Joyce Hoffman grew up in this world, and because of her unique approach became one of the first surf pioneers (male or female) in the ’60s. Now, she’s being recognised with a bronze statue in Dana Point, smashing another barrier and becoming the first female surfer to have a life-size statue in the US.

Not only does Joyce have a long list of US titles to her name, but she was also the first person to be world champion, use cross-training in competitions, have her own signature surfboard, and cross surfing over into wider collective culture. She was featured in Vogue, Seventeen, Teen and Look, and named the Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year at age 18.

“I was the first one who crossed over from surfing into the mainstream,” she said. “It was going to happen to somebody, it happened to be me.”

Being humble it seems is another of Joyce’s skills, but she has no reason to be – she actively made every single one of her achievements happen through hard work, by trying new innovative methods and having a proactive attitude. Let’s go through just some of her wins, and you’ll see what we mean.

Joyce grew up on Beach Road in Capistrano Beach, during an era in which surfers were an exclusive tribe of dedicated individuals pushing their limits in the water, without much recognition. At the age of 12 her family moved to Dana Point, living in a house with a beautiful surf break right in front, so her Dad Walter could continue to push big-wave riding.

Joyce surfed her first contest in the early 1960’s at Doheny State Beach, as one of the core group of 15-20 women that competed at that time in different competitions. What made her different, though, was her unique approach to bringing intense cross training into her preparation, when most other surfers were rejecting this kind of rigid routine.

“I was very dedicated, very serious,” Hoffman said. “That’s what I gave to surfing, more than anything else. If you don’t take it seriously, you won’t go anywhere.”

For this reason, she became the first surfer (male or female) to incorporate serious cross training to win national and international surf competitions. From 1963 to 1971, she dominated women’s surfing competitions across the world, from the US Surfing Championships, to the Makaha International and the Laguna Masters. It wasn’t long before she became the first American (male or female) to hold the title of World Surfing Champion.

But that’s not all – she was also the first to reach outside of the surf world for sponsorships, something noone else thought of doing. How did she do it? Joyce literally skipped through magazines looking for outdoor brands she liked, and the contacted them to ask if they wanted her to represent their brand. From luggage brands to fast cars, she quickly moved into having her image shown in different industries, spreading the vibe of surfing into popular culture.

Joyce’s proactive approach outside the water meant that women were shown as successful surfers right from the very beginning of the sport’s entry into collective US culture.

And now, she’s being recognised with a bronze statue created by artist Bill Limebrook, another first for women surfers in the US. When she recently got a sneak peek of the bronze statue, Joyce teared up, thinking of all the women surfers who came before her, and who will come after her.

“I was pretty blown away, it certainly was never something I thought would happen to me,” Hoffman said. “It’s very humbling, but very exciting.”

The statue will be unveiled today, January 27th, 2022, at Watermen’s Plaza. Congratulations Joyce, you are a legend.