From Pro Surfer To Mentor: The Inspiring Story Behind Surf Like A Girl
An Interview With Marina Rezende
What does it mean to surf like a girl? For Marina Rezende, it means blending world-class surf technique with sisterhood, empowerment, and joy in the lineup. After more than 15 years competing on the World Surf League, Marina swapped the high-pressure world of competition for something more personal — creating a surf coaching program designed especially for women.
In just one year, Surf Like A Girl has grown from an unplanned idea into a thriving community that helps women of all ages and levels gain confidence in the water, push their limits, and find their place in the lineup.
In this interview, Marina shares the story behind Surf Like A Girl, the challenges of starting fresh as an entrepreneur, and her vision for building a global surf community where women feel strong, confident, and unstoppable.
Hi Marina! How did Surf Like A Girl begin? You joined Surfpreneurs as a free surfer with experience in social media, content creation, and surf writing, after a long career as a WSL athlete. What was the spark that made you decide to launch it just over a year ago?
Surf Like A Girl started in a funny and totally unplanned way. I had just moved to Portugal to continue my career as a professional surfer, and out of the blue, a friend offered to help manage my career in exchange for surf coaching.
It wasn’t something I had planned at all, but through this exchange of services, I realized how much I genuinely enjoyed it. It gave me a different kind of fulfillment, seeing people reach their goals through surfing gave me a whole new kind of joy and motivation.
In the beginning, I wasn’t focused specifically on women. But some of my best surf experiences, challenges, and memories have always been with my girlfriends in the water. So I wanted to create something that captured that same energy: serious technical training, but wrapped in sisterhood, encouragement, and fun.
After dedicating long months to studying education and coaching specializations, plus branding, accounting, business structure, and everything in between (you know all the hats an entrepreneur wears at the beginning) Surf Like A Girl was officially born in August 2024, and it’s turning one year old this month!
You’ve gone from the structured, high-pressure world of professional competition to building something deeply personal and community-driven. What was that transition like for you?
It’s been amazing to work with such strong and inspiring women, with successful careers and impressive life stories. Watching them push their limits in the water, share their struggles and wins, and allowing me to be part of their journey has been incredibly fulfilling.
The path of a professional athlete can be pretty lonely and, in a way, a bit selfish. You wake up and go to sleep thinking about your performance, because you have to give everything if you want results. And I truly loved that journey, for over 15 years. But over time, it stopped resonating with my truth.
I felt like something was missing. And I only discovered it when this project popped up on my path.
It was sharing knowledge. That was the missing piece. And now I think, "How did I not see that before? (lol)
Surf Like A Girl blends high-level technical surf analysis with a sense of sisterhood. How do you keep that balance between performance progression and creating an empowering space for women?
I think both walk hand in hand.
The technical part is the soul and the core purpose of the program, we’re here to grow in our surfing. But “sisterhood” happens naturally when you bring women together. There’s this kind of built-in dynamic of understanding and support, and it’s something that just grows organically.
You run both in-person and online programs. How do you make sure connection and trust are built even when coaching remotely?
When it comes to building trust and connection, I believe it’s a key part of the process. I always say it’s kind of like choosing a psychologist, you need to feel that you connect with your surf coach and that you resonate with the methodology.
That’s why, both in-person and online, we always start with an introductory meeting, where the person has the space to get to know how I work and decide if it feels right.
Besides the surf group atmosphere that the in-person experience offers, the methodology, information, and dynamics are actually very similar in both formats.
Video analysis can feel intimidating for some surfers. How do you turn it into an encouraging, confidence-boosting experience?
I always try to bring a fun approach, because surfing isn’t just about technique, having fun is a big part of the process.
Some people are a bit more rigid and take longer to let their “ego step aside”, while others get super excited just to see their first footage. There’s no fixed formula for this. I approach each person differently.
People have different ways of learning, and part of my job is to understand what works best for each individual, so I can make the video analysis something that builds confidence instead of pressure.
Starting a business is never without challenges — and your own story includes resilience, from starting over in Portugal to building a new life from scratch. What were the biggest hurdles in launching Surf Like A Girl, and how did you overcome them?
The hardest part for me, besides being far away from my whole network in South America, was not being able to surf or do any kind of physical training for weeks, sometimes even months.
Being out of the water and stuck behind a computer for 10 hours a day felt suffocating and exhausting. It didn’t align with my life values at all. I grew up on an island, playing in the ocean and suddenly, I was locked in a room with a screen.
