros and teaches a connection to surfing that's distinct from all other surf schools. The 'curriculum' is developed from Gee's own exerience as a surf-obsessed grom and professional athlete.
Recently, blindboy sat down with Gee to talk about Chix.
blindboy: So what’s your background in surfing?
Gee Cormack: I grew up in Manly and on Scotland Island. Started bodysurfing with my Pop when I was about three-years-old, then did Nippers and all that stuff and moved on to boards when I was about five or six, basically because my brother surfed. We surfed every single day before and after school, but when I was ten I was selected for a snowboarding development squad so I moved away from the surf for almost twelve years. I was with the Olympic Snowboard Development Team. When I retired from that due to injury I got back into surfing.
What about your snowboarding career?
I was trained as a boardercross and half-pipe rider but at the time boardercross wasn’t an Olympic event so I transferred to half-pipe. I then had an injury which ended up causing a heart condition so I had to retire from that. The doctors suggested that I take up surfing again as part of the rehabilitation after major operations on my leg.
I am a very competitive person by nature so I moved down to the South Coast and was coaching at Gerroa for a couple of years. I then moved to Bali and was based there for nearly ten years, surfing three times a day, doing some competitions and some coaching.
After I had my two children, I moved back home and I noticed that there was something missing in the market so I started looking into an all women’s surf school. I noticed that a lot of women preferred being around other women in the water.
And that was Chix Surf School...?
Yeah. After the injury I was diagnosed with a heart condition and I used the water as a therapy tool and I implement that in my school. So at Chix Surf School we do surf education and ocean well-being, and mix the two together. We teach women to find their own rhythm in the water. Whether it’s a woman who has had a child and is looking at getting back into fitness and regaining her body shape or it’s a young junior athlete dealing with the pressures of body change, emotional change, competing against friends, all that sort of stuff, we help them achieve their goals.
We also do strength and conditioning programs, camps away, and a father-daughter program. The father-daughter program is all about helping them find that connection. I have a lot of male friends who only have daughters and some of them really struggle with teaching their daughters how to surf. The daughter has a bad experience and they connect it to their father teaching them. We teach the father how to actually teach the child.
All our programs are about using the water as an emotional release, empowering women, regaining control in your life through a better understanding of your body’s abilities. So the school has multiple avenues but they all come from my own experiences growing up by the sea, being an athlete, having that injury and having to figure out how to use my body again, and also being a parent.
It's not a normal surf school.
No. We are all about progression and ocean well-being. I am a Level 2 high performance surf coach and am going through a number of other courses at the moment, fitness training and a few other things.
In general do you think women find the atmosphere in the water difficult?
Yeah definitely. It’s that typical thing that women are intimidated to start surfing because it's a male-dominated sport. So if they paddle out they are in a crowd of predominantly men. They don’t necessarily know what they’re doing so they're very nervous; they don’t want to get in anyone’s way but they want to give it a try.
99% of our clients have already tried surfing before with male coaches. What they find is that women coaches are more nurturing and more accommodating to their emotional state. Male coaches often have a 'don’t be so silly, just get out there' attitude and that’s not helpful for a woman because they are not relating to their emotional state.
Before women paddle out we talk to them about their experience and teach them how to read the ocean, how to control their nerves, and how to understand their bodies. So when they do go out there, they have a more positive experience because they understand what is going on. We do a lot of body movement training, we do strength and conditioning, and we do wave simulation.
Do you use a gym?
No we do everything outdoors. We use natural environments. The type of fitness we do is body movement training, teaching balance through slow movement and low impact exercises that, through either repetition or holding for a long period, strengthen their bodies and give them a better understanding of balance. We don’t use weights or things like that, it’s all balance training, how your ankles stabilise your upper body, the core, hip rotation. All that stuff. We also do a lot of SmoothStar training, which is on land wave simulation training, breaking down waves on land, getting people to understand how your body has to move through different sections of a wave.
Do you have men asking to join?
We do. It’s really funny because a lot of men buy vouchers for their wives, then they see the progression their wives make and they call us to ask if we can coach them, and we do. We have about fifteen men in the school. We would never say no to coaching men or boys, but our style of coaching is predominantly focused on women. We want to create a safe space for women to learn and explore their possibilities in surfing.
Do you think the atmosphere in the water is improving?
Of course, there are more women in the water now! The more women, the less testosterone and the happier everyone is, but I think some people are still missing the core of what surfing should be. The younger generation is very much about image and doing the best trick and that core of soul surfing has been taken out of it a little bit. So we want to stop people comparing themselves to the surfer next to them. We ask, “What type of surfer do you want to be?”
We want to make sure that women are in the water for the right reasons, that they are not pressured to do it and they understand what they need to do to stay out there.
On the competitive side, are the same opportunities there for girls as for boys?
[Immediate laughter!] Of course not! We all know that. When a girl earns half the prize-money that means half the support, half the facilities, half the opportunities. You can’t expect a young girl to surf as well as a young boy when they are not funded.
