Mary Monks, one of USA’s first female surfers, dies 0
Before there was Gidget or the Beach Boys, there was Mandos Mary.
Short in stature but big in local surfing folklore, Mary Monks was among the first female surfers to charge Ventura County waves back in the days of wooden boards and wool sweaters. Her love of the waves and outsized personality earned her an honor bestowed to a very few — her favorite surf break was named after her.
Monks, 89, died Friday at a Santa Paula nursing home. In recent years, dementia claimed many of her recent memories, but she held tight to the recollections of her days on the waves, and perpetually thought she was on her way to the beach, said her great-nephew Brandon Wahl.
“Every time I talked about surfing, she’d get really excited about it,” said Wahl.
When he talked about the waves, her eyes would light up and she’d ask about the day’s swell.
Though few now know of “Mary’s” break just north of Ventura city limits, her reputation is still strong with those who knew the local surf scene before neoprene, foam and crowds changed the sport forever.
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