I met Alayna Zanville more than 10 years ago at a yoga retreat at Mount Madonna, and I remember two things about this former professional surfer. She had founded her own swimwear company, and her positive energy was contagious.
Since then, I’ve spotted Zanville’s Santa Cruz-based brand, Ola Chica, at local festivals and retail stores. But it wasn’t until I started looking into the Women on Waves surf contest happening this weekend in Capitola that I realized just how much her business and community involvement had grown.
And what a niche they’re filling.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Women on Waves, a celebration of female surfers originally launched by the West Wind Surf Club. Zanville and her partner, artist Marisol Godinez, who creates the event’s artwork, took the reins in 2018.
For Zanville, the event holds special significance. Early in her professional surfing career, she participated in Women on Waves and found something she hadn’t experienced at other competitions.
“It was the most positive, inspiring surf event I’d ever been to,” she recalls.
At the time, surfing competitions were largely designed around men. Women often struggled for recognition, competing for space and attention in a sport where they rarely had the opportunity to shine.
Women on Waves offered a different experience. The atmosphere was supportive, uplifting and genuinely joyful. That experience stayed with Zanville, reinforcing her commitment to women’s surfing and inspiring her to continue building Ola Chica, her sustainable swimwear line designed for women surfers.
When she took over the event, Women on Waves was a small, one-day surf contest. As a swimmer herself, Zanville envisioned something bigger: an ocean celebration welcoming women who loved all kinds of water sports.
Initially, attracting enough participants to cover the cost of lifeguards was a challenge. Today, registration continues to grow, with women signing up daily for an expanded lineup of activities.
This year’s event includes longboard surfing, open-water swimming, boogie boarding and a new stand-up paddleboard relay.
“The goal is to get more women into the ocean and celebrate that relationship,” Zanville explains.
Although Women on Waves remains a competition, she says the emphasis is equally on connection and community.
“We almost prefer to call it a festival,” she says. “There’s incredible talent, but a big chunk of women are just there for the community.”
One of the sweetest aspects of the event is its multigenerational appeal. Girls under 10 compete as Giggly Groms, while their mothers might be catching waves in another division. Teenage daughters surf alongside their moms, and women in their 60s and beyond join the fun.
Rather than following the traditional competitive format, organizers have created their own playful categories, including Fancy Novice, Longboard Ladies, Swell SEAsters and Sea Señoras.
“We don’t have to be like every other contest because we’re not,” Zanville says.
The result is an atmosphere where women can challenge themselves, cheer one another on and enjoy the ocean at their own level.
The event’s community spirit extends beyond the beach. Each year, organizers select a local nonprofit to support, with an emphasis on organizations promoting health, environmental awareness and access to opportunities.
This year’s beneficiary is Esperanza Community Farms, a Watsonville-based organization providing organic farm boxes to low-income families.
“It resonates with our message,” Zanville says. “Start them healthy, and food is foundational.”
The Salinas Surf Club will also host a booth on Saturday, sharing its work introducing young people to surfing, swimming and greater access to the ocean.
Of course, I couldn’t resist asking Zanville what keeps her so passionate about surfing after all these years.
“Basically, it’s the best life ever,” she says enthusiastically. “It’s freedom and power. You feel in the moment, I’m strong and connected to something much greater.”
She describes surfing as a healthy habit that demands physical and emotional fitness, clears the mind and feeds the soul.
“It’s a hard sport, but that’s part of the beauty,” she explains. “It washes things away, the healing waters of the ocean.”
This year’s Women on Waves theme is “Spread the Stoke,” a sentiment that also runs through Ola Chica’s Surf Happy brand.
“The more stoke we can spread, the better the vibe,” Zanville says. “We just want to spread that happy vibe. It’s contagious.”
Learn more about Women on Waves at womenonwavessurfcontest.com.