If you put a 12-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy in the same training the boy will have more muscle mass and so can get a lot more waves and will progress more quickly. But the girl is also going through having her periods and her body is going to change. She will become much more emotional. They are also likely to have male coaches. We need to start developing programs which accomodate these young girls and the shifts they are going through, so instead of having a high drop out rate, we actually support them with coaches who are trained how to deal with that emotional shift so they get equal opportunities with the young boys.
Do you get much support from the surfing industry?
I was never a pro surfer so I’m coming from the outside of the industry. I’ve been coaching surfing for 11 years now and I have seen a lot, and after being in the snowboard industry, which is very similar to the surfing industry, I know what happens behind the scenes. I’ve dealt with sponsorship and the pressures of competition. I would rather let my training and the results with my clients speak for themselves.
Last year my school doubled in size. It’s only three years old and has had immense growth and that’s because I am so passionate about what I do - I love what I do! Sometimes I coach ten hours a day and I know, whether it's a young girl or a 65-year-old woman, I can get them to do what their bodies need to do. I have a good understanding of how our bodies work and if you match that to an emotional understanding, then you can get people to do what you want them to do in the water.
I was just overseas for five weeks doing a Coach the Coaches program for a surf company called SmoothStar. We use their equipment in our program to do all our on land training. It looks like a skateboard but it is an on land surf trainer. They sponsor over 100 coaches around the world and I am their leading international coach so I have been travelling through Europe doing a program with them and we trained about 2,000 people.
I love what I do and I want to help women in surfing.
Comments
Well done Gee...sounds amazing.
Thanks crg for the support.
Excellent work.Smoothstar keeps me moving when I can't get in the water. Best out of water surfing practice around.
Hi Matt,
stoked you like the smoothStar training as it has become a big part of our training within our school for beginner to our high performance as it really allows for fast progression.
It is really hard as a coach to keep the progression happening with our students once they get to a certain level because you need a particular type of wave to practice particular drills and so frequently the surf is inconsistent so when a coach is able to get a student on land on a SmoothStar we are able to repetitively teach a drill over and over again within an hour and break down the body and the board response so our surfers have a much greater understanding of the body and what it needs to do in the water so once they head back into the water they are able to put their practice into action much faster.
Fantastic stuff.
The grace of confident women surfers is a lovely thing. Hopefully more women of all ages will embrace surfing and be made to feel welcome in line-ups.
thank you,
yeh we hope that the water is welcome to men and women in the water. it will take time but hopefully the next generation is an equal mix.
I really hope my 4 yo daughter learns to love the ocean and sliding around on waves. I also hope that she has the same opportunities as my 6 yo son...in all parts of life.
Hang on, I’m confused. More people surfing is a good thing now? We want more surfers? Or just more women surfers? Women are people too right? Are they better people? All women? Better than men? How so? Are we generalising here? Isn’t that called sexism? Strange times indeed.
Sorry Euge you better get back to the front bar with your wife beater on to make derogatory jokes about how inferior women are and the kinds of things you think they are good for. Yes the women are coming to a surf break near you and their numbers will increase. Hope you have been practising your snarl and hassling. I'm sure you will be able to intimidate a few. Until you get called out. I have two daughters 3 and 6 who already love to surf all day. God help the first guy to be unwelcoming to them in the surf. Cheers champ!
Oh please spare me Eugene. You remind me of one of those poor dumb white bloke who thinks he's a victim.
Hairymick What if it's a female whose unfriendly, then proceeds to whoop your ass?
Got me all wrong boys. I am a proud father of young daughters. Definately no wife beater, woman hater or white male victim. I’m only half white. In fact I’m into the old meaning of feminism which at its core stood for equality between sexes. EQUALity.
I also think there are too many surfers in the world today and too much promotion of surfing for personal gain. I’m sure Blindboy would agree. In fact I’m pretty sure I’ve read some negative commentary about overcrowding, surf schools, the surf industry and it’s promotion of surfing to the masses and a push into the mainstream from Blindboy in the past.
How is all this ok when the target audience/market is female? Are we supposed to be more welcoming of greater numbers of women surfers because they are supposedly more timid, less capable, easier to intimidate, less likely to protest when snaked or dropped in on etc ?
That’s sexism, no?
More surfers in the water is not good right? You hafta agree. Man/woman/whatever...
Please read my comment at the bottom maybe for a better understanding of where i am coming from in regards to men and womens surfing.
Fair comment Eugene, but for me the problem is not at the kind of grass roots level where people like Gee are working but at the top where surfing has been promoted by large corporations with ever decreasing connections to the day to day reality that most surfers experience. As Gee explains, a lot of women and girls have a hard time getting started in surfing and that is down to the men in the water, so I support her efforts to give them a better chance.
Cheers Blindboy, good point there, I don’t mean to attack you or anyone else here working or writing on this excellent website. Might be it from me for a bit as far as commenting goes as I’m not great at articulating my views and often get taken the wrong way. Might leave it up to the more talented writers and commenters like yourself from now on. Peace.
