How Gold Coast warrior is helping world surfing
Pacha Light represents the new wave of eco surfing women warriors with a professional edge.
Surfing
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PACHA Light represents the new wave of eco surfing women warriors with a professional edge.
The Snapper Rocks Surfrider member, 18, is one of the key speakers at next week’s Global Wave Conference. Born in Ecuador, the aspiring Gold Coast professional competitor with model looks is just as passionate about ocean conservation.
Pacha and younger brother Yani were wee young grommets in 2014 when they joined the protest to oppose the $4billion Ocean Terminal for North Kirra that sparked the campaign to pursue a World Surfing Reserve.
The following year, Pacha and Yani led a group of Snapper groms to paddle from Snapper Rocks to Currumbin on International Surfing Day 2015 in support of the Gold Coast World Surfing reserve proposal. Their mother Anja was an activist who in the 90s protesting against the destruction of the Sumatran rainforest, habitat of the orangutans for palm oil plantations. Their mum’s conservation values and for standing up in support of environmental causes has had an obvious impact on her siblings.
Yet they are able to balance the fun of surfing with supporting the causes that ultimately protect their surfing environment – the ocean.
Their involvement with surfing and conservation has cultivated with the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve and culminated with the Global Wave Conference.
At next week’s Conference there are over 30 women speakers. Pacha is in the opening session on Tuesday, February 11 with Bob Hawke’s granddaughter Sophie Taylor Price and 13-year-old Shalise Leesfield, the youngest speaker with multiple environmental awards who could be likened to Australia’s Greta Thunberg.
Pacha was offered a surfing trip to Solomon’s Islands at the same time but chose to stay home and take up her key speaking role instead.
She has chosen the heading “Women of the Sea – Connecting and Protecting” for her talk.
“Women all over the world have an enduring culture of connection with the ocean,” she said.
“As the tides are rising for female surfers, both professional and as a lifestyle, there has never been a more important time to remember and feel empowered in our connection with the ocean and from this place find the inspiration to act in protecting it. We protect the places we love; we protect the places we feel connected to, that are part of us – so it’s only natural to protect this precious Gold Coast coastline.”
Pacha asks the question “How do we encourage others to feel the same?”
Her answer is: “By sharing stories of cultures where women not only sustain their families and communities from the ocean but do what they can to help protect it.”
Over the past two years travelling the world competing on the WQS, Pacha has made a commitment to search out, learn more and document the stories of cultures. Her abstract focus on The Ama mermaids of Japan and the Haenyeo of Korea who have sustainably provided for their families and communities for many generations.
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