Professional Surfing Background

Prue Jeffries Surfing Career Biography

Prue Jeffries (b.1972) A pioneer and visionary of Women’s Surfing, she spent two decades traveling the world on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour, now known as the WSL (World Surf League). Her competitive and athletic career spanned from the late 1980’s through to the mid-2000’s. She was also a published writer, editorial consultant, founder of a women’s clothing company, brand ambassador, event co-producer, and filmmaker.

Prue grew up surfing the iconic Bondi Beach, Australia. Originally a working class suburb, home to many immigrant families. Prue’s childhood was shaped by the eclectic influences of multicultural Sydney. From a young age she had a love of creativity, water, nature and the metaphysical. Prue initially took up skateboarding, bodysurfing, surf mat riding and bodyboarding before transitioning to surfboards around 12 years old. 

Shaped by an education that supported children from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, she thrived in an intellectually and socially expansive environment. It shaped her openness and desire to explore and exchange with cultures and life around the world, also her opinion of the importance for Women’s Surfing (and surfing in general) to be inclusive and grow the length, breadth, and diversity of narratives and opportunities for women.

From 1990 to 2006, Prue spent 16 years competing on the ASP WCT and WQS Tours. She contributed to the growth of Women’s Surfing in multiple ways, as an advocate for women in boardsports. She was a WCT level surfer willing to work in areas of writing, editorial consulting, clothing company development, surfboard design and filmmaking. 

She felt good surfing was genderless, transcended surfboard choice and was a reflection of a surfers relationship with the water and waves. A waterwoman at heart, Prue is known for her soulful, quieter nature, graceful, smooth, flowing style and keen interest in surfboard design.

In 1990, 17 years old fresh from high school and deferring university, she traveled to the Bells Beach Easter Classic. With minimal surfing exposure outside of Bondi and little amateur experience or coaching, she continued on the ASP World Tour, supported by sole sponsor Peter Daniel Surfboards. She achieved a world #13 in 1990 at the age of 17-18 years old. Considered a best raw rookie performance at the time. She followed up in 1991 with another #13 finish.

Between 1992 – 1996, Prue competed part-time and pursued a passion for Outrigger Canoe paddling. She paddled many distance races including in 1993 the 41-mile Na Wahine O Ke Kai Molokai to Oahu Canoe Race in Hawaii and in 1995 the Hamilton Island Canoe Races in Australia. Prue honed her water skills, paddling and surfing abilities in Hawaii. Feeling a close kinship and respect for Hawaiian culture, Prue was bestowed the name by a friend from a Kahuna of “Alohiwaipuhia” meaning “bright wind-swept water” or “waterfall blown back up to heaven”. She later moved to Narrabeen to continue her surf style refinements, whilst working as one of the first women in construction for Australian telecommunications company Telstra, where she was promoted rapidly for her young age to administer and supervise minor works projects. 

In 1997 Prue returned to full time competition. She had better financial support from work, greater confidence and fitness instilled from paddling canoes, coaching support and her own combining of holistic and somatic approaches to training as a base. She qualified for the ASP Women’s Top 11 WCT Tour, earning the ASP Most Improved Award. Her surfing abilities caught legend Midget Farrelly’s eye, along with Simon Anderson who she started to ride surfboards for and received his support. That year she won the Senior Division of the Roxy Wahine Classic at San Onofre, a groundbreaking event where she met Linda Benson, Marg Oberg, Candice Woodward and many USA surfing legends that inspired her. 

By 1998 Prue finished world #6. She won the Quit Women’s Pro at Margaret River, after being a finalist in 1997. She defeated Pam Burridge, Lisa Andersen and Rochelle Ballard on her way to the finals with Layne Beachley at the Bells Beach Easter Classic. She is twice finalist at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach and a finalist at the Rip Curl Pro in Hossegor, France. She won the Boundi Pro, Portugal, the Gallaz Pro, Oceanside, and was twice winner of the SG Queen of the Creek, Salt Creek, as well as a number of Professional Surf Tour of America events. She is a dual silver medalist from the 2002 ISA World Surfing Games in Durban. 

In 1999 Prue was one of the first WCT level women, with her ranking at #6 in the world, competing on two world tours,

too play an instrumental working role in founding and developing

a women’s clothing and lifestyle brand. Connected by Wahine Magazine publishers Marilyn Edwards and Elizabeth Glazner with Jackson Sports Management she signed a sponsorship deal with the Bodywaves Group from Orange County, California, USA, led by Tim Su for their B-Pro activewear line. Responding to what she felt was the objectification of women in the surf industry. Prue partnered with Tim to transform B-Pro into a core women’s line by strategizing and rebranding it as Elleven. 

Elleven emerged as a vessel to empower women from all backgrounds and stages in life seeking to showcase women surfers strength and appeal in expressing their natural talents. She felt women’s beauty and strength was inherent and expressed in many shapes, sizes, faces and cultures. Representing this was the best way to role model for younger women.

She oversaw the branding, marketing, and development of Elleven, finding, hiring and working closely with Solodizine / Blue Door Creative Tiff Seale and Victor Sokolow instrumental in the new branding, along with Art Brewer, Jim Russi and Jim Pidgeon for photography. Prue worked with fashion designer Pamela Zoolalian the first women on ESPN and to compete in the X-Games in street luge racing for the clothing. She also worked on advertising placements, event sponsorship, editorial trips and developing a team of women riders from diverse backgrounds.

Onboarding Florida WQS surfer Falina Spires and Californian Longboarder of Filipino heritage Mary Bagalso with an eye to growing more ambassadors in time. Elleven sponsored the 1999 Elleven Women’s US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach and in 2000 both Women’s US Open of Surfing WCT and WQS events. The investment was significant- roughly $300K for women’s surfing at the time. One of the promotions of the events was a poster of Prue doing a powerful cutback on the face of a Puerto Escondido wave with the bold and perhaps prescient statement “The future of surfing is in the hands of women.”