Margo Oberg (1968)

"She set the bar for women surfers everywhere"

        As women's surfing again rises to a new level of popularity and success, every female involved with the sport acknowledges one athlete who can take the most credit for inspiring them, Margo Oberg.

        Female surfers were considered vital parts in the sport’s Polynesian history.  During some time periods, women actually outnumbered males on Hawaiian beaches.  During the 20^th Century, the situation changed and female surfers found that their numbers had dwindled.  Even though competitions like the Makaha International, that had been around for numerous years that featured a women’s division, found that the number of participants was fewer than previous years, and that the intensity of the competition was lacking with females but was obviously still evident among males.  The first problem in the sport arose in 1967 when the Western Surfing Association created a new 4A division for "professionally-oriented super stars."

        Margo Godfrey (her last name before marrying her now husband, Steve Oberg) grew up in La Jolla, California, a place known for breeding talented surfers. She was noticed not just for being a natural talent and a fast learner but for also being one of the first female surfers able to break out in the sport.  Four years after she began surfing, Margo won the Western Surfing Association amateur title, beating the previous top women's surfer of the time, Joyce Hoffman. The win earned 15 year-old Margo a spot in the World Championships held in Puerto Rico in 1968, where she captured the world crown.  Margo set the stage for future generations of female surfers, much like Peggy Fleming in the world of ice-skating.  More than just a fierce competitor, Margo was also the pioneer of women's big wave riding at Hawaii's Sunset Beach.  She proved to the world that women were just as qualified as men to ride the big waves, and opened the door for future generations of females to compete on the same level as men.  

          As professional surfing escalated to higher levels of competition, Margo acquired sponsorships and again entered the world of competitive surfing, competing against men in events such as the 1975 Smirnoff World Cup at Sunset Beach.  

        Today, with the help of female surfers Lisa Andersen, Rochelle Ballard, Layne Beachley, and Keala Kenneally, women are again rising to the surfing challenge with the most elite surfers in the world.
 

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