‘Everything I do now is for surfing,’ says teen at inaugural festival in Virginia Beach

Two elite women surfers, Hila Cohen (Israel) and Kaikora Nauenberg (American with Jewish heritage), competed at the inaugural Super Girl Surf Festival in Virginia Beach over Labor Day weekend. Despite initially choppy conditions, both surfers reached the quarterfinals, securing prize money. Cohen, ranked ninth in the World Surf League (WSL), and Nauenberg, ranked 24th, will compete again on October 29 in Puerto Rico. Cohen, 17, from Acre, Israel, now trains in San Clemente, California, and aims to represent Israel in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. She stated, “I look forward every day to getting better at it, and it’s a lot of fun.” Nauenberg, also 17, from Santa Cruz, California, developed a passion for surfing during COVID-19 restrictions. She emphasized her dedication, saying, “Everything I do now is for surfing.” The Super Girl surf series is a key qualifying event for surfers to earn points for WSL Challenger Series events.