Meet the Stunning Women of the Volkswagen SA Surfing Open

It’s already nicknamed the Friendly City, but we’d wager Port Elizabeth, South Africa is going to be home to even more smiles than usual thanks to the World Surf League’s arrival in town this weekend.

Hosting the Volkswagen SA Open of Surfing, Port Elizabeth’s Pollock Beach will see a number of events including 1,500-level men’s Qualifying Series and a 3,000-level women’s Qualifying Series.

As a 3,000-level event (worth 3,000 qualifying points in the rankings), the women’s contest at the Volkswagen SA Open is the top-tier qualifier of the year in Africa, which means many of the top female surfers in the world will be in town to compete.

Started at 8 a.m. today in South Africa, the women’s QS 3,000 will take place through the weekend with a champion to be crowned on Sunday. That could change depending on the weather, but hopefully the ladies will be hanging ten with no issues.

Let’s meet a few of the contestants:

Name: Maud Le Car
Age: 26
Surfing for: France
Her deal: An exercise nut who works out four times a week and also does a pair of cardio sessions during that time, Maud enjoys painting and drawing when she’s not on her surfboard. A native of St. Martin, Maud digs raw and fresh food and would rather go clubbing than hit up a fancy restaurant.

A post shared by Maud Le Car ?? (@maudlecar) on Jun 8, 2018 at 5:30pm PDT

A post shared by Maud Le Car ?? (@maudlecar) on May 20, 2018 at 5:59am PDT

A post shared by Maud Le Car ?? (@maudlecar) on Feb 23, 2018 at 2:02am PST

Name: Emma Smith
Age: 23
Surfing for: South Africa
Her deal: Sure to be a hometown crowd favorite, Emma has embraced the surfer lifestyle and enjoys being a member of the traveling tribe of surfers. Also a fan of Disney movies, black coffee, and food blogs, Emma spends her time in the kitchen when she isn’t in the ocean.

A post shared by Emma Smith (@emmaninasmith) on May 21, 2018 at 9:31am PDT

A post shared by Emma Smith (@emmaninasmith) on May 16, 2018 at 4:47am PDT

A post shared by Emma Smith (@emmaninasmith) on May 8, 2018 at 9:48pm PDT

Name: Garazi Sanchez-Ortun
Age: 26
Surfing for: Spain
Her deal: A pro who started training at the age of seven, Garazi still has the board she first learned on sitting in a storage closet at her family’s home. A business student on the side, Garazi’s favorite part about being on the WSL tour is traveling the globe.

A post shared by Garazi Sánchez (@garazisanchez) on May 29, 2018 at 7:23am PDT

A post shared by Garazi Sánchez (@garazisanchez) on May 19, 2018 at 4:19am PDT

A post shared by Garazi Sánchez (@garazisanchez) on Jun 18, 2018 at 9:12am PDT

Name: Lucy Campbell
Age: 23
Surfing for: United Kingdom
Her deal: A mermaid at heart, Lucy learned to surf from hitting the waves with her father and brother at 10. A fan of both cooking and baking, Lucy blogs about her experiences on the road and also shares recipes and other culinary tips she comes across.