“Forcing Everyone to Accept It”: How First Female Surfing Prodigy of Mentawai Overcame Adverse Odds to Take the Sport by Storm

With unshakable enthusiasm, the spot with one of the most incredible waves in the world welcomed its first female surfer. The Mentawai Islands are notorious for being challenging destinations to surf. The reef is jagged and the waves are quick, while at 2-3 feet, the waves are quite enjoyable and friendly. However, as they reach 4-5 feet, they transform into extremely powerful barrels. The place that serves as a surfer’s paradise attracting the wave chasers caught a local girl’s attention growing up. Despite the visitors having a great time, for this young surfing prodigy, the odds have added a challenge to her passion.

The negative remarks never supported her rise since being a female surfer was a big deal in her culture. The only way forward for the young surfer who had fallen in love with the secret jungle paradise was to surf her way out. It all resulted in an exquisitely inspiring story about the first female Mentawai surfer who keeps excelling in the sport.

Surfing Champ details her journey through the perfect waves

Siska Tasiripoula, a girl from Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, learned to surf in her village Toloulaggo when she was just 11 years old. Famously referred to as “Siska”, her story was recently shared by Billabong Womens on YouTube highlighting her journey as the first tribal female to silence all odds. To reach a neighboring reef-break known as Ombak bulaubukgei, she had to canoe or go through the forest and over hills. Up until the age of 20, she could only access this wave spot, which was a difficult route. She simply “kept forcing everyone to accept it” and concluded by saying that it was “because I(she) love it.”

Siska described her first surfing experience while the video explained her semi-nomadic traditional dwelling setting. She had pleaded to her elder brother Mull for months for a surfboard that was broken, finless, wax-less, legless. Having gotten her magic tool, she spent all of her free time in the water mastering her surfing skills. She shared her struggles, saying, “it’s not easy for Mentawai children to start surfing first I have to make money.”

The biggest barrier was money, although her people were never really supportive of her passion. She recalled how, over time, many people had made it clear that the sport was just not suitable for her since she was a female. Now, there’s when her narrative transformed into one of a sport’s pioneers; she defied the conventions that made it clear that “It’s just for boys.”

Surfing plans for the future

For six arduous years, Siska moved to another village to attend school and was unable to continue paying for access to the waves, keeping her away from surfing. For the wave-obsessed girl, securing a job at Pitstop Hill Surf Resort was nothing short of a dream come true. She immediately packed her bags and made her way to befriend the new waves. She was confident in the lineup after riding her first wave flawlessly, and even requested a professional board.

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Mentawaian girls who heard about her surfing excursion now urge her to teach them how to surf as well. For the pioneer, this is just the beginning of her journey to surf incredible waves as she joins the pack that wanders for a perfect break.

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