Daily Inspiration: Meet Holly Beck

Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Beck.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Palos Verdes, CA and started surfing in the mid 90s at a time when very few women were in the water. I had early competitive success through high school and college and earned a National title in 2001 before turning pro. I was a model and competitive surfer that traveled all over the world, able to make a living at the spot I loved. I also was very active in advocating for women in the sport as the president of a now-nonexistant organization called International Women’s Surfing that was founded to represent the professional women surfers within the governing body of the sport. In 2008 I retired from competitive surfing and then focused on travel for magazines and photo shoots, and also doing some sideline commentating. By 2010 I had completely burnt out on the machismo and misogyny I felt in the industry and moved to Nicaragua. I had earned an MBA while competing and dusted off an old business plan to start a women’s surf and yoga retreat business at a time that that was a relatively new idea. 16 years and 1000s of clients later, Surf With Amigas is best in class, operating in 8 countries around the world and hosting 80+ retreats per year. It is the culmination of what I had set out to do in pro surfing – educate, encourage and inspire women to get in the ocean and ride the waves.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle I think was facing misogyny in a male-dominated surf culture. It’s interesting that for the most part, that seems to have lessened, but recent allegations at the highest level of the sport show that unfortunately, it’s still alive and well in some circles.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I run women’s surf and yoga retreats all over the world. At this point in the development of the business I personally don’t lead all the retreats, so we focus on in-depth training for our team. Whereas most surf retreats utilize volunteer labor or low pay for surf instructors, we want our team to consider the possibility of making surf coaching their career. After the MBA, I also earned a Master’s in Counseling, and we have implemented a holistic curriculum to surf coaching that goes deeper than just physical cues to address the whole person learning to surf. Surfing can be used a metaphor for life and learning tools to overcome fear, anxiety, and a feeling of not belonging in the surf can then be taken back into life on land, at work, in families, etc. Come on a week-long retreat and you will have an amazing time, improve your surfing, and maybe even leave a better person.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a stubborn determined kid. I dreamed of being a boy, not because I was unhappy with my body, but because I wanted to do things that I was told were only for boys. I always loved the water, but did not grow up in a family that liked the beach or had any interest in surfing. My mom told me that sports were for boys and I should be sitting on the beach looking cute, not out competing with the boys. Those early experiences certainly shaped me and sent me on the path that has led me to where I am now.

Pricing:

• retreats start at $2700 for a week long all-inclusive retreat for a shared room, but can be up to $4000 for a private room at a location in Costa Rica

Contact Info:

• Website: http://surfwithamigas.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/surfwithamigas
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/surfwithamigasretreats
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClCl38HVwOeM_tpJB5xWhug
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1689455620?app=podcast&at=1000lHKX&ct=linktree_http&itscg=30200&itsct=lt_p&ls=1&mt=2