All girls surf competition makes waves in Jacksonville Beach this weekend

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — An all-girls surf competition is hitting Jacksonville Beach for the first time this weekend.

This event is all about inspiring young girls to achieve their dreams.

The Super Girl Surf Pro competition lets some of the world’s best female surfers show off their skills.

“We’ve got Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion Carissa Moore here surfing in Florida for the first time. Sage Erikson is a top-10 pro, Caroline Marks, she’s also a Floridian, she’s also an Olympian and number 2 in the world,” Rick Bratman, Super Girl Pro Event Director said.

19-year-old Esme Brigham is competing in her second Super Girl Pro Surf Competition.

“I’m really excited to just compete again. It’s been a while,” Brigham said.

Her dad told this Santa Cruz, California native grew up loving the water and the competition.

“She got her first surfboard when she was five-years-old. You know and she was pretty small, and it was a tiny little surfboard,” Clark Brigham said.

And whoever comes out on top will get to proudly wear their “super girl” cape.

“All the best surfers in the world have won the super girl cape so it’s something that the top surfers talk about all the time, they’re like I want the cape,” Bratman said.

The surf competition was created in 2007 to celebrate female strength and empower women especially in a sport in which they had been underrepresented.

“The confidence that they have. That she has and her friends have is wonderful to see and it’s so strongly supported by this event,” Clark Brigham said.

And it’s not just about surfing, there’s women’s soccer, beach volleyball, and female artists all meant to bring women together in a positive environment.

Esme Brigham is hoping this event can even inspire some other girls to get out there and try something new.

“If you think that you belong then you can do it. You just can’t get it in your head that you can’t,” Esme said.

In addition to surfing, this is also a free music festival.

The Plain White T’s, The Expendables, and Hoobastank are just a few of the big headliners coming out here this weekend.

For more on the concert or line up of events click here.

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