All good Eugene. Keep the comments coming.
Yeah all good Eugene. I respect your reflective comments and willingness to clarify yourself. I have been reading articles on swellnet for the past 10 years and rarely ever commented. I find a lot of the content great but most discussions turn to dribble pretty quickly so I rarely read the comments. The way I read yours last night hit a nerve and I went over the top with the wife beating stuff. Yes the crowds are getting worse. I think as much as anything surfers need to be taught and follow some basic etiquette. It only takes one person with the wrong attitude to change a whole line up in my opinion and we need to get better at calling them out and challenging. Maybe impossible though with 30 or 50 people in the line up and half of them pushing, hassling, snaking, etc. That's where the real problem lies I think. Now that's it for me for a while
Im still lost with the whole surf school thing , he ,she ,gay ,straight whatever when most of us started surfing it was something we just did with our friends weather we lived at the beach or travalled over an hour by train. The current & next generation of kids in general are a bunch of spoon fed pussies and their leader will be the likes Gabby Madina who surfs but is scared of the ocean. Im not giving the old back in my day BS but with nut & egg & whatever allergies now and dumb phone glued to our forehead modern society is becoming a very strange place indeed.
Wow Savanova. I will let you in on a little secret re surf schools. And no, I don't own a "corporate surf school". That's just BS being spread by idiots. I did work as an instructor for one season during the GFC to help pay the mortgage.
90% of guests will be doing a 1 off lesson. Basically tourists who don't live near the beach having a bit of fun for the day. 10% of guests will be groms or backpackers hoping to surf for a year or two while travelling the world.
In terms of groms, they are typically kids of non-surfer parents. The surf schools provide a safe environment for kids to get into the sport. For the back packer types, they typically take a multi-day lesson and by the end of their package a good instructor will have taught them a fair bit about positioning, surf etiquette, and outlined a way to progress to intermediate levels.
People who cause mayhem in the surf are those with zero understanding of rules and customs, and very limited understanding of the dangers around surfing. Mostly young men who have a higher opinion of their skills than the reality.
If someone wants to run a womens only surf school to provide a safe environment for girls to learn how to surf, good luck to them.
".......a good instructor will have taught them a fair bit about positioning, surf etiquette, and outlined a way to progress to intermediate levels.".....this whole position is based upon most instructors being 'good' - I'll let you in on another little secret....a fair percentage ain't and, as a consequence, contribute to creating the cohort who "cause mayhem in the surf..... with zero understanding of rules and customs, and very limited understanding of the dangers around surfing." This lot, post "package" completion, tend to have an elevated view of their capabilities sans knowledge of the environment they are still developing a basic understanding of...
I will let you in on a little secret, a bad instructor is better than no instructor, and those hoards of surf school graduates (that exist in your imagination) would still be in the water anyway. I appreciate that places like Byron have a problem with beginners and heroes without leg ropes, but that situation would exist with or without surf schools in the area.
What would you prefer, an absolute beginner taking a lesson on a soft board on a beginner break and having the chance of being told where to surf after the class has finished, or having a never ever buying a fibreglass board and heading out where everyone else is surfing?
I’ve seen Gee in the water often, great coach and gives her students heaps of confidence. When she’s not coaching, surfs far better than most blokes in the water.
Thanks mate for the support and for the kind words on my surfing... some days are not as good as others but i always try and have fun out there.
I wouldn't blame testosterone so much, as I would the historically, generally conditioned attitude of men in this culture. Testosterone is crucial for women's health and well being. Even the research in this area reflects societal attitudes towards women.
'Despite the crucial role of testosterone and the high circulating concentrations of this hormone relative to oestradiol in women, studies of its action and the effects of testosterone deficiency and replacement in women are scarce'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26358173
'While doctors are slowly recognizing the benefits of testosterone therapy for aging men, evidence that women also become testosterone deficient is largely ignored.'
http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2004/4/report_test/page-01
Nutrition and the type of training are vital components of optimizing women's hormone levels. Which is vital for their health (including optimal muscle mass, tendon and ligament health and bone density)well being, drive, attitude and especially at the athletic level recovery, performance and protection from injury. It turns out that the type of nutrition and exercise best for women as far as optimal hormone levels are concerned is the same as in men.
'If you put a 12-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy in the same training the boy will have more muscle mass and so can get a lot more waves and will progress more quickly.'
Telling observation, which obviously has more far reaching effects. For women and men.
A bad instructor better than none? Except when, like one local idiot, you put several people into hospital, one with a serious spinal injuries! That said, times have changed and surf schools have their place. One of the best things about surfing when I got into it was that there were practically no adults involved. You were out there with a pack of your mates and a bunch of other local teenagers. It is very different now. If kids don't have a competent adult in the family then a surf school is a sensible alternative if it is chosen carefully. Check that the instructors are properly qualified and have current first aid and resus certificates, and make sure the groups are small. A lot of schools that offer surfing for sport put them out in large groups with insufficient supervision .......... the legal minimum being completely inappropriate for beginners.
