Surfing sensation inspiring young females

India Robinson was just three years old when she got her first taste of surfing.
As she experienced the thrill of standing on a foam board in the surf at Point Roadknight, she could never have guessed how far that newfound hobby would take her.
Back then India was following in the footsteps of her dad and three older brothers who were already into the sport.
These days it is the Jan Juc teenager herself who is leading the way – both in the water as a competitive surfer and as the driving force behind a new movement to empower female surfers called Queen In Me.
India, 19, created the group with a view to thrusting the spotlight firmly on the huge pool of talent that exists within women’s surfing – focussing on their incredible skill and power, rather than their physical appearance or what they are wearing.
“Queen In Me is about shining the spotlight on women’s surfing and educating and inspiring the younger generation of females who want to be surfers,” India explains enthusiastically.
“It’s a community fighting to see greater equality, both in and out of the water.”
India has already used the platform to host the world’s first all-female online surf competition – aptly named Quarantine Queen – which attracted entries from around the world.
“We really didn’t know how it was going to go so to have more than 60 enter worldwide was awesome,” says India, who was 2019 Australian Women’s Open Champion.
“The one rule was to be female and you can enter.
“There is so much awesome talent out there among young female surfers and it was really cool seeing everyone support each other.”
The competition ran over three weeks during June, with entrants required to upload a video of themselves and use the #QIM2020 hashtag.
In the end it was 15-year-old Hawaiian surfer Bettylou ‘Sakura’ Johnson who was crowned the queen of quarantine, impressing judges Jessi Miley-Dyer and Isabella Nicols with her “barrels, innovation and power”.
The competition’s success has got India excited about the prospect of running more Queen In Me events and seeing the platform grow.
“We want to keep the competition side of things running and also hope to grow to the stage where we run development camps for young female surfers,” India says.
“That’s something to really look forward to in the future.”

Quarantine Queen not only celebrated female surfers but also helped fill the void left by the cancellation of the 2020 Championship Tour and Qualifying Series due to the coronavirus pandemic.
India, a member of the Victorian Institute of Sport Future Talent program, was at a qualifying series event in Manly when the reality of COVID-19 hit.
“I was preparing to leave for New Zealand the next day and all of a sudden we got an email saying the competition wasn’t running and that COVID was really serious,” she recalls.
“That’s when it became real to us.”
Not one to dwell on the negative, India has looked for the silver linings of the situation.
“I found it was a blessing because we never really get time to stay at home and spend time with family and friends,” she says.
“I have been loving having the time to just surf for the love of it and be myself again.
“That said, I’m a pretty competitive person so having another six months without any competitions is going to be a bit different and I’m excited about the thought of getting back into it.
“At the moment my focus is to just buckle down and train and go into 2021 in the best form I can.”
India is currently based in the coastal town of Pottsville in New South Wales where she shares a house with fellow Victorian surfer, Sophie Fletcher.
She continues to train under coach Jay Bottle-Thompson and spends about four hours surfing each day, as well training in the gym and attending physio sessions.
By her own admission, the former Christian College student has “a lot going on” and she is working hard toward fulfilling her dreams.
“I’m very determined and dedicated to becoming the best I can be and making it to the level I want to be as a professional on the World Tour,” she says.

“I don’t like to call myself professional as of yet.
“Not until I achieve my goal and that goal is to be on the World Tour against the best girls in the world.”
In the meantime, India is keen to see as many girls as possible take up the sport she loves so much – one that has taken her to many parts of the world, including America, China, Europe, Indonesia and Japan.
“Surfing has given me a lot,” India says.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to travel and compete.
“It’s been a part of me since I can remember and I don’t think there is anything that can beat that feeling of standing up on a wave. It’s pretty magical.”

Visit the Queen In Me website at
www.queeninme.com.au and follow India’s journey on Instagram @_indiarobinson or @queen_in_me_est