If, as a surfer or visitor, you've ever stood above Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, you'd barely miss a bronze surfer gazing out at one of the most famous waves on the West Coast of the USA.
The statue, known as "To Honor Surfing," has become part of the landscape.
Locals decorate it during the holidays, visitors photograph it, and generations of surfers have passed beneath it on their way to the water.
Now, a companion statue honoring the women who helped shape one of America's most influential surf communities is moving closer to reality.
But not exactly where it was initially planned.
What began as a public art project has evolved into a debate about history, representation, development, public space, and the future of a cherished stretch of coast.
So, why is there a debate about where to install it?
A monument decades in the making
The proposed statue is called "To Honor the Women of the Water."
Organizers describe it as a counterpart to the existing male surfer monument that has overlooked Steamer Lane since 1992.
The new bronze figure would celebrate generations of women who surfed, paddled, lifeguarded, competed, taught, and built surf culture in Santa Cruz long before their contributions were widely recognized.
The project is being led by Santa Cruz resident Kari Lochhead and a team of supporters that includes surfers, historians, artists, educators, and community members.
The statue was designed by sculptors Brian W. Curtis and Thomas Marsh, the same artists behind the original male surfer statue.
Like its older counterpart, the sculpture is not intended to portray a specific person. Instead, it represents a collective history.
But there's a twist. Organizers say the figure stands for all the women who have built lives around the ocean.
The design shows a female figure standing with a longboard and wearing a wetsuit, a clear reference to the legacy of wetsuit pioneer Jack O'Neill and the cold-water culture of Northern California surfing.
Depending on the proposal version, the statue has been described as approximately 16 to 18 feet tall, making it a prominent landmark visible from surrounding public areas.
Why supporters say it matters
Supporters argue that Santa Cruz surfing history cannot be fully told through a single male figure.
Their case begins well before modern surfing arrived in California.
According to local historians, the roots of surfing in Santa Cruz trace back to 1885, when three Hawaiian princes rode redwood surfboards near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.
The event is widely recognized as a foundational moment in the spread of surfing throughout mainland America.
Advocates for the statue point to another figure whose role was largely overlooked for generations: Antoinette "Akoni" Swan, a Native Hawaiian woman who lived in Santa Cruz and hosted the princes during their visits.
Historians Kim Stoner and Geoffrey Dunn have described Swan as a central cultural link in the story of how surfing took root in the region.
The proposed monument also seeks to recognize women whose names are deeply woven into Santa Cruz surf history, including Betty Van Dyke, Jane McKenzie, Rosemari Reimers-Rice, Robin "Zeuf" Janiszeufski-Hesson, Brenda Scott-Rogers, Sarah Gerhardt, Ashley Lloyd, and others who helped open lineups that were often dominated by men.
Sarah Gerhardt occupies a particularly important place in that history.
In 1999, she became the first woman to surf Mavericks, one of the world's most intimidating big-wave breaks. Her achievement is often cited as a milestone in women's surfing.
The campaign's supporters argue that stories like hers deserve a visible place in the public landscape.
For Kaila Pearson, a Santa Cruz surfer, ocean lifeguard, and biology professor, the issue is partly about what young girls see when they look at their community.
She has said that, growing up, she was often the only woman in the lineup and believes the statue could inspire future generations of female surfers.
The timing also reflects a broader shift within surfing itself.
Women's professional surfing has grown dramatically over the past decade.
Equal prize money has become standard in major competitions, female participation continues to rise, and women are increasingly visible in big-wave surfing, coaching, media, and surfboard design.
Supporters see the monument as part of that larger cultural correction.
The statue that nearly didn't happen
The project's path has been anything but smooth.
The original plan called for placing the statue on East Cliff Drive in Pleasure Point, near a bluff-top area known locally as the Dirt Farm.
The site overlooks a popular surf break called Jack's, or 38th Avenue.
It also sits near the former home of Jack O'Neill, whose influence on modern surfing extends far beyond Santa Cruz.
Initially, the proposal attracted support from many local surfers, artists, board builders, and community leaders.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manu Koenig publicly backed the idea, and later said a poll he conducted showed 78 percent support among respondents.
But opposition soon emerged.
Residents living near the proposed site raised concerns about preserving one of the area's last undeveloped bluff-top spaces.
Some argued that the project would alter the character of the landscape and create additional pressure on a location already dealing with parking shortages and traffic challenges.
Others worried that benches included in early designs could encourage late-night gatherings, noise, and other neighborhood problems.
Environmental concerns also became part of the conversation.
Critics questioned whether development on a coastal bluff was appropriate, given ongoing erosion issues affecting parts of the Santa Cruz coastline.
Importantly, many opponents stressed that they were not against honoring women surfers. Their objection, they said, centered on the location rather than the statue itself.
Several community discussions reflected that distinction, with supporters of open-space preservation arguing that a monument could be placed elsewhere.
The debate grew increasingly heated.
Organizers said misinformation and online criticism began to overshadow the project's original goals.
Lochhead later described the experience as disappointing, saying the discussion had become far more negative than she expected for what she viewed as a celebration of women in surfing.
A new home in Capitola
In May 2026, organizers announced a major change.
Rather than continue pursuing approval in Pleasure Point, they withdrew the application and shifted their focus to nearby Capitola, a small coastal city just south of Santa Cruz.
The new proposed location is along Capitola's Esplanade, a busy public area near the beach. Supporters quickly embraced the move.
Capitola officials signaled enthusiasm for the project, and local leaders described the city as a welcoming place for a public monument celebrating women surfers.
Vice Mayor Gerry Jensen said the statue aligned with the community's character and could inspire young girls who spend time around the ocean.
The relocation also carries symbolic significance.
In 2025, Capitola's surf breaks were added to the Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve, expanding the protected surf zone to roughly seven miles of coastline stretching from Capitola to Natural Bridges State Park.
If the female statue is built there, it would effectively bookend the reserve with the existing male surfer monument on West Cliff Drive.
Organizers say the two figures would frame the region's surfing story from opposite ends of the coastline.
The project remains privately funded and still requires reviews and approvals from Capitola's arts and city commissions before construction can begin.
Organizers have targeted 2027 for installation if the necessary approvals are granted.
One of only a handful in the world
Part of the project's appeal comes from how rare such monuments remain.
Supporters say the Santa Cruz-area statue would be only the third public statue in the world dedicated specifically to female surfers, among many others featuring male figures.
The first was unveiled in Dana Point, California, honoring surfing champion Joyce Hoffman in 2022.
The second was installed at Australia's Bondi Beach in 2025, celebrating world champion Pauline Menczer.
That small number surprises many people, given surfing's global reach and the growing influence of women in the sport.
For supporters, the scarcity underscores the reason the project exists at all.
Maybe it all makes sense and is more than fair.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
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