Yvette Cave (was Curtis)
Nominee Profile
Location: North Devon AONB
I am a mum of 3, quailified personal trainer, ocean lover and caused of good trouble. I created a surf club for women and girls, Wave Wahines, 10 years ago, alongside my own Personal Traning business, to support my children and other locally based girls who may not have been able to access the sport for many reasons girls leave organised sports in their teens. We then started sessions for women over the age of 30, another age group where so many face a different set of barriers.
I soon realised how unrepresentative the surf and ocean space was in terms of ethnic diversity (basically women like me!) so began to read and research around the reasons.
We then added to our club with a surf program for girls displaced by conflict, our Syrian Surf Club - which is now in its 5th year.
I qualified in Surf Therapy and we created surf therapy programs for women living in refuge at our local women’s refuge to help provide space, safety and community.
I began speaking at events and writing articles about access into surfing and into the wider ocean advocacy, activism and conservation sectors, which was mostly greeted positively but sometimes resulted in abuse and trolling that often goes hand in hand with raising your head above the parapet.
I have been lucky enough to spend time with women and girls in so many communities and working with other people to help raise the profile of all identities in this space at all levels.
I am also the EDI Manager for Surfers Against Sewage, so trying to create real governance change.
We have since run trans and nonbinary youth sessions led by my son who is a trans male and those sessions provided safe and supported spaces in sports that have often felt unrepresentative and exclusive.
I’ve fought and will always continue to fight for a more equitable, diverse and inclusive surf and ocean space as it has given me, my family, and the women and girls we have surfed with and spent time with either in the ocean or in my life as a coach.
I soon realised how unrepresentative the surf and ocean space was in terms of ethnic diversity (basically women like me!) so began to read and research around the reasons.
We then added to our club with a surf program for girls displaced by conflict, our Syrian Surf Club - which is now in its 5th year.
I qualified in Surf Therapy and we created surf therapy programs for women living in refuge at our local women’s refuge to help provide space, safety and community.
I began speaking at events and writing articles about access into surfing and into the wider ocean advocacy, activism and conservation sectors, which was mostly greeted positively but sometimes resulted in abuse and trolling that often goes hand in hand with raising your head above the parapet.
I have been lucky enough to spend time with women and girls in so many communities and working with other people to help raise the profile of all identities in this space at all levels.
I am also the EDI Manager for Surfers Against Sewage, so trying to create real governance change.
We have since run trans and nonbinary youth sessions led by my son who is a trans male and those sessions provided safe and supported spaces in sports that have often felt unrepresentative and exclusive.
I’ve fought and will always continue to fight for a more equitable, diverse and inclusive surf and ocean space as it has given me, my family, and the women and girls we have surfed with and spent time with either in the ocean or in my life as a coach.