Great initiative Gee!
It's sad that the article to really strike a nerve with people is one about women in surfing. The swellnet chat boards are generally super positive places, a rare and special thing on the internet - go look at stab or youtube for how quickly things can digress.
Women teaching women to surf is not 'cotton-wooling', its just women supporting each other to do something physically and mentally challenging - probably in the hope that they can share a bit of the stoke we all love about surfing and possibly feel stronger and more empowered in the rest of their lives.
Yes, line-ups are getting busier, but like it or not, the population of the world (and Australia) has grown quite a lot since the 60's/70's/80's/90's - is just inevitable.
For anyone here that is all about EQUALity, the only way to achieve what you believe in is to give up some of what you have. At the moment (as part of this comment thread illustrates) surfing is tightly held. Equality only works when the dominant group share what they have. Crusty bullshit like 'Steph Gilmore didn't get any help' won't get us very far.
If we're genuinely about equality and we'd like our daughters to grow up in a supportive environment, lets get over ourselves, reflect on all the epic, uncrowded waves we've had with our mates and call some woman into a set wave sometime...
Thank you for reading the interview and taking what we are doing with womens surfing onboard.
There are always going to be people who hate the fact that the waves are getting more crowded and their quiet local breaks are becoming over populated. I totally understand as i grew up in Manly and i can tell you it is nothing like what it was when i was a kid. I almost never surf there anymore which is sad because it is my home break.
i think what people get wrong is we are not a "learn to surf" surf school with massive groups, We are a max of 5 per class and mainly focus on one 2 one classes as we focus on the ocean wellbeing side of coaching which is quite personal.
I think there will always be the debate of men and women in the water and that is fine but we must be open to change. We have chosen our locations carefully as we didn't want to get in the way of the majorly populated beaches and we also wanted a quiet place to help women progress. We are very respectful of the locals in Mona Vale and we stay out of the way of the main breaks and surf the other banks where there are less people. There is always space on a beach for everyone but it means we all need to be considerate of each other which can be hard sometimes.
Every man has a woman in their lives whether its a mother, sister, daughter, aunty so maybe ask them what they think about what we are doing. If you are ever up Mona Vale way please say hi.
cool story! all the best Gee.
Thanks for the support and i'm glad you liked the story.
Hi everyone,
i firstly want to say thank you to Swell net for putting this together and for supporting women in surf. I just wanted to say that it is not about men or women in the water, it is about creating a safe and positive environment for people to learn or progress with their surfing whether it be a man or a woman.
I have been coaching now for over 11yrs and for 8 of those years i coached men and women. The biggest thing i found when i was coaching mixed groups was that sometimes the men either would not listen to me, would not take instruction or would just go out there and disregards the rules i had set out for safety. They just wanted to get out there and get smashed around or joke around. If i wanted to get their attention i had to prove i new what i was doing by showing them.
I found with the women mostly they would wait, listen to instruction (as most of them were nervous ) and would then go out slowly or would stay close to a coach for help and guidance.
I am not going to waste my time every lesson having to prove i know what i am doing to get attention or respect when they have come to me for coaching, they should trust me as a coach and respect what i teach them.
I have grown up in male dominated sports (snowboarding, skating, rugby union, soccer, surfing) and as i had an older brother i always just wanted to hang with the boys because to me they always looked like they had more fun (to be honest). I have never had the fear of "but i'm a girl and he can do it because he is a boy" or "i don't want to be the only girl out there"
To me sport was sport and if i was playing against boys or girls it didn't matter as long as i got to play i was happy.
After all these years of surfing and coaching what i heard quite frequently by women was "i wish i was as confident out there as you are" or "i wish i had some women to surf with" or "i wish i had a girl to teach me maybe i would have tuck to it". These comments became more frequent and as i started to spend all my time in the water i started to pay a lot more attention to the women in the water and how they moved, how they processed the crowd, where they sat, did they commit to the wave, were they confident in the line up? My experience as an athlete, as a surfer, as a mother of daughters, as a sister to an older brother is what made me think about offering a space for women to learn by other women.
I have received much criticism, most days a man will come and give me a little cheeky comment or tell me how to coach, i have even had my car vandalised with 'SEXIST' written all over it and that is fine as i know what i am doing is going to upset some fellas but all it does is drive me to want to do better. I know surfing has always been a mans sport and thats fine but times are changing and there needs to be at least a little space for us girls out there.
I want to make it clear that i am not against a man teaching a women or vis versa, many of my close mates are male coaches and they are amazing at what they do but what is wrong with giving a women the option to be coached by a man or a woman???
I am not saying 'NO' to teaching men at all but simply that i am a woman and i know how a woman thinks so why can i not create programs that are specific to what a woman goes through mentally when out in the water? A female body is different to a mans body, a woman who has had a child will process surfing differently to a man as her body has gone through major changes unlike a mans. A girl going through hormonal change which is different to a boys hormonal change is going to need a different approach by a coach. there is nothing wrong with a girl wanting a female coach or female support just like a boy wanting a male coach or male support, why cant we offer both to young athletes?
