"Margo Godfrey: Karma, Rhythm, and Another Side," by Drew Kampion, ran in the May 1970 issue of SURFER. Godfrey, winner of the 1968 World Championships and about to defend her title in the 1970 Championships, was 17 when she and Kampion talked.

The potential of man on a surfboard is almost unlimited. But what about a woman? How good a surfer can she become?

Girls just don’t have the strength that men do. If a girl could transform herself into resembling a guy, build up huge muscles and develop super endurance, then she could be as good, but then she would be sacrificing her feminine appearance. Surfing really is a rugged sport. When I was surfing the North Shore, and it would get up to ten- or twelve-feet, I wouldn’t even think about going out.

What’s the biggest surf you’ve ridden?

I’ve surfed 14-foot North Bird in La Jolla and 12-foot Makaha. And I’ve surfed Rincon as big as it gets. But over 12-feet on the North Shore, for me, is just too big and powerful.

Can girls, then, become as good as men in small surf?

Probably even in small surf girls can’t be as good. We just haven’t been surfing that long as a group. Besides, we have a different sort of attitude from men. Men are aggressive and driving in their surfing styles. But when I surf, I naturally think of the rhythm of the wave and try to surf smoothly. Sometimes I even find myself standing still instead of putting together a lot of turns and maneuvers. The way I see it, girls should not compete with the men, but be on a different trip—we are anyway, as females. Males don’t like females competing with them at their own game, so if we each develop our own way of surfing, the male and female egos won’t clash. Grace and rhythm are keys to a female's surfing success and pleasure. Instead of powering, we can be dancing. Most of all, girls should surf the way they feel, and their femininity and ability will be expressed.

Describe your approach to a wave. What are you looking to do while you're surfing?

What I like to do is have everything moving together constantly, without stopping. Some guys surf driving hard at the top, then hard at the bottom, surfing in a jagged pattern, showing power and force. This is fine for their style, but I don’t have the strength or mental attitude to keep pushing like this. I like to flow. Even though I’m not always moving myself, I like the feeling of the board moving smoothly at all times, keeping with the rhythm of the wave.

Do girls follow the styles of men when they learn to surf, or do they copy other girls?

I guess I’ll just speak for myself. When I started surfing, there weren’t any girl surfers where I was learning, so naturally I was influenced by local guys, like Tom Ortner, Neal Norris and Skip Frye. Skip especially—he’s always right in rhythm with the wave; he taught me that every wave has its own rhythm. Then I saw Joey Hamasaki surf when I was just beginning to enter contests, and I really liked her style and thought I’d try to surf like her. As time passes, you develop your own style, but are always bringing other people’s maneuvers that you like into your surfing. I learn different things from different people. In a way, every good surfer you watch influences you.

Is surfing becoming more popular with girls now?

I think so. Not as many are afraid of it as there once were. Also, the boys’ attitudes have changed in surfing just as in the rest of the world.

Do you get special consideration in the water because you’re a girl?

I suppose so. If I’m at Rincon and it’s crowded, and if I’m surfing good, I really get a lot of waves, even when the best guys are out. Usually they’ll either give me the wave or kick out if I’m in good position. Like in Hawaii, the Hawaiians would paddle to the beach to get my board after a wipeout. On the whole, guys have been really nice to me. But there are times when I start getting a bad attitude and getting too aggressive on taking a lot of waves, and then I start receiving negative reactions from the crowds.

How does the professional scene relate to women’s surfing?

That’s kind of what I’d like to know. I don't have much going on as a professional, apart from the contests and riding for Hansen Surfboards. A lot of the guys get offers from wetsuit companies and clothing companies to do advertising, but I haven’t had much success. I suppose it’s because guys idolize male surfers and really get behind them and their boards. But the average guy wouldn’t want to buy a girl’s board. And with girls, when they’re maybe envious of another girl, they wouldn’t want to ride the same board or wear the same clothes. They’d want to be different. Beginning girls are stoked to ride another girl’s board, though, and I think manufacturers are making a mistake not to advertise girls’ boards more often than they do.

In some ways. But my whole life people have singled me out as the girl who surfs really good. Someday I’d like to move somewhere and be known only for myself, as I am, and not as a surfer. Just to be known as one of the other girls. It’s a conflict between what I am and what I want to be.

How do you rate your chances in the next World Contest?

I think they’re as good as they were last time [in 1968]. I’m in the same position in the WSA standings this year, and California girls are still the best overall. Any of the other girls could win, too. Especially Sharron Weber of Hawaii and Judy Trim of Australia. I hear she’s very good. [Note: Sharron Weber won the 1970 world titles; Godfrey finished runner-up]

Who are you looking for to win on the men's side?

