While surfing is, at its core, a uniquely bias-free pursuit, an individual activity as much about the adrenaline of riding a wave as it is an
appreciation for the ocean and what it gives us, there still remains a huge gender gap within the sport: just 19% of surfers are women. However, that number is steadily on the rise, thanks in part to initiatives like Bonanza Collective.
Launched in 2022 by friends Amanda Djerf and Elin Hagstein, Bonanza Collective aims to provide a supportive, fun space for women to come together to learn or improve their surf skills while taking part in daily yoga sessions, communal group dinners and good wine because, well, of course.
Djerf and Hagstein had spent many years working and surfing at retreats across the world, as far afield as Sri Lanka and Costa Rica, alternating between European summers and warmer climes when the chill rolled in, eventually landing in the same town and together pursuing their dream of creating a community of women united by good waves, sunrise sessions and pinot-fuelled dusky evenings.
Amanda Djerf
Stina Ceasar
Elin Hagstein
Ezequiel Rivero
Now based out of Biarritz, the duo share with us the surf breaks that defined their careers and got them hooked.
High five
1. California
AMANDA: California is where I first fell in love with the ocean and surfing. I spent my teenage years in Monterey where I would go surfing with my father. Nowadays, I aim to return to California once a year and tend to surf down south, cruising the San Diego coast and surfing iconic spots such as San Onofre, Swami’s, and Trestles.
2. CORNWALL
ELIN: I learned to surf in Indonesia and kept on pursuing it wherever I travelled. But it wasn’t until I settled down in Cornwall on the coastline around St Ives that I finally found a ‘home break’ and surfing became a part of my everyday life. The wild coastline, the incredible community, and the post-surf pints at the local pub all made surfing less a hobby and more a fully-formed lifestyle.
3. SWEDISH SOUTH COAST
The most common question we get asked is ‘Can you surf in Sweden?’ And the answer is ‘yes, you can’. The waves won’t be as good as in Cali, France or Indo, but there’s something so special about surfing in your home country, perhaps especially so when the conditions are tricky, the water is cold, and the search is lengthy. It ends up attracting the most dedicated people. The passion and energy in the water are beautiful and so is the reward when you finally find a little wave.
Amanda Djerf surfing
4. BIARRITZ
Having both spent our 20s bouncing around different surf destinations, we finally found a home in Biarritz. Amanda always says that the coast reminds her of California – you can surf 15 different breaks within a 30-minute drive. If it’s big we go south, if it’s small we head north. Biarritz is also an incredible town that has brought a lot of creative and passionate people together. The area is vibrant, and there’s always an event or happening to check out. It’s a special place where everyone’s lives revolve around the ocean, and the community and the people who live here have stolen our hearts. There’s nothing better than paddling out at our home spot in Guéthary and being greeted by familiar faces.
5. SANTA TERESA, COSTA RICA
AMANDA: I have spent many winters in the small surf town of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica since my early 20s. This winter, Elin and I spent six weeks together in the Costa Rican jungle. A day in Santa Teresa starts at five o’clock in the morning with a quick coffee, followed by a sunrise surf, more coffee, another surf, a bit of food, a sunset surf, and then an early sleep to do it all over again. You kind of lose track of time and space here since most days do look the same, but it’s in the best way possible and we kept saying that nowhere else do our bodies feel this good. A true slice of heaven!