I have worked so hard to put my school together and i have put my heart and soul into it as i believe so much that surfing is such a powerful platform for a person (man or woman) to understand themselves, to respect and appreciate their environment and to be given the opportunity every day to connect with the ocean and gain a much greater understanding of their bodies and their limits. If Chix Surf School can help people love the ocean whether it be body surfing, swimming, surfing or just dipping your feet in i am happy with that.
Hey Gee, sounds awesome! As a female surfer who has only been surfing about two years and never has had mates to surf with I have occasionally felt a bit intimidated by others in the water. I have also had a male coach tell me in a beginner lesson that I might as well give up before I started as I would never get good enough at surfing to enjoy it. Well, I absolutely love it and go whenever I have spare time- surfing has changed me and my life for the better and so I’m glad I never listened to him! Wish I still lived in Sydney so I could come check the school out. Best of luck with it! And sorry to hear your car was vandalised- the person that did that probably isn’t that happy in their being. Thanks again for the article and the comments, Laura
Love this ^ Awesome!
If anyone ever tells you that you’re not good enough to continue surfing please inform them that they are the ultimate embodiment of a kook.
If you find what you’re doing thrilling , addictive and fun then you’re doing it right.
I think your last line sums it up nicely.
All the best with the surf school.
Too many people seeing money in this sport.
STOP PROMOTING SURFING.
Is anyone seriously promoting more immigration into Sydney or Melbourne.
Is anyone promoting more people move to Bali and Bali needs more surfers ??
Why not? Because the available resource is clearly super saturated.
Our surf is already super saturated with surfers.
Those Rip Curl and other mega millionaire surf companies must be laughing themselves stupid that you are prompting more surfers making them richer, while you gain nothing EXCEPT LESS WAVES and more learner kooks.
With a bit of practice learner cooks can produce some excellent meals.
Ha ha!- beat me to it.
Some of those learner cooks go on to become professional chefs.
How old are you - 6 ?
My secretary typed it up - SHE does not know the term so literally wrote it as verbatim.
Has your secretary got your sense of humour too? I'm old enough to not need a secretary to write my comments for me.
You probably aren't as time poor as I am and don't have close to 65 staff trying to keep jobs locally as the pressure from cheap imports makes that harder every day.
Also 3rd world workers in China are not only cheaper, work harder, they don't spend their days on smartphones stealing time on social media and worrying endlessly about their after hours social lives. I am also told their managers do not have to spend time worrying about drug free workers being injured by the negligence of some workers who come to work still affected by substances.
Hmmm have you considered that your apparent anger towards the surf school could be classic transference. You can't blow up at your workers so you blow up at some other minor irritation. You can get help with that!
I can make my workers redundant any time I choose too. Just like Telstra announced they are making 8,000 of them so last week.
Anger or emotion is not the issue, it's the competitive landscape and if the business can cover it's costs to pay workers. You should go consult with small business owners and see how many have closed manufacturing down.
I know people you borrow money at times to pay staff.
What you don't understand about my comment, is that Telstra, the banks, they also know how unproductive workers are here. They simply re-hire most of those positions over in asia.
Perhaps you should give Andy Penn, CEO of Telstra a call and ask him if 8000 staff are going because he has anger transference issues ?? (I have his PA's number if you want it)
I on the other hand have retained everyone.
By the way just out of interest, how many Australian's do you employ ?
Yeh wages are too high, hours are too short etc etc etc. Me? I am a bit over listening to people living in desirable locations, driving expensive cars and taking frequent overseas holidays whinging about how tough it is in small business. As for calling your mate Andy, just pass on my message ......... parasite!
Well said bb. An astute observation on both counts.
Golly gosh, look what I started with a coupla jokes. In answer to your observation and question Logicolon: I am a Dad in my 50s with two kids under school-age, I am a part time blue-collar worker/home Dad, I live an hours drive from the nearest semi-decent waves. So I know a bit about being time poor. Not complaining just stating the facts. I do not employ any Australians, I'm just doing my best to raise two good ones, although I have been employed by a few Australians whom have been less than desirable human beings.
Funny how not a single person wants to make a comment on my original post about businesses creating more and more surfers to profit off, and in the process giving you less waves.
Or perhaps the only respondents are profiteers from surfing trying to discredit someone that dares to expose them. I guess we will never know.
If you had something even vaguely original to say, you might get a response. You might also consider that small businesses like Chix have only the most trivial impact on crowds. If you were serious about addressing the issue you might choose a bigger target. All in favour of small business until you encounter one that interferes, however slightly, with your well developed sense of entitlement. Profiteering of surfing? Shit yeh, I made nearly four hundred bucks out of it last year!
BB you sell-out!
I probs lost about a $1k last year excluding petrol. Not sure of the exact amount I should probably consult my secretary.