I really don’t have any idea. Recently I saw Rolf [Aurness] surfing so well, especially backside. He surfed Rincon last week and ripped. Every turn he does, off the top or off the bottom, gets everybody on the beach stoked. Purpus, Lopez, Reno, Nat, Cabell and many others have a fantastic chance also. It all depends on the surf, and to some degree, on the judging system. [Note: Aurness did indeed win the 1970 world titles, riding backside.]

What are your thoughts on competition in general?

I used to be super contest-stoked, but this year I’ve sort of gotten on the rebellion trip. Contests are fine if you can pick up on just the good trips that are happening. But I always hate beating someone in competition. It makes me feel sort of guilty. I just don’t like the idea of people being rated higher than others. I guess it's just human nature and the only way the system can work, but at times I feel like escaping the system.

I’ve always had this inferiority thing: I try to be pleasant and liked by people without being phony. Like in the East, kids say, “Aren’t you Margo Godfrey?” and they’re stoked to meet me, not as myself, but as World Champion. It’s like they won’t talk to me unless they can look up to me. People are always putting me above them, but I’m not. All I want is to be liked for what I am, not for what people think I am because of my position in surfing. On the other hand, when I find out that people don’t like me or say sarcastic things about me I really get bummed out. Anyway, I'm still trying to master my mind so that when I feel happy, and I’m living the way I wish, people won’t bring me down. You’ve got to be above these little hassles. But I'm still young, and as mommy says, these things will all come as the years pass.

Has your health food diet helped you out very much?

I’ve been on health foods off and on for three years. I used to eat only vegetables or fruit for a while, but I got really thin and too weak to surf well. Then I got so I didn’t like fruits and vegetables ’cause I’d had so many, and I just didn’t eat at all. I go through so many transitions! I change my mind on eating just about every day. I wrote an article for a surf magazine saying I don’t eat meat, then a few months later I go and eat meat. Anyway, I don’t eat candy bars or drink soda or things like that. I try to stay with stuff made from natural whole ingredients, and no preservatives or chemicals. I feel that healthy food makes my body stronger and gives me more endurance. It also keeps my head clear.

What are you interested in besides surfing?

I’m interested in almost anything having to do with the ocean. I love marine biology, studying the environment, and conservation. I also enjoy good literature and reading about yoga and Eastern religions. As far as the environment and conservation are concerned, you can see how overpopulation is hurting the environment. The people with money aren’t conservation-minded surfers; they’re the ones who build the marinas and factories. But even surfers throw trash and stuff around. If everyone were more conscious of their environment, the world would be a better place.

Are surfers less conscious about the rest of the world than they should be?

I think so. You have to organize for a common direction. A lot of people, surfers included, don’t realize the necessity for action until there’s oil on the beach or smog in the air. It’s all about who has the power, and we don’t. We’re on a conservation thing as surfers, and we’re all very much behind the natural state, but we just don’t have the power to change anything.

I like going out in the water, no matter what the surf is like. I like to talk to seaweed and birds and myself. But the ultimate satisfaction is a six-foot day at Rincon where I have the perfect board and do my very best surfing with a clear, happy head. A full surf day is the ultimate!

Do you think that surfers, generally, are different from other people?

Sure. Surfers are a lot more individual. They’re on a whole different level than other people who don’t surf. Some surfers, especially in the Islands, seem able to communicate with nature and can pick up natural good vibrations from it. Even without education, surfers have a basic natural intelligence. It takes a lot of your mind to cope with all the different situations that come up in surfing. Also, most surfers aren’t hung up on what other people think of them. They’re really easygoing, on the whole.

I like blues, like Mike Bloomfield, and Dylan is my superhero. I like Neil Young, too. Even Beethoven is enjoyable for me. It depends on the mood. At times I play the harmonica, and my expressions and feelings come out in the music. It sounds good to me; I don’t really care what I sound like to others. I can remember some really fantastic sunsets in Hawaii, playing the harmonica and singing.

Are there similarities between surfers and musicians?

Well, as I said before, there are different beats and rhythms in every wave. A musician plays the instrument that expresses himself the way he likes. A surfer plays the instrument that works for him. That’s why I like having Gerry Lopez shape my boards. Gerry and I really communicate well with each other. He picks up my vibes and puts them into a surfboard that’s just the right instrument for me.

Do you have any religious feelings wrapped up with your surfing?

God is truth. Even Thoreau says that—a good old transcendental philosopher. But you don’t need to have a title in order to believe. I’m probably a little of every religion; I feel God is the ultimate good. And I believe in the philosophy of Karma. When you are happy, good things happen. When you are being negative, bad things happen. So be generous, be kind, pick up hitchhikers, and things will go well for you. When you're cranky and mean, things always turn out badly.

[Photos: Dan Merkel, Drew Kampion, LeRoy Grannis]

Margo Godfrey (1970)

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