Sisters of Stoke (Women’s Surf Community): Surfing, Sisterhood, and Community

Success on the South Coast is all about showcasing interesting people doing amazing things in the local community.

My guests for episode #15 are Mar Ellison & Lizzie Elphick, the founders of the ‘Sisters of Stoke’, a thriving community for female surfers. 

These Ocean Soul Sisters are on a mission to share their passion and make surfing accessible to women of all ages and abilities…

Mar & Lizzie are super inspiring - in only 12 short months, they’ve built an incredible social community in a traditionally male dominated environment .

The Sisters of Stoke recently celebrated their first anniversary and I was keen to discuss their plans for the future… 

So grab your board - surfs up!

- - - KEY TOPICS OF THE CONVERSATION - - -

In this episode we discuss:

• The origin of the Sisters of Stoke (and the name!) • The mission: Empowering women through surfing • The benefits of surfing & mental health • Advice for people who want to give surfing a go but don’t know where to start • Mar & Lizzie’s view on the meaning of true Happiness & Success

- - - CHAPTERS - - -

00:00:00 - Guest Intro 00:01:12 - Intro ("A sunny new podcast...") 00:01:36 - Welcome & introducing the founders…  00:02:44 - Who are the Sisters of Stoke? 00:03:04 - The mission: Empowering women through surfing 00:03:04 - Mission Statement: Surf, Empower, Repeat. 00:03:26 - The origin of the name… 00:04:21 - What does 'Stoke' mean to Mar & Lizzie 00:05:16 - How the Sisters met & how they started surfing 00:07:48 - The benefits of surfing & mental health… 00:10:26 - Why it's important to have a surfing community just for women 00:13:23 - Social Media & the size of the community 00:14:40 - All ages are welcome! 00:16:38 - The events: Surfing, cold water swims & socials 00:18:06 - Sunset surfs in Summer: the Sisters descend on the beach en masse 00:18:54 - The best places to surf in BCP & the "secret" WhatsApp group 00:21:28 - What to expect from a Sisters of Stoke Surf Trip 00:24:08 - Advice for apprehensive, wannabe surfers… 00:26:12 - What is needed to encourage more female surfers? 00:28:05 - Safety first surfing 00:29:13 - The BEST thing about being a Sister of Stoke 00:30:48 - COLDWATER COLLECTIVE & DORSET MIND 00:32:16 - Collabs: Campaign with PINEAPPLE ISLAND 00:32:49 - Selecting partners & the importance of values 00:38:05 - 1st Anniversary: Unexpected growth and building the team 00:39:30 - Starting a surf club in Bournemouth in the middle of Winter 00:40:24 - Highlights from the 1st year: big meets & surf trips 00:41:51 - How members feedback helps the community evolve… 00:43:34 - 1st Birthday Party plans: what better way than a boogie!? 00:45:18 - Mar & Lizzie's complementary skills 00:48:43 - Advice for others wanting to start a community around their passion 00:52:42 - The Future: Plans for 2025 00:54:47 - Hopes & Dreams beyond 2025 00:57:06 - The Sisters life away from surfing 00:57:59 - What is happiness? 01:00:09 - What is success? 01:02:38 - Lizzie's alternative view of success 01:04:21 - Life by Misadventure - Be brave & never say 'No' 01:08:10 - Thank you, guest links & wrap-up

GUEST Links:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sistersofstoke_ • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sistersofstoke • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554331269426 • Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sistersofstoke

A BIG thank you to Sammy for all the awesome Sisters of Stoke footage - check her work out at: https://samjamshoots.com (or https://www.instagram.com/samjamshoots).

Tickets for the Sisters of Stoke ‘1st Birthday Party’: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sisters-of-stokes-1st-birthday-tickets-1080415635249?aff=oddtdtcreator

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