Dearest Logicolon [I call you this because of the inelegant excrement that emanates from your keyboard]. Wasn't your original post the diatribe railing against surf schools [small business] and learner cooks [oops, I mean kooks]. I am sure you were a learner kook once [maybe you still are], I most certainly was. Being an accomplished [though waning] surfer now does not give me the right to stop others from learning, or being taught. As far as profiteering from surfing the only profits I have gained are: a bruised kidney, broken nose, concussion,fractured rib, ruptured ACL,broken toe and multiple lacerations and reef scrapes. Also a humble demeanor and balanced sense of self worth, both of which you seem to be lacking.
“How old are you - 6 ?
My secretary typed it up - SHE does not know the term so literally wrote it as verbatim.”
Now that’s a load of bullshit if I’ve ever heard one
Mmmmm, not very logical!
What a fruit loop!
Gee. Says that Manly was her local and that she doesn't Surf there anymore because of the crowds. So what does she do sets up a Chic's surf school at Mona Vale and paddles all the beginners out straight to the main Peak in front of the clubhouse, as she is too lazy to walk the 200 metres down the beach where there is no one Surfing, thus giving her more exposure !!! Come on . Are you kidding me!!! 1. This shows a total lack of knowledge of someone who doesn't know the ocean. Firstly it puts her clients, (the beginners ) in danger of being run over by other surfers as the beginners are not able to get out of the way of oncoming surfers. 2. It gives her clients the premise, that next time they are Surfing by themselves , they should paddle out at the main Peak because this is where they where taught. 3. It shows a total LACK OF RESPECT for the all the LOCAL'S who surf there everyday 3. It is typical of someone who is just out to make money from Surfing, by going under the guise of a Niche market :"Womens Surfing". I am not against women's Surfing as I AM ONE and Surf Mona Vale everyday!!!! Come on Sister you are giving us all a bad name, by your greed !!! You don't even remove your Purple Chix Surf Flag's. You just leave them near the clubhouse as if it is your own private office. 4 Isn't it funny how in the last 3-4 years , as your Snow board careers ended , you and your mate Beau Emerton suddenly, out of nowhere, turn up Mona Vale, thinking you own the beach and that your Brazen attitudes would go Unnoticed, Never Ever having being a local here ????? There used to be a saying . RESPECT THE LOCALS. You haven't shown this , so let it put it to you kindly . You are NOTICED by all the LOCALS and are "Not Welcome" !!! So Please FUCk OFF!!! And shit in someone else's backyard!!!!
Is that what she does? deary deary me oh lordy deport all the girls Siberia!
See you out in the water tomorrow. Or hopefully not!!!!!
dickhead
I join fellow Swellnetonians in giving Gee a warm welcome thanks also to blindboy.
A Housewarming gift for Gee (Brief History of Oz Surfchix'n'Skatechix).
In any world it's the Women that take the kidz to the beach! Men do so when work is done.
Most early Surf/Beach Photography from 1870's-1920's is dominated by Women + kidz.
Oz Chix have been bodysurfing cyclone swells since 1890's riding surfboards since 1910's.
Surfing promos & news from 1920 -50's had equal sex representation of Surf craft riders
1930's Surfchix preferred gossiping on a wave while riding their surfoplanes to shore.
However the hero world of SLSC was the domain of real men.( Not a place for surfchix )
1940's Wartime Women patrolled the surf but were swiftly booted out until Late 50's
1960's Fibreglass Era + Surf Safaris locked out poorly paid Women without licenses or cars.
The poorer downtown Chix or Burb Chix had more affordable access to local SLSC.
Chix could equally be seen riding skateboards, that also down to easy access and low cost.
1970's Servoskaterchix were never short in number forever pioneering skaterchixtrix.
No SLSC Boards back then.Only way to get one was to knock the rich kid off a prized Cooly.
Alternative was a return to Chix fav 'The Surf Mat'. My Twin Sister surfed Slabs on hers.
1970-80's just kept layering products putting Surfing well out of reach for low paid Chix.
Legropes now allowed Bullies to repeatedly drop in on chix with ease. (No lost Boards)
Wetsuits of the day weren't designed with Boobs in mind.(Mens Surf Products = less chix)
Late 1970's Our North Burleigh Boardrider Chix ran their own comps.
Early 1980's again my sister pioneered Chix only Gym (Fitness Connection)
Note to Gee! No shortage of untold stories of sisters doing it for themselves.
Servoskaterchix weren't to keen on a Skatebowl of broken XXXX Stubbies or Hi-rise Ramps.
Rollerskatechix also got the flick during the 1980-90's.
A GC Church that shut Rollerskating Hub in 1980's opened First Oz Skate Park in 1990's
I even judged Oz Skate Titles held there...I can tell you Skateparkchix were all the rage.
Skateparks are a great equalizer as custom equipment is not paramount.
Meanwhile Surfing added more + more+ more to surfboards then more+more+ a bit more.
Meccano Jetskis/K'nex Judging Tower/Duplo splash back for WSL Leggo men
Now chix order a pink DD Wettie for Frangipani print board with strawberry cupcake fins.
