A quirky Kiwi woman has made waves in Australia by taking to
the surf wearing nothing more than a smile.
Naked surfer Marama Kake says her brave style started on New
Zealand beaches.
She has described her choice of bathing outfit as her
"sustainability suit'' and says she wants to spread a message
of sustainable surfing.
Ms Kake made onlookers blush this week when she was spotted
surfing naked at Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
"I'm not out there to get everyone to look at me, I just love
the sensation and simplicity of surfing in my 'sustainability
suit','' Ms Kake told the Courier Mail.
"I cover up or paddle away if I am anywhere near children and
have never had any trouble with lifeguards or authorities,
and I've been doing it for years in Australia and New
Zealand.''
Long-time surfer Ian Borland said he almost fell off his
board when Ms Kake paddled past him.
"I've been surfing for almost 50 years and I have never seen
anything like it. There must have been 100 guys out there and
out she paddled bold as brass,'' he told The Sun
newspaper.
"The reaction was shock at first and then everyone thought it
was quite funny. We were all intrigued.''
Despite the favourable reaction, local police told APNZ naked
surfing was an offence.
Sergeant Dean Holmes said police would investigate if a
complaint was made and offenders faced charges of wilful
exposure.
Ms Kake said onlookers were welcoming and women had even
complimented her courage.
"It changes the mood very quickly and cuts through the
aggression that is finding its way to busy pointbreaks. It's
a sure-fire cure for wave rage,'' she said.
Sustainability is a message Ms Kake takes seriously and she
has the slogan "get naked, get sustainable'' inscribed on her
boards.
She told the Courier Mail she was travelling to gain
support for a new environmentally conscious network called
Project 13.
"We want to set up a global network of volunteers - a vessel
to give back. Part of the project will be designing
sustainable clothing, including surfwear and wetsuits,'' Ms
Kake said.
She rides "green boards'', including a timber alaia designed
for her by master craftsman Tom Wegener and another from the
eco-friendly D'Arcy factory on the Gold Coast.
- By Kieran Campbell of APNZ
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