Women's Equality Day: Honoring our Female SAMBASSADORs

If you were at the Vans US Open of Surfing at the start of August, or haven’t been living under a rock and tuning into the incredible series of WSL Events this year, you may have noticed the heavy emphasis on highlighting the strong women leading the surfing industry towards a more equitable future for all.  

The WSL has been pushing to put women’s equality at the forefront of their surf events over the last year and their efforts to break down the barriers of this male-dominated sport have not gone unnoticed. 

World Surf League Celebrating Women in the Sport 

The WSL is taking big steps towards changing the sport by sending the right message to all young athletes as they enter the world of surfing and beyond. Since 2019, they have awarded equal prize money to women and men competing in every WSL owned and operated event. This year, they celebrated International Women’s Day at the MEO Pro Portugal presented by Rip Curl. All WSL Championship Tour surfers wore jerseys with the name of ground-breaking woman in sport who have inspired them including the likes of Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Ronda Rousey, Naomi Asoaka.  

WSL CEO Erik Logan explained: “I’m incredibly proud of the work we’re doing at the WSL and thrilled to see the enthusiasm from our athletes to celebrate International Women’s Day this year.” 

WSL SVP of Tours and Head of Competition, Jessi Miley-Dyer put it best: “Equality and inclusion are at the core of everything we do at the WSL. It’s really important to our athletes and the WSL to use our voices to celebrate the values that make our league unique in the world of sport. Taking this moment to celebrate the leaders in sport who have paved the way is important, and I’m thrilled that our athletes have embraced the opportunity.” 

As a brand that relies heavily on female athletes to spread the word of the Delicious Powers of Açaí, we felt that it was our duty to not only encourage this new mission of the WSL but to spearhead our own event to honor the women proudly repping SAMBAZON on a daily basis.  

We see you Ella McCaffray with your fridge full of SAMBAZON Energy Drinks, and Coco Ho with your dedication to our pops as a serious source of electrolytes for an afternoon surf sesh. Read on to discover more about four of our favorite female SAMBASSADORs: 

All Female Athletes Signing at the Vans US Open of Surfing 

Our All-Female Athlete Signing could not have been more of a success. We were beyond stoked to be graced with the presence of four badass SAMBASSADORs who are carving the path as true female surfer and skateboarder icons.  

For an hour, they signed posters for fans and friends attending the US Open and talked shop with anyone who was interested in learning more. If you didn’t already know these fierce females, let us do you a favor and introduce you to the women we like to call family: 

Coco Ho 

Hawaiian Surfing Legend Coco Ho has faced a wealth of challenges as a young athlete and continues to forge a path that is entirely her own while carrying on her father pro surfing pioneer Michael Ho’s legacy. Coco Ho was the youngest woman to qualify for the World Surf League Women’s World Tour at 17.  

Her advocacy for living a healthy lifestyle touches all aspects of her life, from her workout regimen to the food that she eats, and she treats Açaí from SAMBAZON as a key ingredient in this holistic philosophy. We are proud to call Coco a SAMBASSADOR and can’t wait to keep supporting her in the many future successes that lie ahead. 

Sara Freyre 

Sara Freyre is a surfer, aged 15, from Huntington Beach, CA, currently on the USA Junior surf team. She won bronze for Team USA at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships this year. Her go-to SAMBAZON product is “Açaí Superfruit Packs because I can make my own bowls or smoothies at home whenever I want!”  

We loved learning how SAMBAZON supports her in all things surfing: “SAMBAZON fuels me to surf twice per day every day, if not more when I’m competing. It gives me lasting energy that is a good source of nutrition and calories to fuel my body!” Keep up the winning energy, Sara! 

Ella McCaffray 

We are stoked to be supported by Ella McCaffray, an up-and-coming surfer aged 19, located in Encinitas, California. Ella has been competing and crushing it at many competitions and we’re excited to see where her surfing takes her as a strong female athlete.  

She describes SAMBAZON as her “go-to quick and easy breakfast. The energy drinks give me the fuel I need for long sessions. And the chocolate Açaí Bites are a good grab-and-go snack or dessert.” 

Ruby Lilley 

Rub Lilley’s energy is contagious and her skateboarding is epic. We’re excited to sponsor this 15-year-old skateboarder from Ocean City, Maryland with a goofy stance. Ruby has 7 siblings and grew up competitively dancing ballet and ballroom. No wonder she’s got some fancy footwork!  

We love her favorite saying: “it’s only scary till you do it.” We can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the skateboarding world, Ruby! 

WSL Surf Events to Keep your Eyes Peeled For 

If you’re in the mood for more powerful females showing what they’re made of on the big stage of a WSL surf competition, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming SAMBAZON-sponsored events at Trestles and Oceanside. We’re excited to be sponsoring the 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lowers Trestles this September.  

This one-day, winner-take-all event has high stakes and a boiling point of pressure for the esteemed WSL Final 5 – the top five men and women on the WSL’s Championship Tour Leaderboard at the end of the 2022 regular season. The women will be taking to the water first and the men will follow throughout the rest of the day. We’re proud to be sponsoring an event putting women in sports center stage. You'll find us sharing delicious Açaí and purple smiles with surfers and fans alike at Trestles in our signature SAMBAZON tent!

The 16th Annual Nissan Super Firl Surf Pro WSL Contest and Festival Event will be returning to Oceanside Pier for three days over September 16th through the 18th. The Super Girl Surf Pro is the largest female surf contest in the world, the only World Surf League (WSL) WQS 5000 women’s event in the U.S., and offers valuable points for surfers to qualify onto the Women’s Championship Tour in 2023. Be sure to tune in, as "the nationally televised event [has] more than 90 of the world's top pros scheduled to compete.”  

Some of the best competitors in women’s surfing will be attending, including the likes of Bethany Hamilton, Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks, Lakey Peterson, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Coco Ho, and many more.  

Not only will there be tons of surfing to catch, but an action-packed Festival Village where you can locate our SAMBAZON booth alongside free fitness classes, speakers, art exhibitions, an all-female DJ competition, live concerts, and a women’s beach soccer tournament. For more information on surfing, the concert lineup, classes, schedules, esports, and more, visit www.supergirlsurfpro.com.  

A Little Bonus Female Action: The Incredibly Hilarious Ivy Miller of @Ivuss 

Do yourself a favor and get lost in the Instagram trap that is miss @ivuss… we promise you’ll have peed your pants laughing by the time you look up from your phone an hour later. We had some fun in the sun sharing the Delicious Powers of Açaí with the one and only Ivy Miller, or @ivuss, who recently won the @stab Highway California Competition.  

Ivy led her team to victory with laughter, some questionable wetsuit-wearing tactics, and strong female energy that in the end inspired all of us to get a little bit weirder the next time we’re out surfing or really doing anything that requires a bit of discomfort. If you weren’t obsessed with Ivy’s IG videos already, you’re sure to binge this series once you get past the blood, sweat, and (several) bad ideas. 

If you’re curious about how to pronounce AH-SIGH-EE, let Ivy do you the favor of introducing you to a few friends she made along the way at the Vans US Open of Surfing. 

Get Involved in Women’s Equality Day and Enter to Win our Giveaway 

If you’re eager to share how you support Women’s Equality Day, visit our @SAMBAZON page and share on our Friday post what you’re doing to help forge the path forward for equality for all. You’ll be entered to win in our Women’s Equality Giveaway, with the prize of a signed poster from each of our SAMBASSADOR signing hosts, Coco, Sara, Ella, and Ruby, a Blendjet, and Hydroflask cooler + essentials.