Surf for Africa
Tasha Mentasti, who is interviewed above by Steve Shooter in our latest podcast, is the first woman to become a surf administrator in South Africa after being appointed WSL Regional Director for Africa.
It's has been a long and tough journey for Tasha, who has had more than her fair share of disappointments, many to do with downright sexism, in her quest to give back to the sport she loves.
Her appointment comes at a serenditipous moment. "It has been 30 years since the first event I competed in as a 13-year-old grom at the Gunston 500 in 1993. It's been a long journey but I feel ready for it," she says.
When she says "I believe the future of surfing is in Africa", she is not joking. She means it. And so have the big guns of surfing, such as the International Surfing Association (ISA).
If anything, endlessly knocking heads with patriarchy on her path has toughened her resolve, and hardened the steel of her will. Over these three decades, she has covered just about every job in surfing you can think of. She has been a competitor and coach, as well as judge and contest director.
Her 15 years working in the surf industry, with emphasis on events, she has worked alongside key stakeholders, partners and sponsors, and is ideally positioned for her new role, with an affinity to the power of the collective, rather than the individual.
Armed with the versatility she has gained from many turning points and detours in her career, she is not fazed about managing complext internationally sanctioned surfing events, or navigating sometimes challenging, multicultural environments that need cultural sensitivity and ways of overcoming language and other barriers.
Her work with the national federation Surfing South Africa (SSA) and her role as service provider to SSA has resulted in her becoming a facilitator for educational programmes of the International Surfing Association (ISA). This in turns provides a platform for her to build partnerships between stakeholders and the ISA, which is helped enormously by the ISA's stated focus on growing surfing in Africa from the grass roots upwards.
She's super busy right now, what with the Ballito Pro on the go, followed quickly by the biggest surf event in Africa, the Corona Open JBay. She is quick to point to the benefits of surfing on mental and physical health, and highlights the massive role played by surfing's inclusion in the Olympics, and how this is a huge driver to the growth of surfing in Africa, and generally.
While South Africa may have hit a lull in the professional and amateur surfing ranks, due to a lack of financial, governmental and othe support, there is huge talent in the country and Tasha is sure it will change. "And to point out," she says, "We have two South Africans already on the list to the Olympics!"
Her work with the national federation Surfing South Africa (SSA) and her role as service provider to SSA has resulted in her becoming a facilitator for educational programmes of the International Surfing Association (ISA). This in turns provides a platform for her to build partnerships between stakeholders and the ISA, which is helped enormously by the ISA's stated focus on growing surfing in Africa from the grass roots upwards.
She's super busy right now, what with the Ballito Pro on the go, followed quickly by the biggest surf event in Africa, the Corona Open JBay. She is quick to point to the benefits of surfing on mental and physical health, and highlights the massive role played by surfing's inclusion in the Olympics, and how this is a huge driver to the growth of surfing in Africa, and generally.
While South Africa may have hit a lull in the professional and amateur surfing ranks, due to a lack of financial, governmental and other support, there is huge talent in the country and Tasha is sure it will change.
"And to point out," she says, "We have two South Africans already on the list to the Olympics!"
She doesn't agree that there is judging bias in the WSL, or a target on our backs, but the issue was more that "more kids need to surf more". The more youngsters come through the ranks and get exposed to good coaching, the skillsets will improve and surfers will win more.
And while she acknowledges that Brazil is a powerhouse, she feels that Africa is on the up, and there is a change afoot; a new era is upon us.
On facing male chauvinism, specifically in terms of her new role at WSL, "it's nothing new", but with change in any form, you will get people who resist it or welcome it. "My rad dad Ringo is one of the cool ones! There have been a lot of incredible male leaders and good role models. It is a male dominated place. But there is space for women."
The underlying theme in surfing and her role to grow Africa into the new global powerhouse lies in one word, collaboration.
