Girls Can't Surf Panel - Emma Tweddle
Emma has been surfing this coastline since she was a young’un through her Dad Bob who she surfs with all the time now.
She is always positive, always keen to surf, humble and extremely dedicated. Spending time with Emma in her home town is a pleasure; she knows everyone in the wider community. Sea swimmers, surfers, beginners, photographers - anyone that congregates in a beach or reef car park she knows to have a chat with. She’s a product of a tight knit community with an open heart and mind.
She knows so many people because she’s out there; a lot. Small and scrappy, big and scary, Emma won’t be far away. From a young grom washing wetsuits at the local shop to relative elder in the scene, she’s been pushing herself and others in surfing in the North East. She inspired, and continues to inspire me.
We knew that we wanted Emma on the panel as she has extensive experience competing on a local level; she understands the complexities of grassroots local comps, the issues with getting women to come forward and compete in the first place; where we were fifteen years ago with it to where we are now with it locally.
Emma is a thinker; she’s been through some adversity; had her struggles with her identity, finding her place in surfing, her mental health and she articulates this all beautifully.
We hope that the film - which she hasn’t seen yet - will spark some really interesting and valuable insight about being a female surfer in the North East of England.
Girls Can’t Surf is playing to an audience of 260 at the Tyneside Cinema on Sept 16th with a Panel hosted by Sally McGee from Yonder featuring Leah Tokelove, Emma Tweddle and Alethea Mountford.