Surfing With Mommy: Jenny Woudenberg
Jenny Woudenberg
Jenny is a groundswell surf sister volunteer and author of the new children’s book Surfing With Mommy. She has dedicated a portion of sales to go back to supporting groundswell and a couple other local non-profits.
Age: 32
Place of birth: Phoenix, AZ
Current place of home: Cardiff By The Sea, CA
Years of surfing: 4
What wisdoms has mother ocean taught you that you can apply to your life on land? The ocean holds all – play, laughs, fears, strength, thrills, stress, fun, anxiety, love, wonder…every time I paddle out I feel restored and ready to handle whatever life on land brings me. Too often young kids and families get stuck behind screens that can wash away their connection to mother nature, sense of adventure, and just having fun. This can lead to experiencing waves of anxiety instead of waves of love for yourself and life. Inspiring kids to explore the outdoors and love mother ocean are a few of the reasons why I wrote my book!
I used to be really intimidated
How does surfing support your mental health? Absolutely! A sunny day, friends, salt water, and some waves - creates an inner magical feeling that is hard to even put to words and helps me wash away stress. It is also there for me when I need to just sit on my board and cry my eyes out and have mother ocean wipe them away. I turn to the ocean when I want to wash off a
day of stress, I turn to the ocean when I want to share laughs and thrills with friends or just when I want to feel the warmth of the sun and the cool of the water. Paddling out and riding waves reminds my mind and body about how strong and resilient I truly am. Of course I will
have big wipeouts, frustrating moments, and definitely kook it up -- but I am also strong and resilient and can keep moving forward - in and out of the water! Groundswell has really helped me develop my ocean mindset and feel the beautiful connect we can have with motherocean - if we are open to it.
What is your surf story? (Who taught you, what was your beginning to surf experience) I first learned to surf by an old boyfriend - such a terrible idea. It ended up in tears and fears that I didn’t belong. The Groundswell Community completely changed my feelings towards surfing and the ocean. I developed an amazing group of positive and supportive girlfriends to surf with, created a beautiful and deep relationship with mother ocean and motherhood that even inspired my book, and experienced the powerful healing properties that surfing and mother ocean can provide if we let her. This connection with the ocean has also led me to becoming an ocean advocate and changed my habits as a consumer to be more ocean-loving. In summary, Groundswell has taught me how to always be sharing waves of love with myself, my fellow humans, and mother ocean!
What other practices do you do for self love and care? Prioritize sleeping! This should just be the norm, but as a new mom it is something I have to be very intentional about! Without sleep I’m a total wreck. I also go on long bike rides or paddleboard to clear my mind and feel strong in my body. Lastly, asking for help in the biggest and littlest of ways. It takes a village to be a happy human - so never feel bad about reaching out!
Why is it important to you that women surf? The ocean is a place to all people, of all backgrounds but oftentimes the lineup does not reflect that. This was one of the reasons why I wanted to write my book. I found books, baby clothes, towels, toys about surfing with daddy but I couldn’t find a thing about surfing with mommy. Another reason I love supporting and volunteering with Groundswell is because of their dedication to empowering all girls and women to feel like they belong in the ocean. A favorite memory of mine is volunteering with my mom at a Groundswell surf therapy day for refugee girls from Syria. A young girl in a hijab may not be who is on a Roxy poster but belongs in the ocean just as much as anyone else. Towards the end of the afternoon, one of the girls yells out, “I feel so free - I am so proud of myself!” And that is exactly what surfing is all about - feeling free and proud of yourself!
What have you learned about your own resiliency from surfing and the ocean?
If you could go back and visit the you that was just learning to surf what would you tell her? Don’t worry about what a random jerk says to you in the ocean, or if you don’t catch every wave (or any waves!), or if you don’t go for the biggest waves. Just go out and have fun, cherish the special moments with your friends or yourself, and be intentional about connecting with mother ocean and her magic!
What is your hope for the future of surfing? A lineup of people of all backgrounds enjoying mother ocean together. I often hear people (men and women) say oh, I’m not good enough to surf in San Diego. I’d love to see a surf culture that isn’t about “being good” but about enjoying being in the ocean and surfing just for the fun of it!
Here is an article that was written in the Encinitas Advocate - I bolded some parts that could be good for the blog.
https://www.encinitasadvocate.com/art/story/2020-08-25/cardiff-mom-publishes-ch
After she couldn’t find a children’s book, toy, article of clothing or any other products that show mothers surfing with their children, a new mom who lives in Cardiff decided to write her own story.
“I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book,” said Jenny Woudenberg, who visited San Diego every summer while growing up in Phoenix, and attended San Diego State University. “And then I wanted to do something that talked about taking care of the environment.”
The book, “Waves of Love: Surfing with Mommy,” is about Kai and Reef, who surf with their mothers and learn about the ocean, including how to keep it clean and be mindful of the ocean life. It was released on July 27, and includes illustrations by Michelle Cowdrey.
Woudenberg, who runs a marketing agency for businesses owned by women, said she started thinking about the book and the self-publishing process in April, and made sure to complete the project before giving birth to a boy in August. She added that she’s been promoting the book on social media groups aimed at mothers and surfing.
Woudenberg also said that the women in those groups have been grateful to see mothers portrayed in a more diverse role, and taking part in activities that are typically thought of as male-dominated.
“We surf and go on big adventures too, it’s not just dads,” Woudenberg said. “It’s really good for kids to see that.”
She said that “it’s really important to see diversity in the water and see someone that looks like you,” which is why she made a point of adding people of color in the book too.
In addition to surfing, the book also delves into conservation and some of the larger, philosophical themes of the role that mother ocean plays in the world.
Woudenberg said that the book highlights the “connection between mother ocean and mothers as well.”
“It’s very symbolic how the womb is basically salt water, just likemother ocean is, so it’s kind of like going back to your home, going back to who you are,” she said.