Kristina Willemse grew up in Colorado, so it was not until she moved to the Mission District in San Francisco that she started surfing. She and her husband, Josh Willemse, learned how to surf in the local breaks together, and they were drawn to the close knit community found in the water. Kristina and Josh were able to improve their skills during the COVID-19 shutdown when they had more free time to spend in the ocean. Kristina most often surfs in Santa Cruz where there is a point break, meaning the waves break in a similar direction in the same spot, an ideal condition for longboarding. She is continuously inspired by the female surfers she watches in the water, and she hopes to continue seeing more women in the lineup.
“It’s a community that you can age into. You go out to the break, and you see these 70-year-old women killin’ it. They surf way better than I do. I think, ‘If they can do it, eventually I’ll be able to do it too,’” Kristina said.
“I’m very proud of how comfortable I am in the water now. It used to be that on the days we would get ready to go surfing, I would feel really anxious and would flash images of myself drowning, getting hit in the head or getting eaten by a shark, but I don’t have that anymore. I am also proud that, even though I am not very good yet, I keep trying. I try to go as consistently as I can … and I’m excited to keep getting better,” Kristina said.
“You feel so free and one with the water and nature … When you’re out there, you see dolphins, seals, birds and all sorts of stuff. It’s so cool to be close to creatures that are so much more powerful and experienced in the water than you are,” Kristina said.
![“[Josh has] even more drive to go than I do, and that’s really nice when I’m feeling tired or burnt out. He’s always like ‘Come on, I don’t want to go by myself.’ It’s encouraging that someone enjoys surfing with me,” Kristina said.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/622e4b3053f8d7506b957f76/2ed2c4c5-c5ff-4850-bb94-fa0a452b34f5/Kristina3.jpg)
“[Josh has] even more drive to go than I do, and that’s really nice when I’m feeling tired or burnt out. He’s always like ‘Come on, I don’t want to go by myself.’ It’s encouraging that someone enjoys surfing with me,” Kristina said.
Josh cheers Kristina on as she paddles to catch a wave at Private’s Beach in Santa Cruz.
“Everytime I go, I feel like I see more ladies out, and it does change the vibe when there are more women in the water. I feel like ladies look out for each other,” Kristina said.
“You wake up early in the morning, the wind is down, the sun’s coming up and you’re in the water. It’s just very peaceful, and it’s a lovely experience,” Kristina said.