Mary-Ann did not picture herself as a surfer at 65. Then she booked a weekend with Club Shakas in Denmark, WA, and everything shifted from idea to action. Before the trip she admits to mixed feelings.
“Half terrified and half excited, because I had not surfed before. The unknown is pretty scary… also, I was wondering if I’m too old? But the sense of adventure is the exciting part.”
Her decision was not grand or planned.
“I’d always wanted to surf. Then I saw a flyer in Gracetown after watching people out in stormy weather and thought, “I want to do that too.” It was the right nudge at the right moment.
By the end of the weekend her words are full of confidence and delight.
“A real sense of competence. Over the last few years, as I get older, I haven’t been doing much physically and so I’m not as strong as I’d hoped to be. But this is beautiful.” She tries to put the feeling of those first small waves into words. “There’s the zooming, there’s the power of the water. So there’s this great sense of fulfilment. It’s wonderful.”
The highlight is not a Hollywood stand up. Not yet. It is a realistic first win that any beginner will recognise.
“Getting on my knees and surfing in on my knees, feeling like, hey, perhaps next time I’ll be able to put a foot up. For me, it’s also just being in the water.” What seals the experience is the welcome. “The group is amazing. It’s so well organised. It’s supportive. The people are all friendly, welcoming and warm. And the actual doing of it is so much fun. So much fun, I’d encourage anybody to try it.”
Founder Jahney Smith says Club Shakas began because many adult women loved the idea of surfing yet felt shut out at the start. In 2019 a handful of friends decided to go together for safety in numbers and to create a women only space where beginners could find belonging and community and practise without pressure. She is frank about the early barrier. Many women looked at the line up and thought, it is too intimidating, or I do not have a board. The crew answered with a simple rule that still defines the club today, “Fun first, surf second.”
Club Shakas has kept that promise. It is a women-only surf community designed for beginner and intermediate women of all ages, with retreats in WA and overseas and a friendly pathway from first paddle to small wins. On any day you will find women in their 20s through to their 60s in the mix. The club says it plainly. There is no such thing as being too old or too young, and as long as you are having fun, you are in. Recent programs include Perth sessions and long weekend getaways in Denmark. For those who want a gentle step up, there is a popular Lombok retreat with warm water and the same welcoming approach.
Closer to home, the not-for-profit arm, Club Shakas Communities, runs free women-only community surfs in Perth and on the Gold Coast so absolute beginners can try the sport in a low pressure, social setting. Sessions meet at beaches like Trigg or Leighton, use soft boards and waist deep water, focus on safe entries and exits, and finish with coffee and conversation. It is deliberately simple. Show up, have a go, and let your confidence build in good company.
The feel good message is spreading. Surf and local media in WA have shared how the club started and why the beach feels like a cheer squad. When it is women-only and fun comes first, the initial steps are easier.
Mary-Ann proves the point. With patient coaching and a friendly crowd, the ocean becomes a joy.
If you have seen the surf and thought about giving it a go this summer, start the way Mary-Ann did by saying yes to a gentle first step. Look up the next free Perth meet up with Club Shakas Communities, bring your curiosity, and expect a lot of cheering when you touch the board or ride a ripple on your knees. If a bigger adventure calls, Club Shakas retreats in WA, Byron Bay and Lombok are set up with older beginners in mind as much as the 20 somethings, because as Mary-Ann’s grin suggests, the ocean does not check your birthdate.
“I’d encourage anybody to try it,” says Mary-Ann. Jahney agrees on the idea that connects them both. “Fun first, surf second.”
Do one thing now. Search Club Shakas Communities Perth and pick the next beginners meet up that suits you.