I must press home a point on this equal prizemoney for surfers farce.
Bodysurfing Chix of 130 year tradition/ Aussies-Chix/ Chix winning the Syd-Hobart....
Many millions compete but never dream of exploiting our ocean for Prize Money.
For a long time we turn a blind eye to fellow boardriders that devalue our ocean.
Surely the surfer with the least footprint is forever the winner in any surf comp?
Always comes down to Sex & Money ~~~/C~~~surf~just~surf~~
I think Gee rocks shes helped me heaps
I refer to my previous comments below. I am not against women learning to surf. Just do it in the appropriate environment. ie. Away from the main crowd. Not at the main peak . Also show some Respect for the local Surfers who Surf there everyday. :"Gee. Says that Manly was her local and that she doesn't Surf there anymore because of the crowds. So what does she do sets up a Chic's surf school at Mona Vale and paddles all the beginners out straight to the main Peak in front of the clubhouse, as she is too lazy to walk the 200 metres down the beach where there is no one Surfing, thus giving her more exposure !!! Come on . Are you kidding me!!! 1. This shows a total lack of knowledge of someone who doesn't know the ocean. Firstly it puts her clients, (the beginners ) in danger of being run over by other surfers as the beginners are not able to get out of the way of oncoming surfers. 2. It gives her clients the premise, that next time they are Surfing by themselves , they should paddle out at the main Peak because this is where they where taught. 3. It shows a total LACK OF RESPECT for the all the LOCAL'S who surf there everyday 3. It is typical of someone who is just out to make money from Surfing, by going under the guise of a Niche market :"Womens Surfing". I am not against women's Surfing as I AM ONE and Surf Mona Vale everyday!!!! Come on Sister you are giving us all a bad name, by your greed !!! You don't even remove your Purple Chix Surf Flag's. You just leave them near the clubhouse as if it is your own private office. 4 Isn't it funny how in the last 3-4 years , as your Snow board careers ended , you and your mate Beau Emerton suddenly, out of nowhere, turn up Mona Vale, thinking you own the beach and that your Brazen attitudes would go Unnoticed, Never Ever having being a local here ????? There used to be a saying . RESPECT THE LOCALS. You haven't shown this , so let it put it to you kindly . You are NOTICED by all the LOCALS and are "Not Welcome" !!! So Please FUCk OFF!!! And shit in someone else's backyard!!!!
Hi Dillon123,
i am so sorry that you have such a hate towards Chix Surf School and any other coaches in Sydney trying to help the surf community through surf education. As you seam to have many points that upset you and maybe some are a little misunderstood i am more than happy to sit and chat with you and maybe we can come to an understanding as i don't want there to be any tension between Chix and the local community. We have a great relationship with many of the locals at Mona Vale and the other beaches we operate off and would hope that any issues people may have with us they are able to come and chat with us about them openly.
As for Beau i believe his last name is Mitchell and we have absolutely nothing to do with him and his coaching so i am not sure why you have raised this. Beau Emerton i believe is an ex pro surfer and is based up in Queensland and what ever issues you may have with this guy has nothing to do with us as i have never met him.
As i said before i am more than happy to meet with you and hopefully chat about this issue to get it resolved so we are all able to be in the water and enjoy the ocean.
HI GEE
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE !! BRINGING LEARNERS OUT TO THE MAIN PEAK IS IRRESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYONE !!
ALL WE ARE ASKING IS THAT YOU TAKE YOUR CLASSES FURTHER DOWN THE BEACH, WHERE IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.
MONA VALE IS A VERY LONG BEACH AND STRETCHES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO COOKS TERRACE. I AM SURE IN THAT SPACE ,YOU COULD FIND A BANK THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN SUITABLE ENOUGH FOR YOUR CLASSES.
AS STATED, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WOMEN OR ANYONE LEARNING TO SURF. I AM ALL FOR PEOPLE ENJOYING THE OCEAN. NO MATTER WHAT SEX, COLOUR OR CREED. SURFING MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE !!!
THIS HAS MORE TO DO ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOLPE LIVE HERE AND HAVE SURFED HERE EVERYDAY FOR MANY YEARS!! RESPECTING THIS FACT WOULD PUT YOU IN BETTER STEAD WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU !!
ONE MORE POINT IF I MAY MISS CORMACK. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING BACK TO THE BEACH COMMUNITY THAT YOU USE EVERYDAY. FOR EXAMPLE ORGANISING BEACH CLEAN UPS, OR DONATING SOME RUBBISH BINS THROUGH THE COUNCIL . .. MAYBE JUST A THOUGH ???
Councils would require Surf School operators to work with Lifeguards where possible.
Chix Surf lessons are mostly just Backpackers ticking off a Pro Stand-Up Selfie.
Beach Sites for 10 or more would need Tour Bus [P] + First Aid +Toilets +Showers+Security.
This is found adjacent to Main Beaches close to SLSC / Marine Rescue or humble Kiosks.
