Carmen Macri
Words by Carmen Macri
The Super Girl Surf Pro returned to Jacksonville for its fourth consecutive year, Nov. 8-10, while the competition itself celebrated its 18th anniversary. Originally held exclusively in Oceanside, California, where it featured surfing, skateboarding and even snowboarding, the event has expanded its reach and adapted to its Jacksonville setting. While snowboarding isn’t on the roster here, Jacksonville’s lineup includes beach volleyball, beach lacrosse, flag football and a DJ contest, bringing plenty of excitement to our shores. Not to mention huge stage performances by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and CeeLo Green.
Launched in 2007 to showcase women in action sports, the Super Girl Pro Series stands as the only large-scale, all-women’s event of its kind, combining action sports, esports and lifestyle. Built around celebrating female strength and empowerment, it’s grown into four major festivals that create social, athletic, cultural, educational and business opportunities for young women in spaces where they’re often underrepresented.
The spotlight was, not surprisingly, on the talented surfer girls — and one standout was especially close to home. This 15-year-old hailing from Atlantic Beach has only been surfing for five years but has already achieved an impressive eighth place ranking in the Women’s Qualifier Series (QS). Lanea Mons has made quite the name for herself quickly rising up the ranks within the World Surf League (WSL). Luckily, “Folio” got to chat with Mons in between a few surf sessions before the event kicked off on Friday to see how she was faring.
“The most important thing is to have fun with it,” she said. “If you’re not having fun, it’s not worth it.”
Growing up in Atlantic Beach gave Mons a unique advantage. While Florida’s waves aren’t consistently big, the severe storms and hurricanes bring in a “gnarly swell,” giving local surfers the chance to practice in diverse conditions. Unlike the more predictable weather on the West Coast, the First Coast’s intense storms have helped Mons develop skills that set her apart in the surfing community.
“Surfing here I do surf a lot of small waves, but during this time of year, we get a lot of nor’easters, superstorms and surf. And I’ve always made myself go out when it’s like that because I quite enjoy it,” Mons shared. “I spend a lot of time out when it’s stormy, so I think that it helped me understand the ocean a bit better because it takes a lot of skill to read the ocean when it’s like that. I think that has definitely translated into learning how to understand other waves.”
Mons first took to surfing at age 10, quickly falling in love with the sport and even entering her first surf contest that same year. She joined the WSL in 2021 and steadily climbed the ranks. Earlier this year, she took first place at the WRV Outer Banks Pro — an especially meaningful win, as it’s home to one of her favorite waves and a spot she’s spent years surfing and appreciating. The year prior, she landed silver at the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) World Junior Surfing Championship, a competition for the world’s top U-16 and U-18 shortboard surfers.
“It’s difficult because, with surfing, I am traveling a lot. Having to balance school with that is tough, but I’m pretty far ahead. I am taking more difficult classes than most people my age,” Mons explained. “When I’m gone surfing and traveling, I try my best to focus on that, but when I’m back home I always try my best to catch up so I don’t fall behind.”
At just 15, Mons is living the dream as a professional surfer—a proud achievement for her and her family. But like any teenager, she’s also expected to keep up with her education, and, true to form, she’s gone above and beyond in the classroom as well. Mons is a straight-A student in both honors and AICE programs at Florida Virtual School.
Although Mons didn’t take first place overall at the Super Girl Surf Pro, she did place first in her heat — a win in its own right given the fierce competition. And it is only up from here. With all she’s achieved in only five years of surfing, imagine where she’ll be in 10.
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