Elle Sutherland - surfer, mother, doctor.

Elle - surfer, mother, doctor.
From Yonder ‘Zine #2

I have probably surfed for about 10 years now, but I didn’t surf much around the time I had my two young boys. And I think I only truly fell in love with surfing when I got into long-boarding nearly two years ago now. I got a second hand long-board from Saltburn Surf Shop to start with, and I began to practice cross-stepping. I remember the first time I attempted it; I slipped backwards on the board and landed on my ass! But after a while I started to get it, and I could feel myself improving, and it drove me to get in the water more and more, and I thrived on that sense of achievement. 

People often think that you have to start something as a kid to be good at it, but that’s not true. If you want to do it enough, and you put the time and effort in, you will see results. 

And once I got my first single fin, a Skindog Wrangler, well that was it then, I was totally hooked.

I love the ease of long boarding, how you have to follow the flow of the wave, cross-stepping up and down the board according to what the wave is doing. My sister once said to me;

‘I was looking at all the surfers in the sea, trying to figure out which one was you, and then I saw one of them dancing along the wave … ah, there she is’ I know it sounds cheesy but it really is like dancing. And it’s just so much fun too. But it’s even more than that. Something about being in the cold sea, it refreshes you, and there’s a calmness, a sense of peace, and a closeness to nature.

I’m very lucky to be married to a surfer, someone who understands the need to surf. It can be tricky balancing work, family life and surfing. When there are waves, we say it’s like a revolving door in our house, one in, one out, a strict shift system, and you have to be suited and booted and ready to go when the other one gets back! Our two young boys are used to the way things roll when there’s surf, and fortunately, they seem to love the sea as much as we do. The beach is the best playground for them; surfing, playing in the waves, beach combing, skimming stones, building sandcastles. I feel they are very lucky to be growing up with such a connection to the ocean and the surfing way of life. Seeing the look on my eldest son’s face when he rode his first unbroken wave this summer; that just sums up surfing for me, and I get the exact same feeling. I could have had a really tough day at work, but as soon as I catch my first wave, it’s like all is right with the world again. People often comment on the fact that I always have a big smile on my face when I’m in the sea.

Surf gives you such a wonderful focus in life. You’re always thinking about the next swell that’s coming, looking ahead, looking forward to it. Without it, I think I would feel lost. I make it a priority to get in the sea whenever I can. I am always checking the surf forecast; the swell, the tides, the winds, and planning my surf slots. Whether I get in before or after work, or I time my surf around the school run, around the boy’s tea time or bedtime; it’s an impressive juggling act! In the spring and summer, with so much daylight, it’s not unusual for me to be surfing at 4.30 am, or until 10 o’clock at night. My husband thinks I’m crackers.

We have a great community of surfers locally, always someone to chat to in the car park, a friendly face in the line-up, or someone giving you a ‘yew!’ when you’re riding a wave. And someone there to encourage you. I remember this one day, when the surf was quite big, and I was umming and arring about whether to go in or not; my friend said to me, as she pulled on her wetsuit and waxed up her board, ‘why don’t you just go in, and if you don’t feel comfortable, just get out?’ So these days, if it’s a bigger day, but I know one of the other girls is going in, then I know I’ll be giving it a go too!