SLSC Nipperettes (That's showing my age) compete on Weekends + train weekday arvos.
Clubbie Chix can number 50 strong flanking entire beach with rock hard abs & logz.
As one they charge the line-up...Thankfully I've ducked just in time almost everytime.
Return the Buoy on Party Waves of decommissioned hulks. Incoming! Bodies Everywhere...
This being slightly more your mortal combat bodybash. Barrage ends around dark.
Makes the Surf School play doh Backpackerz seem like pet porpoise.
Surf School Surf Schools the original Grom Bratz crowd all breaks every day with Teacher.
On weekends Qld surf boardrider clubs chase down the best waves to my beach.
Surfing Qld now also annex Booger/Longboard/SurfChix in SUP clubs on my patch alone.
Surf Schools are not my bugbear...Fibreglass boards maim me far worse.
Bodybasherz long bulldozed bigger crowds in the flagz than The Snapper Sushi Train.
That's how we Bodybasherz got lumped with the name. Skegz get to live another day!
You guys are mostly cave men and I'm glad I wear a pack of bluetak in each ear.
Gee, damn fine work, intelligent comments and good on ya.
Creds to you and Swellnet.
Eugene ever noticed that it's not a level playing field out there between men and women?.
You've got daughters, you should know.
Sexism is about context and power and numbers.
We're all inherently sexist, racist, ageist, homophobic and the rest.
It's about how prepared we are to be aware of each other and ourselves and treat everyone with respect.
And gimme a break on the surf schools.
Don't get me wrong I live on city beaches and I know about crowds.
But it's ok for us to learn to surf but now we gotta limit opportunities for other people who are coming to the sport later?
Globalisation fellas.
Best approach might be to set up cultural awareness, anger management and gender studies workshop tents in every beach carpark....
Or maybe someone should start a surfing rights buy-back scheme to keep numbers down?
I've got a few nominations...
It an eastern seaboard thingy... again... and again... and again... and again... ad infinitum, in a nutshell.
Out of the many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many issues, one common theme stands out. Again. On the eastern seaboard (besides shit, crowded waves). Mona Vale vs Manly. The old story. Again. In a nutshell.
That, and a ban on testosterone, and anger management, leads to this.
Which leads to this.
So, here we go again!!! Another day on the eastern seaboard, in a nutshell!!!
Geez, And I thought I was the top angry bloke on these forums. After reading the rants about a Girls Surf School by Logical, clearly I'm just the low rating amateur.
Cavechix were the dominant sex. Their ability to control tribe numbers was all powerful.
Cavechix equally hunted + Chose where to live + Who they live with + Who they slept with.
Along comes Metrosexual Man with a packet of seeds.
With possessions to trade for power menfolk could now buy baby farms
Women now filled Harems of biggest crop owners.
For the first time ever men controlled birth rite & population. Big Man rules with his fl'ock!
From this day on women were chained to the farm while men collected more trophy wives.
Man could grow his own empire of inbred cousins working for peanuts.
Sadly we know these cults still thrive today
Surfchix need to simply retrofit stone wheels on skateboardz for a fair go.
Writings on the Cavewall ...[zero surf product = equality].
I like it!!!
'Along comes Metrosexual Man with a packet of seeds.'
'Surfchix need to simply retrofit stone wheels on skateboardz for a fair go.
Writings on the Cavewall ...[zero surf product = equality].'
I m a dad, my daughter likes surfing with me. I think the comment about dads giving thier daughters a bad experience is a bit of an over generalisation, in fact she prefers going with me than my wife.
Anyway good luck.
Hey Gee well done on your surf school for women, ignore the comments on here from the women / wife bashing / sexist self absorbed drop kick losers who are totally disconnected from the challengers young women face in life.
As the proud father of a young woman watching her making her way in life i think people like you are so important in our communities.
Good luck in the future.
"blindboy: So what’s your background in surfing?
Gee Cormack: I grew up in Manly and on Scotland Island.
Firstly where is Scotland island ?
Oh thanks Google search
http://www.scotlandisland.org.au/
Yeah just in behind the Northern Beaches in Pittwater.
.
Anyone who thinks women ,girls ladies deserve special treatment is actually a sexist that does not support equality.
Females of the species should not be given preferential treatment or they may develop a sense of entitlement. It is counter productive and will not do them any good in the long term.
Black ,white ,male ,female. Equality for all is the way to go.
All the power and respect to Chix Surf School and the amazing positive impact they are having on women (& men) in the community. Nothing but love and adoration for Gee and her mission. The more women trying the surfing, the better. Much love x
Alana Blanchard single handedly destroyed the image of womens surfing.
I don't want little girls to imitate someone who is basically dumb white trash and think that they will end up with 2 million dollars and the most desirable man on the planet.
I highly doubt alana will have either of these things when she's middle age, and no longer able to visually prostitute herself.
I hope that when you're contract with ripcurl ends, we'll never see you again and then hopefully we can restore female surfing into something that isn't as vain as fuck.