Shannon Aikman
Shannon Aikman is a major figure in the women’s surfing movement from its inception through to the present day. She was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame, in Huntington Beach in 2016 along with her other founding members of the Women’s International Surf Association. As one of the first Professional women surfer’s, beginning in 1975 Aikman surfed as a professional for 8 years competing on International Professional Surfers World Tour (now the WSL) where she was rated in the top three California contestants for five years.
She was a founding board member of the Women’s International Surfing Association and was one of the earliest women to travel internationally in the mid-seventies establishing a reputation in Biarritz France.
In 1977 Aikman was the co-founded the seminal women’s organization, the California Golden Girls with Jericho Poppler, building a team of six surf stars dedicated to creating awareness for women in professional surfing. She is also the recipient of the prestigious County of Los Angeles Commendation for “Creating a platform for women to excel in the sport, pioneering modern day women’s professional surfing.”
Jim Kempton, Editor and Publisher of Surfer Magazine, President of the California Surf Museum
Shannon started surfing in the historic surf town of Hermosa Beach, CA in 1969, in front of the family’s beach house. A mere 80 pounds, her first board was a Greek Surfboard, a 6’4 diamond tail, just right for a beach break. The Aikman family moved to Balboa Island where Shannon rode her bike daily up to Blackies and 36th Street, in Newport Beach. Attending Corona del Mar High School, she met Mary Setterholm and they became adolescent surf buddies, always surfing and training together. It was Mary who encouraged her to surf in her first contest at age 15. Excited to surf a contest at Oceanside in a Western Surfing Association 3A event, she was stunned to find out that Joyce Hoffman was in her heat. Nevertheless, she stayed committed to surfing contests, meeting Jericho Poppler, and all the girls who surfed in the early 1970’s.
In 1974, age 16, Shannon boldly started the Corona del Mar High School surfing team where 75 guys showed up for qualifying. CDMHS was among the first group of surfing teams. She remembers the football coach grumbled that she was taking his team away.
During her Senior year, Shannon was a Founding Board Member of the Women’s International Surfing Association, est. March 8, 1975. She was Secretary, Editor of the Women N Waves newsletter, and worked closely with Mary Lou and Jericho in those early years of WISA.
She surfed in the 1st all women’s WISA Hang Ten Women’s International Pro Surfing Championship at Malibu, Sept. 20, 1975 and placed 8th over a field of 24. The purse was a whopping $3,000! She continued to surf professionally in California, Hawaii, Australia, Mexico and the three consecutive years of the Hang Ten Pro at Malibu, CA. In 1978, attending college at UC San Diego, Shannon took off a semester to tour on the IPS International Professional Surfing circuit with Jericho Poppler, Lisa Tomb, Brenda Scott Rogers – in a newly formed group ‘The California Golden Girls’. Golden suits, golden swirls on their boards, they made a big impact with the media and continue to represent women’s surfing today. They surfed Burleigh Heads Surfers Paradise, Bell’s Beach, and Newport Beach among others on this epic surf tour.
Shannon has surfed the waves of Biarritz, France, where in 1973 she remembers the few boys in the water getting out to sit and watch her surf, clapping with each ride. They had not seen a woman surf. Shannon surfed the North Shore of Oahu in the 1970’s – mid 1980’s. She competed in the OP Pro in Huntington Beach in the first three years 1981, 82, 83. Her sponsors were Body Glove, South Shore Surfboards and many others. She appeared in Surfer and Surfing magazines and Hal Jepsen’s Super Session. Kodak Film had her on a billboard in stores across the country.
A Graduate of UCLA, avid skier, competitive sailor, and stand up paddler, Shannon surfs in nearby beaches of Corona del Mar and Newport Beach. She enjoys family time with her daughter and continues to support surfing and women’s surfing events. She lives in Corona del Mar.
1974 – Founded the Corona del Mar High School Surfing Team (pre NSSA)
1975 – Founding Board Member – WISA Women’s International Surfing Association.
1975 – Competed in the 1st All Women’s Pro Surfing Championship, Malibu CA. 1955-77. Top 10 world ranking. Top 3 California.
1977 – Co-Founded the California Golden Girls with Jericho Poppler. Team of 6 professional women touring on the IPS Tour 1978 through the 1980’s.
1978 – IPS International Professional Surfing Tour – Australia, Hawaii.
2015 – Honored by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, Sheila Khuehl, 3rd District for contributing to the establishment of the 1st Womens Pro Surfing
2016 – Surfing Walk of Fame – Honor Roll – WISA Women’s International Surfing Association. Founding Board Member
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