Easkey Britton: The Wave ambassador
Easkey Britton
Surfer. Scientist. Artist. Explorer.
We have been really excited to be talking to so many amazing, inspiring people throughout the development of The Wave. Through conversations with Sam Bleakley, we were introduced to Easkey. I had heard about Easkey for many years, mainly reading about her in surfing mags from when she must have been 13/14 years old. She is a west Ireland charger and a true water woman.
Surely one of the bravest things she has done is come and hang at home with us in Bristol for 24 hours.( although my three boys adored her!) It was a great chance to connect, talk, inspire and quickly realised that there was a deep running common thread. Everything Easkey does is with full bore passion and limitless ideas. To be an ambassador for The Wave is a huge coup for us. Linking positive change, societal and health objectives and a deep running care for people, equality and the environment, made Easkey a natural fit with our vision.
Here is a little bio about Easkey, she's epic!
First woman to surf in Iran. First woman to surf Ireland’s big-wave, Mullaghmore. Five-time Irish national surf champion. Global Billabong XXL big-wave nominee. Easkey’s surfing bona fides are well established, but her real work lies in protecting a healthy relationship between humanity and the ocean. “The health and wellbeing of humans and the ocean are inextricably interconnected,” says Dr. Britton, who earned her PhD in Environment and Society in 2013. Since then, when not speaking out about how surfing can jumpstart social change, she’s been working with various international organisations on their gender engagement, conservation and social impact strategies.
Surfing is Easkey’s active metaphor for life. Pursuing big waves, adventure travel, research and artistic expression has given her the opportunity to explore more deeply the values surfing teaches and the importance of exploring innovative and creative ways of applying and sharing those values for positive change. In 2014, Easkey co-founded Waves of Freedom - an initiative founded on the belief in surfing as a powerful medium for creating positive social impact and empowerment, especially for women and girls in areas of the world where it is not always easy to follow your passion, like the remote province of Baluchistan in Iran. Her pioneering work with young Iranian women and local communities is the feature of a documentary film, Into the Sea. An inspirational public speaker, her work and unique connection to the ocean led her to being asked to talk at TEDx Dublin 2013 about the power of the ocean to connect. It’s hardly surprising that she was named an ‘Agents of Change’ by Surfer magazine, is Finisterre’s Cold Water Woman of Surf and a participant at THNK’s Creative Leadership program.
"The Wave feels like a home to bring together all these amazing, innovative ideas for how surfing can be used for positive impact, and to put them into action. To literally set new waves for change in motion. It's bold, ambitious and plays an integral community-building role in both the surfing world and beyond. It's the place where we can go to really tap the power of water and waves to connect!"
Twitter: @easkeysurf
Facebook: /wavesoffreedom2013
