Women surfers of all ages compete on Folly Beach

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - The Folly Beach Wahine Classic returns for its 21st year this weekend at the washout on Folly Beach.

It’s one of the largest women-only surf competitions on the east coast. They are on a mission to celebrate the next generation of female surfers and protect the environment.

The organization is teaming up with local ocean-based nonprofits to make this year’s female-only surfing competition a plastic-free, low-waste event.

Folly Beach Wahine Classic Director Nicole Elko said the competition was originally founded 21 years ago to give women surfers a designated place in a male-dominated sport. And now, all these years later, they are still doing just that and more. They have partnered with the Charleston Surfrider Foundation to make this year’s event entirely plastic-free and low-waste. The effort is inspired by the need to keep oceans clean and to preserve the environment for future generations of girl surfers.

“When the city of Folly Beach passed their plastic bag ban, that was when Folly really began embracing the no plastics on the beach,” Elko said. “So, we followed suit and we’ve been strengthening that element of the project and the contest ever since.”

For the first time ever, the Wahine Classic is hosting a sustainability giveaway where participants can win an environmentally friendly prize.

They said if you show up with a reusable bottle, you can enter to win.

The surfing competition kicks off Saturday and runs through Sunday at the Folly Beach washout. For more information, click here.

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