The effortless style and grace of Aunty megz…

Growing up on the island of Oahu, it was in her destiny too not only be a surfer but to be a woman of the ocean. Megz displays the perfect balance of power and elegance when she surfs on her longboard. Not your typical longboard, Megz is able to dive into her deep bag of tricks to create a performance on the wave that is always breathtaking. However, not only does she create such effortless beauty on the waves, she also has a heart of gold and a nurturing nature that makes you fall in love with her more even on land. So let’s dive into who Aunty Megz is and what the future holds for this remarkable woman.  

Aunty Megz is such a household name in the surfing world, tell us about who aunty megs is and what that name means to you?

Well I don’t know about household name but thank you for that! I like to think of myself as an “aunty” to everyone, no matter what age the person is. An “aunty” in Hawaiian local culture is usually the one that’s like the second mum to some people and is always taking care. Whether it’s cooking the meals for that day or loving on someone’s babies (or scolding them – tough love). I love being called “Aunty”. It’s like a sign of respect in my culture. It also doesn’t hurt when aunty megz wants a wave in the line up. 

You call the island of hawaii home, hawaiian culture is one of the most beautiful cultures across the globe, tell us how hawaii shaped you as a woman and how you carry hawaiian culture with you everyday?

Hawaiian culture is really all about love. Growing up in Hawaii, we were shown nothing but love and I am truly grateful for it. It’s because of my culture I got the name Auntry Megz. From a young age I was taught to take care and if you are able to do something to help or improve someone’s day then do it with nothing in return. I was always taught and still live by this quote today, to “pay it forward”. If a person is willing to learn then you hold the responsibility to teach. I try my best to carry that with me around the world. 

You have such a unique style of longboarding, talk to us about who inspired you to surf that way and who you continue to look up to in the longboarding world?

I was lucky enough to have grown up in the birthplace of surfing, Waikiki. The beauty of growing up in Waikiki is that I got to witness generations of surfing together. So I always looked up to the older generations because they held such innocence while surfing. They weren’t out there to get the best waves or to do the best tricks, they were purely out there for the joy of it and to share the sport with their families. The one person who I really owe my style to is my aunty, Pihanui Makalena. I remembered as a little grommet I would just sit in the channel and watch her surf. She held the best of both worlds. Stylish yet radical, graceful yet powerful and doing all of it with a smile on her face. To me she was a true artist on the wave, always painting the prettiest lines on the wave as her canvas. Another person I really looked up to is one of my best friends, Kelia “sis” Moniz. Talk about smooth. No matter how big or small the wave, she always had the same amount of grace. She never looked forced, every movement was so natural. It’s like surfing was her first language. 

Longboarding has a stereotype around it about being the “pretty” and the more “delicate” form of surfing in comparison to short boarding, however women like you are changing that stereotype for the better and are redefining the sport, talk to us about where you’d like to see female surfing go.

I really like seeing female longboarders charge. It really shows the diversity of longboarding. Just because we have bigger boards doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t surf bigger waves. In fact, all the big wave boards are 9 foot plus, so whos to say you can’t longboard bigger waves the boards are already the size might as well use that to our advantage.  

Are there any up and coming female longboarders who have really caught your eye recently?

All the Waikiki girls but especially my niece, Kelis Kaleopa’a. To me she’s like a mini Kelia, she has so much style and grace and can surf anything. 

Last but not least, will we see Aunty Meg’s back in the jersey and competing for a world title anytime soon?

I surely hope so! I still want a world title so fingers crossed but we’ll just have to wait and see. 

Megan Godinez is one of the most remarkable women coming out of Hawaii. A lady of the ocean she really has it all when it comes to mastering the tricks of the sea. We’ve enjoyed following every bit of Aunty Meg’s journey and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this iconic woman. Thank you for your time Megz. We can’t wait to catch up again soon.

To find out more about Aunty Megz, follow her here:

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