I got really close to burnout by the end of last year. That’s when I realized I needed to slow things down and bring myself back to my life values, I wasn’t even doing the thing I love most in life (surfing) so what was the point?
Now I feel like I’ve found a more balanced routine, where I can keep training and keep the business growing. But those first years… UFF they were a complete tsunami.
Many of your students are women starting their surf journey later in life. What’s a common mindset block you see, and how do you help them move past it?
I think one of the most common mindset blocks is not recognizing how far they’ve already come.
There’s this pressure like “I need to evolve fast, or I’m not talented” and this excess pressure can block progress for a while and take away the enjoyment, which is actually a big part of evolving in surfing.
Another big challenge is learning how to navigate crowded lineups. In the lineup, there’s this hidden game happening, a mix of hierarchy and confidence. The way you paddle for a wave can completely shift how others respond to you.
So helping women reach that mindset where they feel:
“I belong here. I trained for this wave. I’m gonna paddle side by side with this guy because I have priority and I’m not gonna let the pressure around me make me feel small.”
That moment of stepping into their self-confidence, that’s one of the most common and powerful challenges I see.
Coming from Brazil, where female athletes often face extra barriers, what’s your perspective on being a woman entrepreneur in the surf industry today?
Coming from Brazil, I definitely felt some of those barriers firsthand.
Being a female athlete in Brazil (in any sport) can be really disappointing. And unfortunately, the surf industry is still very tied to beauty standards and social privilege, which makes it sad to see how many real talents were left behind simply because the doors weren’t open for them. It’s a tough reality, one that is slowly starting to change, but still way too slowly.
When I started to build a business, those barriers showed up in different ways: being underestimated or constantly having to prove my value and knowledge.
So this project is not only about technique, it’s also about helping other women feel stronger and more confident, using surfing as a tool for life, just like it was for me. Surfing has always been my biggest teacher, and it shaped who I am.
I believe that every woman who steps into this space opens the path for many others. And that’s exactly what I stand for.
You’ve surfed in Brazil, Portugal, and beyond. What are three surf breaks that have shaped you most as a surfer and as a coach?
I would say;
Barra da Lagoa, the beach where I grew up in Florianópolis. It’s a fast, closeout beach break.
Chicama/Lobitos, in Peru, was my first surf trip to a point break.
And some secret spots in Indonesia hahaha with shallow reefs and rolling waves.
I really believe in the mix of fast beach breaks and perfect point breaks.
We need both to train all kinds of stimuli and to adapt to different conditions, it’s the combination of both worlds that builds a complete surfer.
So I always try to bring that balance into training, even if it’s really hard to convince an adult to paddle out in a choppy beach break! (lol)
You also write a blog on topics from nomad life to the best surf spots. How does storytelling help you connect with and inspire your community?
I try, through social media and blog, to share insights from the surf world, especially for people who didn’t grow up by the beach but want to dedicate themselves to this sport. The little things I believe can help along the journey.
Storytelling is a way of making surfing more relatable. I believe when they see real-life examples, it becomes easier to believe they can do it too.
Surf Like A Girl is still young but already growing beautifully. What’s your vision for the next few years — for the project and for yourself?
Big dreams hahah
Right now, the in-person training is only happening in Portugal, but I’m sharing, first hand here with you, that in October, Surf Like A Girl is arriving in Florianópolis, Brazil!
I’ll officially launch the in-person training there, and I’m super excited to bring the project to the place where I was born and learned how to surf. It means a lot to me, and I’ve been working really hard to make it happen.
Besides that, together with my partner, we’re working on creating a space that brings everything together: accommodation, co-working, good food, and high-level surf training, all in one place. Where? I hope I will be sharing this soon! And have the full team of Surfpreneurs there.
There are exciting things coming for the team!
And finally, how can we connect with you, join your programs, or follow your journey — where’s the best place to find you?
You can stay in the loop about the next steps through my social media, both my personal account @rezende_marina and for lots of valuable surf tips @surflikeagirl.team
Feel free to visit my website at www.rezendemarina.com to learn more or get in touch.
See you in the lineup girl!
Interviewed by Lina Heller
Ocean-lover, wanna-be surfer, and yoga teacher. Helping surfers and creatives ride both waves and ideas. Always curious, slightly chaotic, but fully here for good vibes and better stories.
