By Hollie Harris
“I heard Gabe calling out “Go, go!” I really thought I could make it, so I just dug in harder and really paddled. I took off way too deep though and got absolutely smashed. As I paddled back out, Gabe looked at me and said, “What were you thinking? You were sitting too deep, and there was no way you could make that wave!” Turns out ‘no’ sounds a lot like ‘go’ …”
Liz Davison is not your average Peregian Beach working mama. That take off at Honkies in the Maldives was a feat that would give many of us nightmares, but a good wipe-out isn’t enough to stop Liz going back for more. Surfing an even bigger 10 foot wave in Frigates, Fiji, and snapping her leg rope (and surviving!) was another moment of over-estimating her abilities, as she self-confesses. This gal has guts!
Surfing has provided Liz with some pretty tough challenges, but perhaps none more than trying to break into the Australian magazine industry.
“In 2014 I was working at CQU teaching literature and popular culture when I heard of a new surf magazine being launched on the coast. I jumped on board as the editor, but with their family issues and an impending pregnancy, the two other girls had to step away from the magazine, so I took over as sole owner of Sunshine Surf Girls,” Liz says.
“The industry in Australia is pretty tough, and we’ve really had to work hard to prove ourselves. Surprisingly, the international market is much easier and accepting of newbies,” she says.
Success overseas has meant the fledgling magazine could survive in our dicey climate. With Liz’s tenacity, keen willingness to take on a challenge and perhaps her habit of over-estimating her own abilities, Sunshine Surf Girls has managed to pull off its third year and prove it’s here to stay.
“I’ve had to learn a lot about stats and marketing to prove to advertisers that women do surf and that we are a viable investment.
“I feel like SSG is the culmination of everything I’ve done to date work-wise. It’s the perfect combination of my love of surfing, my interest in women’s surfing, my grammar nerdiness and my desire to effect positive change for women in the surf industry by creating an international community of women surfers,” she says.
Being a mum of two has helped her to become wise in the pursuit of balance and happiness.
“I think that the most important thing in life is to stay true to yourself and to care less about what other people think. You only have one life, why not live it to its fullest?”
“It probably won’t be easy, in fact there will be times when it will be so much easier to give in and it will really suck trying to be you. But in the end, you can’t be anyone else or please everyone else, so just do what you can to be you. And sometimes, it will take a while to find out who you are. That’s OK too,” Liz says.
As a young girl, she dreamed of being the first female prime minister. As a woman, Liz worked hard to achieve a BA in Humanities, a Graduate Certificate of Education and an MA in Community Development and then on to teach Communications at USC, which is her day-job.
With a 10-year-old and a seven-year-old in tow, Liz and her husband of 20 years, Gabe have managed to pull off the hat-trick of juggling family life, careers, a magazine and a passion for surfing and travel.
“We all surf. My daughter has recently been surfing with Noosa Boardriders, and it’s great to be part of such a supportive group of surfers. We love it.”
“Being so busy, I don’t get out in the water as much as I’d like to, so staying fit to surf is a challenge. I do surf training with Joe from SurfFit to make sure I get as many waves as possible when I do get in the water. It’s hard, but I love it,” she says.
Keeping all these balls in the air isn’t easy. Being true to what you love and committing to that path is part of Liz’s ability to pull off her busy lifestyle.
“Because it’s something I’m so passionate about (Sunshine Surf Girls) I’m happy for it to take over – sometimes it’s easier than others and I do get overwhelmed. But I really believe in what I’m doing and in women’s surfing so in the end, it’s all worth it.”
Always on the hunt for some warm water, Liz and her family have made travel a part of their plans and have surfed in some of the world’s most idyllic oceans.
“I’ve travelled a bit with my husband and family and now with the magazine so have made it to Tahiti, Brazil, Mundaka, Hossegor, Indo, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the Maldives.
“My husband juggles being an environmental scientist with being a surf judge, and we lived in the Solomon Islands for a few years.
“We worked on a sustainable livelihoods project in the islands while I completed my masters in community development,” she says.
These days, Liz is finding herself keen to create a nest here and undertake just one more project as she embarks on owner building their first home – a little off-grid hippy house.
“I’ve been dreaming about this house for decades, so sometimes dreams do come true!
“I’m also going to keep following this dream of creating a world-class surf magazine for women. I’m not sure where that will end up, but I’ll keep working on it.”
With a determination for turning her dreams into reality, Liz is walking proof that she can do whatever she sets her mind to.
