Drop by Virginia Beach’s 1st Street Jetty this Labor Day weekend, and you’ll find thousands of spectators posted on the sand. They’ll be there to watch the top female surfers shred waves in one of the East Coast’s most iconic breaks.
But this isn’t just any event: The Super Girl Surf Pro Festival is the biggest women-only World Surf League competition on the planet. The weekend-long contest is televised on more than two dozen networks and features international standouts, like Caroline Marks, a 2024 Team USA Olympic gold medalist, and hometown heroes like 14-year-old world pro tour hopeful, Story Martinez.
The fest will sprawl across 1.7 miles of beach and boardwalk, and bring all-female content creator demos, DJ contests, a central village with art booths, craft beverage vendors, and food trucks—and 11 other women’s sports competitions like volleyball, skateboarding, beach soccer, and lacrosse. There will also be musical performances from major acts like Joan Jett, Madison Beer, and Matisyahu. Attendance is free.
“To have an event of this caliber take place right in our backyard is pretty insane,” says 23-year-old Virginia Beach native and pro boarder Rachel Wilson. She’s sponsored by the Outer Banks’ Whalebone Surf Shop and will compete alongside Martinez—a mentee—at the competition. “It’s inspiring because when I was starting out, there were very few girls here who even thought of trying to surf at a high level,” Wilson says. “This event has played a big role in moving that needle.”
Super Girl founder Rick Bratman launched the festival in 2007 after watching his teenage daughter struggle with limited school resources and exposure around girls’ sports. As CEO of ASA Entertainment, an action sports entertainment company distributing content to 30 international broadcasters, he was in a unique position to push back. “We wanted to foster a culture of excitement around these incredible athletes, showcase what they’re capable of, and send a message of empowerment to young women that they can do anything that they set their minds to.”
Super Girl grew exponentially over the next two decades, buoyed by landmark moments like surfing’s addition to the Olympic Games in 2020. By the time Bratman approached Virginia Beach about hosting the fest’s 20th anniversary, it featured more than 2,000 athletes across 10 sports and drew upward of 75,000 attendees. Primary competitions were live-streamed and televised across 28 networks, while annual social media reach spanned 450 million impressions.
“The participation, exposure, and brand recognition that Super Girl brings to the table is just incredible,” says Virginia Beach Deputy City Manager Amanda Jarratt. Factor in its empowerment mission and family-friendly programming, “and the relationship felt like an obvious win-win.”
Bratman says his interest in the city stemmed from its deep-rooted surf culture, 60-year track record of hosting major competitions like the East Coast Surfing Championships, and its top-tier boardwalk events infrastructure. The addition of Atlantic Park Surf—a $350 million development centered around a 2.7-acre artificial wave lagoon—is a game-changer. City officials “embraced the festival as a true partnership opportunity that was unprecedented,” Bratman says. “It was clear from the get-go that they intended to work closely with us to make this event bigger and better than it’s ever been.”
This year’s Super Girl will boast two new sports categories, a larger footprint, and expanded leadership panels, mentorship sessions, and fitness and wellness classes. Bratman expects the improvements to shatter attendance records and yield a total economic impact of more than $30 million.
“We signed a four-year deal, but our plan is to put down roots and make Virginia Beach Super Girl’s permanent home,” says Bratman. “We want to transform the festival into a place-centered legacy event that has more and more reach, and just keeps getting better and better with time.” SuperGirlVB.com
Featured image by Edward Obermeyer. This article originally appeared in the August 2026 issue.
